Best lever gun caliber

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  • Leadeye

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    Do you reload? That has a lot to do with enjoying larger calibers, casting bullets as well. For the non reloader I think .357 is the best value.

    I shoot more 44-40 than anything, but I reload and cast both. Historical guns can both hunt and be range toys.
     

    dekeshooter

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    Mar 8, 2010
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    All the calibers you mention are exceptional in lever guns and depending on what you want out of your rifle/cartridge combination you should be happy with whatever conclusion you come to.

    I own Rossi rifles in 357 and 44 and Marlins in 30/30 and 38/55. I recently sold a Marlin in 450 but have no experience with the 45/70.

    My experience has taught me reloading is the key to happiness with lever guns. In 30/30 I can have the option to shoot full power jacketed bullet deer loads or mouse fart cast bullet loads. The same goes for the pistol calibers. I particularly like the concept of having a hand gun and rifle in complimentary calibers and experimenting with different loads to find one that works well on both types of gun.
     

    snorko

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    Do you reload? That has a lot to do with enjoying larger calibers, casting bullets as well. For the non reloader I think .357 is the best value.

    I shoot more 44-40 than anything, but I reload and cast both. Historical guns can both hunt and be range toys.
    This is so true. I lucked into a limited edition Marlin 1894 years ago. They did a run in stainless with 16" barrels, FO sights, and laminate furniture. this was when no one was making compact lever rifles. They made around 500 each in .357 mag, .41 mag, .44 mag, & .45LC. I found one in .45LC but later sold it as I don't reload.
     

    scoutsniper

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    Mar 3, 2014
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    Do you reload? That has a lot to do with enjoying larger calibers, casting bullets as well. For the non reloader I think .357 is the best value.

    I shoot more 44-40 than anything, but I reload and cast both. Historical guns can both hunt and be range toys.
    I don’t do I think .357 is gonna be it. The Henry big boy large loop side loader seems to be the best in current production guns. I’d loved a JM stamped marlin but they are priced to high lol.

    16.5 or 20in I can’t really decide. Is the ballistics drastically different?
     

    Leadeye

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    I don’t do I think .357 is gonna be it. The Henry big boy large loop side loader seems to be the best in current production guns. I’d loved a JM stamped marlin but they are priced to high lol.

    16.5 or 20in I can’t really decide. Is the ballistics drastically different?

    I shoot a .357 Uberti 1873, excellent rifle and very good repro.
     

    snapping turtle

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    This is so true. I lucked into a limited edition Marlin 1894 years ago. They did a run in stainless with 16" barrels, FO sights, and laminate furniture. this was when no one was making compact lever rifles. They made around 500 each in .357 mag, .41 mag, .44 mag, & .45LC. I found one in .45LC but later sold it as I don't reload.
    Snorko
    Here is the limited edition rifle (249 of each caliber not 500) snorko is referring to. Davisons limited stainless. This is my 44 mag version.

    Was this not 2008/09 time period and if I remember you had the 45 LC and I was still in the labor market as an IBEW electric union (IBEW I’m broke every winter). Did you not run into the 357 version also? Or was it a 1984p ported 357. If you had posted it for sale in the spring I would be showing your 45LC setting next to my 44 mag.

    Ps. Send my a PM and I can give you the current value of the two I have seen for sale in the last 10 years.

    This is a hunting /PCC setup for jump shooting deer. Brooklyn scout setup and works very well for such.

    This and the Davidson stainless guide gun in 45-70 made Jurassic park remake movies watchable for me
     

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    snorko

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    I totally forgot you had the .44 mag version but now remember we had many messages back and forth on them. Sadly I never saw a .357 version for sale or I would have one. I need to learn that just cause I've never shot it doesn't mean I should sell it. I have sold off multiple Marlin .30-30s & .357s, the aforementioned .45LC, and most recently an 1895sbl.
     
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    Dec 5, 2008
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    Terre Haute
    So been wanting a lever gun for along time and finally ready to pull the trigger but not sure what caliber. This is a fun gun.

    .357
    .44mag
    30-30
    45-70

    Which one if you had to choose one?

    I do own a ruger in .357 so that’s slightly tempting to stay same caliber.
    An answer you didn't ask for - I choose a Henry Big Boy in .327 Federal Magnum. Mine is the steel carbine version. While I reload, you can get ammo in .327FM, .32H&R mag, and .32 long. I have not had success with the .32 shorts, they always double feed.
     

    mmpsteve

    Real CZ's have a long barrel!!
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    I just acquired a 16" 1894P in .44 mag from a friend last week.

    Years ago, I picked up 1894P's in .357 and .44, and never fired them until I recently put a RDS on them. Now they're some of my favorites. I know some claim sacrilege for putting a dot on a levergun, but alas, it's the least objectionable option for me, to be able to see what I'm shooting at. It makes for a lightweight, handy carbine that's quick to get on target. Here's one of them, not sure if the .357 or .44, but they're both set up identical. That said, I would not be in the market at today's prices. None of mine will be for sale anytime soon.

    Cropped IMG_2316.jpg

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    gregr

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    Years ago, I picked up 1894P's in .357 and .44, and never fired them until I recently put a RDS on them. Now they're some of my favorites. I know some claim sacrilege for putting a dot on a levergun, but alas, it's the least objectionable option for me, to be able to see what I'm shooting at. It makes for a lightweight, handy carbine that's quick to get on target. Here's one of them, not sure if the .357 or .44, but they're both set up identical. That said, I would not be in the market at today's prices. None of mine will be for sale anytime soon.

