To my knowledge the 256 win mag was never imported down here though ive heard of a few 30 carbines.

I'd like to hear how you found the 256 seems like it would be a fun rifle for rabbits & foxes.

Johno

I have owned a couple of Marlin 62s in 218 Bee, 256 Win Mag, and 30 U.S. Carbine.

The 256 Win Mag is OK, but factory ammo was hard to find and expensive, as were reloading components. I mostly shot 86 grain Remington component bullets intended for use in the 25-20 in my 256 Marlin.

The Marlin 62s that I've owned had poor triggers, even after having been worked over by an expert in such things and the barrels are pinned, not threaded, which struck me as being an odd way to attach a barrel on a centerfire rifle.

I have long thought that the Marlin 62 might have found success as a short range deer hunting rifle if Marlin had made them in .44 Magnum.

I have one. It is and it isn't a good rifle cartridge combination. The chamber is too large in diameter at the bade. The chamber is cut too long at the shoulder. This combination is hard on brass. You can load the cartridge down but this makes it a .25-20 which is fine.
You cannot simply neck size as you risk firing the rifle unlocked.
If the barrel were set back 3/4" or so and the rifle rechambered you might overcome the chamber.the cases are easy to form. I have C-H form dies. Rocky uses the seat die and we both get there.

My Marlin does not have a serial number - a few got out like this. I believe the rare rifles are the ones sent back to Marlin to have a serial number applied.

I got one in 22lr. Fun gun, I wish the mag held more rounds.

Case life for the .256WM is short in the Marlin and in the TC Contender.
I made some rimless cases from .223 Remington bras and this helped some. The cases are different (reduced) capacity and change your load data. I made up some long neck wildcats based on the .223 case and they had promise but the .25-222 would be an easier case to make and work with.
I enjoy small game cartridges and rifles but the .256WM is a lot of work. Bob Millek back in 1993 wrote an article: Why the .256 Winchester Magnum?
His case life was not any better than mine


256WM Broken case


256WM Rimless

Johno,

I haven't worked with the Model 62 I have enough to give you the rundown as william_iorg did. I have shot a few rounds though mine, maybe 50? I haven't experienced the case head separation,.......... yet. My loads are in the 'medium" range at present. I haven't worked up to max for that gun yet.. I might not if I find a load that shoots well, and extends case life.

My problem is I have a custom revolver in that cartridge and I'd like to find a nice strong level load to use in both without ruining brass. As someone else stated, it's expensive when you can find it. I have a good supply I found at a gun show. Do they have anything similar there in Australia? I haven't attempted to make them from .357 magnum yet, but online searches say it's anywhere from easy to a pain in the arse.

I actually found some original Winchester ammunition, but haven't shot any yet as it is worth more as collector ammo than it is for me to reload it. My Model 62 came with some load info from the previous owner so I'll check those out, perhaps he found one that works without ruining brass. He used some varmint bullets that I believe are no longer available. There is a good amount of date online also.

I can tell you, even from the short (7.5") barrel of my pistol it is more than capable for rabbits and foxes. I killed a javelina of about 30 lbs dressed weight with it using the 75 gr flatpoints from Speer (number 1237). The lungs and liver were mush. I'd imagine they would work well for other things you have there, smaller 'roos maybe?

Someone on here posted some info about a Ruger .357/77 they converted to .256 WinMag. It seems like a suitable rifle for the cartridge, if magazine length allows pointy bullets it might be perfect. I'd like to do one up for myself, but the cost of the donor rifle, even used is too much for me at this time.

Good luck with the round and rifle if you decide to use it.

I look forward to working with mine for a little while as I'm turning "retired" soon and will have more time to get to the range to play with it. Should it not work out, I may send it down the road to finance the Ruger option?

Thanks for starting this off, perhaps it will gain a little traction as I kinda like the little gun on first impression.

Geno

PS, should I find a decent load for it, I'll use out back of our place for bunnies and coyotes and try to remember to post results for all to see.

William,

as always, thanks for sharing your info on this little cartridge.

