With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
TW Davison:
Unless you live in the Kenai Penninsula of Alaska, it would be hard to imagine a better all around hunting rifle than a BLR in .308 with a good low powered variable scope on board, say 1.5-5 or 2-7, or even a one minute red dot. It doesn't have a target trigger, but it is not a target rifle. Now that you can get the BLR in stainless steel, with a takedown option, and even with a Scout scope mount, you can have it almost any way you want it. Check this out:
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=003B&catalog_=B
Why don't I have one any more? Injuries made me a lefty, so I have been eating all my right-handed rifles one by one, and my own .308 BLR went in its turn. If they ever come out with a left-handed BLR, I'll be the first guy in line.
With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
TW:
Got cut off. I never owned a long action BLR but have handled them. They are much longer and less handy than the short action BLR: night and day. You can get the short action BLR in WSM calibers, so there seems little point in buying a long action BLR, but that's one man's opinion.
I didn't mean to give the impression in prior posts that I don't like .35 caliber levers. I own a Marlin 336 in .35 and it is a great gun. But it isn't a caliber that everybody wants. It is more a single shot handgun round these days.
Somebody here wondered if the .338 Marlin would be around in a few years. I would say yes. Marlin kept the .444 in the lineup all these years despite the fact that the factories loaded the .444 wrong most of its life, and Marlin continues to so do though the .444 never set the world on fire. Marlin is not Winchester; if Marlin introduces a round they mean to stick with it if history means anything.
Levers are ideal hunting rifles. They are flat, light, handle well, carry lots of bullets, and are very quick on followup shots. One look at the exposed hammer tells you all you need to know about the status of your rifle. Gun cranks can't mess with levers the way they can a bolt, so they look down their noses at them, despite the fact that you can get a BLR in most of the same calibers or a Marlin in an equivalent caliber. If you need benchrest or varmint accuracy, or need to deliver elephant killing power, you may need another rifle. If you want to put meat on the pole, lay aside your slow moving bolt and get a lever.
With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
TW Davison:
I had a BLR in .308 for years; finally ate it when injuries and sickness hit. Pretty gun, shot straight. Not a target rifle, the barrel was too light, but the first three 150 grainers were always within an inch. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
Last week, while rooting through the used guns in a sporting-goods store upstate, I chanced upon a Winchester Model 71 in very nice shape. “That rifle,” said the store owner, "belonged to Floyd Patterson.” Patterson, who died in 2006, was heavyweight boxing champion from 1956 to 1962. He was one of the best men, and one of the worst fighters, ever to hold that title. In any event, he had fine taste in guns.
The Model 71 was a modification of Winchester’s Model 1886, which has my nomination as the finest rifle ever built in America. Technically, the 71 was ...
The model 71 was doomed from the start. It came right when O'Connor and Page were teaching everybody about the virtues of scoped rifles and long range cartridges. As for the .348, it would be interesting to think of what the .348 Win would be if Hornady loaded it with its pointy nosed lever action bullets; probably in the .358, .35 Whelen, and .350 Rem category. Great!
Except that the .358, .35 Whelen, and .350 Rem have been on life support since the day they were born. Back in the early '70s a hardware store near my house used to sell guns, and there was a model 660 Rem in .350 that I (anybody!) could have taken off the hardware guy's hands for loose change... the gun sat unsold for so long that he couldn't stand the sight of it. Nobody wanted it. Neither did I.
Now take a great load nobody wants, put it in an expensive rifle you can't scope, and try to sell it back when guns were tools, not playthings... sound like a good bet to you?
Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will containing 1 1/8, 1 ¼ and 1 3/8 ounce loads launched at a screaming 1700 fps. (I know, for you rifle guys, 1700 fps is plodding. In a shotgun, 1700 fps is off the speedometer). The nearest competitor in the speed derby is Kent, whose Fasteel clocks in at 1625, but with lighter payloads. The technology behind the HyperSonics is ingenious. A new wad called the Turbo Jet (see picture) makes it possible for ...
jjas:
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Thank you for calculating muzzle energies of the new load. If Remington would put an aerodynamic, appropriately constructed 500 grain slug in a sabot and load with this tech, a 3 1/2" 12 ga. shotgun would be an elephant gun. 4550 foot-pounds equals or beats most loads from the .375 H & H, .404 Jeffery, .450/400 Nitro Express, etc. and is only a hands breadth behind the .458 Win Mag. So as proof of concept, this is good.