    View attachment 216874

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    I just not long ago got a Winchester `94 in .30-30. Even though it`s an Angle Eject, (AE), I`m not going to put a scope on it, I want to keep that cowboy look. Unfortunately, the front sight is an awfully narrow piece of steel, so even if I try to put some color on that to aid sight acquisition it won`t really help. Add to that mix, 65-year old eyes, and this is going to be a very close range deer gun. I might be open to some sort of low-profile sight like on yours, tat still mostly keeps the cowboy look, minus the scope. Big Red on here told me about some other sight, but it might require some grinding on the rifle, and I don`t want that.

     

    snapping turtle

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    I just not long ago got a Winchester `94 in .30-30. Even though it`s an Angle Eject, (AE), I`m not going to put a scope on it, I want to keep that cowboy look. Unfortunately, the front sight is an awfully narrow piece of steel, so even if I try to put some color on that to aid sight acquisition it won`t really help. Add to that mix, 65-year old eyes, and this is going to be a very close range deer gun. I might be open to some sort of low-profile sight like on yours, tat still mostly keeps the cowboy look, minus the scope. Big Red on here told me about some other sight, but it might require some grinding on the rifle, and I don`t want that.

    Do not overlook a Leopold compact 2x or 4x scope on a lever gun for a hunting rig. Small scopes look and Carry fine on a lever action rifle. You don’t need a large bell you want a very long forgiving eye relief.

    My three main hunting rigs have different scope setups. The jump shooting 44 mag is set up with a scout scope. The 44 mag tree stand gun has a redfield 1-4 power scope and the savage 99 sports a weaver 4x with German number 4.

    That said the 336 35 rem has peep sights which work very well also.
     

    92FSTech

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    I'm a big fan of peep sights. They keep the low profile, balance, and fast target acquisition of your standard levergun, and you gain quite a bit of sight radius over the barrel-mounted factory offerings. I've found that I can be almost as accurate with them at practical levergun distances as I can be with a scope.

    This .44 has been a bit of a fight to get zeroed...the sights are way off. Even with the rear adjusted all the way up (rear sight appears to have been modified at some point), it's hitting over a foot low at 50 yards, and a few inches right. I even swapped in a rear sight from a .45 and it's still not quite right. I'm thinking a Skinner peep and new front blade may be in its future.
     

    vtnewbie

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    Hmm, I've got a 1950s era Marlin .30-30, a 2005 Marlin .45-70, and a Taurus 1892 clone in .357. Years ago I traded away a Winchester 1894 (post 64, the one with the stainless steel receiver that was plated with a metal that would hold bluing). I like them all very much, but would say that the .357 might be the best combination of fun, light weight, and decent power. I really like the .30-30, and have used it very successfully on deer and elk at 150 yards. I recommend that you save up to buy one of each.

    However, if I could only have one of these rifles it would be the .45-70, for the range of ammunition available for it. Everything from Cowboy loads on up to ".457 Garrett Magnum" level. You could do just about anything with it.
     

    Michigan Slim

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    If you want to spend the long dollar, get an 1873. They can run really fast. Mine has a 20" barrel but I'm going to get a 24" too. My daughter shot ten rounds on six targets in 2.01 seconds at a state match one time. We run .38 Specials in ours.
     

    Leadeye

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    Nearly all my lever guns are old, like 100 years and up. That said, I think my most accurate caliber is 32-40 in both the Marlin 1893 and Winchester 1894. I'm also partial to the 32 WS as it performs better with cast bullets than the 30-30. Pistol calibers in Winchester 1873 and 1892 44-40 would be my favorite, but I do shoot a fair amount of 32-20. For old school power in the 1886 45-70, and for the masochistic looking for a gun that kills on both ends there's the 1895 in 405 WCF.

    Modern guns like the Marlin 1895 can be loaded so they loosen you fillings and the 444 will guarantee scope cuts for the unwary.
     

    two70

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    Nearly all my lever guns are old, like 100 years and up. That said, I think my most accurate caliber is 32-40 in both the Marlin 1893 and Winchester 1894. I'm also partial to the 32 WS as it performs better with cast bullets than the 30-30. Pistol calibers in Winchester 1873 and 1892 44-40 would be my favorite, but I do shoot a fair amount of 32-20. For old school power in the 1886 45-70, and for the masochistic looking for a gun that kills on both ends there's the 1895 in 405 WCF.

    Modern guns like the Marlin 1895 can be loaded so they loosen you fillings and the 444 will guarantee scope cuts for the unwary.
    The full power, modern loads I've shot in .45-70 seemed significantly worse than standard .405 Win to me. In comparison to the nuclear loads I worked up for my .416 Rigby, neither were even close to the same league for heavy recoil.
     

    Leadeye

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    The old 1895 stock configuration and steel butt plate combined with the lower weight than the 1886 produce quite a thump. None close to your Rigby though.
     

    two70

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    I've never shot an 1886, how do they compare to Marlin .45-70s in terms of recoil? I use a slip on recoil pad for the 1895 due to the steel butt plate.
     
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