Big bore levers

HChammer

HChammer

CGN Regular
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Location
Pretty close to North Bay Ontario
Thinking about buying a larger caliber lever and I'm wondering which one I'll have better luck finding ammo on a regular basis. I'm thinking .356 .375.

I thought I could fill my desire with a BLR but I still find myself coveting every 94XTR and AE on the EE
 
BLR's are great rifles unless you like to tinker. Built like swiss watch. New model Winchesters are really nice with a price to follow. Marlin and Henry are very functional and easy to disassemble for cleaning and for those curious folks!
45-70 is the go to big bore cartridge for sure. Plenty of ammo; easy to reload up or down in smack down power. 450 Marlin, currently available in the BLR is an awesome cartridge with availability seemingly coming back as I am finding more readily available. It is essentially a hot loaded 45-70 in terms of ballistics. Different case though than the 45-70 (rimless as opposed to rimmed).
I shoot at the Rock Cut every now and then if you want to meet up. I can bring along a couple examples you might find interesting. Send me a pm.
 
Kevan said:


My original Browning 1886 45-70, an anniversary gift bought by my Dear Wife over 20 years ago.
Probably my most cherished rifle.
Click to expand...

Another handsome rifle in your collection, Kevan! Thanks for sharing.

To the OP, 375 Win (both the rifle and the ammo) will definitely be easier to track down than 356 Win. That being said, neither are really "big bores" in the realm of lever guns. I'd actually be more tempted to look to either a Winchester or Marlin in 444 if I had the hankering (which I do!)

Another big bore levergun that I've really wanted to land some time is a Winchester or Marlin rechambered to 50 Alaskan: http://www.leverguns.com/articles/anderson/50_alaskan.htm

50alaskan1.jpg

I've always had a hankering for
 
I've owned 94's in 375 and 356 win . Nice rifles and useful calibers , unfortunately components ( brass ) and loaded ammo is hard to come by . I currently own a Marlin 1895 in 45/70 , as BigUglyMan points out , the logical choice in the end . Lot's of ammo available and , if you reload , a more versatile round . If you like the BLR , there are lots around in 358 win . It's a great round , I'm building one right now on a savage short action bolt , that will do anything the 356 or 375 win will do . To be honest , it'll probably do it better IMHO .
 
375 vote. Mild big bore.

Let me elaborate..


Its not a huge hole as some but its still .375 projectile at a very modest speed which offers a shooter reasonably mild recoil for the win 94s ever so generous recoil pads, 375 bullets off all sorts an not ll suitable but with some tinkering even the pointiest bullet cnn be made to shoot accurate enough to the next for a Hunt with such setup! The RN and FN 220gr is nothing to stand infront of for Any NA Big game, in my opinion.

Penetration is superiour than the 444 !

I load mine at 38-55 pressures and therefor velocity is in the 1800-1900 range and it is pin holing sambar hinds, yet to trap a Hard cast or Hornady.

Keep the dream alive.

WL
 
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Buddy of mine called me this past winter to say a local hardware/lumber store he deals with was dropping it's ammo license and was clearing off all their ammo at cost to get it gone. So I drive the half hour to go check it out and damned if they didn't have six boxes of .356 and two boxes of .307 Big Bore 94 ammo. Cost me $13.72/box!! They must have had the stuff on the shelves since the late 80's or early 90's. I also picked up a half case of .303 British and 4 boxes .223 all at cost and all Winchester ammo, though the . 303 and .223 was much newer but I still bought it all at under $20/box. I no longer own a Big Bore 94, I used to have one I bought new in 1987 in .356 but after my Grandfather gave me his Model 71 .348 I didn't see a need for the .356. Needless to say it didn't take long to move the big bore and 303 ammo. I kept the .223 since I have a Ruger mini 14 ranch rifle. I sold the other stuff for enough to give me the .223 ammo free including the gas for my trip.
 
Northern Amateur said:
BLR's are great rifles unless you like to tinker. Built like swiss watch. New model Winchesters are really nice with a price to follow. Marlin and Henry are very functional and easy to disassemble for cleaning and for those curious folks!
45-70 is the go to big bore cartridge for sure. Plenty of ammo; easy to reload up or down in smack down power. 450 Marlin, currently available in the BLR is an awesome cartridge with availability seemingly coming back as I am finding more readily available. It is essentially a hot loaded 45-70 in terms of ballistics. Different case though than the 45-70 (rimless as opposed to rimmed).
I shoot at the Rock Cut every now and then if you want to meet up. I can bring along a couple examples you might find interesting. Send me a pm.
Click to expand...


The 450 Marlin appears to be the exact same rifle as the 45-70, just a little different bored chamber.
So I look on the 450 as completely redundant. Just load up the Marlin 45-70 to equal it, if you so desire and can stand the recoil.
 
I have three levers over 40 cal, and they all fill a niche.

A Marlin 336 in 44 magnum. This is a deer gun, like every other 336. But it can be easily downloaded and shot with cheap campros, which is what I do.
A henry 4570. As powerful as you will find outside of a Turnbull custom, can be loaded with 400 grainer jacketed bullets for real power.
And my favorite, a stainless Ross in 454 casull. I shoot cheap cast 45 colts in this gun, but full boat 454 loads get your attention, the recoil isn't bad, but I find the light guns likes to jump in my hands.
 
The Winchester Model 71 in 348 is my all time favorite. Probably largely due to sentiment but it is the smoothest lever gun I have ever used, balances perfect and the 348 is a great cartridge. Just presents a small challenge in finding components. And good luck finding loaded ammo if you are not a hand loader. It can also be a challenge to find a rifle. My go to pack rifle is a Marlin 1895M 450 Marlin. I would have gone 45-70 just for component availability but it was a gift and is basically the same. I am sticking with it. I will concede it is redundant but so are 90% of the cartridges introduced in the past fifty years. Buy one of each; you can't go wrong that way.
 
I picked up a 1895M a few months ago and I really like how easy it is to disassemble and clean. I just need to get out more and shoot it. I was wanting a 45-70 but i couldn't resist the deal of the 450 Marlin.
 
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