I just have a plain ole blued 336 and love the snot out of it. The Hornady offering is pretty awesome stuff! As much as I like my 336, I'd trade it for a stainless 336. I love the wood and steel combination. I haven't seen one of these in forever! I am a bit envious of you!

 

Nice combo. With the new leverlution ammo you have a legitimate 250 yard rifle.

 

If the 336 XLR is 5 years old, it was produced prior to when Remington took over production from Marlin. There were some noted problems during the "transition" period both before and after production was shifted to Ilion, N.Y. If you look at the serial # and note the 1st two numbers; 02= 2008 production, 03= 2007, 04= 2006 production and those rifles would more than likely be just fine. If the numbers are 01 that would equal 2009 production and a number of those rifles had problems including the dreaded "barrel droop".

This post is not meant to be a slam on Marlin as I own 10-11 CF Marlin lever guns including at least one made as recently as 2008. I happened to also have purchased two new marlins, an 1894/44 and 1895 in '07 and they were both well made rifles.

 

I have two 336s, now, and have had several others in the past. All but one liked the Hornady loads, so you never know for sure until you try them. That's normal, though, for any kind of rifle and ammo combo. Never any guarantee.

The stainless look doesn't do anything for me, either, but will have to admit that it could be a real advantage in some types of climate.

As posted, above, if it is a Marlin made Marlin, with a JM stamped on the barrel, I'd have no hesitation buying it. If it is a Remington made Marlin I might still buy it because not all of the Remington made guns have had problems. Just that the resale value will be higher for the earlier Marlin made guns should you decide to later sell it.

 

Cheers for the info so far folks....havnt bought it YET ....gonna have another look at it today.

 

N.I.C.E.

:drool:

 

I can't comment on the XLR 30/30 (but do have a plain jane 336 30/30 which is a damn nice rifle).
I do have an XLR 45/70 which is my go to Sambar deer rifle, an absolute awesome bit of gear, I put an WWG happy trigger kit in it and it is a real gem. Only down side is I don't put many rounds thru it because stuff with the 45/70 just falls over!

I haven't used the gummy tip rounds but have no need for them, so can't comment on their performance but a 405g FN jacketed pill out of the 45/70 at around 1750fps will drop the biggest of deer no probs.

Cheers,
Waldyo

 

Marlin makes GREAT lever action 30-30s period.

 

Looked at the XLR again today ....choice can be a confusing thing sometimes this little savage scout has also caught my eye,they throw and point just like they should and .308 is a powerhouse and a little more versatile than 30-30.....Kinda reminds me of my Remington Mohawk that i should never have sold a while back Hmmm food for thought.(i would set it up with a conventional scope mount).

 

Hey Kiwihunter,

Gee, from an XLR to a stubby little bolt action, a little bit of indecision going on?

I'll throw this out there if you are looking for something short and feels good have a look at the Bergara Scout. Short but still with enough weight to feel right and throw to the shoulder real well. A good option unless you're keen on a repeater of some kind?

There is always the Ruger No 1, another short rifle that just feels right.

Apologies for potentially adding to the confusion

Cheers,
Waldyo

 

Hey, Kiwihunter....

I don't have the 336XLR but mostly that's because my parents gave me a 336c when I was 11 years old and I've enjoyed it for 38 years and plan to keep right on doing so. I didn't think there'd be enough of a difference between what I've got and an XLR to warrant another 336 in my gun room.

My 336c has been "hotrodded" a bit. I had the magazine tube bobbed to half-length and it is secured in the same way that it is on an XLR. I had this done to enhance accuracy, along with glass-bedding the buttstock, and a few other tweaks. So, my rifle now is essentially a 20" barreled XLR. When the barrel needs replacing, I'd like to have a 24" barrel put on it. But even though I shoot the rifle a lot, I'm still a ways from a re-barrel.

It shoots Hornady LeveRevolution and equivalent handloads under 1.5 MOA for four shots at 100. (3 in mag + 1 in chamber).

With the "gummy tip" ammo, that Marlin is really all the big game rifle I need. It was without "gummy tip" ammo, too. I've shot probably 14 elk in my lifetime so far, and about half of them I killed with the 336. Pop, flop.... No fuss or drama.... I've lost count of how many feral pigs and goats I've shot with it and most of that action occurred before the LeverRevolution ammo hit the market. Handloads with 170 Speer HotCore bullets..... Nothin' fancy...

