best all around levergun caliber

I have Marlin leverguns in several calibers. I shoot the .45 Colt rifles the most because of ease of loading them. I have loads using 300gr bullets and H110 that will take down most american game and everything around where I live. I think the .356 winchester would be the most versatile of the marlin rifles. Power approaching the 30-06 in A nice little Lever action rifle.
 
If you are a 7mm fan then 7-30 Waters would fit the bill. It is based on the 30-30, with a little more case capacity and velocity. It is available in factory loads and sends a 120 gr bullet near 2700 fps.
 
Well I'm thinking best for what? Not too many of us live in the Canadian or Alaskan wilderness or some of the other wild places on the North American continent which is something that would influence one's decision. I have had lever guns in .44 magnum, .45Long Colt, and 45-70, all of which are long gone never to be replaced. The .44 was totally inaccurate and didn't feed worth spit. (Sorry Marlin) The M94AE .45 had too slow a twist rate and would not stabilize my 300 gr. bullet loads that would duplicate the 45-60 black powder round. The 45-70 was an early New Model with a curved butt plate that flat out killed my shoulder with stiff handholds. It plain old hurt like hell even with factory. The same stiff loads shot in my Ruger #1S were a lot more pleasant.
So my pick would be either a Marlin 336 in some configuration or the good old M94 Winchester. This based on where I live. I have an 1981 post 64 M94 with a receiver sight that rides behind the back seat of my pick up truck 24/7 365 days out of the year. On the rare days I get out into the desert it's in my hand as I wander around enjoying the solitude. General at those times the first two rounds to come up to battery are light cast bullet small game/plinking loads, generally a 120 gr. round nose bullet for the M-1 Carbine over 5.0 gr. of Unique. Bullets are cast relatively soft and take small game very nicely. You can shoot lighter bullets as well with the same charge but they're too short to feed so you have to single load them. They will feed from a Marlin. If I'm doing a casual day hunt for deer I usually have a 170 gr. cast bullet loaded to about 1900 FPS. Works just fine and none of the 17 deer I've taken with that cast load will call me a liar. Actually the last two were taken with a bullet from a new mold that weighs 190 gr. and at 1850 FPS duplicates the old .303 Savage load. It too smacks deer down with authority. Most of the time on my desert forays the rounds that follow the light cast loads in the magazine are Winchester 170 gr. Power points. Some parts of the desert close to the mountains will have you cross paths with a Black Bear or rarely a Mountain Lion.
I have other lever guns. A Savage M99 in .358 and a Browning BLR, also a .358 plus a Browning 1895 in 30-06. As has been mentioned, recoil is somewhat noticeable in that rifle. A 220 gr. cast bullet over 25.0 gr. of either H to IMR 4895 is a fun load and quite accurate on paper. I wouldn't hesitate taking a deer with it at a reasonable range, say out to 150 yards. I like the gun.
Frankly, I consider my 30-30's a true fun gun.
In case no one has noticed, the Pre-64 M94's kick harder than the Post 64's. Apparently when they "cheapened" the gun, one of the things they did was change the drop of the stock. On my 1911 and 1954 M94's, I can snap the rifle to my shoulder and the sights are perfectly lined up. On the Post 64 that rides in my truck, that doesn't happen. I had to squiggle my head around to get the sighter to where I could see them. A little work with a straight edge and tape measure plus my wife lending me a hand to hold stuff steady, the drop on the Pre-64 was almost a full inch lower than on the Pre 64. Simple fix was put a receiver sight on the Post 64 gun. Works just fine now.
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I'm working on a 358 build now--that is a cinderella cartridge who's ballistics recently caught my eye and I find is very intriguing--sorta the ultimate 308 non-magnum wildcat. I noticed the BLR and while in general I avoid remmie--I was very curious how it handles that chambering.
 
Lever actions are fun:

I have 3 Marlin 39As (.22), a Browning BLR .22, a Winchester 9422, a Savage 99 .300, three 94s (all .30-30), and a Browning 1895 Winchester in .30-06.

The .22s are just for tin can fun. The best all around of the lot, IMO, is the Savage .300. The 1895 is just too much for my badly beat up shoulders anymore.

One lever action I had and regret selling was a Marlin lever action .410 made in the late 20s as some kind of stock premium. I was offered an obscene amount of money for it, and I caved.:D
 
I would have to say the 30-30. It can take anything from a coyote to a hog to a deer to an elk. In the brush or out to 200 yards. The old timers have taken more with them, but that is frowned upon now.

You can find ammo anywhere and used guns that chamber it are a dime-a-dozen.

There are sexier answers, and calibers I have a sweet spot for - but the real answer is the old reliable 30-30.
 
I'd have thought it would have been the one which was most useful on most came and legal in most areas.

I think that would be .444 Marlin
 
stagpanther,
The 44mag in a rifle is an awesome cartridge to shoot, recoil and blast wise. Offers pretty darn good close range (lever gun) performance to. Can be a bit of an animal in a pistol though!
 
stagpanther,
The 44mag in a rifle is an awesome cartridge to shoot, recoil and blast wise. Offers pretty darn good close range (lever gun) performance to. Can be a bit of an animal in a pistol though!
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Agree 100%--I only shoot 41 mag and 10 mm in handguns now as my bigger calibers--and like you say 44 is awesome in a carbine.
 
I'll read this as being the most versatile caliber that is normally chambered in a lever action rifle.

While .30-30 has a lot going for it and makes for a solid #2, I'm going to say .300 Savage. It has a longer effective range and isn't picky about bullet shapes. Ammo availability isn't a big concern for me, I reload anyway.

.308 Win is a little bit more versatile, but it is normally chambered in bolt actions or auto-loaders. So, when you say that I'm going to take my .308 out to the deer lease, someone hearing this will probably picture in their mind a bolt action rifle, not a lever action. When you say that you are going to take your .30-30 or your .300 Savage out to the lease, someone hearing that will probably picture in their mind a lever action.
 
I currently have fifteen lever guns in fourteen different calibers from .22lr to .45-70 Government. Of those, I consider the .22lr Henry and the 7-08 BLR to be my most versatile. However, the most fun one to shoot is the Rossi .357. It shoots .38 Specials very accurately, is easy to shoot, and whenever I bring it out it is the hit of the party. It seems to me that people have a natural affinity for lever guns.
 
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