Looking for a new hunting rifle, Whats your .02 cents?

Marlin X7

Does anyone have any experience with a Marlin X7? I won a nice looking wood stocked Marlin X7 this off season. Put a Leupold scope I had on it and took it to the range. Very happy with the accuracy and couldn't wait to take it to the deer woods. Finally had the opportunity to put it on a deer, nailed the first one. Problem came when I jacked in a second round for the second deer it jammed. Luckily the deer was kind enough to stand there and wait for me to clear and shoot it but it was very concerning that it didn't eject the first round completely.
 
I also have to cast a vote for the .30-'06 over the .270. Either will take any game on the continent, but I would prefer the '06 for availability of heavier bullets for larger game. Also, most .270s I have fired seemed to have more recoil than a comparable rifle in .30-'06.

As far as rifles, I prefer Mauser style actions so my all time favorite rifle is the Ruger M77. A very close second is the Remington 700; I have had excellent service from them. My only real complaint is the finish on the Special Purpose rifles. It has little rust resistance.
 
Deke66 said:
Does anyone have any experience with a Marlin X7? I won a nice looking wood stocked Marlin X7 this off season. Put a Leupold scope I had on it and took it to the range. Very happy with the accuracy and couldn't wait to take it to the deer woods. Finally had the opportunity to put it on a deer, nailed the first one. Problem came when I jacked in a second round for the second deer it jammed. Luckily the deer was kind enough to stand there and wait for me to clear and shoot it but it was very concerning that it didn't eject the first round completely.
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There have been sporadic extractor problems with the early X7 rifles made in the Marlin plant. Haven't heard too much about that particular issue since they moved production to the KY Remington plant. It's an easy fix for a gunsmith if you don't want to send the gun to Marlin/Remington.

I have a Mayfield, KY made stainless X7 and it recently took on an over-pressure load with a blown primer. The ejector stuck in the bolt face but the extractor survived. Waiting till after Christmas to get that ejector replaced :(.

Edit:

There are some smiths that have successfully modified Savage extractors to fit the Marlin bolt-head. Check out the Marlin Owners forum in the X7 subforum.
 
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Ditto on the Tikka. I own a Tikka Sporter (left hand) in .308 which is simply amazing and just ordered a Tikka T3 Lite (the lower cost version of the Hunter) in left hand stainless barrel in .223. I had it modified by these folks:
http://www.cdiprecisiongunworks.com/ to swap out the bottom metal to use Accuracy International 5- and 10-round magazines.
For the OP, I strongly suggest you look closely at either the Hunter or the T3 lite for your needs. I believe the Hunter is about $150 more than the base model (the difference being a wood versus synthetic stock).
OBTW, the barrels on the Tikka are all floated, even when fluted.
Good luck,
B
 
nice wood stock

I also love a good wood stock, I like the look and feel, the added weight makes it feel like a better shooter. I purchased a used ruger m77 hawkeye with a gorgeous wooden stock, I browsed close to 1000 guns before settling on this beauty, I literally hit every gun shop and retailer within 200 miles before this gun felt just right.
That being established, This 30'06 was purchased as a deer and someday hopefully moose hunting rifle in maine with its various terrain and temperature (snow, rain, freezing rain) that are encountered during deer season. After a couple seasons the rifle shoots great at the range and looks great in the case. Its to pretty to take and bang around in the woods in the rain and snow, the maintenance is too much for me and the gun is too beautiful to beat it up.
I bought a synthetic stocked savage trophy 11 in 25'06 last year and beat the snot out of it without blinking an eye, still shoots great and I have piece of mind when I take a quick trip out that I wont have to spend as much time cleaning as I did hunting.
Your weather is similar if not as extreme I believe, keep that in mind when deciding what you want.
 
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Personally for that kind of money I would go with a remington 700 in 300 win mag, the scope you wanted with a good base and rings, and a lee classic turret press kit with die. All this can definitely had for that price and it would certainly be a good round for anything you mentioned. If you reload you could probably find a load very comparable to a 30-06 or less, but you can still use heavier loads for the larger animals.
 
Hit those pawn shops and LGS's, handle, sight, look down etc. as many different model/makes as you can. At some point you will notice that there is one that "speaks" to you, or that you keep coming back to or that you keep comparing all the others too. . If you find a model/style you really really want but it is not in the caliber you have your heart set on, be sure there is one out there on the used racks, especially if you are primarily wanting a .270 or .30-06 they are both great and easy to find, if you really really want a new one at least you will have narrowed your search down.
 
I too would say go for a Tikka T3.
They feel fantastic too hold, and have a super smooth action. The adjustable triggers on them are fantastic, I'll never swap out mine for a aftermarket one.
The Lite ones are some of the lightest rifles you can buy, and even with lightweight barrels shoot very well.

I'd go for 270 over 3006, taking elk with 270 will be fine, and you will have a lot less recoil. There is a lot better bullet choice now for 270, so if you got into reloading there isn't a problem there anymore.

The aftermarket support for Tikka isn't as big as Remington, but you can still buy new trigger guards, new stocks, bases, rings and triggers with easy. But on my Tikka there is nothing I feel I want to change.
 
wow

How did I ever make it to "crusty old fart" status, when the biggest rifle I ever owned was a 30-30? Then I went modern and got a Win. 70 in .243! Boy was I ever happy! Now I find I'm lucky to be alive cuase I went into the woods after tree rats with something less than a 30-06! How the heck did I manage to drop so many white tail deer with something less than the 338 Lapue?


Some of you guys really make me giggle!!!
 
Marlin X7
Does anyone have any experience with a Marlin X7?
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I have an xl7 in .270. Have probably put 100 rounds through it with no issues. It gets a little finicky stuffing that 4th round into the mag, but has been accurate and reliable. A heck of a value in a hunting rifle.
 
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