semi vs lever

But if you really want a single shot I would recommend that you save a bit more and get a Ruger #1
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Ruger #1's don't do it for me I prefer a single shot that I can swap barrels on = a T/C Prohunter will get you into different barrel/cartridge combo's for all the hunting needs you will ever have.

I have 2 barrels for my Prohunter 30-06 and 375H&H these two can do the job on anything I ever need to hunt I have other combo's for predators so do not need a predator barrel for them but if I didn't I would score a 22-250 or 243 barrel as well.
 
Less recoil with semi. I love hunting with my puma 92 16" 44mag. Also love to hunt with a cz 858. Both are a dream in the bush, and a dream to carry
 
Im sure this is on another thread but ill ask anyways im hesitant to buy a gun online, but the savings are hard to pass up on the ee. Is there anyway that it is totally safe and they cant scam you? Is there any sites for guns and ammo that some would recomend sorry for all the newb questions
 
rydaeb, there is no way to be "totally safe". You can walk into a gun store and the salesman can rook you into purchasing a total dud. Ask the right questions. Record the information. Ask for their PAL number and check it out with the CFO for legitimacy.

I have bought and sold many firearms on the EE and have been very satisfied with the results. In many cases, you may be able to negotiate a bit with the seller/buyer - more so than at a store.

Now, back to the topic at hand. The action I shoot is pretty much dictated by the situation I am in. My answer to the OP's question is kind of complicated.

For shorter distance (under 200 yards) and bush work, I much prefer my 30-30 lever. It is light and compact. My second choice is my 308 due to it's shorter barrel. Oddly enough, my son really likes his M14 shorty to my bolt rifle, due to the decent accuracy, fast second shot and speed of reloading (when plinking or shooting at stumps due to boredom.

For longer distance, wide open country, I prefer my bolt - specifically my Lee Enfield and my Parker Hale (both of which were bought on the EE). I had a BAR which was accurate enough, but I hated the magazine system and pretty plastic on it. The Belgium BAR's are heavier as well, but still have that goofy floorplate/box magazine system. For a semi, I will use my tweeked M14 for shorter (300 yards) stuff, as I use the open sights on it. I used a pump for a while, but it made as much noise as the semi's - which is another reason I prefer a bolt for this situation - as I do not ever walk around with a round in the pipe - ever, mechanical safety or not.

For my truck gun, camping gun and general all purpose - my Marlin 30-30 336W wins hands down. I have never had a jam with it, it is accurate and for coyotes and other pesky varmints, I shoot an awesome 100 grain bullet out of it. For general purposes, I load up the Sierra 125 bullets. I can also load up a 150 or 170 grainer for pesky bears roaming into the campsite. It's a great noisemaker (2 shots) too for just scaring away bears - because the other four in the magazine will mean business. It is also quick to reload. In other words, the perfect solution - as 100 years of popularity will attest to.
 
Coachgun67 said:
Besides the quick follow up shot? None. A semi is limited to 5 rds,your lever is not.A semi is more work to clean,especially if it is a gas operated system.Semis don't like all kinds of ammo,while a lever,bolt or pump won't care.Usually a semi is more expensive,too. And hey,I'm not anti semi...I had 13 already (all sold).This is just my opinion.

CG
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Not all semi-autos are limited to 5 rounds; the M-1 Garand (I used to hunt with one before it was sold) is 8 rounds and mag fed rifles (RA XCR) can take pistol mags upping the round count to 10. I hunt in a province where mag capacity is not limited by hunting regs, just federal firearms laws. In the end though 5 rounds is more than enough unless the OP is hunting zombies. I have also found that semi-autos also have less recoil.
 
What is cfo? And thanks for all the help i think im gonna go with a bolt ruger american probably in 270 just not sure theres so many options and i just want them all haha
 
I shoot a pump and prefer it to a lever - your back hand stays anchored - I use the recoil to faciliate reloading when I have chambered the next round the gun has been leveled out and I am ready to shoot again. The only issue I have seen with a semi is that I have found people forget to aim and just shoot. Now we are talking deer hunting here - for moose I use a bolt - they are bigger targets and not quite as fast as the white tail!
 
sharp shooter said:
I have a Browning 30-06 semi that was made in Belgium. Amazing gun. Pulls up like a dream, and the recoil is much less than that of my bolt guns in the same cal. Haven't shot anything with it yet though....too pretty to take in the bush and scratch up...
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That's like a woman who is too hot to take to bed!
 
