Marlin 308 Express
 

I thought that some others may find the following excert from another website regarding this new rifle.


"Now I can talk freely about the new 308 Marlin Express.

The news release is now out on the joint venture of Marlin and Hornady's newest cartridge, the 308 MARLIN EXPRESS.

Ater reading a number of recent posts that hit the 'net today, I'll try to give you all some more facts.

The 308 Marlin Express is NOT interchangeable with the current (Nato) .308........The marlin 308 Express is an entirely NEW case and chamber design......However, The New 308 Marlin Express will slightly surpass the older, (never released in a Marlin), 307 performance.

The Billistics are similar to the current Nato 308, a 160 Gr. projectile @ approx 2650-2700 FPS...... The operating pressure will be in the range of 46,000-47,000 PSI, thanks to the technology and hard work from the guys at Hornady.....Someone stated they expect the performance to fall short......I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE THE CASE!...The final loading is still being fine tuned by the technicians at Hornady, velocity and accuracy is VERY incouraging.

Answers to few questions I read in prior posts:

Will other (hand loaded) ammo be usable?.........Yes, the bore size is the same as the Marlin 30-30........1:10 ballard cut rifling, so other RN or FN bullets are handloadable. The larger case capacity of the 308 will benefit the handloader also.

Will other ammo manufacturers pick the 308 Marlin Express in their product line?
I expect that will happen, in time,......thats always been the case.

Can older Marlin 30-30's be safely rechambered to this new round?.....NO!..... the receiver will be manufactured to tighter tolerances, using a Vee thread as the union between the barrel and the receiver, similar to the 450 Marlin.

Can standard pointed bullets be used in the 308 Marlin rifle? NO....There is NO safe way to use standard, metal pointed projectiles in a tubular magazine.

Will a 35 or some other bore size follow?..............NO........this is a NEW Marlin caliber in itself.

The Marlin Rifles:

The Marlin 308 Express will come in two flavors.

The 308MXLR will be an XLR Stainless Steel style rifle with a 24" barrel, pistol grip Grey/Black laminated stocks, with forarm cap and sling studs,and standard Marlin rubber non-vented rifle pad.

The 308MX will be a blued rifle with a 22" barrel, Walnut pistol grip stocks, with the Marlin rubber non-vented rifle pad and sling studs.

The Magazine Tubes on both rifles will be the 2/3's style, holding, 5 rounds. The mag tubes are standard style NOT sprial or helical.

Barrel Contour : Currently, the barrel contour will be that of the 30-30 and 30-30 XLR.....However testing is scheduled for other, heavier barrel contours, to optimize down range accuracy. Barrel contour will be decided prior to the first production run.

Production schedule: Marlin is scheduling the first production for these new rifles for Jan/Feb/ March........I don't remember the specific production release dates, but will note them tomorrow and post them this weekend.

This new caliber is going to be a long range heavy hitter for a 30 caliber lever gun.......One of the gun writers shot and killed an antelope at a measured 361 yards with this rifle.

If you want to see the cartridge itself,I suggest you log in to Hornady's web site to view it. I have the file on my computer, but it will take me too much time to convert it , reload it and post it......Sorry, I work on a computer most of the day, I DON'T WANT TO WORK MORE AT NIGHT....

I'm excited about the new 308 Marlin Express........If any of you have other questions, forward them to me, and I'll try to answer them quickly for you.

Good Shooting, good Hunting....."

