ANYONE TEST OUT OR OWN THE MARLINS XL7 BOLT ACTION RIFLES?

[HairTrigger]

I WAS THINKIN BOUT GETTIN ONE OF THESE THEY SEEM TO SOUND LIKE A GOOD GUN FOR THE PRICE PLUS CAMO TOO JUST WANNA KNOW IF ANYONES HAD ANY TROUBLES WITH THEM?
 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Bought one for my son last year in .270win. I've put several rounds through it.  Great rifle for the price. The trigger is nicely adjustable much like the Savage Accutrigger. Fluted bolt is smooth. Safety is right where you need it, even with gloves. Accurate.... Not a tack driver, but moa with handloads.  Light weight. Same scope mount/rail as a win 70 allows a low fit of a 3-9x40. Stock is light and the action is pillar bedded and tight. Excellent recoil system for a factory rifle.

-Steve

[bobcat]

How much do they sell for?

[HairTrigger]

$325 OR 375?? SOMETING LIKE THAT 
SOUNDS GOOD LOOKIN TO GET ONE FOR MY SON FOR FIRST GUN HE IS 13 NOW THANKS JACK

[carpsniperg2]

300-350 is what I see them for at most of the gun shows. I could never get past the way they feel in my hands. I had thought about buying one for a tractor beater but could never get over the fill of the gun in my hands and on my shoulder. They just don't fit me. I would really spend the extra 100-150 and get a tikka over the xl7 in my book.

[HairTrigger]

IM JUS LOOKIN FOR MY SON FOR AFTER HIS FIRST KILL HE HAS TO GIVE IT AWAY ANYWAYS WOULD RATHER HIM GIVE THAT AWAY THAN MY KIMBER LOL LOOKIN AT THE 7MM-08 OR 25-06

[carpsniperg2]

Both are outstanding picks! I like both cals very much, but like the 7mm-08 a little more.

Why does he have to give it away if you don't mond me asking? A family tradition?

[HairTrigger]

FIRST KILLS GIVES EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THAT DAY CLOTHES GUN KNIFE MEAT HIDE YUP NOT JUST FAMILY TRADISH THE WAY OF THE LONGHOUSE ID PROB CRY  :'(WATCHIN HIM GIVEAWAY MY KIMBER BUT WHO EVER HE GIVES THE RIFLE TO IS SUPPOSE TO REPLACE HIS PRETTY COOL CEREMONY
 

[carpsniperg2]

Very cool to hear that! Sounds like it will be a great experience for both of you guys.

[HairTrigger]

THEY DANCE WITH THE GUN TO SOME SONGS THE PERSON THAT GETS THE GUN DANCES AN SO WILL I BE LIKE THE MOMENT HE GETS THE ACTUAL KILL ALL OVER ILL BE HELLA PROUD HE WILL EVEN TELL THE STORY OF HOW IT HAPPENS NO ONE IN THE IMMEDATE FAMILY IS SUPPOSE TO EAT THE MEAT IT TO BE ALL GIVIN AWAY THUS PEOPLE WILL REPAY BY GIVIN HIM HUNTING ITEMS LIKE KNIVES BULLETS OR ANYTHING HUNTING RELATED BUT IF HE USES MY KIMBER YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PART LOL MY WIFE TOLD ME IF YOU DONT WANNA GIVE THAT GUN AWAY YOU BETTER GET ONE YOU WOULDNT MIND GIVING AWAY LOL SO THE SEARCH IS ON
 
PERMISSION TO BUY A NEW GUN LOL

[carpsniperg2]

  Always nice to gun shop Sounds like a cool deal. Yeah if you get a chance to look at the tikka's they are very nice and not to spendy as well.

[carpsniperg2]

Another choice in the same price range is the t/c venture. Heard pretty good things about them as well.

