A 30-30 lever is my go to for deer hunting. I absolutely love my Marlin 336. Hoping to add a 45-70 at some point if they ever come in stock at the right time for me to pick one up. Hands down my favourite action, and looks great too. Thinking about adding some custom leather to it this year.
Are lever action good/legit hunting rifles ??
- Thread starter BrownR
- Start date
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I always disliked this chest puffing. So what? Some people have different tolerance. I caught a 762x54 buttstock to the collar bone, and no matter what, my brain associated shooting it with pain.
But saying your daughter can, and down loading the cartage isn't that impressive. Let her shoot full power and then see how long before she says no more.
Nope haven’t had the chance to shoot many guns unfortunately, as I don’t know many people who have them lol. Woah that 500 Jeffery kicked like a mule hahaha. I still feel a 30-30 should be sufficient for deer hunting, all though I’m sure a 45-70 would be fun and also travel further then the 30-30, who knows maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to try someone’s rifles somewhere.
What are you talking about? I was merely pointing out the versatility of the round. Simply put, I can load 45-70 that a 10 yr old can comfortably shoot, that will cleanly take a deer to 100 yrs no worries at all. You don't see any usefulness in such a load? The fellow I was replying to made it quite clear he was intimidated by the idea of the 45-70 being violent to shoot, and thinks it will pound him to mush, which simply is not the case with appropriate ammunition. Why TF would I hand my granddaughter a rifle loaded with a bear busting load to shoot, trying to intentionally hurt her?
Using that mentality, if you were to introduce a new shooter to 762x54 would you hand them a steel butt rifle and instruct them to loosely hold steel plate against their collar bone and fire away? Or would you start a kid out holding the rifle properly, with reduced recoil ammunition?
I know what I would do....
A 30-30 will absolutely do you just fine for hunting, I wasn't trying to steer you away from it into a 45-70, I just wanted to let you know the 45-70 is not the monster some people believe it to be...
Definitely pick the rifle YOU like best, as you will be the one shooting it.
What province are you in?
Yes the 45-70 is a bit intimidating lol, all though it something I can always move to later if I feel the need for more “kick” lol. I’m located in Midwestern Ontario, I’m East of Lake Huron by a hour and North of London by a couple hours. Middle of nowhere lol
Well thats too far away to try my 45-70 out lol.
Find something you're comfortable with and work up from there. Funny thing about recoil, its all technique, It has nothing to do with being "tough". Physical size has nothing to do with it. Really, the lighter guys have the advantage and move with the rifle easier than the bigger guys. There used to be a guy at gun club(big and heavy) that when he shot anything with any amount of recoil, his body absorbed every foot pound lol. His body didn't move when he shot, and he wasn't up for very many shots.
The same gun fired from a standing position will "feel" like it has half as much recoil as when fired off a bench where you're sitting and leaning into it.
45-70 isn't intimidating. I find my 30/06 has more kick to her then my buddies Marlin. If your into levers get one for hunting they are fantastic. Easy to get on target with Irons, fast to rreload without having to change your site picture. They are more 100-200 yard guns, depending on the round used. Unless you go with a Browning BLR that can take more modern cartridges and bullets. Personally don't own any levers, but I do want a nice Winchester super grade of one of their levers one day. Nothing wrong with either Marlin, Henry or Winchester. All will do you just fine.
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Lol ya that’s a bit far for sure for a test haha dang ! Ya I suppose the recoil would push me rather than be absorbed by my body
Only thing I’ve heard about Marlin is the lever action is “gritty” for first while until broke in compared to Henry being smooth as glass out the box,
Only thing I’ve heard about Marlin is the lever action is “gritty” for first while until broke in compared to Henry being smooth as glass out the box,
I think the biggest problem with a lot of this stuff you have heard...is that you believe it!
If you like the idea of a traditional levergun, get one in .30-30 and enjoy using it confidently on deer out to maybe 200 yards. Or, better yet, get one in .45-70; it won't blow deer up or dislocate your shoulder, despite what some internet yahoo who probably never shot one claims. It's certainly not specialized; different loads can make it anything from a mild plinker to a dragon-slayer, or anything in between.
If you want to shoot longer ranges...and plenty of hunters don't...you can get a modern lever like a BLR and get all the ranging and accuracy of a boltgun, using box magazines and spitzer bullets, easy scope mounting, while still getting the levergun feel and aesthetic. They are maybe a little more mechanically complicated than a typical boltgun, but they definitely give you the best of both worlds.
Either way, you get a fast-firing, accurate rifle that is very practical and capable...and, IMHO, makes a hunt way more fun than any bolt gun ever could.
If you like the idea of a traditional levergun, get one in .30-30 and enjoy using it confidently on deer out to maybe 200 yards. Or, better yet, get one in .45-70; it won't blow deer up or dislocate your shoulder, despite what some internet yahoo who probably never shot one claims. It's certainly not specialized; different loads can make it anything from a mild plinker to a dragon-slayer, or anything in between.
