Your opinions on how long the .308MX cartridge will stay around for?

[deerhunter1981]

Hey guys!

I was wondering if anyone has any opinions on how long you think the .308MX cartridge will stay around for? Will it, with good help from the LeverEvolution ammo, become a success? Or will it, considering that it is only (so far) chambered in one rifle, fade away like the .307 win did?

To me it seems like levergun hunters are not really that caught up in long range hunting and are happily satisfied with the traditional flat nosed bullets? Or not?

Your opinions may help decide whether or not I'm gonna purchase one of these rifles.

[STUMPJMPR]

I don't think it will stick around....
1. I think the price of the gun is going to kill the cartridge
2. You can buy a good bolt gun in any caliber for the same price or less
3. It has a limited selection of ammo

[victorcharlie]

There isn't much ammo on store shelves for it.  IMO, its a hard round to find ammo for.

[Mikey]

I think it might last a couple of weeks. 

You said: "To me it seems like levergun hunters are not really that caught up in long range hunting and are happily satisfied with the traditional flat nosed bullets? Or not?"  I think you are correct - most lever gun hunters do not think in terms of 300 yd shots (I believe) and for many the older flat nose style lever gun bullet still performs and possibly out performs the newer lever bullet designs. 

It's interesting - some lever shooters have pined for pointed nose lever bullets, possibly for greater range or velocity yet it seems the older flat nosed lever bullet designs hit harder and do a better job.  Here's an example - you have the old 30-30, it still works just fine with the older, original style bullet; you drop a lever-evolution pointed nose bullet into the case and you end up with an underpowered 308, which is the same thing you get with the 308MX.

If I know my hunt distance is limited to 150 yds and under I will most likely use one of my levers - if I am liable to be shooting to 200 or better I will use opne of my bolts.  JMTCW.  Mikey.

[mannyrock]

Mikey,

  Very well said.  I totally agree.  And, most folks who do like levers and long range shots are BLR fans and Savage 99 fans, which already come in .308 Winchester.  Nobody is going to switch over to a Marlin lever just to get the .308MX rifle, when it is less powerful than the .308 Wincheste lever that they already own.

  The .308MX will probably last about as long as the  WSSM cartridges, as to which most  manufacturers have now ceased production of the rifles.  Say goodby to the .223 WSSM, .243. WSSM etc. 

  I have shot several deer with both the .308 Winchester (which I love) and the .30-30, and I can't explain why, but at 75 yards or less, the soft-point .30-30 core-lokt drops them faster than the 150 grain .308 core-lokt.


    Mannyrock

[bilmac]

I suppose the new rifle is heavier with a straighter comb but if not I don't think a traditional lever would be any fun at all to shoot 308 type ballistics. If they make a bigger heavier gun, just as well carry a bolt gun

[Lloyd Smale]

is it still here??

[Keith L]

Not in my house...

[K.K]

I don't think that it will last either, and I have no need for one, but I love my .450 Marlin, and lots of people didn't think that it would stick either. Personally, I hope it does, as I like to hunt with different rifles chambered for diferent cartridges, as I'm sure that many of us do. There has been a recent surged in the good old lever action, mostly due to improved ammo (i.e Lever Evolution), and that is a great thing!  Now if Hornady would only start offering that bullet as a hanloading component!!!!

[Dr. A]

I hope the climate isn't as grim as all of you predict.  3 years ago, Marlin decided to poll the leveraction enthusiasts and find what they wanted in a new offering.  They really did listen, and heard we needed a long range weapon.  This was their answer.  I bought the stainless steel Marlin, and so far have been very impressed.  Ammo has been no problem, and I've even worked up a few cursory handloads.  I would be hard pressed to surpass the ammo in accuracy and quality even providing I'd found the bullet as a component.  This is a problem with many of us.  I do cast and reload, and find the buying of factory ammo a little tiresome.  However, I don't intend to plink with the higher velocity stuff, and will reserve it for hunting.  My shots at deer this year were both long range, and I  now can say I enjoyed the enthusiasm that goes with shooting my 270 (Marlin) at longer range deer.  I got one at 405 yards, and one at about half that.  Here in the Midwest, we have a need for longer range, and while I prefer to bow hunt, this gun will definitely be my answer for when I need to harvest deer.  Its a hunting and killing machine.  That bullet simply knocks a deer all out of proportion to the exterior ballistics.  Big Medicine had good luck with it on elk, and I'm probably using mine as a backup on my bear hunt here in a couple of months.  Long live Marlin, and long live the 308MX!

[Graybeard]

Seems rather contradictory to say you are a bow hunter yet need a long range rifle to kill deer. If you're not able to kill them with the bow why bother taking it out? If you can kill them with it then why in the world do you then need such a long range rifle if you're able to get within bow range when bow hunting but must shoot at over 400 yards with rifle? What am I missing here?

