Marlin XS7 questions

Mine is actually the XL7, same rifle, but a long action. It is very similar to a Savage bolt gun, uses a barrel nut to set headspace, floating head on the bolt, inexpensive plastic stock, bargain price, adjustable trigger copy of accu-trigger, not exactly beautiful, but suddenly becomes quite attractive once you get it on a bench and start shooting groups. Mine is a .270 Win. and very accurate, sub MOA with handloads and Federal Blue Box factory 130 gr loads. I have had it for 4 years and have hunted with it the past two seasons over my Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Shadow in .270WSM. I have been tempted to grab one in .243 Win. from CDNN at a steal price.

I have an XS7, in .308. I've owned it for almost ten years, it has 350-400 rounds through it, never had any issues mechanically, I like the trigger, and it's accurate. Only thing I didn't like was the plastic stock, but Boyd's cured that, I ordered a thumbhole stock for it, which was a perfect fit, the barrel free floats from the recoil lug on. I don't shoot it as much as I used to, I've taken up more with my M1A and my AR 6.5G for long range. stuff.

I bought 2 and still have one. Bought them back when they were around $200.
Both in 308

I havent even shot the one I have now as it's a youth model for when my son gets a bit older.

I dropped a Boyd's stock in the other one and it made it look a whole lot better. It shot ok but it felt so cheap I couldn't bond with it .

The Remington 783 is basically the same thing.

Some people go gaga over the marlin and I truly don't know what the fuss is all about. There are several inexpensive bolt guns on the market right now . For that matter, why so many love thr marlin yet still even more pan the 783 is a mystery to me.


Edit to add: I had to shim the magazine floor with cardstock to get the rifle to feed pproperly any degree. I had almost forgotten about that.

VoodooMountain said:

Some people go gaga over the marlin and I truly don't know what the fuss is all about. There are several inexpensive bolt guns on the market right now . For that matter, why so many love thr marlin yet still even more pan the 783 is a mystery to me.

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When the X series was released they we're cheaper than the competition, and the early ones got a reputation for being uncommonly accurate. Lots of social media press, and the fact that Remington killed it because it competed well with their rifle lines gives it something of a mystique.
The Remington manufactured ones were supposedly not as consistently accurate as the JM x series.

One thing that makes the X series neat is they will usually take savage small shank barrels (i say usually because I've read some reports of savage barrels not fitting).
The stock .243 which I've looked at a few times only has a 1-10 twist which is slower than I'd prefer, but still it's a good deal at what cdnn is asking.

That's the word, but I've only ever shot a couple both Remington's and they were pretty good.

LoonWulf said:

they will usually take savage small shank barrels (i say usually because I've read some reports of savage barrels not fitting).

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If I remember correctly, the bolt head recess is different, Marlin is deeper. Headspace may be an issue without modification. I've not seen Marlin bolt guns for a while, do they still make XS/XL-7? I'm interested in the XS-7 because they have staggered feed internal mag. Savage switched to centered feed and it is a pain to load the mag.

That's what I've read as well, tho i guess it's more common for it to work than not.

Cdnn still had some of the .243s last I looked, and Brownells had some XLs

I have one in 7mm-08 with an accu-trigger (still with the cheap plastic stock but dont care, its a hunting rifle). I glass bedded the recoil lug/chamber and the rear tang and free floated the barrel and can shoot sub-1inch groups at 100 yds using 120g Nosler and 40g IMR 4007 SSC. Killed deer out to 300 yds with it. Bought it used with a cheapy scope for 250$. I have a Weaver 44 on it and love it. It's light (which I have come to appreciate as I get older and lug it and my fat butt over hill and dale) and it doesn't beat the crap out of me with recoil. My 2 cent

I had one several years ago -.243win.(2012).
Sold it to the grand mother of a young man I taught to shoot. She gave it to him for Christmas. He adores the rifle, and has killed several deer with it including his first.

I recently replaced it with another I found used at a pawn shop. It’s just as accurate as first. With 100gr Sierra over 41.5gr IMR4350, it’s under MOA accurate. With 65gr Vmax over 42.0gr IMR4064 about 1/2moa.
Of the Savage M110’s and clones, it’s the best, IMO.
Principally, I prefer the stock, bolt handle, and bolt shroud. Enough I bought another. Of the half dozen Savage 110’s (Axis included) it and a .300RUM are the only ones I’ve kept.