best all around levergun caliber

If versatility is the measure of "all around" then I would give the nod to the ubiquitous 30-30. If one handloads his ammunition there's little he can't do with one of these rifles. From low velocity, low recoil, plinking to hunting to lever action silhouette competition, the same rifle can be pressed into service. Shoots cast bullets or jacketed pretty well.

Used to be you could get the .224" accelerator sabots for 308 bore. I don't know if they are still available.

Another underrated cartridge might be the 32-40. Though the 38-55 is a really good cartridge in its own right, whether loaded with smokeless or black powder.

I really like my little Uberti 1873 clone in 357 magnum. Just a whole lot of fun for not a lot of money if one casts his own bullets, and like the 30-30 it can be loaded for mild to full power depending on one's needs and desires.

Heck I just like the old rifles anyways.
 
I think the 45-70 is the best. Can be loaded down to very low power loads or pumped up to take just about anything on earth. And it works well in short barrels as well.
 
Pre 64 at least. Preferably pre 1950 with long forearm wood and checkered hammer as well.
There was a time and place after the frontier was tamed and even deer were hunted to great scarcity that even the 30WCF was more power than needed on some farms. When the biggest wild animals that were likely to be encountered were Coyotes, or perhaps something else to raid the Chickens. In those times before WWII, the 32-20 made a lot of sense.
 
Ya-know guys, an "all around caliber" has no idea what kind of rifle it's working through. Neither does the game animal.

If we are talking about the rifles and carbines then you get what the factories offer. They clearly offer enough different calibers to cover the bases very well.

But that was not the first question. At least I didn't think it was the 1st question.

The question was--- what was the best all round caliber that can be had in a lever action (or did I miss something there?)

So from the stand point of versatility, I would say that a caliber (more correctly called a cartridge) that covers the most bases from varmints to moose and big bears is the criteria for the question. Right?
(or am I wrong?)

If that was the question, and if I didn't misunderstand, the rifle would have nothing to do with it other than being available in that chambering.

That's why I said 30-06.

I love the 270 also but the old 30-06 is still the most versatile shell made in my opinion.

In the Browning offerings you can get more power with some belted mags and a few shot mags, but for covering the bases the 06 is still the number one leading shell in the world .
Now that is an opinion too.............and we all know that others may have other opinions, but that's my 2 cents worth (probably about the correct value for this post)
 
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Wyosmith, no wrong answers came from you at all. You definitely have a point on the .30-06 and versatility, it by far blows my choice out of the water. However my favorite levergun is the M94 Winchester followed by the Marlin 336 and .30-06 isn't an option in my favorite rifles

I'm just not as fond of the BLR or 1895 rifles for carrying around hunting. So that's why I chose .30 WCF since it's in the rifles I like to carry afield, when I chose to hunt with a lever action. So fo my favorite Lever actions my first choice is the .30-30 followed closely by .35 Remington.
 
best all around levergun caliber

Which do I prefer? Have a few here. I think its whichever rifle & caliber I have in my hands at the time you ask. Winchester 32 Sp._Marlin 35 Rem_300 Savage. There all great lever calibers for one reason or another. I don't think there is a cartridge that I would consider it being "that all-purpose lever caliber." Knowing that there is such a cartridge, "would certainly limit my shooting fun"_:)
 
Depends upon what 'best' means to the person asking the question. Best power? Best economy? Best value? Best varmint? Best deer? Best buffalo? etc., etc.

I have leverguns in 22lr, 38spl, 357mag, 45 Colt, 30WCF (30-30), 300 Savage, and .308 and they are all 'best' for what I use them for.
 
One all around lever gun lol I've got 12 levers in 12 different calibers and a case could be made for a number of them.
 
I concede my point of view, if you have 12, you ARE the expert lol
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Awe Shucks.

I'm just saying especially from a reloaders standpoint many calibers avaliable in levers become EXTREMELY versatile.

My 357 will do a nice 158gr lead round nose at 850 FPS thas easier on rabbits than a HV 22 hollow point to 158gr JHPs @ 2000 for deer.

35 remington will shoot 357 bullets as well.

30/30 with 30 Carbine bullets for small game works well.

44 mag and 45 Colt in suitable actions can go from mouse fart loads to knocking on the door of "trapdoor" 45/70 ballistics.

And if "all around" includes really big toothy animals where "who's hunting who" may be called into question then 348 win, 405 win and 45/70 would IMHO be much preferred to a thuddy thuddy.
 
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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. :eek: 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.
Paul B.
 
No versatility.

Lever guns aren't versatile at all. That's why you should start with a .22 LR, a .44 Mag and a 45-70. As soon as possible you should fill in the gaps with. .357 Mag and a 30-30. Once you have those covered, it would be a really good idea to pick up a good .308.
 
all around

Since there's no "wrong answer", here's mine, .44 mag.

BAse my choice on:
1) sufficient power to handle deer, black bear and hogs, what most of us get to hunt, most of the time
2) ease of loading, ie reloading, in that the straight walled case will require no lube and can be resized quickly and easily in a carbide die. Not so any of the shouldered cases
3) ability to tailor those reloads to different power levels, full bore with jacketed slugs, or loaded down with affordable lead bullets. Wide range of slug weight too.
 
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