If you want to shoot longer ranges...and plenty of hunters don't...you can get a modern lever like a BLR and get all the ranging and accuracy of a boltgun, using box magazines and spitzer bullets, easy scope mounting, while still getting the levergun feel and aesthetic. They are maybe a little more mechanically complicated than a typical boltgun, but they definitely give you the best of both worlds.
Either way, you get a fast-firing, accurate rifle that is very practical and capable...and, IMHO, makes a hunt way more fun than any bolt gun ever could.
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30-30 ammo no is a bit easier to come by than 45-70 in my area as I’ve noticed when looking at the ammo in stores locally here, so that’s also why I’m leaning towards 30-30 a bit more. That’s a nice looking rifle in your pic, like the colour scheme !
Honestly if you're completely new to hunting, I'd strongly recommend a more modern conventional hunting cartridge. 30-30 will work just fine, but it is inferior in many important ways. I don't want to make this a caliber wars issue, but I don't think many people are going to say that the 30-30 kills deer faster than a 243, for example.
There are pros and cons with every cartridge and every type of rifle. I really like leverguns and the 30-30 cartridge, but outside of a few very specific situations, I would not recommend a 30-30 lever action as a first hunting rifle. You should at least consider what other cartridges and rifle types can do for you before settling on this one.
Ya I’m hoping I can try out a few guns at some point if I find someone who has em and is willing to let me try lol, I have a shotgun and bolt action now, but would like to add a lever to my collection. Also like the concept of lever action can be quick if needed as well. Assumed a 30-30 would be good for deer hunting in my area where iam at, as it seems to be a common cartridge to use for deer, 45-70 is a lot more expensive for ammo as well lol
I haven’t gotten into reloading yet but if and when I do, maybe then I’ll look at 45-70. Have heard guys take deers with 223/556 as well. I see a lot more 45-70, 356, 44 for sale compared to 30-30s in the type of rifle I’m after
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Midnight Rider
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- ......the Vanishing Point .
The 30-30 has accounted for thousands of deer kills across Canada over the years , and is probably one of the most popular calibers for deer hunting . A 30-30 has limited kick , and will knock down any deer that you come across if the shooter can do their part .
Thanks! That's a JM-marked 1895SBL that I got for a fantastic deal back when they first came out, just as the Remington takeover was happening. I only bought it to try it out, didn't really care for the non-traditional look of a SS levergun, and thought I would sell it quickly after experimenting with it. It quickly became a favourite; after 13 or 14 years it's now a permanent member of the family.
By all means, get a .30-30 and have fun with it. When you get the opportunity to try out a .45-70, be careful; you will be on the lookout for one immediately afterwards...which will hopefully lead you to reloading for it...it's a deep rabbit hole.
By the way...that deer was DRT but entirely intact, all in one piece, with virtually no meat damage...no damage to me whatsoever. Stop listening to the scaremongers on the internet.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
OP - if you want a lever action rifle to go with the other types that you have, then get one.
Various stories about "quick follow up" etc. might indicate a plan to miss with your first shot - hunting deer with a lever action falling block like Ruger No. 1 (which I did about 15 years) will dis-abuse you of that notion. And, maybe with some coaching, you will discover that most shooters can place bullets into a 4" or 6" target at 100 yards (10 to 15 cm at 100 meters), at about the same rate, with most action types - some guys can really make a bolt action "sing", until reloading is needed, and at that point the firing rate often declines. Is what you want - a high rate of fire that does not actually hit much seems to appeal to a few - a single shot that punches out the target centre seems to be boring to some, as well.
Various stories about "quick follow up" etc. might indicate a plan to miss with your first shot - hunting deer with a lever action falling block like Ruger No. 1 (which I did about 15 years) will dis-abuse you of that notion. And, maybe with some coaching, you will discover that most shooters can place bullets into a 4" or 6" target at 100 yards (10 to 15 cm at 100 meters), at about the same rate, with most action types - some guys can really make a bolt action "sing", until reloading is needed, and at that point the firing rate often declines. Is what you want - a high rate of fire that does not actually hit much seems to appeal to a few - a single shot that punches out the target centre seems to be boring to some, as well.
People still push bush where I am. Sometimes all you have are running shots. Multiple shots are often needed to do the job in situations like this. Meaning having the capability for quick follow up shots is important in this style of hunting. If your just sitting in a stand or blind, and have nothing being pushed towards you then ya a single shot should be a perfect rifle for the job. But no way would I recommend a single shot in a bush push situation. Semi's and lever actions tend to do the best in these kinds of hunts. Same goes for a good old pump rifle.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
You can down load any caliber. But to say my so in so can shoot this. Without specifying that you are down loading and they are shooting mouse fart loads. Is just implying that the person is a "pussy" as that is what comments like that comes off as. Someone gonna quickly see and not read the follow up posts.
I was 15 and shot my first 45/70 full load and I was pushed back 3ft. After I had no idea what a set trigger was. They laughed.
There are tones of shooters out there that couldnt care less about if they give a new person a heavy hitting gun, and they get hurt.