If I didn't already have a 336, or had to replace mine for some reason, I'd be all over a 336XLR, personally.

 

I still own my first Marlin a 336 gold trigger 30-30 bought new around 1970 and also a Marlin 22 caliber 29A lever action from the same period. Both look and shoot like new. I hear they are in demand by collectors but I have no interest in selling.

 

Buy the Savage Scout in .308. You'll have a further effective range, more killing power at every range, more ammo variety, and likely a more accurate rifle. I've killed stuff with the .30-30, my dad has killed 30+ big game animals with the cartridge including a Moose and a Bear, but both of us after trying standard cartridges switched over and never looked back. I've owned 3 guns in .30-30, 2 lever actions and a bolt action, and while I like the cartridge there's no reason to pick it over a standard cartridge like the .308. You will hear miracles of the .30-30's mystical killing power, but you'll hear horror stories as well. Here's two:

That Bear my dad got did the cartridge a lot of damage to my opinion of it. The .30-30 had the potential to get me killed when a Black Bear charged my Dad when I was hunting with him. My dad shot it originally at 50 yards in the chest as it was running in our general direction, at the shot it broke out charging right for us. He put 3 more in it and it stumbled and fell, got back up and kept coming. It got to 10 yards when he fired the 7th shot into it. It was still crawling towards us, making the most piercing screeches and growls I've ever heard. He had to toss another round in the gun and shoot it in the head. It was the worst debacle my dad had ever experienced with a cartridge, and when you hit an animal 7 times in the chest and neck you expect it to be dead, not crawling towards you at 10- yards. The bullets were 170 grain Winchesters.

The Moose was no clean kill either, but wasn't near the debacle the Bear was. He shot twice originally at 100 yards if my memory serves me, and knocked the almost record book Bull down. Upon walking towards it with his 2 buddies (one of which was sub-permittee), it got up lowered it's head and started coming for them at 25 yards. My dad shot it twice more and knocked it down once again, and once again it rose to charge. He shot it in the neck and knocked it down, and then ran around the animal and shot it in the heart finally killing it.

Since then my dad hasn't killed a Bear, but he has killed two Moose since. The .30-06 didn't turn anything into a debacle. I know of 2 guys who lost Black Bears with the cartridge since my dad, one of the guys Bear was killed 1/2 an hour later by another hunter. The hunter found two holez behind the shoulder, and one in the guts. Needless to say, 1 of the previous hunters shots was on the money, yet the animal survived for half an hour. I am not condemning the cartridge, I'm just saying I've seen more effective killers. Why do you think everyone in PA has a .30-30 in the cabinet, but they're hunting with their .270's and .30-06's? Most people killed their first deer with the cartridge here in PA, but few are still killing deer with it.

In the end, it's a great cartridge under 150 yards on Deer, and may work at those distances on some other big game animals. However,, it is often attributed mystical killing powers by its' admirers, who often have zero experience with the cartridge. There is no majic involved, it's a 150 grainer at 2300 or a 170 grainer at 2100. I used to by into the wizardry of cartridges, until I learned that no witch doctor sprinkled his magic dust on any particular cartridge. It's just a bullet of a certain diameter, a certain weight, and pushed at a certain speed; and that determines everything.

 

