what's your opinion of the Marlin XL7?

[Uncle Mike]

Hey vermont...don't let all this talk of the 30-06 possessing crippling recoil, it does not for the most of us and with that sponge of a recoil pad on the XL7, your not going to be disfigured or anything, shucks, I bet you shoot all day and wonder....

If your in the correct shooting position, recoil from all but the biggest cartridges isn't going to bother you!

 

[Oregun89]

vermont88993-
I've never heard of anyone "developing" a flinch. At your age and size, the first shot of the day may make you want to flinch, but if you make it your rifle, you will be a better marksman because of it. Buy the rifle that you'll still want in 4 years, don't be afraid, if you can handle a 12 ga. you can handle a .30-06.

 

[WYcoyote]

This is my opinion of the Marlin XL7...
I just ordered one! (25-06)

 

[Schleprok62]

I have one, I like it a lot. It's a great value in a hunting rifle. I'm considering changing the barrel on mine to a .280 Rem...

The Stevens model 200 is for all intents and purposes it's only real competition in it's price class. I have both and they bath have things I like, and things I'd like to see improved upon...

see my thread "A Tale of Two Budget Rifles" for a good break-down of the two from a layman's point of view...

 

[vermont88993]

thanks again guys i think im going to get it in 30-06..... i just have to save up the rest of the money. maybe a lemonade stand is in order?......nahh im just gonna save and not spend. guess im starting early but who cares? I'm spending my own money on a rifle anyway not like im buying video games

 

[Maverick223]

I'm spending my own money on a rifle anyway not like im buying video games

Good decision, you'll get a great deal more enjoyment out of that rifle than you would a video game...ask me how I know. Taken proper care of, that rifle will last for generations after the video game is long forgotten.

 

[Kentucky_Rifleman]

Vermont: Welcome to the forums! You made a good choice on the 06. Try out a few factory loads, and find something that you and the rifle both like. Don't worry about the recoil, UncleMike is on the money when he says you'll never even notice it. I was shooting an 06 by the time I was 12 (a 700 ADL). Dad handloaded some medium/hot rounds for me, and I took my first buck with it. Do you know anyone who reloads? If you don't, find someone who does. The money you'll save on ammo will help you get more practice with the new rifle, and you may well fall in love with a second hobby as well.


KR

 

[Snakum]

The XS/XL are pretty awesome for the money. Like a Savage, some of them will shoot .5 out of the box. Mine didn't, even after working on it. But without having to figure winds it stays MOA to 500 yards with match ammo before falling off (just not with me behind the trigger). Tighter than a sporter barrel has a right to.

About Redfield ... I may have been the one who started the POI shift thing. Since the rifle itself has been tightened up any shift from the full 4x to 12x is negligible to 500 yards (from actually testing). And the 3-10x my bud bought has no shift at all to 300 yards, at least (we haven't shot it farther yet). Wish I hadn't said anything about POI shift till I got better acquainted with the weapon and had good ammo. Lesson learned.

About recoil ... I was coming to the XS from hot handloads out of a 7mm mag so I feel like I could shoot the XS butted against my crotch like the DIs demoed the M16A2 in Basic Training.

 

[vermont88993]

thanks. guys im still looking for a scope thats from around 200-350 that will be accurate with the gun's doing its part and me doing my part. im looking for a rage at most of 200-250 yards but i want it to have good light for being in the woods so any opinions on a scope?

 

[Snakum]

Redfield Rev 3-9x50. My bud has one and it seems to gather more light at dusk than even my old Pentax. Tracks perfectly. Made in USA with Jap glass. Lifetime warranty. Around $150.

 

[Murphys Law]

thanks. guys im still looking for a scope thats from around 200-350 that will be accurate with the gun's doing its part and me doing my part. im looking for a rage at most of 200-250 yards but i want it to have good light for being in the woods so any opinions on a scope?

In your price range, this would be my choice. Bushnell-Elite-4200-3-9x40mm-Riflescope. Can be had for about 240.00 at Amazon.com

 

[vermont88993]

thanks murphy

 

[dougwx12]

I noticed that it has a blind magazine and I prefer hinged floorplates or detachable magazines to the blind ones. Just a lot easier to unload when your hands are cold.

Winchester M70 stocks fit the xl7 with minimal modifications, so this is fairly easily changed down the road. Head on over to www.marlinowners.com for way more info than you ever want.

 

[Maverick223]

im still looking for a scope thats from around 200-350 that will be accurate with the gun's doing its part and me doing my part. im looking for a rage at most of 200-250 yards but i want it to have good light for being in the woods so any opinions on a scope?

If you are willing to spend an additional $50.00, I would look into a Minox scope (I have seen some for as little as $400.00), they use outstanding glass and have garnered good reviews, though I have no personal experience with one (but that may soon change). If that is too much, I would look into Sightron, Nikon, Bushnell, or Vortex that I mentioned earlier.

 

[Okiebate]

It looks like Marlin is going to come out with a stainless version of the xl7 and xs7. Sweet! $400 maybe?

