Marlin’s .308 Marlin Express (left) and a .308 Winchester.

Marlin. The news here is not a new gun but the .308 Marlin Express cartridge. Developed for Marlin by Hornady, the .308 ME achieves .308 Winchester ballistics in the company’s flagship Model 336 lever-action rifle. They do it using new, high-energy propellants and advanced loading technology in conjunction with Hornady’s Evolution Flex-Tip bullet that frees tubular-magazine rifles like the 336 to use spitzer bullets.

The .308 Marlin Express pushes a 160-grain bullet at 2,660 fps, which compares quite favorably with the .308 Win. 165-grain loading at 2,700 fps. In the 24-inch-barreled Marlin MXLR (a fancy, all-stainless version of the 336), a three-inch-high zero at 100 yards puts you 1.7 inches high at 200 and 6.7 inches low at 300—unheard-of ballistics in a traditional lever-action rifle. www.marlinfirearms.com

Marlin 336 MXLR

Mossberg. Best known for its reliable and highly affordable shotguns, this company continues to expand the bolt-action Model 100 ATR centerfire-rifle line. Introduced just three years ago in only two calibers, .270 Win. and .30-06, the line now includes a short action in .243 and .308, and this year the .25-06, 7mm Rem. Mag and the .300 and .338 Win Mags have been added.

Mossberg 4X4 Laminate

In conjunction with these new chamberings, a new stock is being offered in three variations: an injection-molded synthetic in black, traditional walnut and a black wood laminate. Designated as the 4X4, the new stock has a unique comb line and a ventilated fore-end that has a distinctive slope to the tip. To reduce weight in the laminate and walnut versions, the right side of the butt is dished out; in the synthetic version it’s skeletonized. All are available in Mossberg’s Scoped Combo, which includes a pre-mounted, laser-sighted 3-9x40 scope. Every model in the standard 100 ATR line is also offered with an optional scope package. www.mossberg.com

Remington. Among the new Remington introductions, the one that got my interest was the all-stainless version of the Model 798. As most of you know, Remington is now bringing in the old Mark X commercial ’98 Mauser barreled actions made in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia).

To my knowledge, this is the first commercial rendering of the classic ’98 Mauser in stainless steel. Remington is stocking it in a Rutland forest green/brown laminated stock and glass bedding it. I think Paul Mauser himself would be flattered by this rifle. Calibers offered in the 798 Stainless Laminate are .243, .25-06, .270 Win., .30-06, 7mm Rem. Mag and .300 Win.

Remington Model 700 VL SS

The Model 710 bolt-action that Remington distributes through the discount chains as a package with a pre-mounted Bushnell 3-9X scope this year becomes the Model 770. It has a new synthetic stock with molded-in rubberized grip panels, a more positive latch for its detachable magazine and an easier-camming bolt. Like the 710, this newest iteration is available only as a package deal complete with mounted scope. Chamberings offered are as before: .243, .270 Win., 7-08 Rem., .308 Win., 7mm Rem. Magnum and .300 Win. Magnum.

Under the “Welcomed News” heading is Remington’s announcement that all the new Model Seven and 700 offerings for 2007 are equipped with a newly designed trigger. Called the X-Mark Pro, most of the components look and operate very similar to their counterparts in the former trigger, but the new one is better and safer. For one thing, when the two-position side safety is engaged, both the sear and trigger are blocked. On the old trigger only the sear was blocked. Moreover, this new unit can be safely adjusted to a pull weight that’s 45 percent lower than the current model, and thanks to a big investment in new, precision CNC machines, the trigger/sear surfaces are polished to a micron finish. The result is a trigger that received a big thumbs-up by everyone who tried it on the shooting range at a recent writer’s seminar.

This new X-Mark Pro trigger can be retrofitted to existing Model Sevens and 700s, but it must be done by the company or one of its authorized repair stations.

In the extensive Model 700 line, the SPS and VL SS varmint rifles get revised synthetic and laminated thumbhole stocks, respectively, both of which feature ventilated fore-ends and the new X-Mark Pro trigger that was introduced two years ago and is gradually being phased into the entire 700 line. The Model Seven CDL SF—the deluxe job—gets an all-stainless, fluted barreled action; it, along with the above-mentioned varmint models, is being chambered for the new .17 Remington Fireball.

In the rimfire line there’s a new, luxury-class bolt action designated as the Model 547 Custom, meaning it’s strictly a Custom Shop proposition. Remington designers have always had a good grasp of what makes an elegant rifle stock, and the 547 reflects that in spades. This gun reminds me of the company’s Model 700 African Plains Rifle, which to my eyes is the best-looking bolt-action rifle around.

But it’s not just an elegant stock and a highly polished blue job that sets this gun apart. It sports a 22-inch Shilen button-rifled barrel with a Match Chamber (in .22 LR), a jeweled bolt body with an integral handle and cocking piece, a trigger that’s factory-adjusted to three pounds, and a written guarantee to shoot half-inch groups at 50 yards. It’s really a gorgeous rifle, but it’s priced accordingly, at $1,132. www.remington.com