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

[smkummer]

Marlin 336 pistol grip and 20 in barrel. 170 grain for big stuff, 150 for deer. And since I am a reloader and bullet caster, pistol bullets for small stuff. I would scope it if I need to but right now at 54, I am good for a few more years. During ammo shortages, 30-30 was usually to be found.

[bearcove]

That's easy 1895SS 45-70.

[Gunnut 45/454]

I have four, 30-30, 454 Casull, 45 LC an a 357 Mag. Of these four if I could only have one I'd have to go with the 30-30. Tuff call but that's just the way it is.

[GooseGestapo]

My favorite deer shooter is the 336 in .35Rem with RCBS 200gr FNGC (220gr). But one for all would be one of my .338ME's.
They have the punch of .45/70 and trajectory of a .30/06.
But, if I lived in Alaska, it'd be the 1895GG with a RCBS 405gr FNGC.
I'm not crazy about my BLR in .358. Trigger stinks.

[6pt-sika]

I never really was that interested in levers until about 2000 . I'd had Winchester 1892's before but never really shot them a lot . In 1999/2000 when Marlin decided to bring the 450 Marlin out I got one and over the course of the following 12 to 14 years I acquired somewhere between 125 and 140 Marlin lever actions . I had atleast one for each cartridge Marlin chambered a lever gun except the 45-90 . I think I never owned more then 90 or so at any given time . But along about 2009 I decided to start downsizing and went to just 32 Special , 375 WIN , 44 MAG , 444 Marlin and 45-70 . After awhile I got down to just the 375 WIN , 44 MAG , 444 and 45-70 . And I shot cast in them all , I think at that point I had a pair of 375's , a 44 , two dozen 444's and 3 45-70's . After awhile I was down to the 44 MAG and the 444's . And then it was just 24 of the 444's . Now I'm down to a trio of 444's and about 40 molds in weights from 200-450 grains . Two Micro Groove guns for everything up to and including 375 grains and a ballard gun for anything from 390-450 grains . Do I need this cartridge for whitetail deer and black bear ? Not especially , but I do enjoy casting for it and shooting it . A lot of folks like the term plinking and there's nothing wrong with that . I however don't typically load that type ammo , I get enough shooting loading hunting loads and working up loads for myself and several friends . With my hunting loads and variouse bullet weights one can pretty much tailor make his recoil or lack there of . At the moment my three 444's are a circa 1966 1-38 Micro Groove gun I had chopped to 19" reblued and refinished the stock , this thing is a dream with a MM/RD 432-325GC mold I had cut . My other Micro gun is a circa 1967 with the full factory 24" barrel that's also been reblued and the stock refinished . This one shoots just about anything I choose to stick in it although I like the RD 432-265 , 432-300 and 432-350 as well as my hybrid BRP/RD 432-375GC . In my ballard I'm kinda partial to my hybrid BRP/RD 432-400GC . Mt Sourdough has sent me some MM molds he made and either didn't care for or lost intrest that have worked fair or better in my ballard gun , this thing is pretty much an ongoing experiment .

It's kinda nice having the Micro Groove 19" and 24" guns at the range when I wanna check velocities . Generally 5" equates into no more then 150 FPS loss at the muzzle and atleast 90 FPS loss at the muzzle depending on the bullet .

Bottom line FOR ME , is this . I've played with most all of the cartridges one would find in a Marlin and for hunting and shooting paper the 444 suits me just fine . A bit more recoil then some folks might like and maybe a bit more lead usage then some of you miserly types would like . But neither of those things are an issue with me so far .


The 1966 "Retro 444P" 19" gun and the 1967 24" gun both Micro Groove .



My circa 2001 Ballard rifled gun that I failed to mention I restocked a few years back !

[MostlyLeverGuns]

My wife and I carry Savage 99's in .358 Win for elk or moose. We have also shot a few deer and antelope with them using 225 Nosler Partitions or 200 Barnes X-bullets. They are 300+ yard capable. Using only boolits, it would be my very experienced Marlin 1895 .45-70 and a .444 for the wife.

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

At one time my 1895SS in 45/70 would have been my answer, hands down.

Now I am inclined to say one of my 357 mags, loaded with the 180gr WFN Ranch Dog.

