All arounder decisions....

22" Marlin 1895 in .45-70 with a Leupold 2-7 variable like phib says or the Marlin .444 with same scope.

As for the BLR yes they are ugly pregant guppy looking things but i did enjoy my .308 I found the .30-06 in a BLR as well as all the other BLR long actions clunky cycling wise to beat hell.
 
Of course, I would go with the .45/70 and heavy handloads, a 22" or longer barrel unless the Guide Gun really turns your crank. The big loop lever pictured is actually quite functional, when using heavy loads in the 45/70 or the bigger Alaskan series, your hand/knuckles can take a real beating from recoil, cramped inside a small lever, especially when your hands get cold. A larger DRG lever would be the first change I would make on a new big lever gun.
 
I'd get the 308MX or XLR version and feed it 150 gr TSX flatnose. Would be a good rig and you could get 2700 fps, not far off a 308 Win...although the bullet isnt as efficient in flight
 
I just threw up a little.

life's to short to own something so fugly as a BLR

Meh... That's quite subjective as thousands of BLR owners would disagree. Besides, why desire a stone thrower (.45-70) for longer range shooting? What do you do when a moose is standing at 300 yards? Should you walk across the swamp and hope he's still there waiting for you? That's about the poorest choice one can have for that kind of hunting.

Then there's those beautiful rounds destined for obscurity as you walk out the door of the gun shop(i.e. 308 Marlin). Why the heck would anyone want that? I have enough trouble trying to feed my 7.62 x 54R and there are tons of those rifles out there. Imagine the few .308 Marlins sold and that will be sold.

To each his own I suppose. Not for me.
 
Then there's those beautiful rounds destined for obscurity as you walk out the door of the gun shop(i.e. 308 Marlin). Why the heck would anyone want that? I have enough trouble trying to feed my 7.62 x 54R and there are tons of those rifles out there. Imagine the few .308 Marlins sold and that will be sold.

To each his own I suppose. Not for me.

I keep hearing that argument over and over ad nauseum. The .25-06....great wildcat, but who will buy it as a factory rifle? .35 Whelen? Who the heck would ever want one of those? .260 Remington? It'll never catch on! Sometimes a bit of faith in a good product is required.
 
Meh... That's quite subjective as thousands of BLR owners would disagree. Besides, why desire a stone thrower (.45-70) for longer range shooting? What do you do when a moose is standing at 300 yards? Should you walk across the swamp and hope he's still there waiting for you? That's about the poorest choice one can have for that kind of hunting.

.


you get closer. you stalk. you become a hunter.

you're going to have to cross that swamp to get him either way ;)
 
Have you thought about a used Winchester 94 Big Bore in .307 or .356 Win? Either one would fill the bill, with the .356 probably coming close to perfect for this application. I'd hesitate to go with the .308Marlin, as the cartridge hasn't caught on yet, and ammo and brass may dry up. Winchester still makes .307 and .356 brass, and you can find rifles in this caliber if you look hard, and they are usually affordable.

The .356, loaded with 180 or 200gr flatpoints would be great for deer, and for shooting moose 220gr and 250gr bullets would work very well.
 
another vote for the 444. if you're getting a brand new one the xlr looks nice. had a .356, it was nice too. i also have a remington 673 in .350, can't complain about that one either. 45-70, no thanks;)

if you're lucky, this thread will devolve into yet another 444 vs 45-70 thread :D:stirthepot2:
 
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Thanks for all the responses, I have been crazy busy, and I just had a chance to go through them all.
The thing about the guide version is that we hunt in very thick bush. The likelyhood of me getting a shot at something further out than 100 yards is very slim. Most shots will be within 50 - 75 yards. In fact the only thing that got shot this year at our camp was a doe at about 20 feet with a 30-30. :)
If its out of range we just get closer.
I was looking at the 450 and 45-70xlr ones that are geared towards shooting the Soft point Leverevoloution rounds...has anyone here shot normal rounds out of them? Do they still work well or is that rifling geared strictly for those rounds?

As for the scope, yes my eyes suck ass so I need a scope for anything outside of 100 yards.

I would likely carry without a scope for the first year and see how it goes.

Yep I want something a bit more impactful than a 30/30 can provide if Black bear and moose were not on the table than I would go with a 30/30.

As for a BLR if I didn't think they looked like a can of smashed #######s I would already have one chambered in 30-06 or 308. Plus I have heard they have awkward actions.
 
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