Does anyone know where in northern Illinois I can purchase
the Marlin XL-7 .270 ?
I have called Gartner Mountain,Bass Pro shop and Gat’s gun
with no luck. Any info would be appreciated.

If one wants to, the same can be said about anything, from firearms to margarine. Sure there is some ad hype here, but name me one manufacturere that isnt trying to sell their products and profit by it?

Personally, I am glad to see yet another competitor in the value rifle field – yet another maker putting out a quality American made product that serves the need. Instead of finding fault and complaining “on principle,” there should joy.So what if they’re not first… only one can ever be first.
But Marlin has had enough ‘firsts’ before any of us were born to qualify them as innovators. I cam live with that. Way to go Marlin!

BTW, you stole that rifle at that price, well done! I have two XS7s, one in .308 and the other in 7mm-08. They both shoot sweet. The triggers are terrific too.

Happy Hunting,
Mike B.

We shoud verify if it is true that Marlin/Remington is really stopping production on these fine inexpensive rifles. I still want a .270 and .243, if I can still find them, when I have the money to buy them, especially at the current Academy price!

Has anyone heard anything on this disturbing rumor, for sure?

I went Marlin again based on my experience with the 1895C (fantastic!!) and the reviews I’ve seen on the XL7.

It’s a beautiful rifle.

Can’t wait for the season to start again!

Really appreciate the help. You have me thinking twice about the camo rifle and scope. Maybe the wood.

Rich

http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/hunting/optics/scopes&start=16&selectedSKU=0369-02076-6312

They list it a $189.99, for a few dollars more you can upgrade from the 3-9X40 to the 3-9X50 or from the Prostaff to the Buckmaster.

When you want the camo finish, you start limiting yourself to scopes more towards varmit hunting. I have leupold, nikon, pentax and bushnell scopes and have no complaints with any of them, you get what you pay for. I have a real preference for leupold and nikon, but I have several Pentax that I bought on ebay and am quite impressed with them for the low price I got them for.

I like buying at Academy and Walmart or a gun shop that lets you look at and through the scope to see how clear the lenses are and how well they stay on focus when you change magnification. For some of the stuff I shoot, I like the mil-dot or BDC that comes with many scopes.

A good set of rings and mounts is just as important as the scope, get something solid and reliable that will keep the scope aligned properly with the barrel, especially for hunting, where it will get knocked around a bit.

My Marlin .308 has a Pentax 3.5 -10 X 50 on it, I used the Leupold steel mounts and rings which work very well.

The most popular variable scope is the 3-9 X 40 or 50. Most of us use around 4 to 6 power, sight it in and leave it there for the type and range of hunting we will be doing. I sight in for 200 yards, which is about 1.5 or 2 inches high at 100 yards. For hunting larger game, that usually works best.

Good luck with your new Marlin. Hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us are enjoying ours. Great gun, at any price!

Well since purchasing my two XL,s I have been bitten by the reloading bug and have been working on loads for the .270 and 30-06. I have found a good recipe for the .270 and have been shooting a lot at my local range.

This firearm continues to improve with each trip to the range. I am now shooting consistent 3 shot groups at 100 yards with a .368” spread. This is way more than I had expected. I have enjoyed this firearm since the day I bought it.

I will be starting the 30-06 loads after the first of the year and am looking forward to developing a load for it. I really enjoy shooting these firearms ! I am amazed with the accuracy of these guns considering the low cost.

Here is the load that works good in this gun;

Bullet Grains Case Primer Powder Grains
Nosler 140 Fed CCI-200 RL-22 57.6
Ballistic Tip

Velocity Spread
2959 .368

Just one more comment and I feel it is the most important. No matter if you hand load or shoot factory ammo when you boil it all down it’s about one thing. Practice, practice, practice! This will make you a more confident and accurate shooter, whether punching paper or a perfectly placed shot on game. You can never substitute time in at the range.

Have a Happy New Year !

Coach P

I don’t think you will be disappointed with the range and knock down power of most of the popular ammo in Rem, Win, or Federal in 150 to 170 grain blunt/soft nose rounds. They are very effectiive out to 200 yards, which is usually where most of us hunt for white tail in the brush or woods. The advantage of the shorter barreled 336 is its light weight, short barrel allows for quick shouldering and rapid sighting in tighter hunting surroundings. The lever also helps speed up getting a second round in the chamber. That’s why most of us used the lever guns with open sights most of the time, so you can get that quick shot off at traveling game, up close.

The less expensive rounds are also fun to practice with for cowboy action and other fun events.

Get some ammo and get out there and enjoy that great used gun you bought for less than half retail! Also, go to the Marlin Arms sight and download the manual for it, so you have the proper instructions for partially disassembling it for cleaning. If your rifle is a newer model, it will have microgroove stamped on the barrel. You will need to use jacketed ammo with the micro barrel to get the best ballistic and accurate performance from your rifle.

