Are lever action good/legit hunting rifles ??

OkayShooter said:
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...
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I think it might be worth mentioning that, while almost any cartridge can indeed be downloaded into a "mouse fart" by a competent handloader, the .45-70 is one of relatively few cartridges that can be purchased over the counter in a wide variety of power levels. If a new owner is not yet into reloading...or perhaps never will be...he can buy one of the Trapdoor-level factory loads that is safe in any rifle and is very tame and sedate. If he wants to do battle with dinosaurs...he can buy that type of load right off the shelf as well.

And, honestly, I think that the intervening years just might have helped turn the memory of an ouchie on the shoulder into the "memory" of being pushed back three feet by a rifle shot. To be pushed back three feet would indicate that your leading foot took a step back...and then your other foot also took a step back...and then likely your leading food took another step back. Did that really happen?

A typical .45-70 hunting load will produce much less felt recoil than a typical 12-gauge hunting load. Guys shoot a box or more of 12-gauge hunting loads in a morning of standing in a duck or goose blind, and don't seem to be crippled by it...but then they shoot a couple of rounds through a rifle off the bench and reach for the Advil, even though the recoil energy is less. Shooting position matters; stock fit matters; and most importantly, mental outlook matters.

Recoil is largely in the mind. If you "know" it's gonna hurt...you're right, it will. Too many "know" it only because they were told by someone else. Did the OP come up with the idea that a .45-70 would "just blow a deer to pieces" completely out of his imagination? Did he decide that it "may knock me on my arse" all on his own? Nope; he just read too many horror stories from other people, who read too many from others still.
 
OkayShooter said:
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.
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well, seeing as how you took offence to the statement I made regarding my granddaughter capable of shooting my rifle, I feel its safe to assume that you are also afraid of the 45-70, which explains your comments. By the way, I never implied anything, the only one who used the word "pussy" was you....
It sounds as if you have has a few bad experiences with rifles, for others entertainment. First impressions tend to stick.
 
Lever actions are legitimate hunting rifles.(spanning 3 centuries - 1800's, 1900's and now 2000's)
Dependent upon your needs and desires, and the game and terrain that you hunt, will determine which cartridge you should be looking for that lever in.
The ol' 30-30 has accounts for a wide variety of game in north america over the decades , so obviously it works. Dependent upon the make and model, you can shoot them with the factory open sights, add a peep or ghost ring sight for more accurate shooting (as most are installed at the rear of the action, this extends the sighting plane from the barrel mounted rear sight, which improves the accuracy, and then on many models you can mount a scope.
The 30-30 has also accounted for bear, moose, caribou, elk, and grizzly bear in this part of the world. Wouldn't be surprised if sheep and mountain goat have also been taken with 30-30s as well.

There are numerous other cartridges that work very well for big game hunting too. Some are common/uncommon such as 243 Win, 25-35 Win, 250 Savage (or 250-3000), 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 7 Rem Mag, 307/308 Win, 30-06, 300Win/WSM, 303 British, 325 WSM, 308 and 338 Marlin Express, 357 Mag, 356/358Win, 38-55/375 Win, 405 Win, 41 Rem Mag, 44-40, 44 Mag, 444 Marlin, 45-70 , as well as a host of more obsolete cartridges (25-20, 33 WCF, 40-65, etc.). So as you can see, there are cartridges that span a wide variety of capacities for various big game and terrain hunting scenarios.
The joy is in the choosing and acquiring those that suit your needs and desires!

The key is knowing the capabilities of the rifle/cartridge, and staying within its limits.
(I know of one article where a noted gun writer took a mountain goat at 600 yards with a BLR in 300 WSM - while not the 30-30, it does show that a scoped lever is capable of more than some would assume)

While some will say that a scoped lever is wrong, there gets to be a point in life as we age, where our eyes do not resolve the open sights against our target as well as they did when we were younger, and the scoped lever becomes a measure of improving our ability to aim and accurately place a bullet on target.
This allows to continue to enjoy and use the lever action rifle for hunting for many more years! And while not as quick, it can assist by helping find our target in the thick brush too, so that we can get a shot on that deer that you cannot see clearly without the scope.
Just stick to lower power scopes that provide larger fields of view and light gathering for this work in the thick brush and/or low light conditions.

I started my big game hunting career with a lever action in 30-30 (my first whitetail doe with my grandfather's Marlin when I was 15, my first black bear with my Dad's Winchester when I was 17). Today, most of my levers are Marlins and Winchesters (94s and 88s), and a Browning pre-81 BLR ( I prefer the straight grip models).
Since then I have taken game (deer, black bear, moose, caribou, and elk) with levers in 308 Win, 338 Federal, 358 Win, and 375 Win.
I also own, and have owned lever actions in 218 Bee, 243 Win, 250 Savage, 7mm-08, 284 Win, 338 Marlin Express, 35 Rem, 348 Win, 356 Win, 41 Rem Mag, 444 Marlin and .410.

