Favorite Lever Action Rifle and Cartridge

[JD338]

As a kid, I always drooled on the Shooters Bible page showing the Sako Finwolf 308 Win. At deer camp there were 3 M99's, two were 300 Savage and the other was a 308 Win.
Several years back I bought a Marlin 1895G in 45-70 from Fotis. That rifle has been so much fun to shoot and a joy to carry in the woods. The 45-70 is a fascinating cartridge that's rich with history. You can load it from mild to wild. Accuracy can be amazing, even from a 18.5" barrel. My best 3 shot group using a Nosler 300 gr BST on top of H322 went .400" and shot sub MOA at 250 yards. Hammered a crop damage deer at 160 yards.
I also have a Marlin 1894 in 44 Rem Mag. Not as accurate as my 1895 but still minute of white tail. It's a fun gun to plink steel with and has accounted for a few deer. The blood trails were short and heavy.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I like Marlin lever rifles, but I love Winchester Model 94s. I owned one Savage Model 99 chambered in 38-55. I should never have allowed that one to slip from my hands, but I did. I've owned several BLRs, all chambered in 358 Win. They were each a joy to carry and a delight to shoot, accounting for a variety of game animals, including a bison. All have gone down the road, though I should have kept at least one. I owned at one point a Model 64 Winchester chambered in 30-30. I never shot anything with it, but it was a delightful rifle. I likely should have kept it. But I've owned multi Model 94s, all Big Bores. I've had several chambered in 375 Win, though I never actually enjoyed the cartridge. I had two chambered in 307 Win, both of which were given to young men wanting a rifle with which they could hunt. Then, I've owned at least four Model 94s chambered in 356 Win. The cartridge just excites me. All deliver sub MOA groups. The rifles have accounted for almost every game animal offered here in BC, with the exception of sheep and goat. The Model 94 is still capable of putting a grin on my chin. Yeah, lever guns--all of them--are just fun.

 

[grry10]

I own 6 lever actions and it would be hard to part with any of them, but my 45-70 is the current favorite. This is subject to change, if I ever acquire that Winchester model 71 in .348.
Winchester model 1873 in 38-40 (given to me by an uncle)
Browning model 1895 in 30-06
Marlin model 336 in 30-30 (given to me by the same uncle)
Marlin model 1895 in 45-70
Ruger model 96/44 in 44 Rem Mag ( I did harvest a 146 class white tailed buck at 153 yards with this rifle)
Savage model 99C in .358 Win ( was originally a 308 Win that I had re-bored to 358 Win by JES)

 

[salmonchaser]

There is nothing in my safe, including my Ruger 06 I bought at 13 years old, that has had as much time in my hands as my Marlin 45/70 guide gun. For 20 years of my guiding career in Alaska, that rifle took a 3mile walk in the morning and evening with the various dogs we had in camp. Granted, I was in camp only for about 110 days/year, so that equals 6 years carrying the rifle for a little over 2 hours every day for six years. I didn’t’ carry it very often when out fishing, perhaps once a week or so. There were places we would fly to fish that other outfitters avoided because there were so many bears. I would take the rifle to those places. I carried the rifle for 13,200 miles plus or minus Nothing I own comes close. Never had to shoot a grizzly on any of those walks though it was close several times. Did shoot a bunch of porcupines.
She doesn’t get out much any more but anytime I pick her up she comes smoothly to my shoulder with the sights aligned. I also have a winchester 73 in 45 colt. That is a fun rifle to shoot.

 

[bkordon]

I have a Savage 99 in 300 Sav. it was my grandfather's and was fortunate that I was gifted it when he passed. I've shot it a few times and it is very accurate.
I'm also still waiting for the Browning BLR in 358 win to arrive. I've been told sometime in 2025????
I come across them occasionally on gun broker, but they climb up there pretty fast.

 

[Bruce Mc]

My first center fire rifle was a Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial 30-30. My dad gave it to me for my 12th birthday. I killed my first deer with it a few months later. It is my only lever rifle.

 

[Guy Miner]

There is nothing in my safe, including my Ruger 06 I bought at 13 years old, that has had as much time in my hands as my Marlin 45/70 guide gun. For 20 years of my guiding career in Alaska, that rifle took a 3mile walk in the morning and evening with the various dogs we had in camp. Granted, I was in camp only for about 110 days/year, so that equals 6 years carrying the rifle for a little over 2 hours every day for six years. I didn’t’ carry it very often when out fishing, perhaps once a week or so. There were places we would fly to fish that other outfitters avoided because there were so many bears. I would take the rifle to those places. I carried the rifle for 13,200 miles plus or minus Nothing I own comes close. Never had to shoot a grizzly on any of those walks though it was close several times. Did shoot a bunch of porcupines.
She doesn’t get out much any more but anytime I pick her up she comes smoothly to my shoulder with the sights aligned. I also have a winchester 73 in 45 colt. That is a fun rifle to shoot.

And that is one heck of an endorsement for the big bore Marlin levergun.

Find posts by ol' Reflex and see what all he's done with his 450 Marlin... That adds to what "SalmonChaser" had to say.

I dearly love the 45-70 Marlin but have taken only one mule deer with it. I have been sure to have it with me when camping in grizzly country. I have hunted with it, just haven't had a lot of luck while doing so.

My favorite though? Likely the humble 30-30 in a Marlin rifle. Easy on the shoulder. Inexpensive to handload. I do truly like the good old 30-30 cartridge.




