Marlin xs7 .308 win.
I spent about two hours at the range today with my new Marlin .308 xs7. I was shooting inexpensive Remington 150 gr. Core-lokt and was well pleased with the performance of the rifle. Action was smooth, with no binding throughout the loading - ejection operation of the bolt. Recoil was what I expected from a .308, and was not excessive in this relatively light rifle.
I got consistent 11/4" groups at 100yds and, when I got lucky, there were a couple of 3 shot groups where each hole was touching the other. I am very pleased with the rifle. The one thing I didn't like is that it is difficult to load under the one piece scope mount that spans across the top of the bolt. That being said, I guess I shouldn't complain about the shooting and handling of this $259.00 rifle. It shoots very well and holds its own right up there with my much more expensive rifles.
The scope I mounted on the gun is a BSA 4x16x40IR. It performed well and held zero throughout the power settings. The adjustable objective lens had to be adjusted when the power settings were above 12X in order to clear up the image; however, on the lower power settings, it was not that critical.
I guess, more often than not, you get what you pay for, and this was only a $100.00 scope. It was clear at all ranges at the lower power settings; however, when set above 12 X it seemed to become somewhat hazey. It was not a particularly clear day, with it being overcast, so it may not have been a good day to judge the clarity of the scope at higher settings. If it holds up for me and retains zero during normal use, I'll be happy. I just didn't want to put a lot of money into another scope and put it on this inexpensive rifle. That being said, if this one doesn't last, I'll probably step up to a Bushnell 3200 Elite, which I like and have had good results with.
In summary, I give the rifle an A and the scope a C+. It will be a good combination to shot hogs late into the evening. The adjustable illuminated reticle works well...hope it continues to do so.