Added another Lever Action to my Stable

[carolina sorillo]

Aaahhh, a lever gun for all occasions!!

NO WAIT, THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING!!!

Where's your 39A? The collection is not complete without a Marlin 39A!

Let the search begin! :grin:

CS

 

[1Shot]

First deer I ever killed was in November 1975 and it was with a Marlin 336 open sighted 30-30 Win. and I used Rem. 150 gr HP ammo. In those days in east TN deer were few and far between. I started deer hunting at the age of 13 in 1970 with a 1903A3 Springfield 30-06 in full military glory. My Dad started me out at about 4 years old going squirrel and rabbit hunting with him and I was hunting on my own with a 20 gage double and a 22 single shot on my Grandfathers and other relatives land by the age of 10. My Dad did not deer hunt but my neighbor who was also my Sunday school teacher did. He told me in the winter of 1969-70 that if I would get me a high power rifle he would take me deer hunting the next fall. I worked my butt off mowing yards, hauling hay, working in the tobacco fields and anything else I could to make money that spring and summer and made $45. At a local K-Mart they had shopping carts full of old military rifles, usually German 7mm & 8mm Mauser, but on this trip they had some US 1903A3 Springfield rifles that were in boxes and were UNISSUED condition. Now you could pick up a Mauser for $25 to $30 but these Springfield's went for a whopping $40 but I had to have one. Dad got me one, a Remington, and a box of 150 gr soft point ammo. That thing kicked like a mule and weighed a ton for a maybe 80 lb soaking wet kid like me but for the next few years I really learned how to ignore recoil and really shoot and judge yardage with that rifle. I had a
free supply of ammo coming in. I had a cousin that was in the national guard and every month when he went to muster he brought me a can of ammo which was mostly black tip AP. My rifle really shot well with it. I would go deer hunting with my neighbor and haul that ton of rifle that was unwieldly for a kid my size in the laurel thickets for four years. I decided that I needed a lighter shorter easier handling rifle. My uncle had a Marlin 336 in 30-30 win that he wanted to sale for $45 so I sold my Springfield for $45 and bought the Marlin. I carried it that deer season and it handled much better. Now all these years of hunting, season was only open for a week during Thanksgiving week, I never saw a single deer and my neighbor also did not see any. Then the next year I went off to college in WV. When deer season rolled around back home in TN they had changed the dates to allow two weeks of season. My school schedule and hunting season did not work to be off because I also had a job working to pay for my college. I could get off Sunday and Monday of the second week of the season. I drove home on Sunday and that afternoon I went over to my neighbors house to see about going with him on Monday. He was retired at this time. He said that he had hunted hard the week before and he was not planning to hunt on Monday. I talked him into going because it was the only day I could hunt. I went and got my hunting license and early the next morning we went to the deer woods. My cousin had told me where he had seen some deer sign on the other side of the ridge in the "open" non management section of woods where you had to purchase a tag to hunt and I did not get one for just one day of hunting. My neighbor was hunting in the management section so he let me drop him off there and take his jeep and go to the other side of the ridge. I sat where my cousin said to go all morning and did not see anything, not even a squirrel. At 11 a.m. I decided to go higher up on the mountain to a place I used to hunt. I sat on a huge rock in the middle of a saddle between to ridges that were steep on both sides. I had not been there but just a few minutes with I see a deer coming around the ridge to my right. I could not see any horns because by the time I saw the deer it got behind some laurel bush and I could not see it. The deer just seemed to disappear. About 5 minutes went by and all of a sudden it popped out about 50 yards below and right in front of me. I still thought it was a doe until it turned it's head a little and I could see horns. I eased the Marlin 30-30 up slowly and eased the hammer back and CLICK and the deer heard that and jerked it's head up but it must have thought that the sound had come from my left because it fixated it's stare in the direction. Shooting off hand I aimed tight behind the front shoulder as the buck stood broadside to me. As cool as could be I squeezed the trigger waiting for the surprise of the rifle to fire and at the moment that the hammer dropped the buck took a step forward. BOOM and that buck turned a barrel roll flip sideways and landed back on its feet then reared up on it's hind legs like Hi-O-Silver and took off down the mountain. I sat there dumfounded because I expected the see the deer drop dead on the spot. I walked down to where the deer was standing when I shot and there was no blood but there was white hair everywhere. My mind went to spinning, when the deer stepped did I shoot low, did it just jump up in the air as the bullet skimmed it's belly and because it was so steep where it stood that it fell sideways and only look like it turned a barrel roll flip?????? when through my minds. I sat there for a few minutes and then started down the mountain the direction the deer ran. I could see where it had landed in the leaves but no blood was seen. I guess I had walked and slid down the steep ridge about 100 yards. I could see where the leaves had been disturbed that went around a big laurel bush. When I walked around the bush it looked like you had sprayed the ground with a water hose pumping blood and about 15 yards away lay my buck dead. Now up to this time I was pretty calm but when I saw that buck on the ground my knees started to pass one another and I had to sit down. I sat there for 10m minutes before I could calm down enough to go to my deer. It was a 6 point that field dressed at 163 lbs. Bullet had went between last two ribs and took out lungs and liver. I will not go into the trouble I had getting it up that steep ridge. Thanks for reminding me of my leaver actions rifle that I wish I still had but traded off to get a bolt action 30-06 when I moved to the bean fields of NC to hunt.

