I have a Browning BLR .300 WSM and it is an awesome gun. I use it mainly for deer and moose. I'd highly recommend one! Not necessarily that caliber considering what you'll be shooting. They make them in a .22-250, .243, 7mm-08, .308, .358 Win, .270, .30-06, .300 Win Mag, 7mm Mag, .300 WSM, .325 WSM, 7mm WSM and .270 WSM. For what you'll be shooting, I think a .22-250 or .243 would be the best choice.
Lever Action?
- Thread starter J2.
- Start date
For general critter use, I like the Winchester 94 Trapper in 45 Colt. It'll eat cowboy loads as well as the "ruger only" loads available. It's bowling pin accurate out to 200 yards.
Believe it or not, the 250 grain semi wadcutter at 1000 fps has easily taken deer under 100 yards with full penetration. That fat chunk of lead just keeps right on going.
Recoil is pretty light until you start pushing 240 grainers to 1600 fps or more. That starts to get a bit sharp.
It sounds like all the gun you'll need and makes for a great plinker.
Believe it or not, the 250 grain semi wadcutter at 1000 fps has easily taken deer under 100 yards with full penetration. That fat chunk of lead just keeps right on going.
Recoil is pretty light until you start pushing 240 grainers to 1600 fps or more. That starts to get a bit sharp.
It sounds like all the gun you'll need and makes for a great plinker.
L_Killkenny
New member
I have a have a 30/30 and it's a great round. A .357 is on my list of wants. But the next lever I get will be a .22mag. Actually, I'm thinkin about a .22mag in a lever OR a semi. Which ever comes along first.
I'm shocked that no one has recommended the .22mag to you yet. Ammo is cheaper and quieter. And while I don't recommend the .22mag for a coyote "hunting" round it works great for vermin control. Let's face it, the main problem that the .22mag when used on coyotes is you get "runners" and blood trials are slim to none. When you are talking vermin control what do you care if a coyote runs 1/4 mile before it dies and leaves to little blood trail to follow. You aren't looking to recover the critter, YOU WANT IT DEAD. The .22mag will kill a coyote and works great for the other critters mentioned.
Cheap, light, quiet and zero recoil.
It's the one you want.
I'm shocked that no one has recommended the .22mag to you yet. Ammo is cheaper and quieter. And while I don't recommend the .22mag for a coyote "hunting" round it works great for vermin control. Let's face it, the main problem that the .22mag when used on coyotes is you get "runners" and blood trials are slim to none. When you are talking vermin control what do you care if a coyote runs 1/4 mile before it dies and leaves to little blood trail to follow. You aren't looking to recover the critter, YOU WANT IT DEAD. The .22mag will kill a coyote and works great for the other critters mentioned.
Cheap, light, quiet and zero recoil.
It's the one you want.
Killkenny- I did in my above post- the 9422M (or even better yet, the Marlin 1894M. A well-placed shot with a 40gr. WinHP or Fed 50gr and you won't need to track a coyote's blood trail.
I used to shoot all up and down the the Skunk River in your area with my 9422M when I was a little younger.
Great rifle, I just like the Marlin a little more.SeattleGunNut
New member
I have a post-'64 Winchester 94AE Trapper Carbine in .44 magnum and I absolutely love it. 16" barrel, in a rare limited edition trim. MILLED receiver (not stamped!). I can plink clay pigeons with it at 100 yards, ironsighted, all day long. I love this rifle, and wish I had another.
It is literally a fusion of modern barrel technology (rifle was built post-2000), and quality hand-CNC-milled parts. I don't even want to know what it probably cost new. I got it at a local pawn shop for $500 in 2007, and was grateful to pay that for it. It's one of my absolute favorite guns, by far. Far more so than even my evil black rifles.
When shooting full pressure loads by Double Tap, the recoil is vicious. It needs a recoil pad, but I don't want to sully the setup.. Fully loaded with 9 rounds, she weighs maybe 6 pounds. You barely know the gun is there until you pull the trigger.
Seriously.. What is sexier than shooting .44 mag from a carbine? ('cept maybe shooting .454, .460, or .500 from one..)
It is literally a fusion of modern barrel technology (rifle was built post-2000), and quality hand-CNC-milled parts. I don't even want to know what it probably cost new. I got it at a local pawn shop for $500 in 2007, and was grateful to pay that for it. It's one of my absolute favorite guns, by far. Far more so than even my evil black rifles.
When shooting full pressure loads by Double Tap, the recoil is vicious. It needs a recoil pad, but I don't want to sully the setup.. Fully loaded with 9 rounds, she weighs maybe 6 pounds. You barely know the gun is there until you pull the trigger.
Seriously.. What is sexier than shooting .44 mag from a carbine? ('cept maybe shooting .454, .460, or .500 from one..)
