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Thread: Which lever action ?

  1. #41
    Boolit Master

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    Though I regularly worship at the altar of John Moses Browning, the greater ease of disassembly and attaching optics to the Marlin 1895/336 puts me firmly in that camp for lever guns. I'm in favor of the Bear Tooth Mercantile options that allow you to delete the idiot cross bolt safety, go back to the old style solid firing pin, and beefy one-piece ejector, but the basic chassis is quite sound.

    For a cast bullet gun for deer and pig, you are going to be hard pressed to beat the .35 Remington and .38-55. The .30-30 was conceived of as a jacketed round that does its magic with velocity that's on the upper end of what can easily be done with cast. While people can and do have great success with it using cast, I'm not sure that's really the round's highest calling. Though I love the .45-70, when you load it to get the flattest possible trajectory, the large bullet mass will start to pound you black and blue. In the sturdier actions, the .35 to .38 caliber guns will boot out 200-300 grains at speeds that should get you point-blank arcs on deer and pig sized critters to 200 yards or so. Probably nothing wrong with the .32 Special either, but zero experience there - just with .32-40 in single shots.
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  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    I agree with JMORT about the best deal on new levers being the Mossy 464. Mine loves every CB I have fed it and will be going out with me tomorrow for some coyote calling using 130 gr HP-GC's.

  3. #43
    Boolit Master

    Loudenboomer's Avatar
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    Winchester 88 .308

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'd suggest a Win 94BB in 375Win. They were well made, probably the best quality of the post 64 era. The rifle is light and points well. Weight wise it's on a par with a 92 in a pistol cal but has a lot more potential. The barrel has deep rifling and the 12" twist easily stabilises 300gr pills.

    Starline is making cases now but it's no issue to form cases from 30/30 brass. Capacity and performance is such that cast bullets can be used to produce full power loads. Powder consumption is modest for the power it can produce.

  5. #45
    Boolit Man White Oak's Avatar
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    The lever gun I grab most often for hunting is my Marlin 336ER .356 Win. Most people probably consider the round obsolete, but I think it is perfect for my hunting needs. My rifle is stamped as Micro Groove but came from Marlin with Ballard rifling. Accurate with 180gr-250gr bullets but loves the RCBS 35-200-FN (218grs GC with my alloy) and IMR-3031 at just shy of 2,100 Fps.

  6. #46
    Boolit Buddy
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    I am not a fan of Marlins, I have had one in 45/70 and one in 44 mag the people I sold them too still own them are both happy with their purchases, I have two lever actions a 92 rifle in 32/20 and a B92 in 44 mag, the 44 is great on pigs.

  7. #47
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    "I am considering 30/30, 32 Winchester special, 35 Remington and 45/70 so far"
    any of those will do well along with 358 Winchester (a cast bullet dream caliber in many eyes) 356 in or 375 win 300 savage, 308 win
    for me it would come down to what I found for the best price for the best condition
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  8. #48
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smoke4320 View Post
    "I am considering 30/30, 32 Winchester special, 35 Remington and 45/70 so far"
    any of those will do well along with 358 Winchester (a cast bullet dream caliber in many eyes) 356 in or 375 win 300 savage, 308 win
    for me it would come down to what I found for the best price for the best condition

    The .358 Winchester sounds nice. What model of lever guns was it produced in ?

  9. #49
    Boolit Master

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    I believe the 358 was available in the Winchester 88, Savage 99 & Browning BLR
    Don't know about the Finnwolf.
    ..

  10. #50
    Boolit Bub Catpop's Avatar
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    35 Rem 336T is my modern first choice.
    But my real love is 32-40!
    And 38 WCF!
    And any of the old ones!
    Even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in awhile
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  11. #51
    Boolit Master
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    I don't own a Winchester levergun, but I have Marlins in 44M and 45-70, a Savage 99 300 Savage, and a Browning BLR 358W. Only the Marlins can be cleaned from the breech end. My BLR is stupid accurate, but the cheap stamped steel magazines are junk. I'd never take it bear hunting. The Marlins are very reliable, as is the 1952-vintage Savage. When browsing in a gun shop, I'm always surprised at the weight of the Henry's, so don't consider them. If weight is paramount, look at Winchesters.

