If you had to pick one Lever Action Rifle, what caliber who you choose? If not on the list please post it.
If you had to pick one Lever Action Rifle, what caliber who you choose? If not on the list please post it.
That is a tough choice.
Do you go with the classic .30-30?
Bigger bore with .357 mag?
Bigger yet bore with .44 mag?
.45lc? or the real big ol man of the woods, the .45-70?
I don't think there is a wrong answer in there.
.30-30 is going to do the job with less powder, lead.
.357 could be a great plinking gun, low cost, 3-5 grains of fast powder and a smaller bullet.
.44 mag that one is pretty much self explanatory. Big, mean, fast enough. Yet can be loaded down for reasonably inexpensive plinking, target work.
Same is basically true of the .45lc.
Or do you go full house .45-70?
Did I forget the .35 rem?
If I won the lottery one of each would be tempting.
What do YOU want.
My votes for the 44 mag. Great revolver and rifle round. Hits with authority and will do it all w/o the 45/70 whipping.
I'll take a '92 carbine with brass dot front sight and ghost ring rear please.
You don't have 32/20 listed or that would be my first choice.
.357 hands down
Of your choices, I chose the 3030. In real life I am shooting and hunting more with my pretend 3855 ( it is a 375 Win but I treat it as a 3855). Still if only one it would be the pre64 Win 94 In 30WCF, light,handy,accurate, and very versatile. Seems to have a solid track record too. But then the same gun in 3530 would be ..... yep 30WCF Is it for me.
For a woods rifle at distances of 75 yards or less the 44 magnum can't be beat for the right amount of power and performance.
There are three rifles I'll never get rid of: My M1 Carbine, my LR-308, and my Win 94 in 38/357. All three of them bring me a lot of joy to shoot.
Out of the poll choices, 35 Remington. That would mean a Marlin 336. What I would really choose is a Marlin 336 converted to 356 Winchester. Or a Savage 99 in 358 Winchester or 300 Savage. There are a lot of cartridges missing from the poll.
Is a toss up between the 357 and 44. If I lived in bear country, I would have chosen a 44 mag. Here in Florida a 357 will take care of everything.
This because of matching a side arm.
The winner is 45/70 ,mouse fart to rockum sockum it does it all :bigsmyl2:
What ? 41 Remington magnum doesn't exist . I would get a lever gun, model 92 Winchester or Henry in 41 magnum to go with the model 58 41 mag. in my avatar !
In your poll I choose ...none of the above...Oh, wait...that's not even an option !
Yeah....us 41 magnum owners are treated like red headed step children....
As Rodney Dangerfield would say...We don't get no respect !
Gary
My choice also. And here's why I believe that....
First, since a .22 lever wasn't included in the list, none of these calibers are going to be suitable for rabbits or squirrels.
Second, unless you get a Savage, Browning, or a Henry Long Ranger, that shoot magazine fed bottleneck cartridges, your ranges are limited to 150 yards or less (Even though the 45- 70 was a proven killer at much greater ranges).
All of these calibers are intended for larger game.
And when downloaded to trap door pressures, and lighter boolits of 325 grains, it is very comfortable to shoot. Mine are far less recoil then a .50 cal muzzleloader. I guess somewhere between a 20ga and a 12 ga. And the reduced load is more then enough for deer and wild hog. Step it up to a little higher pressure and even griz will learn to respect it. The hard way.
Ok, so it's not to be considered a plinking round, but I really wouldn't consider the others on the list in that category either. That, and small game, is what a .22 is for.
call mine another vote for the 356 Win.
..
but the 444 isn't a bad choice either.
or the 35 Rem or .357 mag or 30-30 or ................
..
I voted 30-30. History, ammo availability, light and handy, its all there. It has been used to take all manner of game from deer to grizzly bear. Not the best, but my choice for the present.
Edit, I might add that I'd prefer it in the winchester 94.
If America ever gets to the point were you can only have one lever gun, I'd say something has gone seriously wrong. If that happened, I'd opt for a caliber that gives me three things, versatility, portability, and economy. I'd go the .357, and then also pick up whatever the opposition is carrying as soon as I could.