Kiwihunter I have to agree with trigger creep the 30/30 is a great ctg but it does have it's limits. Really better suited for use on deer. I shot my first deer with my Dads Marlin 30/30 original model just before the 336 this one has a square bolt like my Marlin 1894 CB rifle. The 30/30 really in most case's is a 150 yd rifle though my Dad shot deer with his 30/30 much farther then 150 yds. He eventually went to a .270 Win. The same caliber I switched to the after I got my first deer. I have used the .270 & .243 Win. for years got many deer with both calibers. Why can't you do some fine tuning with your Browning X-Bolt in 7mm08? 7mm08 is suppose to be a great caliber & the Browning X-Bolt are suppose to be really nice rifles. This is just a suggestion have you tried different loads thru your 7mm08. The 308 has alot going for it can throw out heavier bullets compared to your 7mm08....but I would think with the right loads & maybe scope combo your 7mm08 would serve you just fine. Even if you want a lever action rifle a older Marlin 336 will serve you just as well as a newer Marlin XLR 30/30. One thing if you do decide on a Marlin most definitely get one that was made before Remington bought out Marlin. I was looking one day in the LGS they had Marlin 1894 CB rifles newer model made by Remington. The sales clerk came up to help me, I told him I had a early model Marlin 1894 Cow Boy rifle with the 24 inch hexagon barrel. He told me that my Marlin was way better quality compared to the Remington made Marlins. In fact he would have bought my rifle that day from me....but it's not for sale ! Sorry for going on do what suits you but sounds like you already have a fine rifle my 2 cents worth

 

Hey gqucool,thanks for the thoughts but my X-bolt for better or worse sold a couple of weeks back ....maybe i should have invested more time into it ....but once a gun starts "non-performing" i tend to lose patience with them very quickly and move them on....infact i have also sold a Thompson Pro Hunter since then for the same reason (i dont seem to be having much luck of late with my rifles of choice).
The 336 xlr belongs to a friend and i also had an op to test before i bought and that to disappointingly was a fail accuracy wise even using the Hornady lever evo ammo that it was designed for????,i have being using a Khales 3x9x40 as a testing scope and on the 336 i also tried a Bushnell 1.5x4 to make sure the Khales scope wasn't playing up....
I have been shooting all my life and owned MANY rifles after the fiasco of choosing three rifles in a row that were non -performers i had a good range session with my beloved Browning X-bolt in .223 to remind myself what an accurate rifle was lol.

I was at a Mates gunshop last evening and three more rifles are begging my attention to step into my "DeerRifle" niche namely a Howa 1500,A Remington 700,and a Savage scout all in .308....will keep ya-all posted on what i end up choosing.

 

Ok the Howa is very good quality, the Remington 700 the older ones are better the Savage Scouts are also good not too excited about forward scope mounting though. I am still thinking your Browning X-Bolt is a premium rifle maybe you need a gunsmith to check the bedding etc scope mounts. Have you tried different factory loads or reloads?. A tv program I watch here called Hooked on Utan they use on their hunting shows Browning X-Bolts with Nikon BDC scopes in .270 WSM Winchester Short Mag. just passing info to you the 7mm08 has great potential my own rifle is a Rem. 760 pump in .270 and a Win. Pre 64 .270 Win.good luck to you my first deer kill was with a 60-70 year old Marlin that looks alot like the Marin you have been looking at. Sometimes finding a older rifle is a better bet then some of what they make now days hey nice chatting back and forth to you and good luck!

 

Yep good talking to you to mate....as i said earlier my 7mm08 x-bolt sold a few weeks back and to be honest my 7mm08 experience has been anything but positive so i think whatever i get next will be in .308 and yes the little Howas usually punch well above there weight as with the Savages....the Howas have a better finish and shoot by all accounts as well as the Savages.... as far as the scout goes i would lose the forward ramp and mount a conventional scope....choice as wonderful as it is can be very confusing when there's a lot of it....lol

 

kiwihunter ok I have had a Howa 1500 .223 and gave my Savage110 in .243 to my son. You can't go wrong with either rifle both great quality personally haven't seen the newer Howa's for awhile Savage is making sereral different models in their bolt action line some with some premium walnut stocks cheek pieces the whole 9 yards and in many different calibers including probably 7mm08. I think if you don't reload the .308 is the way to go so many different loadings to taylor to your personal needs! Sounds to me you have done some looking CZ line of rifles are really nice as well. If you could lay your hands on a pre 64 Winchester in any caliber thats a rare find! Some rifles that have Mauser actions are very outstanding as well. Good luck personally think New Zealand really offers some out standing hunting and fishing there! Let us know what you come up with. The Marlin I was telling you about my son now has if one could find a older model in 30/30 & use the Hornady Leverolution ammo I dare to bet you would like one. But you will figure it out!

 

Anybody put a longer bullet tube on their 30-30 Marlin XLR. Seems like you could fit another 2 or 3 rounds in it.