Marlin X7VH

wolverines

wolverines

Active member
Anyone own or have experience with this rifle? I'm considering getting one in 22-250. I understand there are better rifles out there, but this one is the closest to what I'm looking for that fits into my budget. I like the 26" barrel. I don't see any other options at that price point with barrel length options over 22".

I haven't been able to find one in a store, so I'm looking for any information I can on this rifle. All honest opinions welcomed.
 
I have one in .223 and it has become on of my favorites. I'm getting consistent 5 shot groups in the 3's and 4's with my loads. For the price their hard to beat. My understanding is that Remington is going to be dropping them from Marlins line up.
 
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Here is Marlin 22-250 with a Boyd's stock and Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44. I bought it in 2011 I believe. It is one of my favorite guns to shoot, but least favorite to carry. It's weighted like a sledgehammer...very front heavy. It shoots great with 40-50 gr. bullets. I am working up reloads for it now but I currently shoot either the winchester white box 45 gr. or the remington value pack 50 gr value pack. Below is a picture of the last group I shot on paper with it a while back using the Remington value pack 50gr.

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It has killed a few ground hogs, quite a few coyotes and various small game with no problem. I have $778 in it with the scope, stock and rings. If you don't like the way it shoots, the savage prefit aftermarket barrels will screw into it with a little bit of work from a gunsmith from what I understand. I am pretty dang happy with it. Good luck!

Shelton
 
Own a couple of the Marlin X heavy barrel rifles, a .308 and a .223. Both shoot well for accuracy. My .308 VH had a problem last couple of inches of bore. LOL, ever seen copper fouling running across the lands.....looked like someone had run a tap down the muzzle. This rifle is one of the early made X rifles done at the Mayfield, Ky plant after Remington folks moved Marlin bolt rifle production there. I will shorten the barrel a couple of inches to around 24". Shoots quite well for accuracy. Altogether I own 4 Marlin X rifles And I've no complaints about there accuracy. X rifle has a decent adjustable trigger. Didn't care much for the stocks on them. They are functional hunting stocks, but I just shoot paper from benchrest. But no problem for me to make a wood stock more suitable for benchrest shooting for them all. Consider their spacing of bolts thru stock to action, better for a wood stock than how Savage does there spacing of bolts. Did have a 25-06 Marlin X rifle, but had it rebarreled to 7x57. Nothing wrong with how the 25-06 shot, just wanted another cartridge.

But, as Biggin08 has written, Remington folks have decided to cease Marlin X rifle production at Mayfield, in favor of making only Remington 783 and 770 rifles there. Darn shame! You'd think they'd have enough intelligence to stop making the POS 770 rifle.
 
Thanks for the responses.
Shelton573, I love the looks of that gun. I plan on getting a Boyds Varmint Thumbhole in forest camo for it if I buy it, which I'm leaning towards doing.
 
Originally Posted By: wolverinesShelton573, I love the looks of that gun. I plan on getting a Boyds Varmint Thumbhole in forest camo for it if I buy it, which I'm leaning towards doing.

Thank ya! That will look good in forest camo! I didn't have an option when I bought mine because I got it the week after they released them in 2012 I believe it was and all that was left was the pepper which didn't bother me. The gun shot good with the factory stock but the boyds really made it tighten up the groups and also helped to balance the gun a bit.

Shelton
 
Originally Posted By: shelton573Originally Posted By: wolverinesShelton573, I love the looks of that gun. I plan on getting a Boyds Varmint Thumbhole in forest camo for it if I buy it, which I'm leaning towards doing.

Thank ya! That will look good in forest camo! I didn't have an option when I bought mine because I got it the week after they released them in 2012 I believe it was and all that was left was the pepper which didn't bother me. The gun shot good with the factory stock but the boyds really made it tighten up the groups and also helped to balance the gun a bit.

Shelton


Did you mount the Boyds yourself? If so, did you run into any issues with it and did you glass bed it?
I've read some complaints about trigger creap. Doesn't seem to be any replacement triggers available.
I'm really just interested in this rifle because it seems like a great base at price that will allow me to tinker with it. My other option is the Rem 700 ADL in .308 for $400 at Cabelas. I just think a 22-250 is way more useful as I love sniping woodchucks in the summer here in MI.
 
I did mount it myself and had zero issues. Just dropped it in and got to shooting. I haven't glass bedded it yet because it shoots great, but might try to do it some day. I have zero trigger creep and have it adjusted down to about 3.25 lb. The only complaint I have about the trigger is the safety blade on mine has a slight squeak when you pull in on it but it's hardly loud enough to notice. You can also buy the a metal trigger guard that is actually for one of their 22 rifles to beef it up a bit for when you torque it down. All you have to do is drill the rear hole out a bit to fit the bolt and you are in business. I bought the part, just haven'e put it on yet. As far as the Remington goes, if you live near a dicks sporting goods, you can usually find the ADL varmint in 223 and 22-250 with the 26" barrel for $450 I believe it is. That might be the better route to go if you want to tinker becasue as you know the aftermarket parts for the 700 can be found all over the place. The X7VH might be a little tough to find right now too. I'm not sure how you feel about Savage rifles, but you can typically find some pre-accutrigger model 12 rifles with the heavy barrel pretty cheap on sites like armslist and gunbroker. Just an idea.

Shelton
 
Let me know how it goes for you. I think you will pretty happy if it shoots like mine. It's a bit front heavy ain't it?! LOL

Shelton
 
I won't be able to pick it up until next week. I think being front heavy like you're describing will be perfect for chuck'n. My .243 jumps enough that I miss the devistation of my 58gr vmax at 3850fps.
 
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I bought my son the Hvy barrel model in 308 a few years ago. They are very muzzle heavy so I used dried sand, vacuum packed it and put it in the hollow butt of the stock. It helped the balance. The gun shoot's under moa with the 155 grain AMAX and Varget.
 
Originally Posted By: shelton573It will be perfect for that for sure! Be sure to post a pic of it when you get it all put together.

Shelton


Will do. Found one at a gun shop near by so got to get my hands on one. Buying something without seeing it first goes against everything I believe in, but I'm more pumped about in now that I've shouldered one. That and a few good reviews from you guys, I think this is gonna pan out to exactly what I was hoping for.
Found a Predator Quest 6-24x50 scope for it that was a complete impulse buy. Was gonna put my Redfield 4-12x40 that I have on it, but this seems like a better way to go. Again, cheap scopes go against everything I believe in, but I have an idea in my head and a budget. If mine shoots like you all have reported, I will have a sweet rifle for $650. Wanted to keep it around $500.
 
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wolverines, about your problem "how tight the screws can be in order for the bolt to function." Have had this problem too when installing a Marlin X in a wood stock. Stocks involved were ones I made, so I'm not writing its a common problem with a Boyd stock for a Marlin.

However, I'm assuming your screws are a might too long, so when tightening them, screws rub/hit the bolt. Anyway, two options I've used to correct the problem. I'm sure you've thought of these already, but here they are: Shorten the screws a thread or two or find/alter a washer to drop in the stock's screw hole.
 
I had thought of washers.
I took it apart and reassembled tightening just enough to allow the bolt to work. With the stock being wood, I originally felt like I could've tightened even more, but remembering the wise words of a gunsmith friend of mine "tight is tight, too tight is broke" I stopped before something bad happened. I'm gonna leave it alone for now and see what happens. So far so good.
 
Originally Posted By: shelton573If you want me to, I can post it for you if you email it to me.

Shelton

Thanks
I think my link works. Just not sure why it doesn't show the pic instead of the link.
 
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