The great appeal to the lever action is how light and handy they are to carry while hunting, how quick and handy they are to get into action when needed, how accurate they are to shoot (almost all of mine will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards so are as accurate as many bolt action rifles), how effective they are at harvesting game when the shot is placed accurately in the vitals, and most importantly how much fun they are to shoot!
They may not be everyone's "thing", but for the millions of hunters that have used them for well over 100 years, they are a great firearms that have made countless memories for generations of men and women!

Get one and start your adventure into this area of hunting and shooting that has a legacy that would be hard to rival!
Best of luck!
 
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They are legit hunting rifles. If you are set on a Henry 30-30 get that. There's nothing wrong with the 3030, especially with modern ammo.

Don't discount the browning BLR if you can handle the look (I like the look but some don't). I'd splurge on the takedown version because it helps cleaning it quite a bit. You can get it in modern cartridges like 308 or 6.5 CM and, unlike most other levers, in standard and Magnum length cartridges if that what floats your boat.

I hunt almost exclusively with levers, and I scope (or red dot) most of them. Started with a savage 99 in 308 then moved on to a 358 BLR t/d and finally a stainless 358 BLR t/d. It's the rifle I find myself reaching for almost all of the time. I also have a SS t/d BLR in 450 marlin that is a fun, practical rifle.
 
BlackRam said:
Lever actions are legitimate hunting rifles.(spanning 3 centuries - 1800's, 1900's and now 2000's)
Dependent upon your needs and desires, and the game and terrain that you hunt, will determine which cartridge you should be looking for that lever in.
The ol' 30-30 has accounts for a wide variety of game in north america over the decades , so obviously it works. Dependent upon the make and model, you can shoot them with the factory open sights, add a peep or ghost ring sight for more accurate shooting (as most are installed at the rear of the action, this extends the sighting plane from the barrel mounted rear sight, which improves the accuracy, and then on many models you can mount a scope.
The 30-30 has also accounted for bear, moose, caribou, elk, and grizzly bear in this part of the world. Wouldn't be surprised if sheep and mountain goat have also been taken with 30-30s as well.

There are numerous other cartridges that work very well for big game hunting too. Some are common/uncommon such as 243 Win, 25-35 Win, 250 Savage (or 250-3000), 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 7 Rem Mag, 307/308 Win, 30-06, 300Win/WSM, 303 British, 325 WSM, 308 and 338 Marlin Express, 357 Mag, 356/358Win, 38-55/375 Win, 405 Win, 41 Rem Mag, 44-40, 44 Mag, 444 Marlin, 45-70 , as well as a host of more obsolete cartridges (25-20, 33 WCF, 40-65, etc.). So as you can see, there are cartridges that span a wide variety of capacities for various big game and terrain hunting scenarios.
The joy is in the choosing and acquiring those that suit your needs and desires!

The key is knowing the capabilities of the rifle/cartridge, and staying within its limits.
(I know of one article where a noted gun writer took a mountain goat at 600 yards with a BLR in 300 WSM - while not the 30-30, it does show that a scoped lever is capable of more than some would assume)

While some will say that a scoped lever is wrong, there gets to be a point in life as we age, where our eyes do not resolve the open sights against our target as well as they did when we were younger, and the scoped lever becomes a measure of improving our ability to aim and accurately place a bullet on target.
This allows to continue to enjoy and use the lever action rifle for hunting for many more years! And while not as quick, it can assist by helping find our target in the thick brush too, so that we can get a shot on that deer that you cannot see clearly without the scope.
Just stick to lower power scopes that provide larger fields of view and light gathering for this work in the thick brush and/or low light conditions.

I started my big game hunting career with a lever action in 30-30 (my first whitetail doe with my grandfather's Marlin when I was 15, my first black bear with my Dad's Winchester when I was 17). Today, most of my levers are Marlins and Winchesters (94s and 88s), and a Browning pre-81 BLR ( I prefer the straight grip models).
Since then I have taken game (deer, black bear, moose, caribou, and elk) with levers in 308 Win, 338 Federal, 358 Win, and 375 Win.
I also own, and have owned lever actions in 218 Bee, 243 Win, 250 Savage, 7mm-08, 284 Win, 338 Marlin Express, 35 Rem, 348 Win, 356 Win, 41 Rem Mag, 444 Marlin and .410.

