Lever Action deer rifles

maple_leaf_eh said:
Winchester found a niche market years ago selling lever actions with fancy finishes and clever packaging. They sold an eye-watering variety of barrel lengths, cartridges, magazine capacities, names and boxes. IMHO, these guns are like Franklin Mint plates or Beanie Babies - made to be sold and theoretically sold for a profit. Buyers would not shoot theirs because it would diminish the value in their eyes. But to go shoot a deer, they'd need to buy another rifle. Oh gosh, who would sell them one? WRA of course. Again IMHO, this was a coup for Winchester because they didn't have to repair these rifles, and it established a mystique of retained value for the brand.

However, there were so many different models sold that very few ever turned out to be worth the investment. As I've mentioned in the past, I examined the data for the shut-down Long Gun Registry. There seemed to be a significant number of RCMP, provincial, and centennial rifles in the gun lockers of my federal riding. It would have to be a very interesting rifle to get me to pay what the seller wanted.

If you found a commemorative on the consignment rack of your local gun store that stirs your heartstrings, and the price was tolerable, I suggest buying it. The current manufacturers' catalogues are not nearly as varied as the WRA commemoratives offered.
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Those commemorative rifles are worth premium if, they are pristine, pristine box, all the paperwork, matching box of ammo. Once you put a scratch in one or take a single shot, it's a model 94.....period.

I got out of too pretty to shoot rifles. Might just as well have a picture of one on the wall.
 
I did. They do shoot, waste of gun if you are not using it. Canadian Centenial 30-30, rifle. got my first deer with it back in the day.
 
ive got one Lever gun for deer hunting, nostalgia sake... nothing quite like hunting wit a tradational ol lever gun.

my flavour of choice was the .375 Winchester in a Model 94!

i love mine. its niche imo, sit an wait / tight bush scenerios--- often lacking the scope for any sort of open country hunting.
 
pre-64 Winchester 94 30-30, but having trouble with the open sights and ageing eyes
Marlin 1894 44mag, with red/green dot
Marlin 1895 444Marlin with Leupold Ultralight FX 2.5x20
 
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Highwind said:
It would be great if the manufacturers of lever guns would produce their rifles with the 24 inch barrels. Why not wring out a 100 or more FPS on the older calibers. Then add Lever Evolution projectiles for improved downrange distances and another 100 FPS. I do shoot the carbines with open sites - but a low powered scope is good too. Also, it's time for some of these companies to make left handed load and eject models. Afterall - they've made over 7 million copies of the right hand load and eject models. I'd readily order a 356 Winchester if it was offered again.
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I don't think Marlin's MXLR with the 24in barrel was a huge commercial success, so likely it stems from a cost/benefit analysis. I personally would prefer to lose the 100fps and have a rifle that carries and shoulders well. I just sold an older 1894 in 30 WCF 0from a friend's estate that had a 26" barrel. The overall balance felt weird, and I would gladly give up the speed for a 20in barrel.
 
I love levers in general, and have taken a bunch of deer and some other critters with them. I still think the BLR, especially the takedown, in .308 or .358 is very close to the ideal all-around hunting rig for deer-class game...even though I no longer own one.

As my gun collection is gradually thinned out, the lever that I use the most is my Marlin SBL .45-70, usually scoped with a low-power scope mounted low and just forward of the rear aperture. Amazing hunting rifle.

Close runner-up, if I am willing to forego the optics...and I'm usually not!...is a beautiful Winchester 1886 .45-70 takedown. I recently learned from a helpful CGN member that this gun's nice mods and alterations were performed by Ralf Martini, and he did a great job. It's a sweet shooter, even if my eyes aren't really capable of using it's irons to best advantage.

Finally, I have a nice shiny brass Henry .44mag Mare's Leg wearing a full-length buttstock. It's also not scoped, and has a Marble's Bullseye rear aperture sight replacing the standard rear notch. I keep saying that I will take a deer someday with it...but I have .45-70's, so why? It's taken a bunch of coyotes, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, possums, feral cats, ground squirrels, 'chucks and crows over the years, although it's never actually been hunted. It's just a super-fun-to-shoot backyard pest gun; almost all kills were less than 50 yards, a few stretched to 100. In fact, this gun is what eventually convinced me I didn't need to keep a .22mag around; it basically serves the same function to me, and it's a ton more satisfying to use and shoot. I'd keep it to 100-125 yards max if I ever use it on deer.
 
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Another vote for the Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.

I inherited one this year, as well as a Winchester model 88 in 308 Winchester. Both were my late fathers. I had hoped not to inherit them for another decade or so, but fate had other plans.

The Winchester, I'm going to leave as my father had it set up and hunt a few nice days a year with it, just the way it is. This was his primary rifle and I can't bring myself to #### around with it just yet.

The Marlin, I'm going to put a rail and a red dot on it and use it as a bear/deer rifle. I lucked into 6 boxes of Winchester 200gr RNSP at a Canadian tire the other day. I haven't seen it on the shelf anywhere in the better part of a decade, so I figured I'd stock up. After having looked up the same stuff on arsenal force, it seems as though I got a good deal at 50$/box.

After looking at those ammo prices, maybe I'd recommend the 336 in 30-30 instead :sok2.
 
