Best hunting lever action calibre

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Jkelowna

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Looking at getting a lever action, what larger caliber do most reccomend? Was looking at 44 magnum but willing to hear opinions about other calibers!
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
Depends on what you're hunting for, yer style of hunting and the distances ye shoot at.
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This is kind of the kicker here. Sub 100-150 yards, the 30-30, 44 Mag and 35 Remington tube fed levers would serve you well without kicking the #### out of you. A 45-70 can do all that and extend your range but will come with added recoil.

If a guy is looking to shoot spitzer style bullets in modern chamberings, especially from a detachable box magazine, a BLR or a Henry Long Ranger would be more suitable. A Winchester 1895 would fit the bill as well, if a guy didn't care about attaching modern optics or having detachable magazines.

This is just a long winded version of the post that I quoted. He's right. Think about how you hunt and the ranges afforded to you. One can make a reasonable decision based on those guidelines.
 
Forgot to add, I only run 2 lever rifles right now. Both Marlins. One a 336 in 35 Remington, and the other (a recent purchase) and 1894 Guide Gun in 44 Mag. Both will kill big game at the ranges I mentioned.

The reason for the recent purchase of the 44 Mag was that, as much as I love the 336 in 35 Remington, the gun that I own was my father's rifle that was bequeathed to me upon his death.

As much as I love that rifle, I can't take it out in good conscience on bad weather days. And I wanted a rifle that I can do that with. No fault of either rifle or cartridge combination.
 
Personally, if I hunt with a Lever I pull out my 7mm-08 BLR for deer and black bear. Wouldn't hesitate to use it on moose or elk but I got other rifles for that.

Yes, I know it's not considered to be a "larger" calibre, but IMO it's a good allround performer which is ahead of .45-70, 44 mag,... if shooting distance comes into play. Ymmv...
 
The lever gun and cartridge that really peaked my interest was the marlin 95 XLR I believe it was. Grey laminate and stainless chambered in 338 marlin. Apparently I was the only one who thought it was a sweet combo as it died out rather quickly. I never did get one but always wanted it.
I'm a fan of the 4570 but I believe the new 360bhmr offers superior ballistics for an all around lever gun. Still has punch up close yet shoots flat enough for most big game hunting. Using traditional cup and cor bullets of 358 diameter it's hard to argue against when it's a step up from the famed 35 rem

I love the 44 mag but it falls short of the hitting power the larger cases provide
 
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