Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Re-barrel Ruger/Marlin

I have

1) Ruger M77 tang safety in 257 Roberts (Long action)

2) Marlin XL7 in 25-06 (got on trade for my 336 30-30)

My dilemma is this, I want to build my 280 Remington. I need to figure out witch rifle to re-barrel into my 280.

What to keep and what to re-barrel what do you think.

Of the two, I would definitely build on the Ruger M77 action.

Marlins are a dime a dozen and don't have the overall value of a Ruger. Thus, I would build on the Ruger!

The 280 is a great choice by the way!

I second this opinion except the Marlin does not even get my consideration. 280 Remington is the roba dolce (sweet stuff).

Ruger

In many respects, I think the Marlin is a better action. It has a better trigger and I the receiver shape (like a Model 70). The main thing is, I would rather have the 257 Roberts than the 25/06 for my 25 caliber. Is that 257 Roberts in the Ruger not in a short action? If it is a long action, it would work but I think I would still lean toward the Marlin. I always felt the Marlin to be a bit underrated. GD

I think you have your Marlin Bolt action Models mixed up Greydog.

The gun the OP is talking about is the latest Marlin "X" Model bolt guns with the tubular receivers ala the Remington and Savage.

The one you are thinking about is the MR-7 that was made about 10 years ago. That was a totally different rifle desgin and yes- it did have an M70 push feed style receiver.

My mistake. I was indeed thinking about the MR-7 which I thought was a decent action. The new action is kind of Savage-esque and I would be as likely to use it as I would a Savage which is to say, not likely at all. GD

I have had two Marlins recently and I think just the opposite. they are great guns, but with very cheapo stocks that need the foreends stiffened up which I did with dowels and bedding compound. were it me and one of those two had to be a 280 Rem, it would be the marlin. I would not mess with the ruger 257 roberts only because its a factory 257 and i would hate to do that. However, another alternative woudl be to sell the Marlin and make a rebarreled 280 exactly the way you want it..i.e. new trigger, bedded, action cleaned up and your good to go for anything the other two would gain you.