The great appeal to the lever action is how light and handy they are to carry while hunting, how quick and handy they are to get into action when needed, how accurate they are to shoot (almost all of mine will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards so are as accurate as many bolt action rifles), how effective they are at harvesting game when the shot is placed accurately in the vitals, and most importantly how much fun they are to shoot!
They may not be everyone's "thing", but for the millions of hunters that have used them for well over 100 years, they are a great firearms that have made countless memories for generations of men and women!

Get one and start your adventure into this area of hunting and shooting that has a legacy that would be hard to rival!
Best of luck!
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This fer sure on my end.;)
 
Why is it so hard pressed to find a lever action Henry x 30-30 in Canada ??? And the few used ones I’ve seen are like 2500$ upto 3400$ cdn ???
 
BrownR said:
Why is it so hard pressed to find a lever action Henry x 30-30 in Canada ??? And the few used ones I’ve seen are like 2500$ upto 3400$ cdn ???
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Prices on all levers have gone absolutely retarded. $400 beat up 30-30 is selling for $1200, Marlin 45-70's advertised for $2500... WTF
 
Well that’s stupid in my opinion, being as the prices for them Henry x 30-30 is like 1100-1300$ new, and the marlin is around the e same price if not a tad cheaper. That’s right from the gun store new but NOBODY has em in stock though ugh

I’m too interested in spending 2-3x their value new for a used one from someone lol
 
For those looking for a 45-70, Marstar and Cabelas both show stock for Pedersoli levers. The shadow can be had for $1840 (or about $100 more at Marstar).
 
BrownR said:
Well that’s stupid in my opinion, being as the prices for them Henry x 30-30 is like 1100-1300$ new, and the marlin is around the e same price if not a tad cheaper. That’s right from the gun store new but NOBODY has em in stock though ugh

I’m too interested in spending 2-3x their value new for a used one from someone lol
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I'm with ya on that!
Sure new ones are supposedly cheaper, but there is none to be had.... kinda like primers-- What should be worth about $80/brick are selling for up to $500/brick, simply because there is none available....
Supply and demand
 
One of my best hunting buds is a lefty and uses a BLR on account of its kinda ambi. Has done very well with it
 
Mr.Rigpig said:
I'm with ya on that!
Sure new ones are supposedly cheaper, but there is none to be had.... kinda like primers-- What should be worth about $80/brick are selling for up to $500/brick, simply because there is none available....
Supply and demand
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Bunch of hog wash in my opinion!!! Can thank that idiot of a PM for all of this and the price gouging !! :mad:
 
Johnn Peterson said:
I have a few lever guns. To start with, for my tastes, I prefer an external hammer on my lever guns. I've had a couple 99 Savages and Winchester 88's. Presently, have three Marlins. An old 1894 in 44-40, a 45-70 GBL and a 444S. A short while back, I picked up a model 95 Winchester in 303Br. But, in lever guns, the favorite lever gun & calibre combo, and my pride and joy is my Winchester model 71 deluxe in 348WCF. I did have a standard grade 71 but when I saw this deluxe at a local gun show, I NEEDED it.
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Yeah, your 71 is definitely nicer than my 71.
 
I have not read all 10 pages of this thread so maybe it has already been stated that tubular magazines suck the big one. They limit you to a mediochre bullet selection and when it comes time to empty your rifle, like for lunch or at the end of the day, you're cycling them all out into your hat behind a cocked hammer. My first center fire was a '94 in .32 Win Special, and I still have a Marlin '93 .38-55 because it is a family heirloom. But decidedly not a fan of levers without a box or rotary magazine.
 
Londonshooter said:
I have not read all 10 pages of this thread so maybe it has already been stated that tubular magazines suck the big one. They limit you to a mediochre bullet selection and when it comes time to empty your rifle, like for lunch or at the end of the day, you're cycling them all out into your hat behind a cocked hammer. My first center fire was a '94 in .32 Win Special, and I still have a Marlin '93 .38-55 because it is a family heirloom. But decidedly not a fan of levers without a box or rotary magazine.
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That’s the great thing about Henry levers, remove the mag tube and unload your rounds. No need to cycle them thru the chamber and out the ejection port.
 
Zulu10 said:
That’s the great thing about Henry levers, remove the mag tube and unload your rounds. No need to cycle them thru the chamber and out the ejection port.
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Ah, thanks for enlightening me about the Henry's, Zulu10. One of the few unintentional discharges I have seen was a guy trying to clear his model 94. Another was a Voere bolt action that when you removed the box mag you also removed the trigger guard. Stupid design.
 
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