[HairTrigger]

 
thanks i will be doin some comparing now just gotta think bout the difference between 25-06 an the 7mm 08 

[carpsniperg2]

You can go to the bigger grain bullets in the 7mm-08. Most times I run 140's in mine but you can go all the way to 175 if you wanted. Most the 25-06 bullets are in the 90-120 grain range. He probably wont be shooting long range, if he was the 25-06 is flatter. I own several 7mm-08 and sold my 25-06, it was a great gun and I had no plans of ever selling it. Then a gun I wanted very very very bad came up and he wanted my 25-06 in the trade along with some cash and I had to do it. It was a great gun but I was not attached to it like some of my rifles. Plus I love the rifle I got with letting it go.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I 'almost' went 25-06 for my son but the 270 won out on performance and bullet selection.

The XL7 has a lot of good features for a gun in that price point.  An XL7s compares well to the Tikka T3 Lite Stainless except the Tikka wins with the detachable magazine. The XL7 wins with a better recoil system and a stock that you can hang on to. Some would say that a blind box magazine (XL7), establishes a better platform for an accurate bolt action rifle, although most of the Tikka's with an open bottom stock have proven accurate. At ~$200 price difference, the Marlin wins.

Weird family tradition to give things away after the first kill.  Hell, I'm having trouble just getting my kids outfitted over the years. I certainly don't want them giving things away! 

-Steve

[HairTrigger]

It all gets replaced from whom ever receives them

[deerslyr]

BIGINNER YOU HAVE COMPETITION NOW AHAHAHA

[Biggerhammer]

I had several friends purchase them in 25-06 when they first came out. They use them as truck rifles on the cattle ranch. They shoot very well and were priced at 279.00 when they purchased them. They have gone up in price cosiderably in the past 2 years.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I bought one for my son 2 years ago at cabelas. They were a mangers special. It came with a 3x9 leupold rifleman for 399. I couldn't pass it up. I would let my 12 year old shoot a deer at 300 yards with it. Very nice shooting rifle. And you can't beat the cost.

[True Sportsman]

BIGINNER YOU HAVE COMPETITION NOW AHAHAHA

I was thinking the exact same thing...

[cwuwildcat]

Here's what I did with my 30.06 xl7, 180gr core lokt's and nikon prostaff 3-9x40.  Would have been a cloverleaf but I coughed as I squeezed the trigger on the fourth one.  I was sighted in for 200 yards, but the target was at 100 yards, explaining why they were 2 inches above dead center.  Took the fourth shot, looked at it through the spotting scope and figured it was good enough!

[Larry S.]

Recently, I had the opportunity to acquire a Marlin XL7 (.270 WCF) through a trade with a friend. The rifle had had only 10 rounds fired through it and was still in its original box with all accompanying paperwork. I basically traded an old (31 years) S&W (Howa Model 1500 in .270 WCF) for it in order to have a camp backup for my primary deer rifle.

Yes, the Marlin is inexpensive. Yes, the stock is some plastic polymer. Yes, the trigger guard is plastic and the rear guard screw needs to be carefully tightened so as not to crack the rear of the trigger guard (Stay under 20-inch-pounds). And, no, it's not a legacy rifle to be passed down the generations. But, Lord, can it shoot.

I mounted a Leupold VXII that I'd purchased from another friend who does a bit of gunsmithing and I took an hour or so to float the barrel and then I took it to the range where it shot 5 rounds of Federal 150g, soft point, round nose into a .830" group. I let it cool and then in shot 5 rounds of Remington Core Lokt, 130g, pointed soft points into a .770" group.

I sat back, took a deep breath, broke a small smile, cased it, and brought it home. Then, I went out and bought a box of bedding compound, bedded the action, waited a few days, took a box of handloads (.270, 130g, Nosler AccuBonds) that I have for my primary hunting rifle and went back to the range and the thing   shot a 0.900" group. Basically, this "cheap" rifle shoots better than me...way better.

My dilemma, such as it is, is now whether or not to make this my primary rifle. Probably won't, but I have to say that, this time, the gods truly smiled down.

I've wandered the Internet and the comments that come back regarding the accuracy of this rifle pretty much mirror what I've experienced. Too, I've found that they can be had for around $300 when you can find them. I'll add to that that there's likely a secret society being formed amongst those who own and have shot them that will not let them go without a fight.

