I have both.
I prefer the .307.
The .307 is obsolete, you can still manage it but the .308 Marlin is more current."
My 22" .308ME is an exceptional tubular magazine lever action rifle. Marlin took extra care assembling it. The sliding bolt and vertical bolt are well fitted to each other. The forend has two nylon rub straps under the forearm which has some built in clearance.
The Hornady factory ammunition is very good quality. The Handloader has to work hard to equal the accuracy of the Hornady ammunition.
The Marlin rifle will not accept the high pressure of .307 Winchester ammunition. The .308 Marlin develops its velocity through barrel length.
The .307 Winchester with factory 150 grain loads would just top 2,560 fps with the early ammunition and was then backed of 100 fps or a bit more in later ammunition.
The .308 Marlin with the 160 grain factory load will just break 2,600 fps with the 22" barrel.
With handloads both cartridges are good for 2,550 fps+ with 150 grain bullets.
With the 170 grain bullets both cartridges will break 2,500 fps easily.
Alliant Reloder 15 and Hodgdon Varget are good powders to start with.
The .307 Winchester is a bit better balanced as far as case capacity and maximum pressure. This is due to deeper bullet seating to maintain the COL between 2.55 to 2.60".
It is rather easy to load the .308 Marlin Express to to high pressure. I found this when the cartridge came out and there was no published load data. When Hornady finally came out with a fax sheet of pressure tested load data I had to reduce some of my loads.
Anyway, I would purchase the .308ME, sit down at the bench and say: "Watch This."
Last edited by william_iorg; 05/01/23.
