The Simple Solution to the .308MX longevity issue.

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,

    I have seen alot of discussion on these boards as to how long the Marlin .308MX will last, and how long factory ammo will be available for it if it fails.   Lots of guys seem to want one, but are afraid that the round will become obsolete, and that they won't be able to buy any more factory ammo.

    My dear departed wife had a simple solution to this type of dilemna.  (She was very practical, and preferred owning and hunting with a rifle, to talking about and worrying over it.)

    Whenever she bought a rifle in an odd caliber, she went ahead and "bit the bullet," and simultaneously bought 11 boxes of factory ammo for it.  Yeah, it hurt to pay for this, but once done, the ammo availability issue was off the table.  Moot.

    She used one box of ammo to sight in the rifle, and the other 10 boxes to hold in reserve.  Once the rifle was sighted in, she only used it to hunt.  She would buy one new box of ammo just before hunting season, and rotate it thru the reserve boxes buy putting the fresh box in reserve, and using one of the reserve boxes to check the zero and hunt with.  She always saved her brass.

   Under this system, if new factory ammo became unavailable, and she wanted to keep the rifle, she always had at least ten boxes of factory ammo, plus the once fired brass, which is more than enough to use to hunt with for the rest of your life.

    If she decided that she wanted to sell the rifle, then the ten boxes of factory ammo would make the rifle easy to sell, and she would get almost all of her money back for the ammo.

   So there you have it.  There is the solution to the .308MX ammo issue.  No need to agonize over it any more.   :-)

   P.S.- If you can't afford to buy ten boxes in one chunk, then give up your beer, cigarettes, and other vices for awhile, and buy one box a week at Wallyworld, until you have your 10 boxes.  :-)  Also, let it be loudly known to your family and friends that as a practical gift for Christmas and Birthdays, a box of this ammo from Wallyworld would be much appreciated.  Believe you me, they will be happy to hear of such a simple gift idea, and you will get lots of it as gifts.  Even if it costs $35 a box, this is a relatively cheap price for a gift.

   SO GO FORTH MY CHILDREN, AND BUY, AND SIN NO MORE!

Regards,

Mannyrcok

   

   

[DC]

I am really puzzled.  If Marlin wants a round and rifle like this to survive, why doesn't someone, E Hornady, sell bullets for it?  I would love to have one of these or the new 338 but I want to be able to reload.  Sure, I can use other 308 bullets and have a 2 shot rifle but that is not why I would by a lever gun. 
If Hornady loads factory ammo for the rifle, why don't they sell bullets?  Other calibers, like the 280 Rem. and others were not readily accepted by the hunting public until re-loaders "discovered" the round and it's potential.  This story is repeated with several cartridges. 

I'm sorry if I just don"t "get it", but the whole XLR thing chambered for ammo you can only buy in major sporting goods stores and can't really reload with a variety of bullet weights just doesn't make any sense to me.

[Oldshooter]

Correct me If I am wrong but I think I read somewhere that hornady is coming out with the synthetic soft points for reloading.

My Question is why didn't they make the 308 to use the rimless 308 standard cartridge?
I'm sure there is a good reason, someone give it to me. The 35 Rem is rimless, whats the diff?

Randy

[snuffydvm]

DC 
Just to answer your comment- I know a lot of people who work at Hornady and they all tell me that they're weeks and occas. months behind on orders of ammo. I think alot of it may be due to the election outcomes last Nov.  People may be ordering ahead (ie. "hoarding") ammunition thinking it may no longer be available if some politician outlaws it.  They can't sell some of these LR bullets until they get ahead on their ammo orders. However, 308ME bullets are due to be available later in 2009.  I also saw 308ME dies for sale in Cabelas last week, so you could begin reloading with flat nosed bullets right now if you wanted to.  Just call Hornady and ask for a sheet on rec. powders and bullet weight combos.  Just remember that even with LR bullets, you won't get original factory performance with your home loads because Hornady uses a propietary blended powder not yet available to us.  Nevertheless, the 308ME casing was designed from the ground up to match up with the Marlin XLR rifle.  From pressure curves to OAL, everything about this case was carefully researched to perform well.  It achieves good performance with relatively low pressures from 20" barrels.  Likewise the 338ME.  Now I never thought I would consider a new rifle because I love my 1895 CB 45-70 but this 338ME just might be the one.  Ballistics are nearly identical to 308ME but much more wallop with a 200gr bullet and 34cal as well.  Give this new 338ME a careful look and don't worry about wether it will be around in 10 years- I can't pick stocks or lottery tickets either.   Snuffydvm
Ain't nothin better than ridin a good horse through new country- Gus McRae- Lonesome Dove

[coyotejoe]

Correct me If I am wrong but I think I read somewhere that hornady is coming out with the synthetic soft points for reloading.

My Question is why didn't they make the 308 to use the rimless 308 standard cartridge?
I'm sure there is a good reason, someone give it to me. The 35 Rem is rimless, whats the diff?

Randy
[/quote)


Perhaps because they foresaw problems with people trying to shoot military and commercial .308 ammo?

[Oldshooter]

Perhaps........ its a pity though!