With Hornady's LeverEvolution rounds lever guns are making people reconsider hunting with them. I love hunting with my Marlin 336, it's an honest 200 yard deer rifle which is a long shot where I hunt. I had a Winchester 94 for a long time but it was a puzzle to disassemble, clean, and reassemble. The Marlins are so much easier.
leverguns
- Thread starter shooter43
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I have a M94 30-30 with a Bushnell 3200 2-7X scope. I need the scope because at my age I cannot focus well anymore with open sights. I love the feel and handling of the rifle. Unfortunately, I cannot hunt deer with it because I hunt in a shotgun only county of NY State. Every year they are expanding the counties where you can hunt with centerfire rifles so hopefully I will be able to hunt with it soon.
Jayhawkhuntclub
New member
A lever gun is superior to a bolt in many ways: more compact, quicker follow up shots, better welding, better looking...etc. I haven't shot a deer with a lever in about 10 years (since then it's been bows and handguns). But if I go into the woods to rifle hunt deer, I'd definitely pick a lever gun, because it's just better. Now if you want to take 300 yards shots, a good bolt is superior. As for which gun, an 1894 Marlin in 357, 44 or 44 C would be my pick. There are also a lot of old Winchester 94s that can be had pretty affordably and would be nice (if you don't want to scope it).
kameron454ci
New member
mine is a marlin 336ER in 356 cal i love the big bore lever guns. but they hurt like hell
The Great Mahoo
New member
I'm a big fan of the Marlins, myself, but I've been looking to acquire a Henry at some point. I don't do much with them, aside from some fun at the range and drooling all over them, but I sure love my leverguns. I've got a Marlin 1894 Cowboy in .45colt, and an 1895 guide in .45-70. If I were to pick one of my rifles for hunting (I'm not much for hunting) I'd definately go for that 1895 over any gun in my collection.
Yep, I like them.
Yep, I like them.
kameron454ci
New member
i would love a lever gun in 45 colt mostly because thats what i reload
The Great Mahoo
New member
I've been itching for one in .327. Would make a nice target rifle, great for small game, and a happy companion to my revolver. Sadly, no-one has jumped on board and produced it yet. Maybe one day...
Coast Guard Cook
Inactive
Its been a long time but I'm having my Dads Winchester 92 Saddle Carbine in 44-40 cleaned up & A to Zeed.
Over 50 years ago we used it for as little deer hunting etc & it was the perfect firearm.
A Lever Action carries the image of the old west in its design like when you mention motorcycles you think of HD.
Over 50 years ago we used it for as little deer hunting etc & it was the perfect firearm.
A Lever Action carries the image of the old west in its design like when you mention motorcycles you think of HD.
I mainly bow hunt, but will hunt with a rifle only when its a lever action (perhaps a single shot (ie Ruger). I own a 308MX and love it. By the time rifle season has rolled around, the deer are scared and frequenly hard to find. When I do see them, the plains of Kansas can produce some long distance shots. I shot a doe at 259 yards with my 336BL and leverevolution. That is a 30-30.
I plink with 218, 25-20, 25-36, 30-30 (favorite), 308MX, 32 win, 35 rem, 375 win, 444 and 45-70 in 4 different flavors. I also have my share of 22's.
I still have a few bolt guns, but they are rarely used.
I plink with 218, 25-20, 25-36, 30-30 (favorite), 308MX, 32 win, 35 rem, 375 win, 444 and 45-70 in 4 different flavors. I also have my share of 22's.
I still have a few bolt guns, but they are rarely used.
There is the IER scope option: a low powered scope mounted above the barrel. We put one on my daughter's .30/30 ..... it balances and handles just like it did before, and the 2x scope allows for much finer sighting than the fat brass fron bead and open rear sight. It is just as fast, too, once you get used to shooting with both eyes open.
As a kid my father owned a couple of old Winchester lever guns and I hunted with a Model 94 30-30. My absolute favorite was the Model 1886 in .33WCF, at the time no one was making brass for it, I remember my father spending hours forming brass from 45-70 brass. The rifle was a half magazine take-down, I can't even imagine what it would be worth now. He sold it along with a Model 92 in .44-40 which he had all redone since it was a basket case when he bought it. Anyone know if there are any reproduction model 1886 rifles on the market, I'd love to have another one and original Winchesters are out of my price range.
Stu
Stu
bamaranger
New member
don't forget
All this talk of levers, and nobody's mentioned these: Win M88's and Savage 99's. No hammer's, high intensity ctgs, easy to scope and a scope does not look out of place on one.