Have a very Merry Christmas,
Mike Boyd and Family

I am sure you will enjoy it for years to come.

Merry Christmas,
From the Boyd Family

I bought a marlin 336 30-30 used with a Simmons scope 4-12×40 for $200 in a wood case. I’m still getting the xl7, but I’m gonna have to wait a few months.

Thank you for the help!

What an awesome deal you got. I believe the scope is most likely a Bushnell Banner. That is what came with my Savage 7mm package gun. It is a lower end scope, but should work great for the shooting you are planning on doing.

At the range you mentioned, the good old Remington 150 grain core Lokt or Winchester 150 grain power points or Federal 150 grain power shock. They are all available at Walmart for less than $20 a box of 20. All three are soft point bullets and should do the job just fine out to 400 yards. I recommend the 150 grain, because they don’t kick as hard as the 165 and 180 grain.

I went by Walmart earlier this week and their ammo case was packed full of almost everything in rifle and pistol ammo except for .45 and 380 ACP.

Good luck with that sweet rifle, I am sure it will serve you well, just keep it clean and well preserved.

Have a very Merry Christmas

I just ordered the Marlin XL7 30-06 Combo (with Scope, its a 3-9×40) for 289.00. WOOHOO. Last one at the distributor in AL! They were going to sell it to me for 319.99 and said the holiday discount did not apply to special orders. When we got to the register the computer gave me the discount!!!! Im not sure what brand scope will come on it, If anyone knows please reply. I have never killed a deer before but a buddy has some wonderful green fields and there are many bucks waiting on this 30-06. I am so excited! If any of you have any suggestions on the grain count / type of tip to shoot please let me know. All shots should be between 75 and 150 yrds.

Thanks again guys

I have just put a Marlin Xl7 30-06 with scope on hold today a dick’s. They gave me the combo price of $319.99 but did not tell me what the scope was. The manager said he would match the deal with the Leupold scope (which i assume is nicer than the combo) if i could get a store name location and or print out of the invoice. Can you email that to me dustlove [at] gmail [dot] com?

Your help is appreciated. Man im excited about this gun

Years ago, I shot ground hogs in Central PA with my 06 using Reminton Accelerators. My round of preference in the mountains of Nortern PA was Remington 180 grain core lokts. Here in Texas, I am using Hornady 165 gr SSTLMs. They are twice the price of the Remingtons and Winchesters, but shoot as flat as most .270’s or 7mm Magnums.

I would recommend you break your new gun in with cheaper ammo at a range, running a bore snake down the bore after each round, for twenty rounds, then clean thoroughly every 3 to 5 rounds until you have about 50 rounds through it. After that, your groups should really be tight for final sight-in for hunting.

I only have 20 rounds through my Marlin so far and the groups already are below 1.5 inches at 100 yards. I am also breaking in a 7mm mag and a new .22LR Bull barrel and the weather has sucked on my days off, so not much progress, I’m afraid.

Hope you have a great Christmas Estaban, enjoy that new rifle and let us know what scope you went with, don’t scrimp here, there a plenty of decent scopes around $200 or less and some terrific scopes around $300, Leaupold and Nikon heading up the list in Mid-range scopes.

Felice Navidad,
Mike Boyd

Great forum!!! Merry Christmas Guys!!!

The 336 is a lever gun. I have one in .30-.30. It is a great, close in brush gun and is often used with open sights to ranges out to 150 yards. Some mount scopes (I did) since I am 60 and don’t see as good as I used to. Since the 336 is tube feed, the bullet tips are soft, so you don’t get the sharp tip of a pointed tip banging against the primer, causing an explosion in the tube magazine. The XS and XL are bolt guns in much more powerful cartridges. They load up in a blind magazine and can support much more ballistic stable bullets. There is no best round out there for white tail, it is more towards your shooting comfort, confidence, and environment you will be hunting in. Favored, poplular rounds are; .30-06, .270, .308, 7mm and 300 magnums. Many will argue that if you only have one hunting rifle, then either of the first three are good choices since there is plenty of ammo available for all three. The .30-06 has been around the longest and has the greatest range of ammo to choose from, just visit able ammo on line for all there is to select from and you will see what I mean. The 06 in the correct Hornady cartridge compares easily with the .270 in flat shooting in similar weight bullets. But many white tail are harvested with the venerable and inexpensive Remington Core Loks, the most popular in 06 is usually the 180 grain bullet, however the Hornady 150 grain boat tail ballistic tip bullets only drop about 3 feet at 500 yards. (See my earlier post on the balistics).

I purchased an XS7 in .308 and put a Pentax 3-9X50 on it for my grandson (14YO) who is quite comfortable shooting it with 150 grain Winchester or Remington ammo. He also likes the 336 with .30-30. I put an excelerator pad on it and you don’t feel much of anything from that rifle with 150 grain Winchesters out of it, but of course much less powder behind the .30-.30 than the .308.