But of course it would kick like an elephant gun. Imagine firing an elephant gun from a layout goose blind? The kick would drive you into the muck like a tent peg.
Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will containing 1 1/8, 1 ¼ and 1 3/8 ounce loads launched at a screaming 1700 fps. (I know, for you rifle guys, 1700 fps is plodding. In a shotgun, 1700 fps is off the speedometer). The nearest competitor in the speed derby is Kent, whose Fasteel clocks in at 1625, but with lighter payloads. The technology behind the HyperSonics is ingenious. A new wad called the Turbo Jet (see picture) makes it possible for ...
As a proof of concept, this technology is pretty cool. It would seem to me that if you could adapt Hypersonics to slugs, you'd get near elephant rifle ballistics from your old 870.
On the other hand, it would seem to me that putting hyper velocity on steel is a waste. Steel is too light and loses too much velocity. The clay pigeon boys won't shoot it if it is too expensive and kicks too hard. If you could put the spurs to 1 3/8 oz. of lead or HeaviShot on the other hand, you might have yourself a 75 yard turkey gun.
One exception. Many years ago I tried my hand at Chuckar Partridge. Those little birds made me look like a fool. They take off right out from under your feet like they're shot out of a cannon, and you have a miserable time catching up to them. A fast heavy load with a fairly open choke for a bigger pattern at about 25-30 yards would be just the ticket for those.
One the one hand, I don’t give an assfull of ashes for the idea that shooting lead-free bullets will do the planet one iota of good. We get lead from the ground and we return it to the ground, albeit at very high speeds, so BFD. On the other hand, mandated lead-free zones have given us some dandy new homogeneous bullets by Hornady, Nosler, and Barnes, so it’s not a total waste.
The most recent of this genre is from Nosler—a lead-free Ballistic Tip for varmint hunters. The batch I tested is .224-inch and 35 grains, but there will be lighter and heavier slugs out shortly. These new Ballistic Tips are made with a disintegrating copper core, an alloy jacket, an extra-large expansion cavity in the nose, and an attractive polycarbonate tip.
One the one hand, I don’t give an assfull of ashes for the idea that shooting lead-free bullets will do the planet one iota of good. We get lead from the ground and we return it to the ground, albeit at very high speeds, so BFD. On the other hand, mandated lead-free zones have given us some dandy new homogeneous bullets by Hornady, Nosler, and Barnes, so it’s not a total waste.
The most recent of this genre is from Nosler—a lead-free Ballistic Tip for varmint hunters. The batch I tested is .224-inch and 35 grains, but there will be lighter and heavier slugs out shortly. These new Ballistic Tips are made with a disintegrating copper core, an alloy jacket, an extra-large expansion cavity in the nose, and an attractive polycarbonate tip.
This question came up on another gun blog when someone mentioned that they had seen a rifle of mine for sale, and another blogger asked about the gun—a 7x57—and inquired if I was still alive. Far from taking offense, I see this as a reasonable question, and will attempt to answer it as best I may.
Oh, one more thing; why are you going to Maine for shooting action? Down here where I live on the Gulf Coast, we are getting ready for another hurricane. Come down here and in a couple of days you'll be able to shoot fish. Just make sure you're tied to something nice and heavy when you do.
This question came up on another gun blog when someone mentioned that they had seen a rifle of mine for sale, and another blogger asked about the gun—a 7x57—and inquired if I was still alive. Far from taking offense, I see this as a reasonable question, and will attempt to answer it as best I may.
Don't try for the misty-eyed angle in this blog, Dave. We knew you weren't dead. One lousy 7 x 57 doesn't equal a dead David Petzal. If a truckload of left handed Savage 110s with Chet Brown fiberglass stocks suddenly showed up on the market, we'd worry.
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Rifle Review: Petzal Tests the Marlin .338 MXLR69
With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
The rifle I got to try out is ...
TW Davison: Unless you live in the Kenai Penninsula of Alaska, it would be hard to imagine a better all around hunting rifle than a BLR in .308 with a good low powered variable scope on board, say 1.5-5 or 2-7, or even a one minute red dot. It doesn't have a target trigger, but it is not a target rifle. Now that you can get the BLR in stainless steel, with a takedown option, and even with a Scout scope mount, you can have it almost any way you want it. Check this out: http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=003B&catalog_=B Why don't I have one any more? Injuries made me a lefty, so I have been eating all my right-handed rifles one by one, and my own .308 BLR went in its turn. If they ever come out with a left-handed BLR, I'll be the first guy in line.
