One of the other 'fire members was a bad...errr, I mean "good" influence on me, so I got me a new toy so we hopefully can play together. It's a Marlin XS7VH in 308 Win with 26-inch heavy barrel. It has one of those funny Glockish triggers on it (wish it was a Timney or better). The first load I tried was labeled "Frankford Arsenal Match" and 173 grains. It didn't shoot all that great. However, it really liked my handloads with 165gr Speers over Varget. I got some 150 Bal Tips today so I can play with it tomorrow.

Anybody else got one of these? How well does it shoot? Care to share any accuracy loads?



Sorry about the crummy cell phone pic.

Big Red what's the going rate on them out that way? What kinda groups you getting? I have been shooting my XS-7 in 308 with 165 gr Matchkings with RL-15 over 2700 with decent groups. Magnum Man

$369

I just started shooting it last night. Three of the 165 Speers were going into about 1/2 inch when I managed the heavy factory trigger.

Does the extra trigger thing add to the overall trigger pull? Has anyone removed that thing?

Hey Big , don't sweat that trigger just follow the instructions in the owners manual and adjust it down. My 308 came from the factory a nice clean 3# and the used XL-7 270 I picked up awhile back was ok too. Don't modify it, just adj it. Magnum Man

I do not have one of the heavy barreled models,but have a 30/06,270 &243.All shoot way better than they ought to at that price!!!!!I am waiting for a 223 in The HB.

I tried to free float the barrel but that injection molded stock was all over the place and ended up touching the side of the barrel and fouling up the groups. So I re-installed forend pressure. Gonna clean the barrel and shoot again tomorrow. Would like to get a more rigid stock for it. Saw some Savages at the store with metal stocks. This accuracy thing can be really frustrating.

I put a Boyds stock on my 243.They are reasonable and easy to bed.

Thanks for that idea, Huntz. That's probably what I'll do eventually. Would like a nice (expensive) fiberglass stock, but a good laminate will probably do. I shot it again just now with forend pressure and it went back to just stringing vertically. It walks up the target as the barrel warms up. I got a 3-inch group at 300 yards with virtually zero lateral dispersion. I'm hoping the vertical stuff will minimize with the barrel floated and action bedded in a more rigid stock.

The thing is really front heavy with that 26 inch tube. Maybe it'll get bobbed, who knows.

Big need an update on your progress with the Marlin heavy barrel 308. Magnum Man

Well I have plans to put a new laminated stock on it and epozy bed the action, but funds are limited so it will take some time. I can get a drop-in stock from Boyd's for under a hundred but they don't really have a target style stock for the Marlins. They have one called the "Prairie Hunter" that might work. We'll see. I'll let you know how it works out.

Also want to try target style bullets in her, like the Nosler A-max or some such. The ballistic tips do about 3 inches at 300 yards. I'm hoping for better. I'm thinking of lopping off about 4 inches of barrel to make it balance better and stiffen it up, but my boy does not want me to do it. He wants to take the thing deer hunting as is. I will let him take it too. He's 15 and strong as an ox. Arm wrestling I can still take him right handed, but left handed I'm no contest for him.

Yeah, I hope you don't lop it off either, that 26" length is the part that really interests me with accuracy too. I bought a Remington Laminated thumbhole varmint stock (Boyd's) from buddy who had sent his off sans the stock to have Christenson Arms do it to a carbon canon model. I dropped my 700 V 223 into it and that stock flat works for me. It is their Ross thumbhole model with varmint forend. I am curious if a guy can get some real good accuracy and velocity with 168 and 178 A MAX Hornady's with the extra barrel length. Magnum Man

Its a 12 twist so not sure if it will like 178s. It did not like military match ammo with 173gr FMJs at all.

That would be my line a thought also, but a couple of weeks back at the IBS 2 Montana Marine was using his 308 built LR gun with a 1 in 12 twist with 208 gr Amax's. If they shoot in a 1 in 12(and they did) 178's should not be a problem. He was getting right at 2600 with a 20.5" barrel and a 26 should be some better. Just my line a thought anyway. Magnum man

Only one way to find out.

Yep!



Ted

That's great shooting Ted. Now if your XL7 with sporter weight barrel ends up shooting better than my heavy barrel 308, I'm gonna be pissed!

Don't sweat it. That is the best group I have shot with the rifle. However, I don't think it has ever shot a three-shot group over an inch, and a lot are close to 3/4 !

BTW, my Husqvarna 308 has a 1:12 twist barrel, and handles 200 gr spitzers with no problem.

Ted

I have a few of the Marlin X guns, but none with the heavy factory barrel. I've swapped barrel and stocks on a couple of them, but the factory injection molded stocks work OK. The Boyds Prairie Hunter works well with the sporter barrels, but I don't think that the factory BC would open up very well for a heavier barrel.

Jeff

Will a Marlin barrelled action fit in a stock inletted for a Rem 700?

I haven't tried it, but I think that the Marlin X gun receiver specs are closer to the Winchester 70 than to the Remington 700.

Jeff

Last night I fully free-floated the barrel of my Marlin XS7VH 308 in its original injection molded stock. Turns out there was a bunch of contact spots up and down the forend. Now that the entire barrel is free-floated the stock is not as flexible and "whippy" as i originally thought. I also removed the flange in the rear screw hole of the triggerguard so the rear action screw tightens directly on the steel pillar instead of on the squishy plastic. It tightens firmly now. Then I went out and shot a group at 100 yards with our usual deer hunting load (165gr Speer Hot Cor over Varget). All three bullets were in the same hole! Can't wait to stretch her out to 300 and see what she'll do with the barrel floated and the action firmly secured in the stock.

I have swapped out the plastic TGs on my Marlin X guns with the alloy units that Marlin puts on the 925 (blue/black) and 983 (silver) RF rifles. It seems to me that Marlin could install the alloy TGs at time of assembly in lieu of the plastic units for less than $1, but they never asked me.

Jeff

Hey Big, any chance you could chrony that load? Magnum Man

There you go! Thanks for the accurizing tip. Waiting for the 300 yd pictures, please!

Ted

Mag man, I don't own a chronograph. Really don't want to either, if you know what I mean.

300 yard pics will be coming. Gotta do some loading and shooting. Maybe this weekend. Got a 4-day weekend coming.

Well Big, I have a Shooting Chrony and feel that it provides me with lots of info I couldn't get or verify without it. It enabled me to reach a velocity level with my 308 with accuracy to work with my M3 dial for LR shooting. magnum man