Marlin XS7 vs Marlin XL7 vs Stevens 200

[Taurus92 in KyleTX]

Go for the cheapest caliber. I don't reload, and my local Academy has steel-cased 308win for $10/20rnds vs $15/20rnds of 270 or 30-06.

I wanted to shoot more, so I went with the 308.

Your access to ammo may vary, so look around at the places you normally buy ammo, including online, and go with that. (All this assuming you have accounted for any hunting needs, caliber-wise.)

 

[rangerruck]

Taurus, before you do anything, CLEAN THAT RIFLE!!!!
ALL NEW RIFLES NEED TO BE CLEANED. That is standard as they are filled with metal filings, junk, packing grease or gum, etc. That is what you are feeling when trying to lock up the bolt, there is some gummyness in there. Also, from the old mauser days, a lot of bolts are wobbly and loose when they are fully extended, and tighten up just fine, when they are locked up. It is the initial push, that can be smooth, to very choppy. Yours is hard and sticky right now, but just work around that, with a straight forward thumb or finger push, on the back of the bolt, or something you are comfortable with, it will get better.

 

[gimlet1/21]

The stevens combo package, get the factory sighted scope w/ the rifle.

 

[z3ro]

I already settled on the marlin, I just need to pick a caliber now

 

[falldowngoboom]

Nope, i dont reload.
Nope, i dont plan on shooting moose are brown bear

308 FTW. I think it's the second most commonly available big game cartridge after 30-06. At least as cheap as 30-06, which also tends to be the cheapest . 7mm-08 is great, but finding it is slightly tougher, and it's not any cheaper. You may be undergunned with a 243, but it could be a good choice if you're recoil sensitive.

+1 on cleaning the barrel well prior to shooting. Google barrel breakin if you don't know what we're talking about.

 

[LoneStarWings]

I would go with .308 as well, mainly becaue there is a lot of cheap milsurp out there if you just want to plink.

 

[dubbleA]

z3ro stated...

I want a friggin TACK DRIVER. Not a hunting rifle.

Dont want to rain on your parade, but the Marlins are hunting rifles. You stated that you dont reload so unless you are extremely talented and very lucky using factory ammo I think 1-2 inch 5 shot groups are to be the norm. Dont get me wrong, the Marlin is a dandy little rifle.

 

[jpwilly]

So far most of the reviews I've seen of Marlin XL7 rifles puts them in the 1.5" group range at 100yrds. Some will likely do better but for accuracy it's hard to beat the Savage rifles. Another thing I've picked up is that the Barrels on the XL7 are not free floated. There is a bump in the front of the handguard that puts pressure on the bbl. Maybe removing that bump and "floating" the barrel could help.

 

[peyton]

308 or 243, short action, easy to reload. I own a bunch of rifles and I reach for the 30.06 when I want to know the animal I shoot will drop in its track (more times thrown off its feet). I hunt a lot and you can't go wrong with any of those three calibers. Ammo prices will be about the same.

 

[biblefreak]

I heard repeatedly before I bought my rifle that Savage was the most accurate out of the box rifle around. I picked one up and indeed it is sub-moa with factory ammo! And I assure you I am no rifleman. This is only my second centerfire rifle, the other being an MN which I have only put <50 rds through in the 5 or so years I have owned it. If accuracy is your goal and you dont want a "hunting" rifle but a "friggen tack driver", I highly reccomend the Savage/Stevens line!

 

[Paradiddle]

In my neck of the woods (Cali) every military caliber is sold out nearly everywhere. There is no "surplus 308 or 30-06" to be had cheap anymore.

In fact the ONLY rifle caliber normally in stock at the local Walmart is 270. They are almost always out of 30-06 and 308 - they occasionally have 7mm-08.

You can get the other calibers at the local gun stores but their ammo is considerably more expensive then WM.

Food for thought - I would check all your local sources prior to deciding a caliber.

Jeff

 

[z3ro]

Paradiddle;

I have either ammo easily available; one of the "perks", and probably the only one of living in a heavy gun state, Arizona.

 

[Taurus92 in KyleTX]

RE: cleaning...

No worries, guys, I had planned to clean before shooting, regardless. I cleaned it on Wednesday, and it feels better. The thumb on the back of the bolt really helped, too.

Had always just assumed the hand on the bolt would be sufficient, but am happy to be a little more informed.

I first cleaned it off with some Hoppes #9, then wiped it down, and used a little Eezox Premium Gun Care to lube it up.

 

[juk]

You want accuracy but don't handload. For that purpose I would lean 90% toward the 308. The other calibers are great, but you would be limited by factory ammo offerings. There are multiple factory match 308 loads that aren't terribly expensive. Also, the 308 would save your shoulder some punishment.

 

[Russ Jackson]

Thanks for a great report. After reading it I went out and bought a XL7 in 30-06 for myself along with a Ruger 10/22 for my 14 year old Son for Christmas. He is 6 feet tall already and after a few trips to the range I will let him try the 30-06. I think if I let him fire the 30-06 first he may never want to again. It will be his first gun and mine for quite sometime...Russ

 

[PAC 762]

You want accuracy but don't handload. For that purpose I would lean 90% toward the 308. The other calibers are great, but you would be limited by factory ammo offerings. There are multiple factory match 308 loads that aren't terribly expensive. Also, the 308 would save your shoulder some punishment.

This is exactly what I was thinking. If you want a tackdriver, especially at longer ranges, you will need to use match-grade ammo. .308 match is much more available than .30-06 match.

 

[peptoe]

I know with a Marlin you are stuck with a 22" barrell, if you want to shoot at longer distances you will want a longer barrell. Stevens 30-06 comes in a 24" barrell as well as the 7mm and 300 Win Mags. Stevens s much easier to upgrade and for your intended purpose its a no brainer.

 

[jmr40]

The Stevens 30-06 comes with a 22" barrel. Only the magnums have the 24" barrel. If you want make a difference in velocity it is going to take a lot more than 2" to matter anyway.

 

[peptoe]

Oh, my bad. I thought they came in 24" as well. Around here you can get the Savage 111 combo with a detachable mag for the same price as the Stevens rifles. I'm not sure of the difference between these and 110/Stevens is beside the mag, so I'm really not sure of the rifles. My kid has a 110 accutrigger in 308 and it shoots great with the stock irons, saving for a scope.