 

[Maverick223]

It looks like Marlin is going to come out with a stainless version of the xl7 and xs7. Sweet! $400 maybe?

Bud's is selling them for $393.00USD...schwing.

Oh, and welcome to THR, Okiebate!

 

[WYcoyote]

Bud's is selling them for $393.00USD...schwing.

Oh, and welcome to THR, Okiebate!

Out of stock. Darn.

 

[Maverick223]

Out of stock. Darn.

They are new...may have never been in stock, but unlike the typical EBR vaporware I am sure they will begin to show up in sufficient numbers soon.

 

[djardine]

I own both a Marlin XL7 in .25-06 and a 7x57 mauser. My friend owns the Xl7 in .30-06 and I can tell you there is a bit of a difference between the recoil of my 7x57 and my buddy's .30-06 Xl7 but the recoil pad on the XL7 is great. I love my XL7- I have pondered selling it lately to get another caliber, but I have decided to stick with the .25-06 because I love what that little round can do. The XL7 is a quality gun- it shoots very similiar to my Savage model 110 and the trigger is very similiar to the accutrigger. Overall, it is a great gun for the price and shoots great too. I think it and the Stevens M200 are great options for budget rifles under $350. Good luck

 

[SleazyRider]

Yes, a .25-06 XL7 is in my future as well, especially if I can git 'er in stainless. These rifles appear similar to my S&W i-bolt, which I bought a few years ago in .30-06, new, for 300 bucks, and topped it with an inexpensive Mueller scope. I wanted an inexpensive hunting machine that wouldn't upset me if it got beat up a bit. Surprisingly, there's only about 1/4 difference between groups compared to my big-dollar Kimber or Weatherby.

The deer will never know the difference.

 

[vermont88993]

sleazyRider-
I just checked the marlin website they just "Released" the stainless version of the xl/ xs 7 series
....ohh yea and how does the weatherby vanguard compare to the XL-7?

 

[dougw47]

Howa

Howa's are sweet in my opinion, I had a Smith & Wesson 1500 in 30-06 and it was great...real nice rifle...sorry I let someone talk me out of it in a moment of weakness. Wallyworld has an order book where you can get one from 350 to 450, from .223 to .338 Win mag.

That is...if your wallyworld sells guns.

I have looked at the XS/XL stuff and I would not mind having one in just about any caliber. Academy had them on sale last hunting season for $279, probably will be the same this year if you are saving up for a rifle and scope. Save money on the rifle, have more money for glass later.

 

[SleazyRider]

I have the Vanguard Sporter in .270. I'm a traditionalist at heart, so I like the Sporter's walnut stock; and since I shoot with a sling (a 1903 style, not a hasty sling), I like to sling-up very tightly. Most synthetic stocks bend a bit when tightly slung, so I prefer a more rigid walnut one. The sporter gives me this, and it's easy on the eyes to boot.

But from a benchrest, the difference in accuracy is academic, and I suspect the XL7 is comparable to the Vanguard. I'm starting to appreciate "best bang for the buck" thinking. And I can live with ugly.

 

[SpeedAKL]

I looked at the XL7 when I was searching for a hunting rifle. I decided to go a different route (long-range precision rifle), but I did take a look at the XL7 and it is a smoking deal. Assembly quality is good for the money, the action and trigger are both good, and accuracy is outstanding.

.30-06 will not have too much more recoil than a 7x57 based on the typical recoil inputs like caliber, powder charge, etc (I can only speculate since I have never fired a 7x57). The .30-06 will not be punishing in most sporter-weight rifles unless you are highly recoil-sensitive or have an ill-fitting stock.

 

[djardine]

Vermont,
I have a good friend who has a Weatherby Vanguard in .25-06 and as I stated above, I have the XL7 in .25-06. Let me first say that both guns are great quality for the price. My friend has asked me several times, however, to trade me for my XL7. The reason is that he cannot get the Weatherby to shoot as accurately as I can get my XL7 and he stated that his trigger is adjustable but only by a gunsmith- I can adjust mine. The weatherby's by nature are very good guns and are very accurate, but my XL7 is very accurate- more like my Savage with accutrigger. I bought the XL7 because I got it for $120 less than the Weatherby and I felt like I wasn't sacrificing anything. I am a Weatherby fan, but for the money I feel the XL7 is the better deal.
ALSO: Check out Chuck Hawks rifle recoil table to see the difference in recoil between the 7x57 and the .30-06. With the same weight rifle, (8 pounds) the 7x57 with a 139 gr. bullet will have roughly 14 pounds of recoil energy and the .30-06 with a 150 gr. bullet will have roughly 17.6.
Like I said, I have shot my buddies XL7 in .30-06 and found the recoil to be pretty harsh because the XL7 only weighs in at 6.5 to 6.75 pounds- the recoil pad does help though...
Do you have a Walmart near you? They sell a Savage Model 10 package with scope in .30-06 here for $378. This gun has the accutrigger and I have owned 2 of them in .243. It was the MOST ACCURATE gun I have ever owned out of the box. These are a great value and I would vouch that it will probably be more accurate than both the Marlin and the Weatherby. I hope this helps!