JLindsay said:
Hey all
New to the site, and am currently looking into a new lever action deer rifle. What are you guys using?
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My personal favourite is the Marlin 1895 444Marlin. But, reloading components & factory ammo are hard to come by and expensive when you do. I seen a box of 444Marlin Remington ammo at a LGS on Saturday for $94.99/ box of 20.
I like the 444Marlin round so much I bought a SS CVA Scout in 444Marlin to use as my 'Foul Weather' rifle. The 265gr Hornady FN bullet or the 270gr Speer DC's are my 2 favourite 444 bullets.
The Hornady bullet has been discontinued and I haven't seen a 270gr Speer in 3+ years. I'm so glad I stocked up when I did.
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Marlin 1895 444Marlin c/w Vortex Diamondback 2-7*35 BDC
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Marlin 1894 44Mag/44Spl c/w Vortex Diamondback 2-7*35 Rimfire

My most shot lever is the Marlin 1894 44Mag/44Spl,(uses same bullets as the 444Marlin) followed closely by the Marlin 1894 357Mag/38Spl. Reloading components are 'relatively' easy to come by and inexpensive to shoot regularly.
A few weeks ago, I added another pistol calibre lever, a 24" SS Oct barrel Rossi R92 357Mag/38Spl.
The pistol calibre rounds work on deer within their effective range. I use more for ringing steel.

Marlin 'Safety' 1894 25-20Win another one with hard to source ammo & components. A little small by today's standards, but the Jordan Buck, I believe, is still on record as the biggest whitetail buck taken in the 'continental' US, #3 over all. My 25-20 was a teenager when the Jordan buck was taken. I lug it around for coyote protection when walking the dog in my max. 0.275 county.
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Quarter Bore rounds, modern 25-06Rem beside an old Dominion 'copper washed' 25-20Win round.

Marlin 336XLR 308ME, it's my fastest, flattest shooting lever, it's another one with hard to source components and ammo. I have managed to squirrel away enough components to out last me.

Marlin 336RC 32Spl, factory ammo is as scarce as the reloading components. But I have been able slowly pick stuff up.

Marlin 336RC 35Rem, factory ammo has been available seasonally, 35Rem brass is unobtanium. 35Rem is the only rifle I don't have & can't buy new brass for. Recent changes to the Ruger/Marlin site no longer mentions the 35Rem. Because of US straight wall hunting laws and similar ballistics, I think the 35Legend will kill off all hopes of a 35Rem revival. ATM Henry's the only one making a lever in 35Legend.

Marlin 30AS 30-30Win. The 30-30Win has been a proven deer killer for over a century. IMO there's more ammo and reloading components (except primers) available for the 30-30Win than any other bottle necked lever.

If your hunting/shooting regularly at distances over 100yds the 30-30Win would be my recommendation.
If your hunting/shooting regularly at distances less than 100yds the 44Mag would be my recommendation.
If your shooting for fun, like ringing gongs, get a Ruger-Marlin 1894 in 44Mag. Nothing says mag dump like shooting 10 - 44Mag rounds as fast as you can at AR500 steel, at 15-20yds

I hear them calling!
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Their 40ish yards from the back door.
Think I'll get the new Rossi out for a couple or three mags today.
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24" Oct Barrel Rossi R92 357Mag/38Spl
Since the 18.5" Marlin 1894C 357mag/38Spl comes out of safe before the Rossi, it will get to 'ring' in the New Year as well. ;)
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1952, Marlin 336 RC (waffle top) in 30/30 Win, Williams FP peep and a fibre optic front bead.

Pre ‘81 Browning BLR in .358 Win. Scoped with a VX2 Leupold 2-7x
 
I was at the range today shooting a Uberti 1876 SRC in .45-60, a Miroku 1873 in God’s calibre .44-40 and a 1950s Marlin 336A in .32 Special. The .45-60 and .44-40 were shooing 3F and home cast bullets and the .32 Special was using Winchester factory rounds as I haven’t started casting for it yet. All are very capable big game combinations within their limitations and by limitations I mean me, the shooter. I have lots of modern rifles and I use them too but I really enjoy the added challenge of the levers and open sights. On a different day it might be a .33 WCF or a .348. Use what you enjoy but can shoot acceptably within the ranges you expect. I was in NL this fall with a friend and he used a 7mm mag which worked great but my .348 would have worked just as well on every animal that we saw that week. You just have to accept that hunting large open areas and 200+ yard shots are not an option. I prefer getting closer anyways even when using a modern rifle.
 
QueensHorseman said:
I was at the range today shooting a Uberti 1876 SRC in .45-60, a Miroku 1873 in God's calibre .44-40 and a 1950s Marlin 336A in .32 Special. The .45-60 and .44-40 were shooing 3F and home cast bullets and the .32 Special was using Winchester factory rounds as I haven’t started casting for it yet. All are very capable big game combinations within their limitations and by limitations I mean me, the shooter. I have lots of modern rifles and I use them too but I really enjoy the added challenge of the levers and open sights. On a different day it might be a .33 WCF or a .348. Use what you enjoy but can shoot acceptably within the ranges you expect. I was in NL this fall with a friend and he used a 7mm mag which worked great but my .348 would have worked just as well on every animal that we saw that week. You just have to accept that hunting large open areas and 200+ yard shots are not an option. I prefer getting closer anyways even when using a modern rifle.
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Close, but I'm pretty sure God had an 1873 in 45 Colt on his hip and an 1886 in 45-70 in the scabbard under his right leg. LOL
 
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