Inaccurate Marlin XS7 7-08....

I bought this Marlin about 4-years ago second hand for $699 from H&F. It came with a 3-9 Redfield Revolution. I've never been able to get it to shoot decent groups. so much so that I'm nearly ready to get rid of it..... I'm no long-range marksman; but my shooting isn't that shit! Even my old 303 groups better! Yet many say how good and accurate this model is; trust me to get the lemon....

It groups 3-5 shots into about 6" at 100yds. I've taken all the scope mounts off Loctited them all down. I have even replaced the scope with a 2-7 Nikon Prostaff and still the same problem. I also tried different ammo. The best group I've ever got was about 4". And as the barrel warmed up the groups walked to the right. I'm only really interested in 3-shot groups as it's a hunting rifle; so expected the groups to walk in a warm barrel. But when testing 3-shot groups I always let the barrel cool down between groups....

I was talking to an ex-army armourer and he recommended putting a small piece of inner tube rubber under the for-end and see if that helped and that may show it is a bedding problem. That's when the group dropped down to 4".

Reading online it seems that the stock touching the barrel is a pretty common cause of inaccuracy in this make of Marlins. Most seem to have solved it by sanding out the channel until it's free floating. I tried the old "paper down the side of the barrel" test. On the right hand side (rifle facing away) it slides down easily until where it stops in the photo. But doesn't go all the way around. On the other side it is much tighter and again stops where it does in the pic.

I don't think it's worth spending money on a new stock; may as well put it into another rifle....

Question...... Do I get the sandpaper and dowel out and give it a go. Or am I likely to balls it up? A friend has offered me a custom 6.5x55Swede; Timney trigger etc, Leupold 2-7 VX1, guaranteed .5MOA for under 1k.....

Now do I risk ballsing the Marlin up; or do I flick it off cheap and be totally honest about it's fault and put that dosh into the Swede..... I'm no super handyman and realise someone else may be able to fix it with a few hours work. Also; there's not much point spending a couple of hundred dollars on it at a gunsmith; I may as well put that into something else. Also; I don't even think there is a gunsmith in the 'Naki anymore? The way the Marlin shoots i mas well use the old three-oh! ;)

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I had one of these in .223 and it was not free floated from the factory. It shot amazingly well. I'm thinking something else is going on here. What does the crown look like?

Thanks for the reply. The crown is fine. Reading online (mostly US forums); the vast majority of the XL & XS models are super accurate for such a cheap rifle. But there seems to be a certain percentage that shoot rubbish and the sanding out of the stock has rectified the problem. There also seemed to be a problem with some of the earlier production units to come with slightly twisted fore-ends...

I have the same rifle, same calibre, shoots better than I can, If I don't have a good hold on the fore stock I can get bad groupings, If shooting of a bipod I still grip the fore stock and hold the rifle down. Here's hoping you can sort it. I like mine, they are a nice rifle for the price.

Personally i think you can hardly make it worse.
So could be worth a go.

Have you tried different size wedges under the barrel? to change the pressure on the stock.
But how much time and money testing groups do you want to spend?

What sort of hunting / shooting are you doing with it. 4Moa still fine for goats and deer at 100-150m without becoming a problem.

Has anybody else shot it, and did they get the same results?

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Originally Posted by Nugget connaisseur

Personally i think you can hardly make it worse. So could be worth a go. Have you tried different size wedges under the barrel? to change the pressure on the stock. But how much time and money testing groups do you want to spend? What sort of hunting / shooting are you doing with it. 4Moa still fine for goats and deer at 100-150m without becoming a problem.

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Thanks for the reply. I've had someone else shoot it; same result. No; I haven't tried different sized wedges. As for the money; that's exactly it; I've spent a fair bit testing it already! :) Mostly goats and fallow deer out to 200; maybe more on the fallow in the open country. But at 4MOA I may as well use the 303 :)

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Originally Posted by ROKTOY

I like mine, they are a nice rifle for the price.