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

That was very interesting. Thanks for posting it.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Sounds like Marlin is hoping to build some new rifles.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I am very interested in it myself. i'm a lever gun fanatic but I want 500+ yard range reliability which marlin just dont offer me. i've been considering the BLR myself.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Nothing my old trusty .308 Win, won't do.:D

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I sawthe writeup on this new round and really doubt it will go anywhere. Might as well buy a BLR in .308 or get a nice old 88 or 99. Other than devoted Marlin fans I don't see much of a market.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I couldn't agree more.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I'm not so sure. Aesthetics play a part in gun purchases, and compared toMarlins, those old 88's, 99's and even the BLRs are hideous.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I agree with you ipsc-this new cartridge is the buzz on the lever sites. Marlin has a fantastic following guys. I do not know the exact number, and I could be wrong, but I would bet there are more levers sold than bolts. And I can assure you there are more levers out there than bolts. Alot of people have been waiting for a true 300-400 yard lever cartridge in a Marlin. And now they have it. I know Browning has one, and I believe you will see a new Brownchester real soon from Japan, and I have heard possibly SC. But I am sure you will have a hard time getting one of these Marlin's for a few years to come.

Chantecler I agree with you in one way, it is nothing that your 308 will not do. Where I disagree is in the characteristics of the firearm itself. I believe the lever carries, points, and handles better than a bolt. Most people went to a bolt because theywere more accurateout to 350 yards. And let us be honest-most people can not even shoot that far. Now with a lever that will hold its snuff at that distance, without falling out of the sky-it will be a winner.I own quit a few lever's and I can assure you that I will buy one. Tom.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I saw an article on the Marlin Express in Guns & Ammo, and in all honesty, it didn't look like a bad cartridge.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I'm not saying there is anything bad about the cartridge, just that its propriatery to Marlin and that it is just too close to a .308 win for it to displace the original.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Well, taste in guns is like taste in women. I'm a blonde guy myself. But I don't much care for redheads, nor do I much care for a stainless steel with laminated wood stock lever gun. Its like a camo/all weather O/U shotgun, you are taking the elegance away from the gun. An OU should have fine wood, high gloss blue, bulino engraving....just like a lever should have old, oil finished wood, cold blued metal, or case color or even aged brown patina. Iron sights, or a low power scope.

In my book, I shoot a lever gun for the same reason I shoot a bow, because it IS limiting. Because I have to get inside of 200 yards, or 100 yards or 30 yards.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

If you want a long range Lever Action, get a BLR in .300 Win Mag.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I like theBLR in 7mm Mag!:)

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

SwampCollie,

I may be wrong, but I went to Marlins' web site and I believe they do offer the new rifle in a blued version.

I only have one lever gun, but would be interested in this new one as long as I could get dies and shells for it.

I also doubt that it would ever replace the old nato 308, and that makes me wonder why they didn't just chamber the rifle in the nato round. However, the new round will give us something new to play with.

dog1

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Reb, we need to get into a PM chat, sometime.:D

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

All they need to do is add the word magnum to the end of it and it will sale like hot cakes on a cold morning. What sounds bigger to newbies? 7mm mag 300 mag or the new 308 magnum?;)

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

They could not use the 308 NATO for one reason. People would have put the POINTED bullets in the rifle. Tom.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

And, lever actions should have tube magazines, not box magazines...;) Even compared to the stainless/laminated Marlin, those 88's, 99's and BLR's are ugly.

The .308 Marlin will be offered with wood/blued. From Marlin's website:

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

It looks like an interesting gun. I have several Marlins already as well as bolt action guns. Even though I already have a .308 and love it I will probably buy one of the one Marlins just to have something different. I think it would be perfect for hunting in West Texas where you have to walk up and down ravines all day and may have a shot from 20 yards to 300 plus. It would be light weight and still capable of shooting 300 yards. Right now I use a .270 or my .308 out there but they are a little harder to carry than a lever action through the rocks. I've even hunted out there with a .30-30 and did fine with it.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

10-4. The only ones I have seen in pictures (both in magazines or online) have been laminated with stainless. I suspect that this model will cost the most, hence, it is being advertised the most. Its good that they are mixing it up for us old schoolers.