My heirloom M88 is a shooter too, although the trigger leaves a good bit to be desired. Three generations and who knows how many stories go with it.
All this talk of levers, and nobody's mentioned these: Win M88's and Savage 99's. No hammer's, high intensity ctgs, easy to scope and a scope does not look out of place on one.
My heirloom M88 is a shooter too, although the trigger leaves a good bit to be desired. Three generations and who knows how many stories go with it.
I've always loved leverguns, not the least because I'm a southpaw and am thus averse to bolts actions (yeah, I know there are southpaw bolts...).
I grew up with, and took my first deer with, my father's Winchester 88 in .308 Win. Pre-'64, it had an older Leupold 3-9x40 scope on it. Very nice levergun package. I hunted with that rifle for a number of years. Over the years it earned the moniker "Meat Gun". Yeah, it earned it. Much meat found its way into the freezer by way of that rifle. Were it not for the "eh" trigger and the lack of parts (modern day), that rifle would be my ultimate hunting rifle. Not just my ultimate levergun -- my ultimate hunting/foraging rifle, period. Meat Gun.
Close second is the other levergun I grew up with, and that is more due to time in the field compounded with the somewhat less effective optics (they were, after all, old) than the rifle being inferior. And that was my grandfather's (scoped, 4x weaver) Savage 99 in .300 Savage. With brass shell counter. NICE. They just don't make them like that anymore.
Nowdays? Get a Marlin. I got a recent model Marlin 336A (like their current DLX, but with plain wood) in .30-30. It is a 200 yard rifle with irons and "conventional" ammo. But it has a Leupold 2-7x33 scope with repeatable quick release rings, combine that with the new Hornady FTX bullets and you've got a carbine length rifle that is hunt respectable out to 300 yards.
Which is all I really needed. 300 yards repeatable minute of deer's "boiler room". It'll get the job done, although it is on the shy side of it. It works, but it does so without a whole lot of slack, it is pushing it, you have to know your rifle.
It isn't the "ideal" rifle of yesteryear -- those used commonly available rounds as opposed to special "trick" loads. Instead of an existing, shorter range round. But ultimately it does fit the bill. Better if closer, but if 300 yards it is, then 300 yards it can do if the shooter (that's me) knows his stuff.
I grew up with, and took my first deer with, my father's Winchester 88 in .308 Win. Pre-'64, it had an older Leupold 3-9x40 scope on it. Very nice levergun package. I hunted with that rifle for a number of years. Over the years it earned the moniker "Meat Gun". Yeah, it earned it. Much meat found its way into the freezer by way of that rifle. Were it not for the "eh" trigger and the lack of parts (modern day), that rifle would be my ultimate hunting rifle. Not just my ultimate levergun -- my ultimate hunting/foraging rifle, period. Meat Gun.
Close second is the other levergun I grew up with, and that is more due to time in the field compounded with the somewhat less effective optics (they were, after all, old) than the rifle being inferior. And that was my grandfather's (scoped, 4x weaver) Savage 99 in .300 Savage. With brass shell counter. NICE. They just don't make them like that anymore.
Nowdays? Get a Marlin. I got a recent model Marlin 336A (like their current DLX, but with plain wood) in .30-30. It is a 200 yard rifle with irons and "conventional" ammo. But it has a Leupold 2-7x33 scope with repeatable quick release rings, combine that with the new Hornady FTX bullets and you've got a carbine length rifle that is hunt respectable out to 300 yards.
Which is all I really needed. 300 yards repeatable minute of deer's "boiler room". It'll get the job done, although it is on the shy side of it. It works, but it does so without a whole lot of slack, it is pushing it, you have to know your rifle.
It isn't the "ideal" rifle of yesteryear -- those used commonly available rounds as opposed to special "trick" loads. Instead of an existing, shorter range round. But ultimately it does fit the bill. Better if closer, but if 300 yards it is, then 300 yards it can do if the shooter (that's me) knows his stuff.
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I have my Great Uncles pre war model 94 in 32 win special. An extremely accurate model 99 in 308. Starting to shop for a BLR in the 81/7mm-08 style, to replace a BLR 308 I had many years ago.
The 99 is more accurate than many bolts. It has been to Ahlamn's and the trigger work and barrel re-crowning proves to me they deserve their reputation for excellent model 99 smithing.
The 99 is more accurate than many bolts. It has been to Ahlamn's and the trigger work and barrel re-crowning proves to me they deserve their reputation for excellent model 99 smithing.