Marlin Model 60 Owners....

[gregorius]

I am out in Alto, NM this week at our vacation place next to Lincoln National Forest. Normally there aren't any neighbors here this time of year, but one of the nearby cabins is occupied for the week.

I brought my Marlin 60 on the trip for plinking, but since the house up the mountain is occupied, I was going to go into town and buy some subsonic ammo, just to be a good neighbor.

I have yet to try any subsonic loads, so I seek advice.

What subsonic ammo has worked best in your Model 60? I do want it to be as quiet as possible, but I also want it to cycle the bolt reliably.

 

[gregorius]

Well, since nobody responded to my query while I was in beautiful Ruidoso, NM, I will share what I learned.

I got a few different subsonic loads for the Marlin, and the most reliable were the CCI subsonic and the Remington subsonic. They were both quiet enough to shoot comfortably without ear protection of any kind and cycled the bolt every single time. I had no duds in the 400 rounds or so that I sent down the pipe. I was more than a little surprised by the Remington ammo. My 60 pretty much hates every other kind of Remington .22 LR ammunition I have tried in it.

The 60 didn't like the Lapua subsonic and it didn't do well with the Eley, either.

I couldn't find the Aguila SSS or the PMC Moderator in Ruidoso, so I can't comment on them.

There is a pretty good gun shop in Ruidoso called "Firepower", so if you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods, its a great place to go with a knowledgeable and friendly owner. Good guy.

 

[HerkyBird]

Good to know. Can't beat a 60, can you?

 

[flatwins]

Model 60s are great. I actually prefer them to the 10/22.

 

[gregorius]

I do, too. I learned to shoot on an ancient 22 single shot bolt action and an old Model 60 that my dad still has. I actually still shoot that old model 60 from time to time, and its still a great gun, so when I got back into shooting, it was the first thing I bought. I love it.

I actually tried my buddy's tarted up 10/22 before I finally purchased a new .22 rifle because everyone raved about them. It was fine, but my pop's ancient 60 was more accurate by a fair margin. I did the same comparison when I finally bought the new 60 and it is more accurate than my buddy's 10/22 as well, though not quite as accurate my dad's. There is a dearth of aftermarket stuff, but I don't really want to turn it into something from a comic book anyway. That's just not my style.