As far as your dies go...you will be able to get dies, however, because hornady is using their magic on these, you won't ever be able to acheive the same velocity/energy as they have from their factory rounds. They use some sort of powder mix and likey some sort of compressed load to get the kind of ummph out of their rounds without blowing guns up. And moreover, I doubt they will even release leverevolution bullets for me to load in my 30-30AI. So it might be a tough row to hoe for handloaders.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Thanks for posting the info.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I would imagine the main reason for changing the case design is to keep from having to pay any type of royalties on using the traditional .308 nato round and just isntalling a flat tip bullet into it. Now that is just my own opinion there, so correct me if I might be wrong. And while they are at it, probably taking the opportunity to streamline the cartridge to cycle better in a lever styeled gun. I am excited for it, finally a true long range levergun. I love the feel of a good lever action rifle, they just work right for me.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

By putting a flat tip bullet in it you would not gain anything. They designed it to take advantage of the new Hornady Leverevolution bullets. Also the case is changed to keep people from shooting regular .308 rounds in it and having the shells go off because of the pointed bullets so it is a safety factor. That is the same reason they put a rim on the .450 Marlin to keep people from using it in older .45/70 rifles and having them blow up.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Royalties for the NATO round? Are you suggesting that Federal, and Nosler, and Remington, et. al. pay royalties to NATO? Or that they pay royalties to Winchester because it's also called the .308 Win.? I don't think it works that way, or at least, I've never heard of such a thing. I would think that, even if the case dimensions were patentable, it would be like pharmaceuticals and after a period of time you'd get to call it a generic without having to pay a royalty...

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I am not too familiar with reading ballistics info just yet and determining what it can do. gonna try to start reloading for my .44 this year though but I was wondering from those who are experts with ballistics or think they are: what could be the maximum effective range of such a round. I know some people say my .35Rem Marlin is a 150 yard gun...to me I wouldn't pass a 200-250 yard shot. Maybe even more if I was practiced at that distance. Like the little .223 most people think of a short range bee sting which can be accurate 600+ yards. Do you think the new cartridge might have potential without stupid ammounts of drop at 600+. Could it shoot long range wise against a 308?

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

I am afraid this cartridge has a limited future. It is a proprietary cartridge, loaded with a proprietary bullet &
special powder, which apparently has to be compressed
with special machinery inorder to fit into the case, such as is done with the Hornady Light-Magnum rounds.

Handloaders will not be able to match the velocities
attained with the manufactured round, which is a drawback. I am also not sure other rifle manufacturers
will make the rifles in this caliber since they have the .308 Win.

The pity is they didn't chamber the .307 Win. on which the new cartridge is based, with the new polymer tip
bullet. This was an excellent round which also had the advantage of being handloaded using .308 diesand a 30-30 shell holder. My .307 handloads with 3031 powder shot sub MOA groups @ 100 yds.

From what I understand Marlin didn't offer the .307 because it would haverequired using a stronger receiver which is what Winchester did. This is one of the main reasons the .307 failed.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Actually the 307 failed because is was introduced about 20 yrs too late. Would I buy a 308 marlin express, no because it covers the same ground as my 307. Will it last, probably but I think not more than a niche gun. As far as needing special equipment and tooling to load this ammo, it's the same as any other cartridge, a press and dies, nothing special. Where it gets weird is that the ammo manufacturers can blend their propellents to achieve pressure levels where as the handloader risks killing themselves.Hornady has no intention of releasing theleverevolution bullets as a component any time in the foreseeable future. By the wayI have to ask this Fred, have you had trigger work done on your 94AE, because sub-moa groups from a lever gun is rare indeed.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Yes you can handload the 308 ME, I am sure dies will be available. Good
luck trying to attain the same velocities the Hornady cartridges can attain though. Be sure you're insurance is paid up if you try. I would
find it difficult to believe Hornady didn't apply the same technology they
attained in developing their Light-Magnum product to the 308 ME.

No my .307 AE didn't have a trigger job, just carefully built handloads.

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Hmmmmm??

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

OOOOOhhhhhKKKKKaaaay

RE: Marlin 308 Express
 

Like I said, it was just my opinion and thank you for correcting me. I was just thinking out loud anyways.