The 308 Marlin (308 Marlin Express, ME) was developed by Hornady and Marlin in 2007 to provide "308 Winchester-like" performance in Marlin's tubular-magazine lever action. It is based on the semi-rimmed 307 Winchester case with a case length of 1.910 inches. It is the fastest lever-action cartridge, with downrange performance greatly aided by Hornady's spitzer FTX bullet with flexible tip suitable for use in tubular magazines. Hornady's 160-grain load has a muzzle velocity of 2660 feet per second, giving it at least 300-yard capability in a traditional lever action. Despite obvious merit the 308 Marlin has been very slow to catch on and has been chambered almost exclusively in Marin rifles.
