Which lever action ?

[reddhawkk]

I like my .45-70 Marlin and if you want to shoot light loads use the collar button boolit.

[Lex]

38/55 less recoil than 45/70 hits harder than 30/30

[Greg B.]

I had the same problem several years ago and the solution is fairly simple. In fact several posters have already hinted at it. You need three or four lever guns. Buy one at a time and when you get bored with shooting and reloading for number four number one will become interesting again. Caution is required though as after reading this thread I could easily get interested in another five or six.

[onelight]

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

The 356 is the 358s rimmed cousin marlin and Winchester both made lever guns for 356 Winchester I like it.

[reddhawkk]

I have Marlins in .32-20 and .45-70 and both are excellent. I used to know an old farmer who had an old Winchester in .32-40 that he used for everything. He took it on his tractor when working in the fields and used it to shoot woodchucks; it sure killed them dead! I've always wanted one since then.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

How much recoil do you like? Do you mind lubing and trimming plinking brass? How much range do you need?

[hwilliam01]

That and the twist (1:16) makes them better (in one respect) than the 30-30 for all cast bullet diet, but a 30-30 with a .308 bullet makes the 30-30 a little more versatile for different loads. I shoot a 110 grain cast bullet made for the 30 carbine in my 30-30 for "cat sneeze" loads. It's a hoot to shoot!

[1bluehorse]

The best choice was already mentioned albeit in two different posts and neither were put together correctly. There is a do-it-all caliber in a lever action and it is the BLR in 358 Winchester. The BLR isn't considered a "classic" lever action but it is the best lever action ever made for strength and smoothness of action. In the BLR action the 358 can be loaded to "blow the doors off" the 06'. The Winchester 1895 was made in 30'06 years ago (although the 405 is the famous one) I know, I had an original one in my teens (I'm 72). Operating the action on one is similar to opening a lawn chair with one hand. The 45-70 is good for saying you have one but that's about it. I've owned 5 different ones, 2 Marlin 1895's, one Browning/Miroku 1886 (beautiful rifle) and two different sharps configurations. Sold them all over a period of several years, actually I traded one of the Sharps (Pedersoli) to a fella for two Ruger Redhawk 45colts 4.2 inchers when they first showed up. I believe I got the best of the deal by a long shot. The only one I "kinda" regret is the 1886 but only for the "niceness" of the gun itself. I would have gladly traded it for the above mentioned BLR (which is what I did with the money from the sale anyway with a few bucks left over). So, there you have it.......a BLR in 358 Winchester, best of the best......

[Texas by God]

"The 45-70 is good for saying you have one but that's about it." Actually it's good for killing any beast in North America -with 146 years experience of doing so.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Since the .358 has been mentioned, I would advise finding a Savage 99 or finding a Savage 99 in 308 or a 300 with serial number over 1,000,000 or with an alpha prefix - rebore to .358 or .338 Federal.

I own several Browning BLR's, .358, .398, .223, .325, they work well when they are clean and well-oiled, like at the rifle range. They are wonderful mirrors and can be spotted very easily in daylight, by anything with eyes. For $125(?) you can get the trigger reworked to be usable. I really do need to sell mine, but I am honest and would be a very poor salesman. My wife refuses to hunt with them since the .358 froze up in a storm that went from rain to snow. Three misfires before the inertia firing pin broke free. She did manage to kill the 5 point elk, but she was done with that rifle.

[Norske]

My 358 BLR's magazines are not to be trusted. My Marlin 45-70 has never had a feeding problem. Guess one will go black bear hunting?

[Petander]

About 45-70 recoil:

I'm on my third Marlin 45-70, the current SBL kicks much less than my previous 1895:s.

The new standard recoil pad helps (I had pads on previous ones,too) but the ergonomy is better,less stock drop or something.

I nearly wrecked my shoulders by being stupid with archery excercising (too much too strong bows,pain...) and I can't handle heavy recoil anymore. SBL is not bad at all, my plinker is 325 @ 1950. My wife can shoot it just fine. The same load in an older Guide Gun is not very enjoyable.

SBL also has ghost ring sights to begin with. I got mine last summer, have ~1500 rounds no probs. Shoots cast clean out of the box.

I do hunt moose and generally like "more gun". But a 45-70 can be really pleasant to shoot - and it is one of the easiest to cast and load for -and get cast working accurately. Just my 2€.

