Posted on 11/15/2018 5:58:21 AM PST by w1n1
Is it good for Hunting?
Do you hunt with action lever rifles? (repeaters) There was a period when lever action rifles were completely out of the picture for hunting.
Thanks to companies like Marlin, Henry and Winchester as they still make these fine repeating rifles.
Its amazing to see in this heavy marketed AR-platform and bolt action world that the repeating firearms are making a comeback.
Veteran hunters may be the ones influencing the newer generation of hunters.
Maybe, the newbies are out there looking to be like John Wayne.
Good thing this isnt a faddish thing because hunting deer are mostly at close to mid range.
From these ranges whats needed is accuracy and maneuverability, which the lever action rifle fits the bill. These repeating rifles are great for spot-n-stalk and brush hunts.
Winchesters and Henry's are the leading lever action rifle manufactures have been refining these guns and broadening their range of calibers. Obviously, ammo manufactures have joined the band wagon in developing lever specific ammo that have more power and accuracy. So what are some good repeating rifles for hunting? Take a look of these: (maybe you own one of these)
Marlin 1894 .44 Mag
Its handy size is punctuated by a quick-pointing, straight-grip stock design and Old West-styled, adjustable semi-buckhorn sights.
Henry Big Boy All Weather .44 Mag/SPL
If you want a rough and tough gun that can handle the harsh conditions. Another plus with this rifle is that it loads quickly with no jams compared to other .30-30 models. Read the complete list of lever rifles.
For follow up shots, a Lever only trails a semi auto.
What I like about them is just feeling a smooth action.
The .30-30 lever action (usually chambered in the 1894 Winchester) has taken more deer in North America than any other rifle.
A pump is excellent for a second shot. Remington has made excellent pump rifles and I find you stay on target in between shots, better than a lever.
That being said I hunt with a Marlin Lever gun. A 336 in .35 Remington caliber. Its accuracy with its micro-groove rifling is sub 1 at 100 yards. I chose this over all my rifles for its short handling ability in dense woods
Its caliber is not for longer than 200 yards though but where I hunt I dont get those long ranges.
I have a Marlin 1894 .44. It is a great rifle!
I have a Marlin .22 cal “Golden Mountie.”
The .30-30 lever action (usually chambered in the 1894 Winchester) has taken more deer in North America than any other rifle.
Correct. If hunting in thick brush or heavy forest where most shots would be less than 100 yards the 30-30 lever action is a good choice.
I need to spend more time with my 1954 Model 1894 Winchester.
What year and what universe were lever guns ever out of the picture for hunting? Beside the ubiquitous Winchester, there are millions of Marlin, Savage, and Browning, just off the top of my head.
I have a Winchester Trapper in .357 that’s as fun as candy, and a beautiful Savage 99C in .308, inherited from my father-in-law. He got it when his friend, a WA state trooper, was murdered on duty. I keep it as a tribute to both of them.
No mention of the Marlin 45-70?
With a 4 power Leopold set on 1.5 power....faster than iron sights for old men.
“Definitely, a vintage gun, some folks do take this out for some pheasants hunt.”
I know nothing at all about these rifles other than their representation, but pheasant hunting?
Refuse to own another lever gun. Had 4, none would cycle.
Been some years, so the models are hazy, but the first was a winchester in. 30/30. Dropping the lever would release a bullet into the receiver, but you couldn’t raise the lever because the bullet would guide anywhere BUT into the chamber. It had to b3 chambered with your fingers to be fired. This rifle was purchased new at Academy.
Second lever garbage: a Henry in. 357. Purchased new, it would never eject a round. You had to roll the rifle on it top and shake it to make the spent case fall out, and didn’t cycle new rounds well.
Crapper no. 3: .444 Marlin, which would release all bullets at once into the receiver once you cycled the lever, causing epic jams each time there was more than one bullet in the tube.
The last attempt of mine to own a lever gun was another Henry in .44 magnum and if it were loaded with more than 2 rounds, they would stay in the msg tube no matter how you try to pump the lever. Only th3 first two rounds would cycle.
I will never wowing own a lever extinction anything. I always wanted a John Wayne rifle, but you gotta be the Duke to make them work. Beli3v3 I’ll stick with my Mak90
More meaningless bloviating from ASJ.
By the way, all those guns were bought new except the Henry .44
The Browning .308 lever action is my choice.
I am sure it is a fine rifle for pheasant as long as you take only carefully placed quartering head shots.
It's really only reliable aiming out to about 100 yards. A fine beed on the factory iron sight is sighted right on at 50 yards and a coarser beed gets you on at 100 yards. Much longer than 100 yards you put the sights on the target then raise the barrel up a bit and see where the bullet hits. A poof of dust low means raise the barrel higher for the follow on shot.
It's a terrific rifle for brush and heavier forest and definitely not reasonable for longer open country shots. My shortest deer shot with it was 50 feet and the longest towards 300 yards, blind luck on that.
I suggest you to to the Buffalo Bore web page and look through his list of tech articles for the one on “Trail and Camp” guns.
http://buffalobore.net/Trail&CampGuns.pdf
The photo of his favorites shows five lever guns.
And he lives in grizzly country where a malfunction is most likely fatal.
“The .30-30 lever action (usually chambered in the 1894 Winchester) has taken more deer in North America than any other rifle.”
It’s the perfect medium game rifle out to about 150yds. And that’s where the overwhelming number of deer are taken.
Out in the West there are some environments where 3-400 yd shots are common, but it’s still somewhat rare.
Most folks can’t shoot that far even with high-quality rifles and optics. And most who say they can, can’t.
Thank you for that, and it is interesting, but after 4 abysmal failures, I am unwilling to spend money on lever action anything. Malfunctions proving fatal is exactly why I sling a Mak90, it’s my hog gun, deer gun, and after I get my optics on and set, it’s also my competition rifle. Best firearm I’ve ever owned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.