Rifle Review: Petzal Tests the Marlin .338 MXLR69
With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
The rifle I got to try out is ...
TW: Got cut off. I never owned a long action BLR but have handled them. They are much longer and less handy than the short action BLR: night and day. You can get the short action BLR in WSM calibers, so there seems little point in buying a long action BLR, but that's one man's opinion. I didn't mean to give the impression in prior posts that I don't like .35 caliber levers. I own a Marlin 336 in .35 and it is a great gun. But it isn't a caliber that everybody wants. It is more a single shot handgun round these days. Somebody here wondered if the .338 Marlin would be around in a few years. I would say yes. Marlin kept the .444 in the lineup all these years despite the fact that the factories loaded the .444 wrong most of its life, and Marlin continues to so do though the .444 never set the world on fire. Marlin is not Winchester; if Marlin introduces a round they mean to stick with it if history means anything. Levers are ideal hunting rifles. They are flat, light, handle well, carry lots of bullets, and are very quick on followup shots. One look at the exposed hammer tells you all you need to know about the status of your rifle. Gun cranks can't mess with levers the way they can a bolt, so they look down their noses at them, despite the fact that you can get a BLR in most of the same calibers or a Marlin in an equivalent caliber. If you need benchrest or varmint accuracy, or need to deliver elephant killing power, you may need another rifle. If you want to put meat on the pole, lay aside your slow moving bolt and get a lever.
Rifle Review: Petzal Tests the Marlin .338 MXLR69
With all due respect to the many great Marlins of the past, this rifle bears an uncanny resemblance not to them but to the cult favorite Winchester Model 71. Both rifles are lever guns that deliver Serious Thump—in fact, the ballistics for their respective cartridges are almost identical. The main loading for the 71’s cartridge, the .348 WCF, is a 200-grain bullet at 2,530 fps. The sole loading for the .338 Marlin Express (developed and loaded by Hornady) is 200 grains at 2,500 fps.
The rifle I got to try out is ...
TW Davison: I had a BLR in .308 for years; finally ate it when injuries and sickness hit. Pretty gun, shot straight. Not a target rifle, the barrel was too light, but the first three 150 grainers were always within an inch. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
Petzal: Winchester's Wonderful Model 7133
Last week, while rooting through the used guns in a sporting-goods store upstate, I chanced upon a Winchester Model 71 in very nice shape. “That rifle,” said the store owner, "belonged to Floyd Patterson.” Patterson, who died in 2006, was heavyweight boxing champion from 1956 to 1962. He was one of the best men, and one of the worst fighters, ever to hold that title. In any event, he had fine taste in guns.
The Model 71 was a modification of Winchester’s Model 1886, which has my nomination as the finest rifle ever built in America. Technically, the 71 was ...
The model 71 was doomed from the start. It came right when O'Connor and Page were teaching everybody about the virtues of scoped rifles and long range cartridges. As for the .348, it would be interesting to think of what the .348 Win would be if Hornady loaded it with its pointy nosed lever action bullets; probably in the .358, .35 Whelen, and .350 Rem category. Great! Except that the .358, .35 Whelen, and .350 Rem have been on life support since the day they were born. Back in the early '70s a hardware store near my house used to sell guns, and there was a model 660 Rem in .350 that I (anybody!) could have taken off the hardware guy's hands for loose change... the gun sat unsold for so long that he couldn't stand the sight of it. Nobody wanted it. Neither did I. Now take a great load nobody wants, put it in an expensive rifle you can't scope, and try to sell it back when guns were tools, not playthings... sound like a good bet to you?
Worth the Recoil? Remington’s New HyperSonic High Speed Steel Shotgun Loads39
Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will containing 1 1/8, 1 ¼ and 1 3/8 ounce loads launched at a screaming 1700 fps. (I know, for you rifle guys, 1700 fps is plodding. In a shotgun, 1700 fps is off the speedometer). The nearest competitor in the speed derby is Kent, whose Fasteel clocks in at 1625, but with lighter payloads.
The technology behind the HyperSonics is ingenious. A new wad called the Turbo Jet (see picture) makes it possible for ...
jjas: Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Thank you for calculating muzzle energies of the new load. If Remington would put an aerodynamic, appropriately constructed 500 grain slug in a sabot and load with this tech, a 3 1/2" 12 ga. shotgun would be an elephant gun. 4550 foot-pounds equals or beats most loads from the .375 H & H, .404 Jeffery, .450/400 Nitro Express, etc. and is only a hands breadth behind the .458 Win Mag. So as proof of concept, this is good. But of course it would kick like an elephant gun. Imagine firing an elephant gun from a layout goose blind? The kick would drive you into the muck like a tent peg.
