Favorite Lever Action Rifle and Cartridge

[FOTIS]

I am a lever fanatic! Currently I own
Henry 22 LR
Marlin 39A 22 LR
Savage 99 300 Savage
Marlin XLR 30-30
Win 94 307 Win
Sako Finnwolf 308 Win
Browning 71 348 Win
Henry All Weather 357 Mag
Win 94 356 Win
Win 1895 405 Win
Win 1873 44-40
Marlin 1895SS 444 Marlin
Shiloh Sharps original 45-70
Win 1886 Takedown 45-90

 

[Ralt71]

I am a lever fanatic! Currently I own
Henry 22 LR
Marlin 39A 22 LR
Savage 99 300 Savage
Marlin XLR 30-30
Win 94 307 Win
Sako Finnwolf 308 Win
Browning 71 348 Win
Henry All Weather 357 Mag
Win 94 356 Win
Win 1895 405 Win
Win 1873 44-40
Marlin 1895SS 444 Marlin
Shiloh Sharps original 45-70
Win 1886 Takedown 45-90

I may make an attempt to go through my levers and list them later today, but it will take me some time. If I had to guess, I have around 40 - 50 of them. I've been buying them for a while now. I like to watch estate sales and things of that nature to see if there are any old rifles the family doesn't want and just pray they have levers on them. I've been doing that since the late 90's when I started making my own money.
I don't own a Finnwolf though and that's one I really wish I had! I also don't have a Shiloh Sharps, it's not on my list. I almost look at those as unobtainable haha.

 

[FOTIS]

Yeah Like I said I love mine Here are some of them.

 

[DrMike]

I have a Glenfield in 30/30 that is JM stamped. It is and always has been a really good shooter with a great trigger. I own 4 marlin levers, this is one of my favorites. There is a crazy story behind this gun, but I'll never let it leave the family.
My Dad bought it for my brother as is his first. We were short on a lot of things growing up, so at one point my brother and I both hunted with this gun. I took a turkey at 225 yard with it one fall, it was our thanksgiving bird. If we didn't get one, we weren't having turkey on turkey day. Rested off my Dad's shoulder. Dad ended up selling it to a member at work to pay some bills. 20 years later the guy asked Dad if he wanted it back for the same money he sold it at (125 usd). He said yes. Here the employee knew he was dying and wanted Dad to have it back. Two weeks later he passed, his wife gave my Dad an envelope, the money was in it and a sticky note said the gun was always yours glad I could help my friend.

It was rusted, scratched, and the action hung up. Dad had me redo the gun and get it back to top shape. I worked on it while we were out in our cabin for February. Took it all down, cold blued it, cleaned the action, redid the stock, and put a new scope and sling on it. I bore sited it and took it out to shoot. A few shots and it's spot on at 100. Shoots and cycles rounds like a dream!

I gave it back to him and November that year he handed it to me while we were on a hunt. Said see if you can hit one of those hogs on that hill. So I did, in the eye, from 210 yards out on the rangefinder. Didn't think i would actually get him and wanted to ensure I missed completely, turns out my elevation guess was spot on. When i handed it back to him he said, it's yours.. as long as you give it to one of your kids when the time comes. His initials are on the butt stock, other than that and the tiger strips, its original parts.

PS - sorry if the hog picture is too much for this site, new and still learning.
View attachment 26549View attachment 26550View attachment 26551View attachment 26552View attachment 26553View attachment 26554

You have definitely made the rifle look handsome. Great story with greater memories.

 

[JD338]

Love that Finwolf!

JD338

 

[Ralt71]

Wife counted my levers, she came up with 38. It honestly feels like I have more than that though. It may take me some time to list them all out because I need to go gun for gun and check them haha. I’ll post a couple pictures though. Some I took, some I already had. Some I’ve modified to what I like and may not be popular. Some are 60’s and 70’s era that have tags and boxes from new. They are all important to me though and I doubt any will go to anyone outside of family, in my lifetime.

 

[358Goat]

It's tough when you have a few to pick from but I've made a few favorites through the years. Really my first 336 is my favorite of my Marlins and might just be my favorite rifle. While I have killed a number of deer with it it I've taken a lot more deer with a bolt actions but even so find that I reach for my 35Remington regular carbine more than any of the rifles I own.
Perhaps if I had started with the 30/30 it may have been my favorite but I developed a hankering to be different early on in my hunting/shooting career. The 35Rem is certainly different here. No one ever asks, "Is that a 35 your shooting?" But they always assume its a 30/30. I've one other lever action that rates as high as my beloved 35 and that's my steel framed BLR-81 in 358 Winchester.
Because of these two rifles I've fallen in love with .35 caliber cartridges. I run the gambit from the 357mag in a Rossi 92 carbine to a Remington 7600 in 35 Whelen. I wouldn't be surprised if someday a left-handed action gets put with a 358 Norma barrel and the adjustments made for me to have the king of 35 calibers in the 358Norma Magnum. Boy that will be a head turner at the range and enough to bore, ream and counter sink a whitetail buck.
But these two rifles are not just 35cal rifles, they are a "whole package." It's because of the way they fit me and its the 2-7x Leupold wth the heavy duplex on the Marlin and the hand loaded 200gr Remington Core-Lokt bullets at 2200fps. The Browning is topped with a Leupold 2.5-8x and fires the hand loaded 225gr Nosler Partitions at 2400fps and they both deal a certain and swift death to deer (and hopefully bear next Spring.)
Its the whole package for both these rifles that have endeared them to me and I doubt any rifle and cartridge will ever dethrone them.
Long live the 35s!