  12. #52
    Boolit Buddy ElCheapo's Avatar
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    I have to vote Marlin. My Dad started me out with a Winny 94 with side mounted Weaver K4. A peep sight would have been better IMHO. Now I have a 1970 Marlin 336 in 30 30, with a Leupold 1-4 Vx II, and what a great gun it is! Shoots muy bueno with the Lyman 311041 and 311008. Heavy or light loads I'm covered. Trigger is nice too!

    Right after deer season I was at the range testing some loads. A guy beside me was shooting a Marlin 30 30 too, one of the newer ones. He liked the plain wood stock on my gun and we got to talking, seems he doesn't reload. He ends up giving me 5 boxes of empties! Gotta love a caliber that does a great job and is available everywhere!

  13. #53
    Boolit Buddy Huntsman's Avatar
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    My Go to

    Quote Originally Posted by Loudenboomer View Post
    Winchester 88 .308
    Thats my go to gun followed by ‘72 30-30.

  14. #54
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I like both winchesters and marlins I currently have a winchester 94 in 30-30, post 64, pre angle eject. I've owned several other 94s in AE, and a couple marlin 1894c 357 magnum carbines. Marlins are easier to disassemble than winchesters. It don't take a genius to disassemble a winchester but it takes more time and patience. Don't forget to look at a winchester 71, 348 winchester!

  15. #55
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    May have already been written... but go to a well stocked LGS and try each brand. Spend the time. How does it feel in your hands. How does it come up to your shoulder. Can you hold it on a specific target for a good minute in comfort. Keeping it at your shoulder can you reliably function the lever / action.
    Do you like the looks, the wood, the blue or whatever finish. The sights...
    Your idea of the right rifle will be far different than my idea.
    Mike in Peru
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    Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.

  16. #56
    Boolit Master
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    Winchester is making the 1895 in 30-06 and 405 this year. As cool as a 405win is the 30-06 makes a lot of sense for plinking and hogs.

    I'm wanting one but cash flow is negative right now.

  17. #57
    Boolit Mold
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    i just bought a rossi 92 in 357 magnum for the same thing and i love mine. i dont reload though... yet

  18. #58
    Boolit Bub Rustynails's Avatar
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    Winchester 38-55! Fun to shoot, easy on older shoulders and you can shoot smokeless or Black powder. Shot a doe and a Russian Boar. Both went down quick...doe heart shot, boar right above the ear.

  19. #59
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    41 magnum

  20. #60
    Boolit Master
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    30-30 is the most versatile of the ones you mentioned. You can load 110 grain plinkers all the way up to the Hawk 190 grain J-word or cast. So from varmits to elk. Ammo is easy to come by and the lever action can also be a darn good home defense rifle, truck gun and constant companion in the field. I think one of the most hands is the Trapper model or 16” version of the iconic lever gun and in 30-30 it is formidable. Good luck with your quest but most certainly consider the steel or all Weather version of the Henry Rifles. The customer service is second to none the loading gate is not an issue for me I made some quick loaders from poly tube that allow fast loading the little rifle through the tube. For a self defense round I like the Sierra 125 grain HP Game King that same bullet works fantastic for deer size game as well. My fabortie cast bullet is an Mihec mound WFN HP over some Unique. Davidson’s has an exclusive they offer it is from Mossberg it is a 16.5” carbine with laminate stock and forearm. I actually own of those really ugly tactical 30-30 and put a muzzle brake on it and that gun is really accurate. Ugly but it certainly does have utility. The adjustable stock came in handy for grandkids as they could properly shoulder the rifle. I use this as truck gun and I do not care if it gets beat to **** it’s made for it.
    Last edited by Ramjet-SS; 03-23-2019 at 09:44 AM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check