Ok..maybe a 307 isn't a big bore but it is housed in a variant of the Big Bore 94 so I will post this here. I just bought a Winchester 94 in 307 from Ontario and it should be in the Yukon by Valentines day. Now finding brass and ammo is a bit tricky.

Looks like the 308 Marlin express is a similar case, same rim,same base dimensions but a bit shorter in OAL and shoulder placement.

So I ordered a box of 308 Marlin Express brass and will try annealing the neck, then necking up to 358 caliber to create a false shoulder when I run them back through a 308 die. This will hold head space. Fireformed they should create a perfectly acceptable 307 case but a bit short necked and in overall length.
Given you often need to shorten a case by 1/10th of an inch to use flex tips anyway it shouldn't really matter at all.

I'll let you know how it goes. A 160 grain Flex Tip at 2500fps and a 2.5X leupold ought to make a nice little package for myself, my wife, and my two left handed children. Nice companion to our 348 and 405 that will be more family friendly.

I was about to say rebore it to 356/358 and never look back, but it wouldn't be as family mild as the 307. I've heard of using 444 brass, and I know 308 brass will work, if the extractor will grab it on yours. I run 358 in my 356s, interchangeably, but I don't have a 94. I have the Marlin version.

Yes I am a 35 bore fan with an old Rem 660 in 350 Rem Mag and a Ruger and Sako barrelled in 358 Norma ( a hum-dinger).

I like what 35 caliber bullets can do but I started my hunting career in 1978 with an 18.5" 308 Winchester and did some amazing things with a 165 grain load I later learned was loafing along at 2500fps, (when I first bought a chronograph in the early 90"s). So a 160 Flextip at 2500 ought to be just as capable.

I'll certainly try 308 Brass, and might give 444 a try too. Who knows some day I might even find some original 307. With the 160 Flextip, and 170 Nosler Partitions ought to have a pretty good all-round rifle the whole family can use.

some ammo: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11676013/Winchester_.307_&_.356

Well, I had two bags of 307 brass that I never could get anyone to swap with me for 356/358 brass around here, so it became 356 brass. I hated to do it, with 307 AND 356 headstamps being so rare, but it's workin good. LOL

Lotsa brass here:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/11782528/gonew/1/Brass_FS__454_Cassul,270_Win,7#UNREAD

If it wasn't so hard to export stuff out of the States and into Canada that 307 Brass would be mine!

Also ordered some 444 Marlin Brass today. We will see which works better and I'll post here.

As mentioned, I'd try 308 Win brass first.

I'll try 308 as well but where is the fun in that?

Yeah, why use a match to light the grill when you can rub 2 sticks together for 1/2 an hour.

Exactly!

I used 308 brass occasionally when I had a 307 Winchester, but only for fairly light loads. The 307 case is much thicker at the head than 308 brass. Don't hot rod 308 brass in a 307.

Well 308 brass will single feed and eject but when placed in the tube will shoot out under the lifter creating a spectacular jam.
308 Marlin makes a case 1/10th inch shorter than it should be. Still waiting for 444 that should do it.

Ok.. The 444 marlin collapses when I attempt to neck down to 35 caliber in my 350 Rem Mag die. RCBS doesn't make case form dies. Any suggestions welcome...trying to be as cheap as possible.

I do have some 308 Marlin cases with a false 8mm shoulder ready to fireform with 150 Hornady RN's. Should create a nice short necked 307 that will work with the longer 160 FTX made for the 308 Marlin Express. b.c. of almost .400 at 2500fps+ ought to be quite the caribou load.

If I can figure out how to reform 444's for full length brass I'll be in business.

My copy of Cartridge Conversions says it can be made from 7x57R. It says,
"Turn rim to .506"dia. and back chamfer.
Taper expand to about .315"dia.
Trim to length, chamfer and F/L size.
Fireform."

A fun cartridge that I used with Barnes 150gr flatpoint. Which was a large hollow point.
The FTX is a natural!

The local hardware store here in Texas has 2 boxes of 307 Winchester ammunition sitting on their shelf. I think they have it marked $32 per box.

The 308 Marlin fireformed well and makes a very good short necked 307 which uses the longer version of the 160 Grain FTX well.

The 444 Marlin I have working with the 350 Rem Mag dies but of course they don't push the shoulder back enough. I'll need to pick up some 358 Win dies to use as an intermediate step. Should work well with care.

How much did you pay for the rifle? In an all to long list of guns I should have never sold there resides that very gun.