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Thanks for the reply. Yeah;that's why I bought it. I'd only heard good reports about them. Until I did a bit of digging when trying to suss the problem. I'm not dissing the model; but from reading there does seem to be a consistent problem with a few. The common thread seems to be that opening the channel sorts it on those particular rifles. But do I risk cocking it up; or just cut my losses.....
One of my mates had exactly the same problem with a Ruger American; another rifle with a good reputation. He did the same as what I'm pondering and it shoots really well now.

Open the channel,relieve any factory bedding pads and devcon bed the action ,recoil lug and rear action screw,also try different torque settings on the action screws,check bases are tight and square.try different weights and brands of ammo or reload..make sure barrel is carbon free and clean,check for bulges with cleaning rod and if that doesn’t work ..nothing will..

That's a rarity - they are usually fine shooters, straight under an inch at 100m with right ammos. Possibly a dud - it happens with any make - but check the obvious things:

* Barrel connection with receiver - tight or loose
* Ring seating - are rings/mounts/dovetails 100% solid?
* Rifling - does it look strong and crisp all down barrel tube
* Uneven pressures in barrel slot - yep try the dowel/sandpaper work. Free float it and see what happens. Trying different barrel pressures with the fore-end rubber hasn't solved it.
* They are pillar bedded standard- check bedding setup is in right place and likely to give even receiver pressures. Nothing missing..

I suspect its fixable - just a matter of figuring the fault..

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Originally Posted by The bomb

Open the channel,relieve any factory bedding pads and devcon bed the action ,recoil lug and rear action screw,also try different torque settings on the action screws,check bases are tight and square.try different weights and brands of ammo or reload..make sure barrel is carbon free and clean,check for bulges with cleaning rod and if that doesn’t work ..nothing will..

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Thanks for the reply. I've used Bore Tech Eliminator on it. all the scope mounts etc have been loctite-ed and have tried a different scope. Have used different ammo and no change. And to be honest; the ammo cost is beginning to mount up! At about $48 a box and I've already bought a few.... 10 boxes and I'm half way to a new Howa! ;)

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Originally Posted by mudgripz

That's a rarity - they are usually fine shooters, straight under an inch at 100m with right ammos. Possibly a dud - it happens with any make - but check the obvious things:

* Barrel connection with receiver - tight or loose
* Ring seating - are rings/mounts/dovetails 100% solid?
* Rifling - does it look strong and crisp all down barrel tube
* Uneven pressures in barrel slot - yep try the dowel/sandpaper work. Free float it and see what happens. Trying different barrel pressures with the fore-end rubber hasn't solved it.
* They are pillar bedded standard- check bedding setup is in right place and likely to give even receiver pressures. Nothing missing..

I suspect its fixable - just a matter of figuring the fault..

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Thanks for the reply; I hoped you'd chip in because I remember you being a staunch advocate of them :) I'll try the dowel/sandpaper first and see how that goes. I just didn't want to make a bad problem worse. What is it with me and Marlins? I had a new lever Marlin 44 years ago and what a POS that was. Talk about jam! ;)

Nathan Foster is in the naki...... see if you can get a hold of him to suss out whats going on...50 quid to a knob of goat shit he will be able to sort it right quick smartly,or tell if barrel is a dud etc.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Nathan Foster is in the naki...... see if you can get a hold of him to suss out whats going on...50 quid to a knob of goat shit he will be able to sort it right quick smartly,or tell if barrel is a dud etc.

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Thank you. I hadn't thought of that :)

its fuked ill give you $50 don't waste any more on it :) id just try and sort it cant be much and whatever you do cant make it any worse they look pretty similar to a savage to me maybe get headspace checked

Is it a Marlin , Marlin, or a Remington Marlin?
My understanding is that the quality control went to shit when Rem took over

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Originally Posted by northdude

its fuked ill give you $50 don't waste any more on it :) id just try and sort it cant be much and whatever you do cant make it any worse they look pretty similar to a savage to me maybe get headspace checked

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If i had a wife I'd give her and the chainsaw to you as part of the deal ;)

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Originally Posted by Pengy

Is it a Marlin , Marlin, or a Remington Marlin? My understanding is that the quality control went to shit when Rem took over

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I'm not sure

Getting some-one else to look at it is the answer, often a solvable problem can be right under you (or a couple of other peoples as well) nose but you don't see it. I bought a rifle off the forum years ago that wouldn't shoot - several people had had a go with it, a genuine "camp bitch". It was easily transformed (with about 3 scratches with a pocket knife) to a tack driver (sear was touching the stock).