Geno

Fellas thanks or the informative replies, you see ive been thinking on buying on in the US and importing it that side would cost as much as the rifle itself.

The other option that I like is to find a model 62 in 30 carbine and fit a barrel in 5.7 MMJ (Johnson) I think that would make a nice little rifle. I read somewhere a long time back where a bloke made an extended magazine for the 62, I think it only 6 shot but its reasonable without hanging to low.

Heading bush for a few days i'll check back when I return, need to put a sambar on the deck nearly out of venison here

Johno

Here is a picture of the large magazine. I believe it was a factory item. This from the 1963 Gun Digest

Oh that looks good, what capacity? I see the ad mentions 22 rem jet yet apparently only one was made as a trial.

Got a real nice sambar spiker hanging in the chiller, just have to love the old 300 savage

Johno

I had a 256 that shot a literal one hole group at 40 yards. It was an amazing shooter. I still have one levermatic, a 56 in 22LR. I love em.

Roy, you ever see either cal in your neck of the woods? if you do what sort of money would one in great condition bring?

Johno

Johno I don't see them unless on the internet. Great condition $600-700, but you never know you could score one for less.

Sounds reasonable given that around 2010-11 I paid in that range for one in relatively "great" condition, with sling, old Leupold scope, dies, bullets, NOS ammunition, cases, and boxes for reloaded ammo. I figure there was at least $100-200 in the unopened ammo from when it was available, given that brass was nearly $1 ea. at the time.

Of course, as you (FB2) rightly said, should one be able to locate one for sale. They don't seem to come up often.

Geno

I have a Winchester 92 that dad rebarreled to 256 Win. Very accurate with factory ammo.
I've made quite a few cases from 357 Mag. Also I have all I need factory.

That 62 seemed to be a lot like my Marlin 57 22. While that rifle was accurate the trigger pull was approximately 20 pounds from the factory. (HARD TO MEASURE!!). Dad wanted to send it back. Walked a lot of bean fields pulling weeds to get that rifle.

That rifle was shot a lot. Towards the end it shot hot gases and burnt powder back in my face.

Sorry for the delay friends in getting back here, have'nt been keeping to well so really only lurking.

I did see a nice one on GB but to expensive for me once you take all the export costs into account

Johno

I have one in 30 Carbine, fun little gun and more accurate than I anticipated
Perfect companion for my Ruger Blackhawk

Yoy fellas mind having a look at the one on gunbroker at the moment, looks really nice condition but expensive

Johno

Its a nice rifle. Better condition than mine.
Mine has good blue all over but my stock has no real shine to it.

Marlin made an error when they did not serialize the rifles. Marlin did a recall but few rifles were sent in for the serial number. When Marlin added the serial number they were put on the barrel.
I believe the rare rifles are the ones sent in for the serial number.
My rifle does not have a serial number but I do not consider this to be a selling point.

The .256 WM Marlins have a chamber which is too large in diamiter at the base and too long from rim to shoulder. The rifles are hard on brass. There is little you can do to exte case life. If you load to full potential you will break cases.

Loaded as a .25-20 I have better case life.

Just something to think about.

For $775.00 you can buy a pretty nice rifle. Personally I would leave it to the collectors.

Thanks for the advice I would be looking at around another $500.00 to import to Australia so its an expensive rifle.

Just to be clear is this one that was sent back to marlin for serial number?

Johno

This one has no serial number. The seller believes this may be worth some sort of premium.

To the collector, perhaps. To a shooter there is no added value. To you, trying to export the rifle this could be a drawback.

Well its no longer showing on gb must have sold but there was a photo of a number I took to be a marlin number.

Thanks for your help and yes if un numbered that would be a huge problem

John

I believe the 62 was built in 30 carbine and 256 Winchester. I have heard that the 22 jet was done, but never seen one.

barrel is indeed pinned, but that can be updated surely. Get a barrel blank and put it on.

Running 357 mag brass thru a 30 Luger sizing die first helps to take a run at the 256 win sizing die.

I have pondered changing my 62 in 256 Win Mag to 22 Super Jet, but not done it yet. The 22/30 carbine sounds like fun to me.