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Buying lever gun. What caliber?

5,087 Views | 42 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Gone Camping
AgTech88
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AG
Love the gun. Only issue was the trigger - gunsmiths said the trigger and lever action were all 1 unit so you couldn't do a traditional trigger job on it. Found one guy that could "clean it up" a little which made it a little lighter and smoother. PSA - I am not a gunsmith and probably didn't describe any/all of the above correctly, just how I remembered it...
Aggie_3
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schmellba99 said:

If you are going to get the Marlin, get the Cowboy over the 1895 or Guide Gun options. Much better looking rifle than either of the latter.


I love the 1895 I got from eyeguy it's my favorite rifle of all of mine and fits on my saddle better than my dads Cowboy ever did.
CTGilley
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AG
The Texags answer is 45-70. The practical answer is 30-30.
CTGilley
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AG
My favorite is the Henry 44 mag but I have a wheel gun to match. I am looking for a deal on a JM 30-30 or a side loading Henry
Stasco
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AG
I have shot several hogs of varying sizes with a 30-30, and never had one run for more than a few feet. They've all been from relatively close range (< 100 yds) for what it's worth.
schmellba99
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AG
Aggie_3 said:

schmellba99 said:

If you are going to get the Marlin, get the Cowboy over the 1895 or Guide Gun options. Much better looking rifle than either of the latter.


I love the 1895 I got from eyeguy it's my favorite rifle of all of mine and fits on my saddle better than my dads Cowboy ever did.


I have an 1895 too, but Marlin and Henry make ugly lever guns in non .22 calibers. With the exception of the 1895 Cowboy, the linger mag and octagon barrel set it off and it is not an ugly gun.
Naveronski
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AG
We have a Marlin in .357 and one in .45-70

The .357 is a lot more fun to shoot for CAS for obvious reasons, but neither have given us trouble.
WildcatAg
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AG
I recently picked up a new production Winchester 1886 in 45-70 and it is extremely nice. This is my second Miroku Winchester (the other is an 1873) and both are top notch in both the looks and shooting departments. They're more expensive than what Marlin and Henry offers but I believe they are higher quality (not to say that Marlin and Henry are bad by any means). Buckhorn sights are not the greatest but they're certainly serviceable. I prefer the shotgun buttplate but the crescent stocks are not terrible.

Some handgun cartridge lever guns can struggle a bit with jamming with .357/.38 loads since most were originally designed around a .44/.45 diameter cartridge. Not a big deal as I doubt Capt. McNelly will be calling you up to help out on the Nueces Strip any time soon.

30-30 is less expensive and more available. 45-70 is more awesome. Either will work. Buffalo Bore offers Tyrannosaur loads in both .44 mag and .45 Colt if you want to go that route.
Gone Camping
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AG
I have a post 64 model 94 that my grandfather gave me and a Savage 99 in .300 that I got to pick from his collection when he passed. I pulled the scope off the 99 last year and took a doe with the peep sights. Fun going old school with a lever action like that. I know my grandfather would've gotten a kick out of that.
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