 

[Blkram]

Great story!
Shot my first big game animal, a whitetail doe, in 1984 when I was 15, with my grandfather's Marlin 336 in 30-30. Do not recall, but was most likely with 170 gr ammo, as it was used mostly for moose.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Two great stories there gentleman!
My first .30-30 was a Winchester 94 AE. Wish I never gotten rid of it.
But, not complaining now. I shot my first squirrel, while deer hunting. It had kept barking and chattering the whole time the sun was up. Couldn't shake it. So I shot it. 100 yds away with a Winchester 150gr Silvertip. Split it in 2. Only left holding it together was a flap of skin, as it flapped it's way to the ground.

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[DrMike]

Great story, 1shot. We all remember our first deer. Mine was a large mule deer taken with my Model 94AE chambered in .356 Winchester. Sitting in an old, abandoned tree stand (rickety and dangerous as could be), I called in a buck. It was the same animal that had come in to my call the evening before, but stopped about seven yards off my right shoulder as I was secreted behind a willow. I wasn't able to turn and get a shot, so we looked at one another in astonishment. I didn't look anything like the doe he was expecting, and he was partially obscured by the bush. He had slowly backed away and bounded back into the woods from whence he had come. Now, early the next morning, I had found the old abandoned tree stand on the mountainside, clambered up and waited a few minutes before giving a couple of bleats which had brought the nice 4X4 buck in. At the shot, he dropped. I turned because something moved just behind him, and I saw an even bigger deer watching in amazement as his partner dropped. Patience might have been my friend, though he was already a pretty good first for anyone. Since those days, I own or have owned two Model 94s chambered in .375 Win, two chambered in .307 Win and four chambered in .356 Win. Added to that are three BLRs chambered in .358 Win. Fascinatingly enough, I've never owned a .30-30. However, I do love the lever guns, especially the Model 94.

 

[wildman]

Have any of you fellers tried out one of the Henry long ranger rifles yet they sure have a smooth action on them ...

 

[JD338]

Great stories fellas.

JD338

 

[Joec7651]

Here's what a “Remlin” will do. 3 shots at 100 yards with my 45-70. Congratulations on a great rifle.

 

[Blkram]

That'll work!

 

[DrMike]

For sure, that load will hunt. There is a rifleman handling that rifle.

 

[salmonchaser]

Wow!


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[bdbrown66]

Here's what a “Remlin” will do. 3 shots at 100 yards with my 45-70. Congratulations on a great rifle.

Yeah, but did you cut your finger on the loading gate when you were loading it?

I'll see your Remlin and raise you 2 Henrys.





Just teasing, of course. Good shooting!!

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Now, now gentleman. We don't want any problems from anyone here! LMAO

Love the accuracy of the Remlin's and the Henry's.

Hope my Remlin .444 is as accurate!

Hawk

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[bdbrown66]

Now, now gentleman. We don't want any problems from anyone here! LMAO

Love the accuracy of the Remlin's and the Henry's.

Hope my Remlin .444 is as accurate!

Hawk

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Let us know how they shoot when you get them dialed in. Good luck!

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Now, now gentleman. We don't want any problems from anyone here! LMAO

Love the accuracy of the Remlin's and the Henry's.

Hope my Remlin .444 is as accurate!

Hawk

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Let us know how they shoot when you get them dialed in. Good luck!

I sure will

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[HAWKEYESATX]

On the box that my 444 came in, it was labeled "Marlin 444".
I thought they were going to be Marlin 1895's in .444 Marlin.

Here's the latest pic of my Marlin 444!

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[noslerpartition]

Not that I really need it, but if a Malin In 444 came across my way fpr a reasonable price, I would take a. But the market is empty this side of the pond.

Should be fine madizine for driven hunts on wild boar or stalking them in the wheat.

Will.keep my eyes open

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[Guy Miner]

We may have to hold a Big Bore Lever Action get together!

At least online. :grin:

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

We may have to hold a Big Bore Lever Action get together!

At least online. :grin:

I fully agree Guy!
We should try and work out the logistics, even if it is only online.
Hopefully we can do it in person. Who knows.

Hawk

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[Blkram]

We may have to hold a Big Bore Lever Action get together!

At least online. :grin:

Now that would be fun!
I'm in!!!

Should include a hunt somewhere...like a "Bears and Boars Big Bore Bonanza"

I would suggest a few get together's across the country so that people could participate easier...
Say in Canada and in the USA, with east and west coast destinations...