[Dr. A]

We have different seasons, and with bow season over, I proceed onto rifle. I've gotten two deer with a bow every year I've taken it out.   There are hundreds of hunters in our region, and the deer run scared during this rifle season non-rut time.  Two deer off of my farm is simply not enough, so I end up to shooting a couple as well.  It may be contradictory, but that's what I do.  I need longer range because they are up in the open plains as opposed to their normal creekside home.  For 10 days each year, deer have a rather rough life in Kansas.  

[Graybeard]

Ten days! 

Dang here in Bama we have a two and a half months gun season and another five weeks of bow season before that. Many folks here stick with bow the entire time tho and are at no particular disadvantage.

I've heard the terrain argument before and I will not judge it as I've not been there done that or got the t-shirt. BUT I do know that every year folks hunt open terrain with bow very successfully and also with muzzle loaders and neither is a very long range weapon even if using a scoped inline muzzle loader.

[Old Grizz]

I think I'm missing something here. The LE ammo along with .308MX was designed for levergun lovers that want a little longer shooting capability. My personal opinion is, this Marlin will be around for sometime to come as well with the Hornady ammo. So bottom line is, if you want one, buy it and if you don't, buy a bolt action. Anyone who doesn't believe this is a long range gun, think again. I saw an antelope taken at 297 yards dropped in his tracks with one shot. I agree this rifle may not be for everyone, but if it is, great.

[HEAD0001]

Steve Hornady is a very serious fellow.  If he spent the time and money to develop the cartridge, then I think you can depend on Steve.

My concern would not be with the ammo.  My concern would be with Marlin.  Will they continue to make the firearm??  That is what i would wonder about??

Some of the older cartridges that did not make it are still pretty popular, especially to hand loaders.  Cartridges like the 7-30 Waters are sought after in a good Winchester 94.

If you like the rifle then buy it.  Hopefully components will be available and you will be able to reload.  Tom.

[CyberSniper]

The .308 Marlin Express is a classic case of
re-inventing the wheel. Once upon a time, there was the Model 99 Savage lever gun.
It was chambered in .300 Savage...then later, Savage chambered it for .308 Winchester.
This pretty much killed off the .300 Savage round.

The .300 Savage and the .308 Marlin Express are very, very close to each
other in ballistics performance. ( And both thus are a bit less powerful than
the .308 Winchester. )

Alas, as time went on, Savage determined that it cost too much to produce the Model 99,
and it was discontinued. This rifle had a rotary magazine, and so was able to use
pointed bullets. Normal, easily available pointed bullets that is.

There was also the Winchester Model 88 lever gun. Sadly, this too was dropped years
ago. I knew a guy that had one in .308 Win. It would group 1 inch @ 100 yards.
It's magazine also allowed the use of pointed bullets.

Not only is the new Marlin round locked into the factory load with a single
bullet weight, it is also loaded with powder not available to the reloader.
Thus, I'm not too sure you can match the factory specs with a reload to start with,
regardless of the bullet used. And if you can, there are still no pointed bullets you can
safely use, unless maybe you restrict the gun to a two shooter.
If you don't reload, and if the only factory load you can get shoots well enough,
then I guess you'll be ok.

The Browning lever gun is available in
.308 Winchester. The magazine of this rifle also allows the safe use of pointed bullets.
( Not saying the Browning looks that good to me though, kinda ugly. )

I guess you could say that Marlin is trying to fill the gap left by the demise
of the Model 99 and the Model 88 in a way.

What cracks me up is the way that some people get excited about the .308 Marlin
Express ballistics. They may have never known ( or forgotten ) that the .300 Savage
was there first, and lost out to the .308 Winchester years ago.
But now the .308 Marlin Express is looked upon as a big deal.

The .300 Sav. was introduced way back in 1921...

The new 7th Edition Hornady manual shows a 165 grain bullet
can be pushed to 2,600 fps in the .300 Savage with a 22 inch bbl.
A bit shorter bbl than the Marlin XLR.  ( 24 inch barrel there )
Virtually identical performance of the .308 Marlin Express.
 

[BBF]

mannyrock:
Try loading your 308 Win with a RN bullet you might notice a difference how it performs in close shots and is still good way past what the 30-030 will do

[dpe.ahoy]

Can't say as they are going to make any money off me.  Hope I'm not the straw that broke the camel's back!   DP.

[DEACONLLB]

Hi All
I was talking to my local gun dealer today and he tells me that marlin is dropping the 30-30 and going to focus on the 308 express. hope he is wrong as the old 336 in 30-30 has been around for years and is a proven gun for those who like it. I was in a gander mountain shop in texas yesterday and to my surprise they had a new long barrel marlin in 32-20.
Deaconlklb

[john keyes]

If I bought one I would just load it with handloads topped with flat-nose 30-30 bullets.  At that point I'm guessing it would have some edge on my 30-30's but I don't know how much.