Thats not always gonna happen but . . . . get someone to take a look

I will be the sad guy... There's probably a reason it was traded. My mate has one in 708 it shoots crap. Maybe 3 inch at 100. The bore looks horrible with a bore scope. I'd trade it.

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Originally Posted by bully

There's probably a reason it was traded.

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That was my thought too.....

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Originally Posted by bumblefoot

If i had a wife I'd give her and the chainsaw to you as part of the deal ;)

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hope she knows how to use the chainsaw :)

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Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I'm not sure

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If it has made in North Haven stamped on it, then it is a Marlin Marlin ;)

Not sure how that help you though

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Originally Posted by Pengy

If it has made in North Haven stamped on it, then it is a Marlin Marlin ;)

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Yup it does have that stamped on it

4 years old would make it a Remlin. Yes some QA issues for a time after Remington purchase, but this one still sounds fixable.... Would be surprised if it isn't.

The absolute first thing id do is polish the bore with autosol on a patch.

My marlin shot well from new then after maybe 200 rounds went all to shit, I looked everywhere for the problem. Long story short it was carbon fouling, a decent scrub out and polish with autosol returned it to normal.

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Originally Posted by mudgripz

4 years old would make it a Remlin. Yes some QA issues for a time after Remington purchase, but this one still sounds fixable.... Would be surprised if it isn't.

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Bought 4 years ago secondhand

I've got the same rifle in 223. It shoots cheap Hornady Frontier SP in about 1 to 1.5 inch groups at 100m.
The stock sounds hollow and feels cheap, but is actually quite rigid when compared to other cheap rifles.

Now, what's this custom 6.5x55 that your friend is offering you? If you're not keen then I might be. :D

I had a look at Nathan Fosters site and see that he charges $800 to accurise a rifle.... Yeah/nah..... I still may ring him to see if he just does a once over at a reasonable price. Otherwise I think I'll try a dowel/sandpaper fix. Especially so since it isn't a Remington/Marlin; and as said above; is already pillar bedded... I do appreciate everyone's input :)

First id sand the barrel channel while the barrel and action is out id check the pillars and make sure they dont move have a look at the area where the recoil lug contacts the stock for damage and have a look at the action area of stock and barrel action for shiny areas that may indicate its touching or binding somewhere thats where id start and it wont cost anything as above give the barrel a real good clean out if you were closer id have a look for you

Maybe try a different scope if you have one that you know is good

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Originally Posted by northdude

Maybe try a different scope if you have one that you know is good

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Thanks for the reply and the offer of help. I will give the channel a sand out in the next day or so. I have tried a different scope; but still the same.

Have you tried a range of amo through it ?
I had the same rifle in 243 that shot factory amo average at best. Mate loaded me some 85 sierras and it changed to shooting better than I can.

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Originally Posted by Pengy

Have you tried a range of amo through it ? I had the same rifle in 243 that shot factory amo average at best. Mate loaded me some 85 sierras and it changed to shooting better than I can.

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About 3 or 4 brands; but no handloads.

mine shot like shit with heavier pills likes 85gr sierras that was in a savage 243 tho

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Originally Posted by Pengy

Is it a Marlin , Marlin, or a Remington Marlin?
My understanding is that the quality control went to shit when Rem took over

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Otherwise known as a gRemLin.

Was looking at a new Howa 7-08 today; they certainly have a free floated barrel! My Marlin is looks like it's wearing a pair of skin tight leggings in comparison!

Those Marlin XS/XL7s usually accurate. Have had maybe 3-4 of them. Last one tested at around 0.75" at 100 with factory ammo.

Picked up one in 243 few weeks back and just got mate to shoot it in. Result with Federal Power-Shok factory 80gr = 0.5" grouping at 100m, and 0.7" group with Highland 100gr.

Quite unusual to have one shoot badly.