Inspector3711
New member
A friend of mine always says that if you're going to buy a rifle then it should be chambered for a rifle cartridge. I'd look for a used Browning BLR in .223. If you can't get that then look for a new one in .22-250. I don't think they make it in .223 anymore.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
J2, I recommend you skip the rifle and buy a pistol caliber carbine. One of the 357 carbines gives you a great excuse to purchase a GP100 down the line.
john in jax
New member
Even though it is overkill for almost all your needs, the price, availability and utility of a good old .30-30 puts it right at the top of the list for me.
A used .357mag or .44mag lever action is probably going to cost you 2-3 times what a used .30-30 will cost, and not do the job any better. The whole pistol caliber carbine thing is a lot of fun, and either one would do what you want it to do, but again for a whole lot more $$$. One of the advantages of the pistol caliber rifle is that they will also shoot "snake shot" or the mini shot shells for those rodents or poisonous snakes that won't keep away from the house.
I don't know about you, but I cringe at the thought of a $700+ Browning bouncing around behind the seat of my truck.
A used .357mag or .44mag lever action is probably going to cost you 2-3 times what a used .30-30 will cost, and not do the job any better. The whole pistol caliber carbine thing is a lot of fun, and either one would do what you want it to do, but again for a whole lot more $$$. One of the advantages of the pistol caliber rifle is that they will also shoot "snake shot" or the mini shot shells for those rodents or poisonous snakes that won't keep away from the house.
I don't know about you, but I cringe at the thought of a $700+ Browning bouncing around behind the seat of my truck.
Very good reason right there, besides how often are you able to walk into a store and find .357 Mag, .38 SPCL, or .44 Mag on the shelves right now? Walk into your local Wal-Mart and their shelves are pretty much devoid of any cheap plinking or premium pistol ammunition. However you can usually still find quite a few boxes of .30-30 on the shelf. Buy the rifle you can find ammunition for. If you don't have a problem in your area getting pistol ammunition then you don't have the same problems we do around here.
Doodlebugger45
New member
I really really like lever action rifles. Mostly, they are a true blessing if you are carrying one in a saddle scabbard all day long, compared to a bolt action which is a lot thicker stock. Even just walking around, they are easier to carry. I have some bolt action rifles, but I have 3 lever action rifles. I'll admit that my Browning BLR and Marlin 45-70 have some superior design features compared to the Winchester 94 in 30-30. But dang, there is just something so "right" about a Winchester 30-30. It just looks good and feels good and the 30-30 is a great compromise cartridge. A coon or a coyote or a dog will be just as dead hit with a 30-30 at 100 yards as it would with any other cartidge. And I don't feel bad about tossing the 30-30 into the backseat of the pickup and letting it ride around for months at a time. I don't do that with the Browning.
BLR in 22-250
Model BLR Lightweight ’81 Takedown
Item Number 034011109
Caliber 22-250 Rem.
Action Type Short Action
Magazine Capacity 4
Barrel Length 20"
Nominal Overall Length 40"
Nominal Length of Pull 13 3/4"
Nominal Drop at Comb 7/8"
Nominal Drop at Heel 15/16"
Nominal Weight 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Rate of Twist 1 turn in 14 "
Site Radius 17 3/4"
Metal Finish Blued
Wood Finish Gloss Finish
Stock / Grip Walnut
U.S. Suggested Retail $919.00
classic lines, breaksdown for storage, plenty of calibers but 22-250 would cover what you want done
Model BLR Lightweight ’81 Takedown
Item Number 034011109
Caliber 22-250 Rem.
Action Type Short Action
Magazine Capacity 4
Barrel Length 20"
Nominal Overall Length 40"
Nominal Length of Pull 13 3/4"
Nominal Drop at Comb 7/8"
Nominal Drop at Heel 15/16"
Nominal Weight 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Rate of Twist 1 turn in 14 "
Site Radius 17 3/4"
Metal Finish Blued
Wood Finish Gloss Finish
Stock / Grip Walnut
U.S. Suggested Retail $919.00
classic lines, breaksdown for storage, plenty of calibers but 22-250 would cover what you want done
snevensmores
New member
When I hear "farm gun," I think lever action. Maybe it's just the nostalgia. For the critters that you mentioned in your initial post, I don't think you need something overly powerful. A .357 or 30-30 would do the trick, I'd say 
EDIT: Just another thought... a .223 would be sufficient for what you're looking at facing. Ya just might not get that "blow up" factor on all the small stuff
EDIT: Just another thought... a .223 would be sufficient for what you're looking at facing. Ya just might not get that "blow up" factor on all the small stuff
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SnowNCycle
New member
I looked forever for a good used Marlin .357 Lever Gun so that I could double up with my S&W 686. Seemed to be in great demand. So I "settled" for a 30-30. At least that is what I thought. I now find that it is well worth carrying two different calibers of ammo. So much so that I bought another marlin 30-30 for my 16 year old daughter and then another in .44 MAG with which we have to take turns!