Again, these are not legacy rifles. What they are are damn fine tools. Tools that you could buy without breaking the bank. Tools that you would not worry about scratching, scarring, dropping, getting wet, or getting banged up. They are an entry level rifle that, apparently, will shoot better than most of us are able to shoot and that will draw comments at the range - as in the guy next to me with a $1000+ rifle who was shooting 2-3" groups and wondered what kind of custom rifle I had.

Can't make you buy one. Won't argue about the plastic trigger guard (have already found a replacement Remington guard that will work with a little time on my bench). Can't argue that the stock is perfect.

But again...Lord, will this rifle shoot. And, all things considered, that's what really counts, isn't it?

Hope this helps.

Larry Simoneaux

[Pathfinder101]

Bought one in .308 for PathfinderJR for his 11th Birthday.  We love it.  Very accurate.  He brought it with him this summer when we went up to my buddies' place to do some long range shooting.  He shot it from 50 out to 525 yards and most points in between.  Was whacking a man sized metal sillouette at 525.  I think he only missed 1 out of 6 shots.  Great little gun (we actually got the youth model - the XS7Y).  Love the bolt, love the trigger.  Great buy

[HairTrigger]

Bought one in .308 for PathfinderJR for his 11th Birthday.  We love it.  Very accurate.  He brought it with him this summer when we went up to my buddies' place to do some long range shooting.  He shot it from 50 out to 525 yards and most points in between.  Was whacking a man sized metal sillouette at 525.  I think he only missed 1 out of 6 shots.  Great little gun (we actually got the youth model - the XS7Y).  Love the bolt, love the trigger.  Great buy

THANKS DIDNT SEE THAT YOUTH MODEL WELL DEFF LOOK INTO THAT ONE AN SORRY GUYS CANT STAND THE 270'S LOL JUST FROM SOME PEOPLE PRIORS ID RATHER THROW A 270 OUT THA WINDOW BUT I HAVE A 7MM AN LOVE IT BUT I KNOW THEY SHOOT THE SAME BULLETS LOL BUT I HEAR ALOTTA BAD THINGS THAT WHY I WAS LOOKIN AT 25-06 OR 7MM-08 OR EVEN  A 243 WILL DO

[HairTrigger]

 
THANKS FOR EVERYONES INFO I THINK ILL GO ORDER THE ONE WITH THE CAMO STOCK
 

[JackOfAllTrades]

XL7S in 243win... Pull the barrel off with a Savage barrel wrench. Ream the chamber to 243AI. Put it back together. Go shoot stuff!

-Steve

[Biggerhammer]

XL7S in 243win... Pull the barrel off with a Savage barrel wrench. Ream the chamber to 243AI. Put it back together. Go shoot stuff!

-Steve

Never thought of that , have you done it or seen it done? I've never looked at the Marlin in depth, can you set the headspace with the barrel nut like you can with the Savage's? We have a 25-06 AI reamer, I bet I could talk a buddy  into using his as a ginny pig.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I've never done it either, but I heard that the nut is the same as on a Savage. I would think that setting headspace should be the same concept/procedure.

-Steve

[Pathfinder101]

Bought one in .308 for PathfinderJR for his 11th Birthday.  We love it.  Very accurate.  He brought it with him this summer when we went up to my buddies' place to do some long range shooting.  He shot it from 50 out to 525 yards and most points in between.  Was whacking a man sized metal sillouette at 525.  I think he only missed 1 out of 6 shots.  Great little gun (we actually got the youth model - the XS7Y).  Love the bolt, love the trigger.  Great buy

SORRY GUYS CANT STAND THE 270'S LOL JUST FROM SOME PEOPLE PRIORS ID RATHER THROW A 270 OUT THA WINDOW BUT I HAVE A 7MM AN LOVE IT BUT I KNOW THEY SHOOT THE SAME BULLETS LOL BUT I HEAR ALOTTA BAD THINGS THAT WHY I WAS LOOKIN AT 25-06 OR 7MM-08 OR EVEN  A 243 WILL DO

Oh God.  After that statement, you are going to get your house egged by about half the members on this forum... 