Worth the Recoil? Remington’s New HyperSonic High Speed Steel Shotgun Loads39
Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will containing 1 1/8, 1 ¼ and 1 3/8 ounce loads launched at a screaming 1700 fps. (I know, for you rifle guys, 1700 fps is plodding. In a shotgun, 1700 fps is off the speedometer). The nearest competitor in the speed derby is Kent, whose Fasteel clocks in at 1625, but with lighter payloads.
The technology behind the HyperSonics is ingenious. A new wad called the Turbo Jet (see picture) makes it possible for ...
As a proof of concept, this technology is pretty cool. It would seem to me that if you could adapt Hypersonics to slugs, you'd get near elephant rifle ballistics from your old 870. On the other hand, it would seem to me that putting hyper velocity on steel is a waste. Steel is too light and loses too much velocity. The clay pigeon boys won't shoot it if it is too expensive and kicks too hard. If you could put the spurs to 1 3/8 oz. of lead or HeaviShot on the other hand, you might have yourself a 75 yard turkey gun. One exception. Many years ago I tried my hand at Chuckar Partridge. Those little birds made me look like a fool. They take off right out from under your feet like they're shot out of a cannon, and you have a miserable time catching up to them. A fast heavy load with a fairly open choke for a bigger pattern at about 25-30 yards would be just the ticket for those.
Petzal: Testing Nosler’s New Lead-Free Ballistic Tips for Varmints37
One the one hand, I don’t give an assfull of ashes for the idea that shooting lead-free bullets will do the planet one iota of good. We get lead from the ground and we return it to the ground, albeit at very high speeds, so BFD. On the other hand, mandated lead-free zones have given us some dandy new homogeneous bullets by Hornady, Nosler, and Barnes, so it’s not a total waste.
The most recent of this genre is from Nosler—a lead-free Ballistic Tip for varmint hunters. The batch I tested is .224-inch and 35 grains, but there will be lighter and heavier slugs out shortly. These new Ballistic Tips are made with a disintegrating copper core, an alloy jacket, an extra-large expansion cavity in the nose, and an attractive polycarbonate tip.
To test them, I fired ...
Ironic. "Does this lead your barrel?" I suppose we have to come up with another word for that now.
Petzal: Testing Nosler’s New Lead-Free Ballistic Tips for Varmints37
One the one hand, I don’t give an assfull of ashes for the idea that shooting lead-free bullets will do the planet one iota of good. We get lead from the ground and we return it to the ground, albeit at very high speeds, so BFD. On the other hand, mandated lead-free zones have given us some dandy new homogeneous bullets by Hornady, Nosler, and Barnes, so it’s not a total waste.
The most recent of this genre is from Nosler—a lead-free Ballistic Tip for varmint hunters. The batch I tested is .224-inch and 35 grains, but there will be lighter and heavier slugs out shortly. These new Ballistic Tips are made with a disintegrating copper core, an alloy jacket, an extra-large expansion cavity in the nose, and an attractive polycarbonate tip.
To test them, I fired ...
Does this lead your barrel? Can you fire a couple of dozen (or hundred) rounds without having to soak the barrel in a tub of Hoppe's #9 for a week?
Is Dave Petzal Still Alive?54
This question came up on another gun blog when someone mentioned that they had seen a rifle of mine for sale, and another blogger asked about the gun—a 7x57—and inquired if I was still alive. Far from taking offense, I see this as a reasonable question, and will attempt to answer it as best I may.
Oh, one more thing; why are you going to Maine for shooting action? Down here where I live on the Gulf Coast, we are getting ready for another hurricane. Come down here and in a couple of days you'll be able to shoot fish. Just make sure you're tied to something nice and heavy when you do.
Is Dave Petzal Still Alive?54
This question came up on another gun blog when someone mentioned that they had seen a rifle of mine for sale, and another blogger asked about the gun—a 7x57—and inquired if I was still alive. Far from taking offense, I see this as a reasonable question, and will attempt to answer it as best I may.
Don't try for the misty-eyed angle in this blog, Dave. We knew you weren't dead. One lousy 7 x 57 doesn't equal a dead David Petzal. If a truckload of left handed Savage 110s with Chet Brown fiberglass stocks suddenly showed up on the market, we'd worry.
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