Suggestions for easily scopable lever action?

I've had and used a bunch of Marlin and Glenfield levers, 20 of them in various configurations (RC, SC, C, Texans etc) in various cartridges including 22lr, 30-30, 32 Win Spl, 308 MX, 35 Rem and 444 Marlin. They are nice rifles, fun to shoot and effective to hunt with. They are easily scoped with your choice of optic power. Also, the design is so simple you can easily take them completely apart for cleaning, repair etc. and parts if needed are readily available.

They're all gone now, I sold them all over the past couple of years.

My lever choice is the pistol gripped Browning BLR Lightweight. IMHO the BLR is a great platform for a hunting rifle, light, accurate and reliable. The trigger can be heavy but in my experience it is perfectly smooth in the adrenalinized heat of a hunting moment. I've got them in 243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win and 358 Win which covers any hunting situation I'll experience. The BLR is also easily scoped. The only downside, the action is not disassembly friendly so they need to be cleaned from the muzzle (carefully).

Top to bottom: 358 Win, 308 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 243 Win

View attachment 82795View attachment 82796

358 Win
View attachment 82797

308 Win
View attachment 82798

7mm-08 Rem
View attachment 82799

243 Win
View attachment 82800

Very nice
 
I've had and used a bunch of Marlin and Glenfield levers, 20 of them in various configurations (RC, SC, C, Texans etc) in various cartridges including 22lr, 30-30, 32 Win Spl, 308 MX, 35 Rem and 444 Marlin. They are nice rifles, fun to shoot and effective to hunt with. They are easily scoped with your choice of optic power. Also, the design is so simple you can easily take them completely apart for cleaning, repair etc. and parts if needed are readily available.

They're all gone now, I sold them all over the past couple of years.

My lever choice is the pistol gripped Browning BLR Lightweight. IMHO the BLR is a great platform for a hunting rifle, light, accurate and reliable. The trigger can be heavy but in my experience it is perfectly smooth in the adrenalinized heat of a hunting moment. I've got them in 243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win and 358 Win which covers any hunting situation I'll experience. The BLR is also easily scoped. The only downside, the action is not disassembly friendly so they need to be cleaned from the muzzle (carefully).

Top to bottom: 358 Win, 308 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 243 Win

View attachment 82795View attachment 82796

358 Win
View attachment 82797

308 Win
View attachment 82798

7mm-08 Rem
View attachment 82799

243 Win
View attachment 82800

Bet things could git very interesting on barrel stamp vs case head stamps?
 
I've had and used a bunch of Marlin and Glenfield levers, 20 of them in various configurations (RC, SC, C, Texans etc) in various cartridges including 22lr, 30-30, 32 Win Spl, 308 MX, 35 Rem and 444 Marlin. They are nice rifles, fun to shoot and effective to hunt with. They are easily scoped with your choice of optic power. Also, the design is so simple you can easily take them completely apart for cleaning, repair etc. and parts if needed are readily available.

They're all gone now, I sold them all over the past couple of years.

My lever choice is the pistol gripped Browning BLR Lightweight. IMHO the BLR is a great platform for a hunting rifle, light, accurate and reliable. The trigger can be heavy but in my experience it is perfectly smooth in the adrenalinized heat of a hunting moment. I've got them in 243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win and 358 Win which covers any hunting situation I'll experience. The BLR is also easily scoped. The only downside, the action is not disassembly friendly so they need to be cleaned from the muzzle (carefully).

Top to bottom: 358 Win, 308 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 243 Win

View attachment 82795View attachment 82796

358 Win
View attachment 82797

308 Win
View attachment 82798

7mm-08 Rem
View attachment 82799

243 Win
View attachment 82800

It's kinda funny, I've actually gone the opposite way from you divesting myself of my blr 308 and getting into Marlins for all the reasons you stated. They are simple, reliable, accurate hunting rifles and easy to work on. I really wanted to like the browning blr, it should be the 'perfect' lever gun for those of us so inclined, but I just couldn't ever warm up to it. Now I've found happiness and contentment in my Marlins :)

Too bad I didn't know you were doing the swap, maybe I could have traded you my BLR 308 for one of your Marlins, maybe a 444 ! :)
 
There is also the Win mod 88 which is a great functioning and one of the best looking leverguns on the market. Scopeable and detachable magazine in 243, 308 and if you're really lucky 284. Then there is the high end and almost hens tooth Sako Finnwolf, probably one of the finest leverguns ever made.

This is so true. Unfortunately, to find a decent Finnwolf is next to impossible, and then IF you do, prepare to pay premium coin for it.
The M88 Winchester was also a great levergun. Had a firing pin recall, but otherwise, a very fine rifle.
FWIW, I consider the Brownings and the Savage 99s very "unattractive". Dave.
 
This is so true. Unfortunately, to find a decent Finnwolf is next to impossible, and then IF you do, prepare to pay premium coin for it.
The M88 Winchester was also a great levergun. Had a firing pin recall, but otherwise, a very fine rifle.
FWIW, I consider the Brownings and the Savage 99s very "unattractive". Dave.

