Desert Fox
Handloader
- Aug 14, 2006
- 1,965
- 3
A friend who reside in northern California came down yesterday to visit me. He brought with him his new and unfired Marlin XS7 Bolt action rifle chambered in 243 Winchester. He asked if I could help him zeroing the rifle and evaluate it's overall capability. I have a lot of misgiving about the rifle when he first called me seeking advice prior to dumping 299 bucks, of his hard earned money on it. I figured, for that price, he can't go wrong. So I gave my blessing.
My first impression on the rifle fit and finished is very good. The Tupperware stock left nothing to be desired. Although it is pillar bedded, It look really cheap. The button rifled barrel has recessed target crown> It is attached to the action using a large nut like the Savage. Marlin called their trigger Pro-Fit. It looks to me like the Savage Accutrigger. The bolt is fluted and it has a side safety like the Remington and has a large shroud that looks similar to a Howa bolt. There's a lot of similarity between the Savage and this new Marlin. I won't be surprised that there was a collaboration between the two company.
How does it shoot? We tried both the 75 and 100 grain from Hornady's Light Magnum Series offering. I was really impressed by the accuracy and consistency of the new Marlin. The rifle is capable of half minute accuracy. The impact point between the 75 and the 100 doesn't diverge more than an MOA. Cleaning the barrel is a breeze. I used 7.62 Sweet to clean after our range session, and I observed only a slight hint of copper fouling. This after more than 35 round went down the pipe.
I believe Marlin finally made a breakthrough into the bolt action centerfire market with the XS rifle. I myself is contemplating on getting one in 25-06 chambering. I never own a rifle with quarter bore anyway, so this will be my excuse to acquire one. I can't go wrong in choosing the Marlin.
My first impression on the rifle fit and finished is very good. The Tupperware stock left nothing to be desired. Although it is pillar bedded, It look really cheap. The button rifled barrel has recessed target crown> It is attached to the action using a large nut like the Savage. Marlin called their trigger Pro-Fit. It looks to me like the Savage Accutrigger. The bolt is fluted and it has a side safety like the Remington and has a large shroud that looks similar to a Howa bolt. There's a lot of similarity between the Savage and this new Marlin. I won't be surprised that there was a collaboration between the two company.
How does it shoot? We tried both the 75 and 100 grain from Hornady's Light Magnum Series offering. I was really impressed by the accuracy and consistency of the new Marlin. The rifle is capable of half minute accuracy. The impact point between the 75 and the 100 doesn't diverge more than an MOA. Cleaning the barrel is a breeze. I used 7.62 Sweet to clean after our range session, and I observed only a slight hint of copper fouling. This after more than 35 round went down the pipe.
I believe Marlin finally made a breakthrough into the bolt action centerfire market with the XS rifle. I myself is contemplating on getting one in 25-06 chambering. I never own a rifle with quarter bore anyway, so this will be my excuse to acquire one. I can't go wrong in choosing the Marlin.
