Marlin XL7 & Ruger American Comparison
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- Dec 26, 2007
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SJB358":zq6otprd said:
Yes, I have spent many hours each year at the range and this one will take time also, that is why it might be a while before I am finished with this comparison, and I think this will be the last major comparison I will do so I am going to do it right. I am kind of wondering myself how this will all turn out.
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- #23
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- Dec 26, 2007
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Wednesday or Thursday morning will begin my load work comparison of the XLR and the American in 30-06 depending on the weather.
180gr North Fork
180gr Sierra Pro Hunter spitzer
180gr Speer Hot Core Spitzer
180gr Speer Hot Core RN
180gr Ballistic Tip
165gr North Fork
165gr Sierra HPBT
165gr Sierra SBT
220gr Sierra RN
220gr Hawk
180gr North Fork
180gr Sierra Pro Hunter spitzer
180gr Speer Hot Core Spitzer
180gr Speer Hot Core RN
180gr Ballistic Tip
165gr North Fork
165gr Sierra HPBT
165gr Sierra SBT
220gr Sierra RN
220gr Hawk
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SJB358":1c9883uy said:
Yes, with a few modifications here and there on brass use, primers and flash holes reamed out good and some change in over all lengths, but for the most part I have been here before :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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- Dec 26, 2007
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weather and work have me tied up until Saturday morning. I might wait til next Monday morning so I will more than likely be alone at the range, I really do not need any distractions with so many rounds to fire and so much data to record.
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The following load results are from using generic loads that worked for ten past 30-06's. The loads you are fixing to see targets of were not tailored for either rifle they are loads that have worked in the past for me. Do not draw premature conclusions from these since I have a long ways to go, but it is not looking good accuracy wise for the Ruger Ammerican.
All 180gr loads run from 2700fps to 2774fps
180gr Sierra Pro Hunter Spitzer XL7 Marlin
180gr North Fork SS XL7 Marlin
180gr Speer Hot Core RN XL7 Marlin
180gr Nosler Ballistic Tip XL7 Marlin
165gr North Fork SS XL7 Marlin
165gr Sierra HPBT XL7 Marlin
The following target is the only target of the Ruger American worth showing.
165gr Sierra HPBT Ruger American
Special note: the Ruger tigger was over five pounds and i took off the stock and adjusted it down to 3 pounds and that should help out some. The Marlin was already at 3 pounds
All 180gr loads run from 2700fps to 2774fps
180gr Sierra Pro Hunter Spitzer XL7 Marlin
180gr North Fork SS XL7 Marlin
180gr Speer Hot Core RN XL7 Marlin
180gr Nosler Ballistic Tip XL7 Marlin
165gr North Fork SS XL7 Marlin
165gr Sierra HPBT XL7 Marlin
The following target is the only target of the Ruger American worth showing.
165gr Sierra HPBT Ruger American
Special note: the Ruger tigger was over five pounds and i took off the stock and adjusted it down to 3 pounds and that should help out some. The Marlin was already at 3 pounds
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The Ruger American will begin to improve. I am far from over with these two rifles. It takes a long time getting things right with one rifle much less two of them. The Marlin I know takes about 9 rounds down the bore before it really begins to shoot well and I am suspect that it will take 10 or 12 for the Ruger American to start shooting well, but with most hunting rifles I have found they like a fairly fouled bore.
Yesterday was the first time the American had been to the range, so with the trigger adjustments I have made and some more rounds down the bore, I believe it will get to shooting better. There are some functional things I really like about the Ruger American which are a plus for the little money spent on the rifle. I will find out with some more loads down the bore next Wednesday or Thursday morning.
Yesterday was the first time the American had been to the range, so with the trigger adjustments I have made and some more rounds down the bore, I believe it will get to shooting better. There are some functional things I really like about the Ruger American which are a plus for the little money spent on the rifle. I will find out with some more loads down the bore next Wednesday or Thursday morning.
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- #30
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The American might tighten up real quick next Wednesday or Thursday as I change the OAL and loads to fit the American a little better plus with the trigger adjustment I made it really is a sweet trigger for such an inexpensive rifle. I am playing with seating depth. Obviously it will take more work especially with the American. They free floated the barrel(which I usually like). But with a thin sporter barrel it can create more problems free floating the barrel than if it has a pressure point a lot of the time (hence the engineers at Marlin decided to put a pressure point instead of free floating and the Marlin I have digest pretty much what I am feeding it with good hunting accuracy), which sometimes free floating a thin barrel works and sometimes does not.
When it does not work it will like fewer specific loads and bullet weights than when there is fore end pressure. This is not a hard rule and there are exceptions, but just because they free floated the barrel does not necessarily mean the barrel will like being free floated. I am at the moment believing that the American I have, the barrel is not taking to the free floating, but load work will let me know in the not to distant future.