I really like the doggone ol' 30-30, particularly in the Marlin rifle. The Glenfield pictured is just a low-budget Marlin, and my goodness, I surely do appreciate it.

Regards, Guy

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

For me its probably a toss up between my Winchester 1892 .25-20 and my Winchester 1894 .25-35. My Savage 99 .300 Savage gets an honorable mention.

I’ve killed the most stuff with the .300, the .25-20 is the funnest and cheapest to shoot and easily the most accurate of the three. I will give it the first place spot.

Both the .25-20 and .25-35 will come along next time I draw a doe tag.

 

[Guy Miner]

Dale, it's good that a frail young lad such as yourself likes the little 25's...

For those who don't know, "Filmjunkie" or Dale, is a great friend, 30 years younger than me, several inches taller, heavier, stronger and not even close to "frail." I'm just messing with him for being a big strong fellow and liking those itty bitty cartridges!

I'm the old bearded fellow that they made stand in the hole... My 6-00 and 220 pounds look kinda insignificant compared to Dale (standing next to me) and our mutual friend Zach as we're about to start hiking down to the road with the meat from a boned-out cow elk. Ya, I walked with giants that day... Thankfully.

BTW - they guide for those hunts and more. PM me for more info!

Okay Dale - I'd like to shoot one of your 25's too someday. Let's try to make that happen my friend.

Regards, Guy

 

[RL338]

No levers in safes here. The only lever I would get is a Winchester Model 71 in 348 Win.

 

[Blkram]

I was 15 when I took my first big game animal, a whitetail doe, with my grandfather's Marlin 30-30. I took my next whitetail doe with my Dad's Model 94 in 30-30 the following year, and my first black bear with the same rifle a couple years after that. That same year, I also took a whitetail doe and a buck with a friend's Dad's BLR in 308 Win. Seven years later I took my first moose with a lever action, in 375 Win. I acquired a Marlin in 375 Win the following year, and have been hunting and taking game with it since then. As a left handed shooter, the lever actions are just plain easier and more enjoyable to carry, handle, shoot and hunt with, for big game in the thick timber and small meadows where shot distances don't exceed 250 yards.

Quite a few lever actions have been added to (bolded still have), or passed through, my battery since, including:

• Winchester 94's in 25-35, 30-30, 307 Win, 356 Win, and 375 Win
• Winchester Model 88's in 308, 250 Savage, 7mm-08, and 338 Federal
• Winchester Model 1886 in 45-70
• Marlin 336's in 30-30, and 356 Win
• Marlin Model 1895 in 45-70
• Marlin Model 1894 in 41 Rem Mag
• Marlin 375S in 375 Win
• Browning BLR's in 243 WIn, and 358 Win
• Browning Model 65 in 218 Bee
• Browning Model 71's in 348 Win

Favourite: hard to pick between the pre-81 BLR in 358 Win and the Marlin 375S in 375 Win, as they both have their merits...I have owned the Marlin the longest of any rifle in my battery, and it is just plain fun to carry, shoot and hunt with...and I have carried the BLR 358 the most, and it has the greater capacity for big game at longer distances...but I would have to say 375 WIn as my Final Answer!

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I forgot to mention that my .25-20 is also the oldest gun I own, SN 38XX. Its a model 1892, made in 1892. Something that is 133 years old (although I don’t believe the barrel is the original) and still shoots nickel groups at 50 yards with open sights deserves mad respect.

 

[cloverleaf]

250-3000 of course . But there's not a bad one. A model 39 would be sweet too. A Henry in .22 Mag would be nice.....or a model Marlin57M.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

250-3000 of course . But there's not a bad one. A model 39 would be sweet too. A Henry in .22 Mag would be nice.....or a model Marlin57M.

I DO love my Marlin 39A!!

 

[TexasLife]

i started with a rossi92 in 44mag as it was my 1st pistol cartridge, but after winning a sbl 45-70 in a 4h raffle if has become mine and the family's favorite. r92 44mag, sbl, cb (both are 45-70) and blr (270win)is all i have for now, but wanting to add more too the pot

cartridges and/or rifles wanting to be added are
2-3 r95's in 444 & 45-70
s/w 1854 in 44mag & 45-70
maybe some henry's in 44mag & 45-70

 

[Wolfshead]

Growing up it was always Saturday morning westerns and then outside, most times, to play cowboys, and Indians.
My Dad had a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington.
So my first experiences with firearms were “cowboy” guns, and lever actions.
I have your “plain Shane” Model 94 chambered in 30-30.
It is from 1980, and I bought it second hand in 2017. So, I haven’t had it that long.
I’ve hunted with it a lot, mostly in the close, thick woods, near me, which I love to still hunt through.
It just feels so natural in my hand, balanced, light weight, agile, all the good things.
The man I bought it from was selling it for his son, and he told me that “those new style pointed bullets from Hornady really shoot great in this rifle”.
So I tried those out first, and he was right.
I handload now using the 160 FTX bullets, and Leverevolution powder. I can shoot MOPP at 200 yds, although I don’t believe it will ever get the chance to do that where I hunt with it. (Minute Of Pie Plate)
I can’t ruin the aesthetics of the rifle by putting a scope on it so it has a Williams Peep sight. Just don’t like the look of a scoped 94….
Definitely my favorite, of my short list of rifles I own, but I hunt mostly with my .308 Win.