649 Canadian or about 500 US.

Video Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxJVz8swp4M

That impresses me as a very good deal.

I thought so. It's a lot of fun. 1.5" groups on the third load tried is pretty satisfying as well (170 Sierras with 4064). Have to Thank William Iorg for some good tips to get going.

Varget and a 160gr ftx has put some meat in the freezer, exellent whitetail cartridge and in the m94 its just sweet.

I got my first sub MOA group today with 160 FTX and a compressed load of 4064. 2500ft/sec average. The fireformed Marlin cases take a bit more powder to get to the expected speeds.

The little Winchester, Lever thinks it's a Bolt rifle, shooting a bunch of nice consistent groups at least till it warms up.

Get the occasional mis-feed with the FTX bullets. Thinking I might need a new follower.

Its 41.7gr varget under that ftx bullet, I get sub moa...The feed issue...I had the same and I seated my bullets abit more and now its only the last cartridge that needs to have the lever worked to get it to feed. I just noticed your with the 308 brass, I'm using 307 brass.

Here's a 160 FTX buck taken with my .307 Win. Can't remember the charge weight but I use H414. Pretty accurate setup, and effective when used within it's limitations.

Nice Mule deer T Inman,,,I have shot several bucks with the 160gr FTX 41.7gr varget,, This WT was @ 200yrds, I also shot a Moose with a 180gr bullet factory ammo.

Can you lads share anything about bullet performance. The 160 FTX looks like it expands pretty well. What about the 180 Factory?

I am going to give the 160 FTX designed for the 308 Marlin a whirl in the blown out 308 Marlin cases. With only 1.9" of case length the longer ballistically superior 308 Marlin FTX variant can be loaded to the cannelure and should really keep it's speed over 300 yards.

Even at a sedate 2500fps it hangs on to 1800fps to 350 yards. 10 inches low at 300 when sighted in at 200. Should be good to go if it shoots as accurately as the 30-30 version.

The FTX is a good deer bullet, I never used it on a Moose but I would.
I wont use another 180gr win power point factory on a Moose again, I won't use another factory on anything, the only reason I did was I had purchased the ammo for the brass, which as you know brass is hard to find.

BTW when I was developing loads for this rifle the only data available to my knowledge for the FTX bullet was from hornady and they emailed me their field data. I could be wrong but 300yds is abit far for this cartridge.
Also, I use a 308 factory crimp die from lee for the crimp

The 160 FTX in my single experienced expanded pretty well, and held together. I haven't weighed it, but I'd guess 60-70% retention. Shot was maybe 40 yards right on the point of that buck's shoulder.

It's a polymer tipped bulet with a boat tail, but the B/C isn't real high. It'll certainly make it 300 yards but it'll de dropping like a rock, especially when launched at 307 speeds. I haven't played around with the ballistics but wouldn't be comfortable using it way out there without some sort of a turret or dotz, both of which would be pretty awkward on a Win 94.

A leupy 6x36 with dotz may work out OK though. I have a Leupy 2.5x20 Ultralight with the heavy crosshair on mine, and it sure as hell ain't designed for 300 yard shots.

My 3X Post and Crosshair Weaver has two aiming points and works pretty well with practice. The BC of the 308 Marlin FTX is .395 and started at a sedate 2500fps it drops 8 inches at 300yards when sighted 3 inches high at 100. Should make 300 yard shots possible.

Take a 444 Marlin Case

1) Trim to a shade over 2" long
2) Start case forming in a 358 Seater die
3) take neck down to 358 in a 358 Win die with the expander,decapper removed
4) take it through a 308 resizing die
5) Final Trim to length (It stretches just a bit during reforming)
6) Anneal neck and shoulder
7) outside or inside neck ream if needed for your chamber

2 hours or so to do 50 cases and they are very good facsimiles of the original 307. Step 2/6 and 7 may not be necessary.

Thanks North61, good to know...

No problem...Here is a video showing at least one way to make brass from 444 Marlin. I have about a 5% failure rate but it works pretty well. Thanks to William (Slim) for a few pointers.

https://youtu.be/FVz-YCjvHnk

Im thinking about a win. 307, has a nice fig. stock, just not sure on ammo or brass, from this thread it dont sound good! also thinking on a Marlin in 35 rem. I hunt think woods so not realy worried about long range! Thoughts?

I'd buy a 307, if priced right....to rebore to a 356 and have a worthwhile upgrade over a 30/30 or 35.....but I'm a 356/358 hoarder, when I can. Half of my 356 brass wears 307 headstamps. LOL