358Goat

 

[DrMike]

Well, my 358 Norma Magnum does deliver a thumping on either end. Don't know that it kills anything any "deader" than a 225 grain pill launched from my 35 Whelen, but it does get attention! Everything I ever shot with my 358 Win or my 356 Win seemed to die pretty quickly. So, I do love my BLRs ans Model 94s.

 

[Blkram]

And then there is the 358 STA! (Shooting Times Alaskan)
It will drive a 250 gr bullet to close to 3000 fps!

 

[358Goat]

I knew someone would probably a comment about the 358 STA!!!

 

[JD338]

I knew someone would probably a comment about the 358 STA!!!

The 358 STA kills on the front end and wounds on the rear end.
Pretty similar to the 338 RUM. No doubt the 358 STA is a good round and in good company.

JD338

 

[Ridge_Runner]

only have 3 left, a savage 99 in 7mm/08, a ruger 96 in 22 WMR, and my uncles 1950 something model 94 in 32 WS

 

[JD338]

only have 3 left, a savage 99 in 7mm/08, a ruger 96 in 22 WMR, and my uncles 1950 something model 94 in 32 WS

Nice collection. I didn't know that the 99 was available in 7-08.

JD338

 

[PJGunner]

Before the accident messed me up, one of my favorite things to do was cast up a few Lyman 311291 bullets, lube and size them and load then the old fashioned way with a turn of the century style Lyman 310 Tong Tool. I even have some of the earlier dies and nutcracker handle from before Lyman bought them out. Charges would be made using a dipper just like in the 1800s but later went to a powder measure as I felt it gave more accurate charge weights. Once the ammo was loaded I'd wait until the next day to go wandering in the desert. I did for years when I lived in Nevada and kept doing so after the move to Arizona. Jackrabbit hated to see me coming and I did let the air out of a coyote or two.
I did come across a Browning clone of the 1895 Winchester and it came home with me I cast the 225 gr, Lyman #311284 bullet and load it to the same velocity as the 30-40 Krag. I don't see the iron sights so well anymore so if I get three inches or better at 100 yards I'm happy.
Paul B.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

Nice collection. I didn't know that the 99 was available in 7-08.

JD338

its the later model 99CD I think, has a detachable box magazine

 

[JD338]

its the later model 99CD I think, has a detachable box magazine

Talk about a sweet woods rifle that has punch and reach.

JD338

 

[Ralt71]

It's tough when you have a few to pick from but I've made a few favorites through the years. Really my first 336 is my favorite of my Marlins and might just be my favorite rifle. While I have killed a number of deer with it it I've taken a lot more deer with a bolt actions but even so find that I reach for my 35Remington regular carbine more than any of the rifles I own.
Perhaps if I had started with the 30/30 it may have been my favorite but I developed a hankering to be different early on in my hunting/shooting career. The 35Rem is certainly different here. No one ever asks, "Is that a 35 your shooting?" But they always assume its a 30/30. I've one other lever action that rates as high as my beloved 35 and that's my steel framed BLR-81 in 358 Winchester.
Because of these two rifles I've fallen in love with .35 caliber cartridges. I run the gambit from the 357mag in a Rossi 92 carbine to a Remington 7600 in 35 Whelen. I wouldn't be surprised if someday a left-handed action gets put with a 358 Norma barrel and the adjustments made for me to have the king of 35 calibers in the 358Norma Magnum. Boy that will be a head turner at the range and enough to bore, ream and counter sink a whitetail buck.
But these two rifles are not just 35cal rifles, they are a "whole package." It's because of the way they fit me and its the 2-7x Leupold wth the heavy duplex on the Marlin and the hand loaded 200gr Remington Core-Lokt bullets at 2200fps. The Browning is topped with a Leupold 2.5-8x and fires the hand loaded 225gr Nosler Partitions at 2400fps and they both deal a certain and swift death to deer (and hopefully bear next Spring.)
Its the whole package for both these rifles that have endeared them to me and I doubt any rifle and cartridge will ever dethrone them.
Long live the 35s!

358Goat

I love my 35 Rem. My great grand pap hunted with one and that was what started the drive to find one. For deer hunting in the woods, it's a great caliber!