If you have friends like me, that have several rifles, you may want to ask to look them over and shoot them, to see what fits you best. I am 6′2″ and don’t have a problem with any of the most popular rifles out there. I love my Remington BDL 700, but for half the price, the Marlin isn’t as pretty, but sure shoots just as good. I also have a Savage 110 in 7mm Rem. Mag and like it almost as much as the Marlin and Remington. I am now looking at buying a Weatherby Vanguard in .270 and .223/5.56mm. The Marlin in .270 is also tempting at $100 less than the Vangaurd, but I am leaning towards the 24″ barrel of the Weatherby over the 22″ of the Marlin.

Good luck on your search, there are just so many great weapons out there that will do a great job for you. Look at Buds, they are comparable to Walmart and Academy in price, but have a much larger selection that most stores or gun shops. Now if I could just find someone with primers in stock, I would be so happy!?

Have a great Christmas everyone!!!

While the .270 loaded in Light Magnum, such as Hornady sells in 140 grain soft Points are comparable to most .30-06 rounds and definitely shoot flatter, the lighter bullet is effected more by wind. The .270 light magnum leaves the barrel at 3100FPS and is still moving at 2155FPS at 500 yards with muzzle energy of 2967 FP and still delivers 1443 FP at 500 yards, dropping only 36.6 inches when sighted 1.4 inches high at 100 yards.

Now there are two heavy hitting flat shooting .30-06 rounds from Hornady in 150 and 165 grain.

The 150 gr SST-LM leaves the barrel at 3100 FPS and is still hauling 2013 FPS at 500 yards with a drop of 36.6″ when sighted 1.4″ high at 100 yards and has 1350 FP of energy.

The 165 gr SSTLM round leave the barrel at 3015 FPS, still moving at 2041 GPS at 500 Yards, dropping 39″ at that distance, with 3170 FP muzzle energy, dropping to 1765 FP at 500 yards.

Clearly, the 06 hits the hardest, but will certainly let your shoulder know about it. What I like about the 06 is the wider range of ammo available for it and is almost always on the shelf in some form or another, that will certainly get you into the field hunting. If you are only going to have one rifle, then my vote goes towards the 06 or even the .308 due the the ammo being readily available almost anywhere.

Just a note, I am now currently debating between a .270 either from Marlin or Weatherby. I already have a Rem 700 BDL in 06, 7mm mag from Savage, both with 24″ barrels, a Malin .30-30, and XS-7 in .308. My next purchase will be a .270, followed by either a .243 or .25-06, as I proceed to collect the most common sporting rifles.

My first rifle for deer hunting in Central and Northern PA was a Winchester in .32 special, which was stolen. I was only 19 and devasted, so the old experts at our deer camp recommended the NEW Remington 700 in .30-06, this was in 1968. I still have that gun and it still shoots great and still looks nearly new.

Good luck in your search, I am sure you will be more than satisfied with the Marlin, just wish they made the .270 in 24″ barrels. If they did, I would be buying one now, but am leaning towards the Weatherby or Savage with the 24″ barrel.

Happy hunting,
Old Salt.

The .06 is great caliber. A bit slower than the 270 but hits harder. Hits harder only if you are using a larger grain the the 270. If anyone feels I am wrong about this please…explain. Humor me.

For larger than elk, yes the 30.06 is the way to go. As for long range accuracy (above 250 meter) the 270 will always win. The 270 will always retain more FPS at further distance because it is faster from the start.

Below 250 it does not matter what you are shooting. Both will do what ever you ask of it. So with all that said the better round for an all around rifle, hunting and distance target is the .270

So I’m trying to decide between 270 vs 30.06…

http://www.shootingtimes.com/ballistics/ballistic-tables/

The .06 has a very wide variety of ammo for many uses and is commonly available. The .270 aint too shaby either, both have been around a very long time. I am considering a .270 my self and am debating between the Marlin and the Weatherby Vanguard. I have a Marlin XS7 in .308 and really like it, but the .270 cries for a 24″ barrel to gain the most from it’s long range capabilities. I have an .06 Reminginton 700 BDL with a 24″ barrel and really like shooting it, especially since I installed a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad on it. I appreciated the fact the Marlin came with a decent pad on it already. If you think bear, elk or moose are in your future targets, the .30 caliper has a heaver range of bullet available but will kick a little harder than the lighter .270 rounds. If you know someone with both rifles, you may ask to shoot each, in the weight of bullet you would considering hunting with, to determine which is most comfortable for you to shoot. Either round will take down most game in North America, with an appropriately placed shot. Comfort and confidence are big factors in shooting, especially in the few moments when we get a trophy in our sights.

Hope this helps,
Happy and Safe Hunting,
Mike B.

Thanks in advance