Got a Marlin 25-06 brand new about year and half ago. I have shot maybe a box through it and couldn't never get a group on paper. I used a shoot block for stabilty. I let a friend take it and shoot it and same results. Now I don't know what to do with it except send it back to Marlin. We checked the scope mounts and scope, different brands of ammo. Any suggestions?

Are you using CoreLok ammo? If you are, try a box of Hornady. Every time I'm at the range, I overhear the range masters saying that you can't get a decent group with "that green and yellow box" ammo.

JR

I've had great luck with nolser custom red box ammo in 100gr partition.

I'd try another ammo brand. Mine hates hornady superperformance

Make sure you are trying different weights of bullets, not just different brands. If it doesn't have the correct twist to shoot 120 grain bullets it doesn't matter if its a 120 grain Remington or sierra its not going to shoot.

Like bobo said try something in the 100 grain range. A box of federals loaded with sierras should shoot in anything.

If I look up Marlin 25-06 on line will it tell me what grain I should be shooting. I don't want to spend $100 in bullets that I can't use.

I don't know the highest or lowest grain in 25-06 but should I buy a higher grain and a lower grain and see if the group gets tighter in either one?

What grains have you tried so far?

120 is heavy for cal and needs a faster twist, 100 is probably average/middle of the road weight and should shoot in most any of them.

so is there a way to know if the rifle has a certain twist for a certain grain. I can't remember what grain I'm shooting.

Redchevy's suggestion is good. The Marlin is recent manufacture and uses a common rate of twist that should shoot commonly available ammo. If it won't shoot 120s or 117s then it ought to shoot 100-grain bullets if there's nothing wrong with the rifle.

Did you try to get it on paper at a shorter range first, like 50 or even 25 yards?

Looking I have done shows the marlin xl7 bolt gun(which I believe is what you have) has a 1:10 twist. I believe that should be plenty to stabilize most any of the commercially available bullets.

Make sure everything is set up correctly as far as scope rings etc.

so is there a way to know if the rifle has a certain twist for a certain grain. I can't remember what grain I'm shooting.

You don't need to worry about this. Redchevy has already researched it and found that it is a 1:10 twist. There is a whole range of bullet weights that will be suitable.

Have you shot the rifle at 50 yards to see what it will do?

Put that rifle on a bench at 25 yards. Get it set up good and solid. Put a big piece of paper on the target board and a target in the center of it. Fire one round at 25 yards and see where it hits. If you miss, aim at top left corner and fire one round. If you miss, aim at another corner and repeat until you can see where you POI is. Now start cranking the knobs on the scope to get it on paper, and then aim at center and fire three rounds. If it groups, you're on your way. Now start trying different ammo, or roll your own to really get it dialed in.

could be lots of factors..new or used scope, ck all base screws and rings screws, trying different ammo is part of the game, its like buying a new rifle and putting $5. rings on it and a 89.00 dollar scope

My best friend has a Marlin .25-06 and it really likes the 100 grain bullets and shoots the 110 very well too. His shoots 1 MOA pretty regularly with Hornady 100 grain. Like a few others have said, try the lower weight bullets before you get too stressed.

I don't have one and have never even shot one of these, so I'm likely talking outa' my arse here, but check the recoil lug screw for tightness. I have a few bolt guns that are kinda' picky about that one. Too tight and they'll spray bullets. It needs to be comfortably snug but certainly not white-knuckled. Just a guess, good luck!

edited to add: Is this a fiberglass or polymer/kevlar/whatever stock? Remember, nothing much has changed in the actual barrel and action. It's possible to put enough tension on modern stocks without even knowing it that would cause damage to a wood stock.

i have the same rifle and it shot the corelokt 100's at sub 1"

i moved to hornady superformance sst 117 gr a year ago and it shoots them at sub 1" as well, but with some more punch

if it wont group and its not scope, rings or bases, then my guess is the rifle has a problem

Yep mine does too

I'm no Remington fan. I won't shoot a Remington gun, and I won't shoot Remington shotgun shells, but my Tikka 25-06 will put 3 100 grain Core-Lokts inside an inch at 100 yards.

Based on their performance at the range, my Remington .270, Browning .243, and Winchester 25-06 have never been told that.

I have the x l model with synth stock and the m r model with walnut stock and both shoot less then 1 inch with the same 100 g r core lock ammo