Everybody has to find out what works for them. I can't cycle a lever and stay on target. With my Rem. 760 pump it is much better. Having said that, my 700 bolt is more accurate, but not enough to make a difference. I sure can't stay on target cycling a bolt. From an offfhand or kneeling/sitting position with a shooting stick, they can both shoot better than I can. Never had problems cycling either of them. Auto will work fine, but you have to be anal about keeping the chamber clean. If you are shooting from prone position @ 300 Yds. the bolt is best.
 
My experience with semis is that guys who use them tend to miss a lot more shots than the guys with bolts. When they fire the firsts hot they are already thinking about the second and third.

When i fire the first shot I am thinking about making sure to eject the empty into my hand so I can put it in my pocket. I know the bullet went where it was intended and only one was a second called for.

If you think you need faster follow ups, the Rem pump is fast and very, very accurate.
 
I could never understand the need for more speed than what was offered by a lever gun. Multiple deer are no issue.
Not having a semi at the time, when I was invited to an informal three gun competition a number of years ago, I took my model 94 just for fun. Expecting to finish dead last by a long ways. Didn't happen! One of the ARs jammed, I was second last, and the next guy above me was not far above either.
I think the need for speed is greatly exaggerated. Semis are the fastest, no question, but in experienced hands, even a bolt gun can be fast enough. Practice is the key. Not just at the range, working the action of an unloaded rifle at home will both get you up to speed with staying on target, and slick the action.
 
I hunt with all sorts of stuff.

I've long preferred a semi due to the fact your next round cycles automatically and you never lose your hand positioning on the rifle, and for speed of follow-up shots. Reduced recoil is a nice bonus too, and it can be very noticeable on some models.

However, I do find that follow-up shots haven't actually been needed much in real life, and semi's do have some other, more minor things, that can be a little bit of a pain, like being more finicky about ammo that they like, and being a bit louder when cycling your first round, etc. The whole "maintenance" thing is so overblown as to be stupid, IMO; a fifteen minute cleaning once in the spring and once in the fall will keep 95% of semi's running like a top.

Levers are good too, but they also have plenty of parts that wetness, dirt and pine needles can fall into. No big deal really.

Bolts are more reliable than semi's or levers, but I have had them fail in the field too; nothing is 100%.

Failure rates on any well maintained action are generally super-low.

Singles, well, I consider them a bit of a speciality rifle for guys who just "like" them. Guys can hunt with them with tremendous effect, to be sure. I just don't know why someone would purposely chose a single shot over a repeater of any model, unless it was just for the fun of it or something. I tend to be a practical fellow, and I just can't see any practical reason to own a single; they aren't even cheaper than repeaters, which would be about the only reason I would get one, if they were dirt cheap.
 
Thanks for all the advice i think im going to comit to a bolt gun when i get back from the states. For some reason i just hate the idea of a pump rifle
 
I too am looking at either a semi or lever in a heavy hitter. The reason I am looking at one is beacuse I want something diffrent in the cabinet, currently own a ton of bolts in various makes and models, and a few model 94's. I used to own a Rem 742 but it was junk so I sold it. I am thinking about a Win model 100 in 308 or larger or possibly a Browning lever in 338.

I do a lot of diffrent kinds of hunting but I currently do not own a true "bush gun".

LS
 
Northman999 said:
Singles, well, I consider them a bit of a speciality rifle for guys who just "like" them. Guys can hunt with them with tremendous effect, to be sure. I just don't know why someone would purposely chose a single shot over a repeater of any model, unless it was just for the fun of it or something. I tend to be a practical fellow, and I just can't see any practical reason to own a single; they aren't even cheaper than repeaters, which would be about the only reason I would get one, if they were dirt cheap.
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I have no idea what you are referring to when you state tremendous effort totally lost me with that statement...

I also own/hunt with single actions because I like short fast handling carbines and can shoot single shots as fast as most can shoot bolts or lever actions.

I started with T/C Contender carbines and have now stepped up in performance to shortened to 22" barreled T/C Prohunters.
 
To the OP, it's all about what you prefer. Our military and LEO's use semi-auto's, so to say semi's are not reliable is a load of crap. I own an have owned many semi-auto's and have never found them to be unreliable what so ever. As for, guys that own semi's "spraynpray" hunting, again always said from a person who has never owned one. Less recoil is a plus, faster follow up on target. The only minus is the trigger's are not as smooth as would be with bolt guns, but practice can help you get used to it more. Walking around in thick bush in search of critters that might bite back, a short barrelled carbine semi-auto in 30-06 is a great tool for such tasks. I love mine, but I do have a Accustock Savage bolt-gun for taking long shots.
 
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