Was thinking about a lever action but not sure of the caliber.

I have a Marlin 336w that I thoroughly enjoy shooting! With the 150gr bullets I can shoot almost all day long, until the sharper edges of the stock start hammering my shoulder. Planning on getting a recoil pad eventually to increase the length of pull and help soften the edges.

Problem now is finding ammo as I dont have my reloading kit yet, and NONE of the local stores have any.

Good gun, I look forward to taking some deer with it this fall...
 
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If you don't reload, I'd say a 30/30. If you do reload, I'd say a 45/70 no question. The 45/70 is soo easy to load for and a lot less finiky than bottleneck cartridges.

The 45/70 does not hurt to shoot if you know how to mount a rifle properly. That is, until you get above useful velocities into ego range.
 
45 colt shoots a .452 inch projectile. 45-70 shoots a .458. They are totally different. Different pressure parameters as well as the one being a pistol round, and the other a rifle.

The same goes for a 44 mag and a 444 Marlin. Totally different.

As to which gun to get, I'm very partial to Marlin, but have representatives of virtually every lever. The BLR is likable, but not really thought of as a plinker. Its the one with conventional rifle rounds.

The Marlins for the most part get the nod from me in that they are easily scoped, handle the popular lever calibers (357, 44, 45, 30-30, 35Rem, 375, 444, 45-70, 450 Marlin), and now the longer range 308MX and 338MX.

My go to fun guns are in 30-30, but there are many who will start with a 357 or 44. I have all of them, and still prefer the 30-30. With the new Leverevolution ammo, its fairly easy to shoot steel plates up to 400 yards or so.
 
Part of the fun of leverguns has been that they inherently are lower pressured firearms than is typical for a rifle. With handloading, and particularly using cast bullets, you can lower the velocity, shoot cheaply, and find a load that just about everyone can shoot. Here is my 11 year old son at the time shooting different 45-70s. We usually go through 200 rounds or so. Then we start in on the 30-30's and 45 Colts.

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For more serious work, I have a 308MX. I don't vary its load much, but it still has mild recoil, though has similar ballistics to a 308 Winchester:

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Its one of the few calibers actually made for longer distances in a lever gun.
 
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It is, but very expensive unless you reload. Also, its not always easy to find the easy shooting cowboy rounds in every community. Usually the hunting rounds are available at most gun stores around here. The 30-30 can be loaded up or down as well, and is generally easier to master. It pays to reload this caliber as well, though components are significantly cheaper. The 357 44, and 45 easy enough to find as well, and probably would be somewhere to focus if you want to plink a little cheaper. (357)
 
I do reload; currently in 45 Colt. I have seen lever guns chambered for 45 Colt, but wondered how anemic that round might be in a rifle? Although, the cowboy ammo is pretty powerfull stuff in the revolver.
 
With my Marlin and Rossi levers, I can get a 300gr. bullet going about 1650fps (Marlin) to 1800fps (Rossi). The Rossi can take more pressure than either a Ruger or a Marlin. They are not pleasant loads! Both those loads are in Trapdoor 45-70 territory.

Leverguns in pistol calibers are very particular as to length of the cartridge. Revolvers, not so much.
 
The same goes for a 44 mag and a 444 Marlin. Totally different.
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This is partially true and partially not. Let me explain. While the 45 Colt fires .452, and the 45/70 fires .458 (or .460 with lead boolits and you don't want to lead your gun) the boolits are not interchangable, no way no how.

The 444 Marlin and 44 Mag bullets both shoot .429J/.430L but while the sizes are the same, the pistol bullets should not be fired in the 444 Marlin because the bullets are not built to handle the velocities generated by the 444. This would not be a problem with hard cast lead in the 444. All Marlins I've seen like fat boolits with lead so if to load for 444 I'd def go with .431

You can even get the microgroove barrels to shoot lead good if you size them fat.I'll tell you another thing, if you were to get a 45/70 do not shoot any cowboy factory loads out of it. Most if not all were sized to .457 and will have you cleaning lead out of your rifle for a week. Ask me how I know. ;)
 
The 45-70 looks to be quite a versatile round.
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Not only that...you can still find it on the shelves ! :) Handloading is the way to go with the 45-70....I use mostly bulk ordered cast bullets !
 
Just to better understand; given a purchase choice between a lever action chambered for 45 Colt vs. 45/70; 45/70 would be the wise choice.

45 Colt is a pistol round and the 45/70 is a rifle round and can be loaded light or heavy depending on your needs. Ie: plinking to hunting. OK!
 
45/70 is as easy to load as any straight walled revolver round, just 4 pounds more powder, lol.

The only frustration to loading the 45/70 is accidently dropping a pc of brass or a bullet. The cases always get smushed at the mouth and will need resized again, and the boolits either land base first or nose first, virtually destroying them. At least they can be recast, butterfingers.
 
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