(..by the way...what's your address...? )

[HairTrigger]

Lol just hear alotta bad thing an good ones too but can't stand tha thought of losing an animal even from a good shot just my thoughts lol egg away I live right next door to you all lol
 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Study ballistics.. The 270 will do anything a 25-06 can, and better. Bullet selection for the 25-06 is quite limited by todays standards for popular cartridges in 6mm (.243), 7mm (.270) and .30cal

-Steve

[PlateauNDN]

Lol just hear alotta bad thing an good ones too but can't stand tha thought of losing an animal even from a good shot just my thoughts lol egg away I live right next door to you all lol
 

Great thread and sorry I didn't notice it yesterday you've provided some good info.   I was in a similar situation earlier this year and I bought a .270 for my son to use for next year when I take him for his first.  I took it for a test run this year and harvested a nice 5x6, so I can say the .270 works fine for us.  If he gets something a little big for himself in return I plan on getting him a .243 to use until he's big enough.  Good luck to you and your son   nie. 

[mallard79]

If you are just gonna give it.away, the remington modell 770 is a bit cheaper and with a a pretty simple trigger job they are plenty accurate for hunting. My son shoots one in .243 and it puts 5 touching at 100yards.....and it is under $300. 

[Biggerhammer]

Study ballistics.. The 270 will do anything a 25-06 can, and better. Bullet selection for the 25-06 is quite limited by todays standards for popular cartridges in 6mm (.243), 7mm (.270) and .30cal

-Steve

I'll kill it just the same with either and leave both in the safe when it come to the 6.5-284.

[JackOfAllTrades]

http://www.chuckhawks.com/6-5-284_6-5RemMag.htm

I don't knock the 6.5x284.. Cool short action round, but not common on most sporting goods store shelves.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/270win.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/25-06Rem.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/243Win.htm

-Steve

[HairTrigger]

Plus you see a lot of 270 s in the papers an shelves of gun shops too they are everywhere now how many 25-06 you see in any store or shop your lucky to see one ballistics are good witnessing it is better lol

[Biggerhammer]

Plus you see a lot of 270 s in the papers an shelves of gun shops too they are everywhere now how many 25-06 you see in any store or shop your lucky to see one ballistics are good witnessing it is better lol

That's because Jack O' Connor brain washed a generation and the next got a .270 shoved in their hands and didn't know any better. I own .270's but O'Connor was spot on concerning the 7x57.

[Pathfinder101]

Plus you see a lot of 270 s in the papers an shelves of gun shops too they are everywhere now how many 25-06 you see in any store or shop your lucky to see one ballistics are good witnessing it is better lol

That's because Jack O' Connor brain washed a generation and the next got a .270 shoved in their hands and didn't know any better. I own .270's but O'Connor was spot on concerning the 7x57.

That's why I hunted with one for 25 years...  My grandpa had a stack of old Outdoor Life's in his basement, and I read them (O'Connor especially) every time I was over there growing up.  When it came time for me to buy my first gun, I bought a .270 Win.  I shoot a 7mm Mag now, but I never regretted buying or hunting with my .270s.  And I never lost an animal that I could blame on the round...

[Biggerhammer]

Plus you see a lot of 270 s in the papers an shelves of gun shops too they are everywhere now how many 25-06 you see in any store or shop your lucky to see one ballistics are good witnessing it is better lol

That's because Jack O' Connor brain washed a generation and the next got a .270 shoved in their hands and didn't know any better. I own .270's but O'Connor was spot on concerning the 7x57.

That's why I hunted with one for 25 years...  My grandpa had a stack of old Outdoor Life's in his basement, and I read them (O'Connor especially) every time I was over there growing up.  When it came time for me to buy my first gun, I bought a .270 Win.  I shoot a 7mm Mag now, but I never regretted buying or hunting with my .270s.  And I never lost an animal that I could blame on the round...

Almost the same story here, in elk camp before I was old enough to carry a rifle almost everyone had a .270 or 30-06 with a accasional .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby. I used to sit around the campfire and listen to the Jack O' Conneor .270 huggers rib everyone about their 06's and .300's. I carried a handed down 7x57 for several years and when I was twelve I had saved up enough money. My dad drove me down to the local gun shop with my field & stream magazine in hand, I walked out with the first rifle I ever purchase myself. A Rem700 BDL 7mm Magnum, my dad thought I was crazy.