It took me a few minutes to decide, but I went with the 30WCF. For the simple fact that brass is abundant, and I love my '58 model 94. my next choice was the 35 Rem, which I'm shocked it has no votes! But those two will do all I need for my lifetime. I think the 30-30 will be around for a long time, longer than I'm Gona be around!
My vote is for the .44 mag. I live in Michigan and below the rifle line. I am limited to shotgun or straight walled pistol rounds.
If I could choose one lever action rifle cartridge, I would choose .357 Magnum. But the question was one lever action rifle, which cartridge. That rifle is a pre-'64 Winchester 1894, and I chose .30-30. In reality though, I might choose .32 Special over .30 WCF.
Now if Winchester had made the 1894 in .357 prior to '64, that would be my choice. Preferably a Trapper.
If I still lived in a state where I could hunt with it, it would be my Browning BLR in .308. But since I've moved to a state with straight walled cartridges only for deer, I'd have to go with my scoped Rossi 92 in .357.
double post
308 Winchester.
If one were built for a 460 that would manage S&W/Colts/454 that would be as good as a 444 that would take and make with 44 spcl/mag . In the meantime I went with the 454 because it comes in an eye pleasing 92' .
I have 2 92's and an 1895 G and have played with a few 94's in 30-30 and an 1894CB in 38/357 . By feel and eye the 92's have it hands down . The 1894 was by far the most accurate of the lot . The 1895 is a 45-70 and a Remlin . I'm told is best day so far is as good as it gets ........good enough for moose , buffalo , bear , deer and pigs inside a buck and half with my cast so far but it opens up past that , although paper patch is showing some promise .
38-55 win with a long barrel
As much as I like my 357 and 45 colt I would choose my 30-30 as in my opinion it is more versitle.
30-30
I have a Win. in 30-30, another in 44, and a Rossi in 357. Right now I'm shooting the 357 more than the others, but a 30-30 just seems to scream Win. 94.
my two go to Lever guns are my Winchester mod 71 in 348 and my Savage 99 in 300...the 348 will knock down an elk out to 150yds and my 300 will do the same out past 250 with no problem...shot placement is why it is all about.
win 44 mag is a tack driver but I just love marlin in 32 ws
22 long rifle. As in the Marlin 39a. I love them!
I am torn between 44 mag and 357 mag. But my vote goes 357. I find it interesting that 357 is getting so many votes. If you read and believe many online forums and articles, the 357 is hardly adequate. Seems like the members of Cast Boolits know better.
I go with 357 mag because you can match the ammo with both the lever and handgun.It would take care of all I will deal with.Just use the bullet to match what I want to shoot.
I've got several lever actions in several calibers, but to play the game by the rules stated I'll have to go with the .30-30 Win. I arrived at that choice by asking myself, "Which one would I get rid of first if I had to get rid of one?" Eventually the .30-30 won out for many of the reasons already stated by others. Brass is fairly inexpensive and plentiful. Shoots cast boolits well. Not the best for every job, but gets most jobs done well. Maybe not the choice for grizzly, but the .444 Marlin wouldn't leave much rabbit, etc. Harder to decide if I would keep a Win. 94 or Marlin 336 as the .30-30 of choice.
I've got so many levers and like them all for so many reasons. Common sense tells me it would be tough to beat a .308 in the 88 Winchester.
That's easy......I'd just keep the ones I've got; no choosing necessary beyond that point. I got and kept them because I chose them at the beginning; that's why I have them!!!!
I also opted for the 30-30 and prefer it in a M64 style rifle.
Actually if I had but one lever action I would want a M94 AE BB in .356 Winchester with a 24" barrel in M64 configuration.
My 1954 Win 30-30 carbine. I can reload it for squirrels to elk. It was on the farm before me and will be here after me.
Best, Thomas,
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I like the 454, I can shoot 45 colt if I wish. I also have 30-30, 357 and 44 mag lever guns. Depending on what I'm hunting I like to match my side arm to the caliber rifle I'm carrying. Usually rules out the 30-30 for me. Any lever gun is a great choice in my opinion.
Can't get this out of my head. I still choose the 30-30 and mainly because of the selection of cast boolits. At the bottom for small game a Lyman 110 gr. RNPB. From there on up almost every weight you can think of for every thing else, well with in reason.
In the pistol cartridge category I would pick the .41 magnum or .44-40, in the rifle category I would pick a .45-70 or maybe a .40-65. james