I don't hunt armored Terminators so I think I am safe.

[Maximumbob54]

For the longest time I would say .30-30 in my favored Marlin 336:



But then I bought this Rossi R92 in .44 magnum:



And I still love that rifle but I wanted a carbine for climbing those tree stands. And while that may be as close to perfect as I would get for hog hunting it feels like a bit much maybe for most of these large dog sized deer. So I got to thinking...

And...

Since I bought this Rossi I'm changing my tune up some:



It's the 16" R92 in stainless. I didn't get as lucky with this one as it's a little rough but I just need to take the time and give it some love. I'm betting with the right load I could do all my southern hunting with that rifle and it would be easy to pack along my 6" S&W M66 to complete the stainless .357 magnum combo. None of my shooting has yet to date even been able to see a hundred yards so this is ample boom stick.

I did at one point sucker into one of the new at the time Remlin's when I saw the 336Y back in production. I thought that would be handy as heck in a tree stand and I can download a .30-30 all I want with Trail Boss. BUT... I was quick to find that Big Green did NOT know how to make a lever gun. I've smoothed it up since then but I still greatly dislike this little carbine:



And I do also have this old Winnie 1892 that was rebored into .357 that makes a slick combo hunting partner with a S&W M28:



Only really posted that one since there's a shocking lack of pics in this thread about levers. No, I don't tote that old Winnie up trees but it sure does look good.

I should add that when I go out set and hunt with family I carry a Browning BAR in .30-06 but my back-up gun is my dad's old Winnie 1894 in .30-30 since nothing says reliable back-up like a good lever. I do load up with the new Hornady rubber tipped pointies to give it the needed possible range out there. And I hate to admit it but those are some wicked accurate loads in both Winchesters and Marlins. No pics of that one though as it's locked in a safe out west.

[Norske]

I dream of a Browning BLR in 358 Winchester. But, with Buffalo Bore ammunition, a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington will almost equal the 358, which should be very good for black bear or anything less.

[6mm win lee]

only one lever action? I helped out a guy in the late seventies who needed a few bucks until payday so I bought his Marlin 336. Should have kept it instead of selling it back to him. But I have always thought it would be a hoot if it was chambered in 600 Nitro Express. It would be good for hummingbirds on the wing to saber toothed elephants hiding in strawberry patches. (that's why they paint their toe nails red. Don't tell anyone) Of course it would be good for shooting paper too.

[BrentD]

You know of course, the 600 nitro would take that thing apart like a hurricane hitting a dandelion seed head.

It would be unkind to your shoulder too, not that you would notice since the upper 1/2 of your head would be vaporized...

Norske, why a Browning BLR? I had one once (.308). Might have been the most ackward, ungainly rifle I have ever owned.

[Speedo66]

Norske, why a Browning BLR? I had one once (.308). Might have been the most ackward, ungainly rifle I have ever owned.

Funny how tastes differ. I've got an early Belgian made BLR in .308 and love it. Best woods gun ever.

[6mm win lee]

You know of course, the 600 nitro would take that thing apart like a hurricane hitting a dandelion seed head.

It would be unkind to your shoulder too, not that you would notice since the upper 1/2 of your head would be vaporized...

...

I know all that but suffer a guy to have a Walter Mitty daydream every now and then. Maybe I'll have a few dozen made and send them to Syria or western Iraq as a donation to the guys with the black flags. ooooo There I go daydreaming again.

[BrentD]

Dreamin' is okay. I shot an 86" moose the other day. Same way.

[Lonegun1894]

Dreamin' is okay. I shot an 86" moose the other day. Same way.

Geez! An 86" moose? Isn't that just about half the size of our famous Texas-size deer?

[BrentD]

yeah, I try to keep my dreams respectable and realistic, you know...

Do they have deer in texas? I've heard of antlered mice, but never deer.

[Lonegun1894]

We have several varieties, some larger than others, and some quite rare, but you never know what you'll find. I bet you don't have too many of these (below) around, unless you're from Texas.

[BrentD]

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....

[Lonegun1894]

And for what it's worth, all jokes aside, my dog on the left is slightly bigger than any deer I have seen in my area.

[superior]

45 colt, Rossi M92 20" SS