[HairTrigger]

If you are just gonna give it.away, the remington modell 770 is a bit cheaper and with a a pretty simple trigger job they are plenty accurate for hunting. My son shoots one in .243 and it puts 5 touching at 100yards.....and it is under $300. 

What if he wanted to give it to you or anyone else on this site which he.can and has asked.about would any of you all honor him if he honored you in return replace his first kill weapon just wondering???

[bobcat]

If you are just gonna give it.away, the remington modell 770 is a bit cheaper and with a a pretty simple trigger job they are plenty accurate for hunting. My son shoots one in .243 and it puts 5 touching at 100yards.....and it is under $300. 

What if he wanted to give it to you or anyone else on this site which he.can and has asked.about would any of you all honor him if he honored you in return replace his first kill weapon just wondering???

There's no way I would give away a Remington 770, unless it was to someone I absolutely hated. Sorry but that's just something I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. Make it a Savage, a Marlin, Weatherby Vanguard- there are decent low priced rifles out there, but the 770 isn't one of them. (IMO)

[Pathfinder101]

If you are just gonna give it.away, the remington modell 770 is a bit cheaper and with a a pretty simple trigger job they are plenty accurate for hunting. My son shoots one in .243 and it puts 5 touching at 100yards.....and it is under $300. 

What if he wanted to give it to you or anyone else on this site which he.can and has asked.about would any of you all honor him if he honored you in return replace his first kill weapon just wondering???

There's no way I would give away a Remington 770, unless it was to someone I absolutely hated. Sorry but that's just something I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. Make it a Savage, a Marlin, Weatherby Vanguard- there are decent low priced rifles out there, but the 770 isn't one of them. (IMO)

   Sorry, never have heard anything good about them (and I am a huge Rem 700 fan).  Then again, I could be wrong, I have never owned a 770...

[HairTrigger]

If you are just gonna give it.away, the remington modell 770 is a bit cheaper and with a a pretty simple trigger job they are plenty accurate for hunting. My son shoots one in .243 and it puts 5 touching at 100yards.....and it is under $300. 

What if he wanted to give it to you or anyone else on this site which he.can and has asked.about would any of you all honor him if he honored you in return replace his first kill weapon just wondering???

There's no way I would give away a Remington 770, unless it was to someone I absolutely hated. Sorry but that's just something I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. Make it a Savage, a Marlin, Weatherby Vanguard- there are decent low priced rifles out there, but the 770 isn't one of them. (IMO)
Exactly 

[HairTrigger]

Would any of you do this I told him its up to him who he gives it too

[addicted]

I was keeping track of them for awhile and got to put my hands on one a couple weeks ago.

If you take a closer look at them from back to front, they have the rear bolt shroud of a weatherby, the scope mount holes of a model 70, the trigger is a poorly machined copy of the accutrigger, the safety is the same as a rem 700, the bot head is much like a remington but is attached by a pin like a savage, then at the front of the action the barrel is attached by a barrel nut like a savage.

The point of the secondary trigger(accutrigger) is to have a super light short trigger pull with the secondary as a safety to prevent unwanted discharge. The marlin i handled had a trigger so heavy that it didnt need the extra moving parts of the secondary blade trigger. It was also noticably loose and poorly fit together. Hopefully it adjusts down low enough to need that secondary trigger.

The owner of the gun said that through all the ammo he had tried he always got about a 2.5-3 inch group out of it.


It is cool that you can use model 70 scope mounts with it but thats the end of my interest.

You can go down to walmart and pick up a savage Edge/axis for $267 and if your really that interested you could use the extra money you save on a new trigger or better glass.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Our Marlin adjusted down to 2 pounds nicely. We set it at a very crisp 2.5.  Groups from factory ammo were 1.5moa. With handloads easily moa and a tad less.

The Axis is a competitor because it comes in more caliber choices but there are other features of the X7 that edges it out.

-Steve