I feel much the same. While I've had a few 99 Savages and a couple of Winchester 88s, to my eye, a lever gun doesn't 'look right' unless it has an exposed hammer.
 
I feel much the same. While I've had a few 99 Savages and a couple of Winchester 88s, to my eye, a lever gun doesn't 'look right' unless it has an exposed hammer.

I think your old age is starting to show through there Johnn. I may be a Fudd from way back but I am a sucker for a 99 Savage. That I don't have one yet is a curious bit of circumstance.
 
Haha Biggly'un..............yer blind iff'in you think them 99's arrr suckerable.

I guess I'm tern'in into an old kewt too as some young gal cashier gave me
my first.........................................seanyores dizzkownt.

Daggnabbitt....................................:p
 
I agree completely with Johnn...a lever without a hammer just isn't right. I've had a Finnwolf; terrific rifle, but just couldn't warm up to it. I've had a couple of 99's; same thing with them...except that they are even uglier!

So...I think that I'm agreeing with Looky...'cause I'm fairly certain that he said that too...but one can never tell for sure...:)
 
Old eyes here.

I have an 1895SBL and I use a red dot for my eyes. It doesn't look traditional or pretty but it works damn good.

This ^^^ - I have both my 444 Marlin and 308 BLR Stainless Take-down with scopes. Old eyes and open sights to align front post with rear cut don't make for accuracy, so I was forced to compensate :rolleyes:. Marlin has a fixed 4 power old scope which is still pretty darn good, and on the BLR take down is a fixed Leupold FXII 2.5 X 32 Extended Eye Relief, barrel mounted scout style so the POA doesn't change when I remove the barrel for cleaning and/or transporting.

One note on the BLR's though, OP mentioned reloading - although I've been reloading for well over 30 years, my experience with reloading .308 for my BLR has been spotty at best. The chambers on these BLR's seem to be extremely tight, not only from my own experience but also noted on multiple other forums at least in a few of the calibers. My 444, on the other hand, will eat just about anything you feed it without a care in the world. The BLR, well, let's just say the COAL, and the brass length, better be spot on or you may encounter the same issue I have, which is a real tight work out to chamber the round.

O.N.G.
 
I run a Marlin 336 Youth Model despite myself not quite being youth size (a touch shy of 6ft 200lbs) 16" barrel and a short stock make it pretty handy for tromping around in the bush and taking offhand shots. It's not as awesome shooting off a rest as something that fits me a bit better, but 100% of the game I've shot with it have been quick offhand shots where the shorter LOP seems to help.
 
Leupold 1-4x20 on my 1895 SBL. very easy mounting with picatinny rail

32708656785_ede774361b_o_d.jpg
 
Beauty is totally ,,,, "In the Eye of the Beholder" . I have & love all the old Winchester levers , from 1873 to 1895 .
Moose hunting this Fall with my Deluxe 95 , in .405 Win.
BUT ,,,,, I also collect & hunt with a my 1899 Savages. I love them equally . If you don't know , the Savage was far
ahead of anything on the market , in it's early days. I killed my 1st. deer , bear & moose with a Savage ( .300 EG ) .
One thing that slowed down it's popularity is that it sold for about 25 % more than a Win. 94 . The bottom line speaks again !!!

,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
 
I hardly ever take pics of my guns unless I'm flogging 'em on the EE or they happen to leaning against a dead critter...but they were out of the safe, and I had just looked at this thread, so...
uH5U3vd.jpg
[/IMG]

The one on top is my Marlin 1894 .44mag, pre-crossbolt, mounted with a Leupold 2.5x compact scope in super-low rings. The ultimate backyard varmint slayer, no matter how big the varmints are.

The middle gun is a BLR Takedown model in .358, a fairly recent acquisition. One of my favourite chamberings, in an easily-transported package that will do it all for North America without any apologies. It's got two scout scopes sighted-in and ready to go in QD rings. I haven't had it long enough to do any serious hunting with it; hopefully this year.

On the bottom is my JM-stamped SBL...another that will kill anything on this continent, out to at least 300 yards (depending upon the load in use)...and few guns sound as cool as a short-barrel .45-70. This gun matches the accuracy of my C.Sharps out to 300 yards with the heavy-bullet loads made for the Sharps; can't go much further with the Leupold 2x handgun scope.

It's nice that these rifles can all be easily mounted with optics; it's a PITA when old eyes make that essential.:)
 
I would go for the BLR in 308. Small little short action rifle with a 20" barrel, detachable box magazine, easy to mount a scope on. The WSM is always another option. If possible, your best bet might be to go to a gun store and handle a few different kinds and see what fits you best and go from there. Good luck with your pick!
 
There is also the Win mod 88 which is a great functioning and one of the best looking leverguns on the market. Scopeable and detachable magazine in 243, 308 and if you're really lucky 284. Then there is the high end and almost hens tooth Sako Finnwolf, probably one of the finest leverguns ever made.

One in 308 for sale at the PG gun show today. Under $1K.
 
Back
Top Bottom