deer an little levers ?-20 family

How about a little semi-auto pistol-calibre carbine. Something like a Keltec Sub 2000 or Theuron Defence, chambered in something like 9mm, 40 S&W, or 45 ACP?

Or, a Mare's Leg/Ranch Hand, with a full stock, in .357 or .44 Mag?
 
I think the 25-20 is on the light size, no better than a 22 long rifle. When I was younger living on the farm we used put cattle down for butchering using the 22 long rifle. It worked great on cows and steers but had a problem with bulls. A shot to the forehead with a 22rf from about 2 inches always put cows and steers down instantly with one shot. On a young bull he went down but started to get up immediately. After 3 more rounds I was out of bullets. Ended it with a sledge hammer. The next time I had to put down a bull I decided to use my 92 Win in 25-20. This time he didn't even go down, just walked away shaking his head.
 
This lovely old 1912 BSA Martini Cadet chambers and fires any hot-loaded 32-20 cartridge, is tame in recoil, accurate, and would make a nice light deer stalker. The sights are excellent!

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I think the 25-20 is on the light size, no better than a 22 long rifle. When I was younger living on the farm we used put cattle down for butchering using the 22 long rifle. It worked great on cows and steers but had a problem with bulls. A shot to the forehead with a 22rf from about 2 inches always put cows and steers down instantly with one shot. On a young bull he went down but started to get up immediately. After 3 more rounds I was out of bullets. Ended it with a sledge hammer. The next time I had to put down a bull I decided to use my 92 Win in 25-20. This time he didn't even go down, just walked away shaking his head.

We put down a pile of meat back in the day, but we never wasted ammo on the critters forehead. I always dropped them with a .22 to the junction of the spine to the skull from behind.

I dummy'd a fat farm sheep from 20 yds. with a Crossman 760 Powermaster BB gun with about 40 pumps of effort into it. That sheep dropped like it was whacked with a .243 Winchester....Bang-dump. I miss them days.
 
Ive used a 22 hornet on deer before taking high neck shots only. If you shoot them in the neck Im sure it will work just fine. A lung shot should work fine as well at close range
 
I certainly cannot complain about my little M92 25-20 carbine.
Like me, its had its share of hard knocks and seems to kill everything I require of it.
I have never tried to shoot a bull with it, but it has put a bit of venison in our freezer.
Its previous owner was a cook in a logging camp back in the '70s when I first saw it.
Amazingly enough he used it to keep the camp well supplied with fresh Moose and I managed to talk him out of it when he retired as he was losing his eyesight.
His only comment when anyone ridiculed the little rifle was " Anything will die when you shoot it in the ear."
Nowadays its my truck / cabin rifle and serves that purpose quite well..
 
cheers guys.

few factors which kind of knock a few cartridges out is things like

Noise
preferably not thru an thrus at pace (altho heavily tree'd)


the 25-20 may be a tad on the light side, although I would choose shots for heart, lung or if front on base of neck etc.

50m would be a fairly max shot I would take with this little lever, an so long as it had just enough to penetrate an expand its energy on the deer, I would expect it to work fine.
not too worried on having to track a deer 100yards but I do that with sambar an 35 whelens? so


I tend to have a rifle with one purpose an set it up for that, I could proberly download the 308 to throw the little 30-30 170gr I have but it would just mean mucking around with a great mountain rifle.



ive priced a 32-20 with ####ty wood but good barrel, a 92 for 250 au! ammos pretty hard to find I hear an reasonably pricey..

keen to reload tho


thanks for discussing
 
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