What caliber in a lever action would be your pick for all your hunting?

[Lonegun1894]

Oh, everybody has those. They are pests from Colorado to the Mississippi. We whack'em with slingshots.

BTW, you know when measuring moose over 75" the measurement just refers to one side. 86" is 172" Wyoming style....

I have never had the pleasure of getting to measure a moose, but hope so someday. So is the proper way to measure by getting a measurement of both sides, or just one side, and if one, the longer or shorter? With my luck, I'd have to measure across the top AND bottom of both sides and then add everything up to come up with anything close to 86".

[BrentD]

You always report the shorter measurement so as to not embarrass anyone, especially Texans

To be honest, I'm a renowned baby killer.

[BrentD]

Handsome dogs!

[Lonegun1894]

Now that is beautiful!

If it makes you feel any better bout being a "baby killer", my last whitetail buck weighed about 140#, had a "rack" that was 19" tall, never got more than 5" wide, and was unbranched. I took him as a way to add a little chlorine to the gene pool, cause he really needed to go. Looked more like an antelope than a whitetail. I wish now I had taken pictures just because I've never seen anything like it before or since, but at the time it was almost embarrassing.

[jrmartin1964]

.30-'06 in a Winchester Model 1895.

[huntersdog]

Handsome dogs!

Nice dog!

[yooper]

It would likely be this one - my 1886 Win in 33 WCF. It'll do just about anything that needs doing anyplace I'm going to hunt.


yooper

[rainierrifleco]

Would be a toss up between 308 and 284 in an 88 Winchester...

[blixen01]

Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Duh.

[rhouser]

I like my Marlin 336 38-55 for VA white tails if I am woods hunting. I am 65 and can still take my deer with the iron sights. I use a ranch dog mold and a lee pass through die and the RCBS Cowboy dies to keep the boolit nice and fat. When I really want to drive the young guys (45 and 50 year olds) that I hunt with crazy, I will load it with Holy Black instead of smokeless. They don't see the humor with their WSSM super mags and deer scented tree climbers.

38-55 loads right up. For a J Word, I use the Barnes Original bullet they still make for 38-55s. Again, it is Fat for caliber and really does shoot well from my Marlin.

Nice comfortable caliber. I also shoot the same Ranch Dog from my 375 H&H. Its all good.

rch

[Clay M]

For me, in a lever gun it always comes down to two. The .45/70 and the .405 win. I can't decide so I flip a coin..

[MBTcustom]

I think it would be a 45-70.
I love my 1886
Attachment 142939

Attachment 142940

Attachment 142941

[utahtrapper]

Would be my 1965 444 Elk and Mules would have to agree.
Will take it back to the farm this fall to add Whitetail to its resume

[Bill Torzsok]

45-70

[Blackwater]

As a hunter who may need both long and short range capabilities, I think I'd have to go with a 99 Savage in .308. It will do for any long range I'm likely to encounter, can be loaded down to .30/30 levels or any place between, can shoot light cast for small game, and the guns can be made accurate enough for really decent long range shooting. I'd have to make my own forend for it, though. The factory types just don't feel "right" to my particular hands, and I think I could make it balance just a tad better, too. A good action job to slick it up and make it faster, a good trigger job, and there's really nothing I really want to do that it wouldn't be very apt for.

Just for deer in my more normal areas of access now, I can't rally think of any levergun in CF calibers that really wouldn't do the job.

[AllanD]

375 GNR #2 on a Marlin guide gun platform. It is a 45-70 necked down to 375 it will hammer anything up to and including elephant. it is handy accurate easy to shoot.

Meaning it is a reinvention of the 38-56Winchester but uprated like the 38-55 was to create the 375Win...

If I was forced to choose one chambering for a lever rifle it would depend on a few factors....

If the bullets were to wear copper jackets (minor heresy on this forum) then I'd be able to work with a 30-30, but if I were to be required to use EXCLUSIVELY cast bullets then I'd be inclined to get a 38-55 or 357, preferably in a Marlin.

While I own a Marlin 1895 in 45/70, it is a bit too much of a sledgehammer for typical Pennsylvania game

AD

[Pereira]

Well if I could only have one, the 35 Rem. would be my choice.
But seein how I don't have to. I've
4- 30-30's , 1 Glenfield/ Marlin, I 336 Marlin, & 2 Winchesters
2 35 Rem. both Marlins
1 357 Rossi
1 308 MX Marlin
1 44 mag. Henry
1 444 Marlin
1 22lr Henry

[GooseGestapo]

I can't make up my mind!
I started with several .30/30's, then a .45/70, but let first one go (1895 w/22"m-g barrel).
got hooked on .35rem. Now own 3 .30/30's (2 Win, one Glenfield M30), two .338Express!; a .45/70 Guide gun, a Win M94 .45Colt, not to mention a M39D, and not least of all a Marlin 1893 in .25-36. And, throw in a BLR .358.
Ill have to let you know how the .25-36 does on deer. I don't think it'll dissapoint.

[Blackwater]

GS, that is one MAGNIFICENT rifle, sir! Excellent work!!!

[patrick_ford]

Given that I live in central NC, I am going to have to go with my Winchester Trapper in 30-30. I can download it with lighter bullets for smaller game if need-be, since I can only have one rifle , but use standard loads on the typical whitetail in the area.