Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which one will die first?

My guess is the TC will die off first. I have seen exactly three guys hunting with TC's in the last 10 years. I guess they aren't really that popular around here.

As I understand it, and I might be wrong here, both are very dependent on factory loads to do what they do. The 308 ME depends on the soft pointy bullets that are not yet available to handloaders and the 30 TC seems to use some magical powder that, again, doesn't seem to be available to us. I suspect that most of the people who might buy one or the other are handloaders who won't get to play with these rounds as much as they would like to. So, unless they stop selling 30-30 Winchesters and .30-06s and fill the shelves instead with 308 MEs and 30 TCs, I don't expect them to be particularly popular. I'd even say they are doomed. And, I agree that the TC rifles (both the single shots and the new bolt gun) are so goofy looking that I just can't like them no matter how hard I try.

That said, of the two, I prefer the "idea" of the 308 ME-- 300 Savage performance in a tube fed lever gun seems like a good thing to me. But then again I thought the 307 was a good idea too. See where that one ended up...

I think they will both flop,,,,,factory ammo is expensive for the 308M,,,,,,,,course thare are always those that hafta have something different,,,,,the 308 first

The 308 Marlin will win. Marlin supports its stuff for a LONG time. Heck, the 444 marlin took 15 years to catch on. Marlin, never gave up on it.

Also, Marlin does not care about selling 308 Marlins. Marlin just wants to sell rifles. The 308 Marlin is bait. Now that a deer hunter can get a 160 grain bullet going 2600 fps, the marlin is a viable long range weapon.

I say that the 308 marlin is advertised heavily, gets the lever guys into the gunshop, then that same lever guy gets sold a 30/30 MARLIN and LeverRevloution pointy bullet ammo (which is almost as good, will do fine for deer hunting, and then the guy can use regualr 30/30 ammo that he can get anywhere).

Net Result: Marlin Sells More MARLIN rifles. Marlin wins and keeps that 308 Marlin in its lineup for decades to come.

BMT

Thats true and I always forget that for most hunters reloading isn't a consideration.

My guess is TC's new caliber will hang around longer because it is just a matter of making barrels which TC does so well. The new rifle is a mess and will not be around long. Didn't Winchester attempt a .307 in their beefed up 94 some years ago? I doubt Marlin will have any better luck but love that Marlin rifle.

The TC will crash first and foremost. It is a cartridge will little reason for existence. TC does not have the customer base that Marlin enjoys and they have a reliable habit of building guns as homely as my left cheek. The Marlin cartridge enjoys something the .307 Winchester did not, that being .308 ballistics and a pointy bullet. Handloaders are a minority segment in the industry and that has little play in the matter in any case.

That said, I have little desire for either, and certainly no need. This onrush of new chamberings visited upon us in the last couple of decades has produced little(I did not say "nothing") in the way of substantial improvement in any form. Hopefully it is on the wane.

.02 worth, not adjusted for inflation.

To quote from a Malt-o-Meal TV ad from the late 50's or early 60's:

"Tastes twice as good as that other tastless stuff"

Or, mathematically, 0 + 0 = 0.

Actually there is plenty of "other stuff" that tastes very good, and I'll put my money there. The crystal ball says a Marlin .308 Marlin Express XLR is in my future...

I think the TC will be gone first. Levergun enthusiasts will keep the .308 M.E. going enough to keep it in production, at least for a while.

He can't be serious, can he Jack? Hopefully, the .30 T/C and A-bolt will die off together I think I agree with the majority here that the Marlin will outlast the T/C, provided they market/support it better than the 307 Win. But 30 T/C barrels will be available for a long time. A cartridge so close to the 308 Win in a rifle that hideous has got its' work cut out for it. I just can't ever foresee any other gun makers chambering rifles for either cartridge.....I also do not believe in "magic" powders, as I've seen several cartridges come down the line that they said handloaders would not be able to duplicate factory performance. Guess what? They've always managed to....

I just like the fact that we are off which Short, fat Mag will die first, discussion.

Which will die first?

Ummm.... do we have a simultaneous death rule around? How about a still born rule? IMHO, either/both would apply...

May ALL of the Short fats, Wssm's,Shamu's et al die simaultaneously WITH the 30TC and 308ME!

Color me perplexed as I don't see why anyone would wish failure on TC or Marlin's new products -- or WSM, WSSM, SAUM, UM or any other product for that matter.

There is a significant difference between believing the market will reject a product than actively hoping it will fail.

They will both die like a Bang Flop very swifty and with great authority. The Marlin might last a tad longer because of some die hard lever users.

Good point! +1!

As for me I hope the T/C dies ASAP as it is BUTT UGLY!

i actually like the looks of the t/c icon ... semi-custom rifle supposedly going to retail @ $800. good trigger, good barrel, good stock, integrated steel scope mount ... the .30 t/c caliber, on the other hand, seems completely ridiculous. i'll take one in .308. (preferably 7mm-08, no idea why they chose the calibers they did for the initial launch of the rifle ....)

........ or buy a BLR.

They will both slowly fade away. The Marlin round may sruggle for just a bit longer.