When it does not work it will like fewer specific loads and bullet weights than when there is fore end pressure. This is not a hard rule and there are exceptions, but just because they free floated the barrel does not necessarily mean the barrel will like being free floated. I am at the moment believing that the American I have, the barrel is not taking to the free floating, but load work will let me know in the not to distant future.
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- #31
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The next two weeks will be really involved in range work and field test.
Range work: Will be also at the range shooting both rifles from four basic field positions (prone, sitting, kneeling, standing). I will fire having an observer to look over my shoulder to determine if the stock of either gun touches the sides of the barrel and will do it the second time with a sling attached in the sitting, kneeling, and standing positions. I then will have the observer shoot the same as I did and I will also see what each rifle stock does under this kind of shooting.
Factory loads - 150gr Win Silver tips, 165gr Win power points, 165gr Win Silver tips, 165gr Rem Core Lokt, 180gr Core Lokt
Hand loads - 130gr TTSX, 150gr E-Tip, 165gr Hornady Spire Point, 165gr Sierra SBT, 165gr Sierra HPBT, 165gr Ballistic tip, 180gr Speer SBT, 180gr Speer RN, 220gr Sierra RN, 220gr Hawk semi RN
Field test: Will involve two separate days of hiking on a 5000 acre private lease. I will take my back pack full of water and my lunch and hike all over that lease with each rifle on separate days, hiking steep hills, pine woods and thickets along with some bottom land, to determine which rifle was the easiest to carry so as to determine which one would be a good spot and stalk rifle. At the end of each day of hiking, I will go back to my truck and get a climbing stand and go up a tree to about 14 feet and try all the shooting positions I might have to get in to take a deer from a stand to see which one is the easiest to maneuver in a tree stand.
Break down: Will break both rifles down showing the bedding and my thoughts on what each manufacture has done.
This will be the last post until I am finished with my comparison of the Marlin XL7 and the Ruger American. My final results will be a link to my complete summary of my work with these two rifles and my final conclusions on which rifle gets the nod for being the best value as an entry level rifle. I will make brief comments on my choices for entry level scopes since I have used both (Burris Full Field II and Redfied) in the field to take game.
Range work: Will be also at the range shooting both rifles from four basic field positions (prone, sitting, kneeling, standing). I will fire having an observer to look over my shoulder to determine if the stock of either gun touches the sides of the barrel and will do it the second time with a sling attached in the sitting, kneeling, and standing positions. I then will have the observer shoot the same as I did and I will also see what each rifle stock does under this kind of shooting.
Factory loads - 150gr Win Silver tips, 165gr Win power points, 165gr Win Silver tips, 165gr Rem Core Lokt, 180gr Core Lokt
Hand loads - 130gr TTSX, 150gr E-Tip, 165gr Hornady Spire Point, 165gr Sierra SBT, 165gr Sierra HPBT, 165gr Ballistic tip, 180gr Speer SBT, 180gr Speer RN, 220gr Sierra RN, 220gr Hawk semi RN
Field test: Will involve two separate days of hiking on a 5000 acre private lease. I will take my back pack full of water and my lunch and hike all over that lease with each rifle on separate days, hiking steep hills, pine woods and thickets along with some bottom land, to determine which rifle was the easiest to carry so as to determine which one would be a good spot and stalk rifle. At the end of each day of hiking, I will go back to my truck and get a climbing stand and go up a tree to about 14 feet and try all the shooting positions I might have to get in to take a deer from a stand to see which one is the easiest to maneuver in a tree stand.
Break down: Will break both rifles down showing the bedding and my thoughts on what each manufacture has done.
This will be the last post until I am finished with my comparison of the Marlin XL7 and the Ruger American. My final results will be a link to my complete summary of my work with these two rifles and my final conclusions on which rifle gets the nod for being the best value as an entry level rifle. I will make brief comments on my choices for entry level scopes since I have used both (Burris Full Field II and Redfied) in the field to take game.
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- #32
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- Dec 26, 2007
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meatmachineman
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I just finished the article, aside from the praise of that old boring round :wink: it was a great read and ended up about where I expected with Marlin on top. I was surprised by the mag issue with the Ruger and especially surprised by the stock comparison between the two... Well done!
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- #35
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- Dec 26, 2007
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Thanks guys, it was a lot of fun, sure glad I did it.
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- #37
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WYcoyote":15kuqkad said:
Yes, what you get for the money spend is an outstanding value.
rjm158
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- Oct 15, 2009
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My wife just bought an XS7 for me as an anniversary present. If it shoots anywhere close to your 30-06 and the two 25-06's I've had a chance to shoot, it will be a great rifle.
Ron
Ron
- Oct 30, 2004
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Love the marlins