And I have three 30-30's, two 99's (.300, .308) so there is not much hope for me buying a .308MX.

I just will not no matter what use any type of leverlution rounds. Maybe if you could buy the bullets for handloading, but the part about the follower parts change and all that stuff is too much PITA for me.

I've got about twenty Marlins that function as well as I need with old flat or round or HP bullets.

[kyelkhunter3006]

Well, I can't see Marlin dropping the 30-30 in the 336, that would be like McDonald's dropping the Big Mac.    That's the gun that keeps the money rolling in for them, bar none. 

As for the life expectancy of the .308MX, history proves that Marlin is very faithful to their chamberings, in keeping the guns in production and having a deal for ammo availability.   As long as Marlin wants it to survive, it will.  Ever heard of an odd thing called the .444 Marlin?   

[SharonAnne]

I see the Marlin .308MX as todays substitute for the Savage 99 in .300 Savage.  A sweet handling carbine in a not too powerful cartridge fully capable of killing deer out to 300 yds all day long. many of us pining away for the return of the 99/300 will see the MXLR/308MX as what we can fill that void with. It will succeed. It will not replace other lever actions or bolt actions. It will fill the niche vacated by the Savage 99/300Savage. It will do it well. And many of us will be very happy with it.

[BBF]

 Guys that  opt for 444 Marlins are not usually looking to replace it with a 30 cal cartridge and vice versa

[kevthebassman]

Hi All
I was talking to my local gun dealer today and he tells me that marlin is dropping the 30-30 and going to focus on the 308 express.

Boy I sure hope not... that'd just about be the death of Marlin.

[kyelkhunter3006]

Guys that  opt for 444 Marlins are not usually looking to replace it with a 30 cal cartridge and vice versa

We all know that.  The point is that the .444 birth is being exactly mimicked by the .308 MX.   When the .444 came out, the populace said that it wouldn't last, what's the point, I'll never have one, etc.  Then when Marlin put the 45-70 back into the 1895, the nay-sayers predicted it would be the death of the .444, as the 45-70 was bigger, better, and had more loads available.  Well, decades later, the .444 is still with us and probably more popular than ever, even with the fact that factory ammo is still extremely limited as compared to the 45-70.

I feel that the same thing is going on with the .308 MX.  The only people that really say it isn't going to make it are: 

1.  People who say that why bother with it, when you can get a bolt action in a lot of calibers that will exceed the MX?

2.  Those dyed in the wool lever action fanatics that like to hunt with the traditional calibers/bullets  and recognize the limits and don't have a problem with staying in those limits.  These people are usually very good marksman anyway, know their guns intimately, and if they wanted to kill something 300 yds away, they could do it with the traditional loads.

The shooters that are going to make the MX succeed are the newer breed of hunters.  People that like the looks and handling of the lever gun, but want 300 yd performance that's easily attainable without a couple of feet of hold-over.  Perhaps someone who loves his 30/30, but thinks about those 200 yd plus shots that he wasn't comfortable enough to try.....now with the MX, he can get the same gun he loves and take those 300 yd shots.

Given Marlin's history of sticking to it's guns (pun fully intended), it will keep chambering the .444, the .450, and .308 MX.  Maybe only one model in a caliber, but they'll keep going with it.

[bearmgc]

As already mentioned, only one gun manufactured for it, and no real variety in ammo selection, will bring this cartidge rapidly to it demise, within the year. Another factor, with increased prices for ammo in general , the ammo is not really very cheap. Look at other standard ammo prices.

[kevthebassman]

I really don't think it'll fold that quick.  Look at the .444 Marlin.  Marlin is pretty stubborn about their cartridges.

[sachel.45]

since there bringing out a .338 marlin express i think the .308 mx will stay around for awhile

[kyelkhunter3006]

As already mentioned, only one gun manufactured for it, and no real variety in ammo selection, will bring this cartidge rapidly to it demise, within the year. Another factor, with increased prices for ammo in general , the ammo is not really very cheap. Look at other standard ammo prices.

Everywhere I see ammo, unless it's a "deer season" deal, the LE ammo is very competitively priced in regards to traditional loads.  I've actually seen several places that are a $1 or $2 cheaper for the LE.  I bought several boxes for a friend back in the spring it was $18 a box at the gunshop.  The big box stores around here are selling the Remington and Winchester loads for $19.99-$21.99, and that's the same as the LE at Dicks Sporting Goods.  I hasten to add that these prices for the 30-30 ammo, not .308MX.

When you compare premium loads for other calibers, the MX is right in the ballpark, or cheaper.

[SharonAnne]

? .338 Marlin Express???