45/70 Marlin 400 grain flat nose jacketed,on ticket for Boar, Deer, & Fox if found to be interfering with a stalk
discovery, the microgroove rifling in Marlins actually works very well with cast bullets, possibly better than the ballard rifling which is supposed to be better.
With regard to a suitable calibre for fox, I know a couple of guys who use a .357 for fox to very good effect.
The Marlin's I own all shoot well with cast boolits. The right boolit fit makes for an accurate round.dodgyrog do you have good results with cast bullets in marlin as i read that they do not like the mico/rifling that is used in their barrels have shot a winchester but like the marlin because of the scope mounting receiver.thanks ps 30/30
Muir it's hard cast bullets that we use. I can only speak with regard to two older Marlin rifles that I or my club have owned. I was very sceptical of the microgroove rifling but actually both rifles turned out to be very accurate, in fact giving better results than the more modern Marlins with ballard rifling. It must be born in mind though that there are a number of variables and that we only shoot these substitute pistols at short range (up to 50m). It could just be that the loads that we were using are better suited to this type of rifling. At longer ranges the deep cut ballard may come into it's own. I certainly wouldn't avoid microgroove rifling though I wouldn't go out of my way to obtain it either.
I've got one - it's lovely in 308 - and is for sale.Sako Finnwolf