[Ramjet-SS]

Least we forget the 348 Winchester. Model 71 a potent and accurate and in a carbine is very easy to carry and ha does like a dream.

[northmn]

I like Marlins but only have those in Ballard rifling. Those with microgroove will always claim to get accuracy they use oversized bullets that are a bit harder than I like. Most of the 95's are now made with Ballard rifling. IN the 30-30 I used bullets sized to 309 and were soft, about 50/50 lead Wheel weight. I have generally found at hunting velocities that heavier bullets are best and the mold I had dropped the bullet at 188 grains finished weight with gas check. I could drive them at around 2000 fps. Took one deer at 140 steps from my tree. Through the lungs and it dropped very quickly with a lot of blood spray. Bullets all shot through other deer and no recovery available. I bought my 35 Remington Marlin, an old one with Ballard because of how well I liked the heavier bullet in the 30-30, but ended up just shooting jacketed out of it.

I have a 38-55 Marlin CB (Ballard rifled) and it shoots very well and is another good choice, but the bullets tend to be on the heavy side for casual shooting. I think the 30-30 in a good lever is the most versatile for plinking and deer hunting. The pistol cartridges are not all bad either but are closer ranged. 357 may be a bit marginal at longer ranges, 44mag has been proven.

DEP

[NorthMoccasin]

+ 1 on the 303 Savage. Mine shoots the 195g NOE really well

[NorthMoccasin]

Also, 45/70 with RCBS 300gr or Lyman 330 HP Are certain on deer. No need for HV loads, 1220 to 1500 fs does the trick with tolerable recoil. No need for anything heavier, IMNSHO.

[Maine1]

Leverguns can become an addiction. they are as sound a choice today as they were 100+ years ago.
To start i'd get a 30-30, as the rifles can be found in decent used shape for $300 or so, its an easy cartridge to load, brass is simple to aquire, tons of data, bullet choices, ect.

45-70 is a good option as well.

Though, I have to admit that the more classic calibers like 38-55 have an attraction for me- I'd have to buy specific brass that is not at every gun shop, but the fact that the caliber is better with cast is a big plus.

When the world stops turning and the supply chain fails, those older, less technologically advanced calibers are going to lool a lot less "obsolete" especially when the kids are done spraying 5.56 all over the hills.

On youtube, logcabinlooms does some good videos on various lever calibers and guns, hes very practical about things, reloads and shoots quite a bit. Ive learned some tricks from his vids..but be careful or you will end up with a marlin cowboy 45-70!

[Knightflyer]

I have a number of lever actions, 92s and 94s and 95s
JMs, Winchester, Rossi, and Mossberg
The best deal on a new 30-30 is the Mossberg 464 in my opinion
Hope you find what you are looking for.

I've got the Mossberg 464 too. I would add that it took quite a bit of break-in before I reached the point where I started to like it much less love it. I don't plan on ever parting with it at this point though. I've got it in a scout rifle configuration, with a 2-7x power Osprey scope. For the most part, it doesn't seem fussy about ammo (never refused to chamber a *gasp* commercial round) so if it chokes on a handload, I pretty much figure I messed up something and toss that round aside to check later. I've gotten into the habit now of taking batches of rounds that I've just assembled and feeding them through the rifle. That way I don't get anything gumming up the works when I'm at the range with limited time & tools.

I'm using 170 grain cast bullets. Plinkers are plain base or coated, full power I gas check. I'm still experimenting to get a cast load that I want to take hunting. Time and money are always very limited, but I'm making pretty good progress.

As I recall, I paid $350 for my rifle at a gun show (plus the mandatory background check). It was used, but you couldn't tell. Guy said he'd only put a box of ammo through it, and I believe him. I suspect he didn't like it because prior to break in (and some minor adjustments), it had a tendency to jam on pretty much anything you put in it. It also used to chew up the bases on brass. Doesn't do that anymore - I guess it was teething.

I like 30-30 as there's a ton of bullets and boolits for it. If you need a quick box of ammo for whatever reason, anyplace that sells ammo has it. Brass is plentiful and it'll take down anything I'm likely to hunt.

[jmort]

Yes, yes, and yes

[Knightflyer]

Leverguns can become an addiction.

Maine is right, just as a warning.
They're like potato chips, it's really hard to have just one. A pistol caliber is in my future sometime, I just have to quit waffling on which caliber.
(and come up with the money of course)