best lever action rifle ?
 

What would you chose as the best lever gun . I'm looking at .357 , .44 and 30/30 . What kind of accuracy are you getting at 100 yards ? Any malfunctions or faliure to shoot ? How slick is the lever ? Or is it stiff ? I plan on shooting targets , varmints and maybe an occasional deer . Or maybe you bought one that I should stay away from . Thanks .

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

If I were buying a new lever gun today, it would be the Marlin 336XLR in 30-30. I would (and do) shoot Hornady LeverEvolution ammo. I have not heard a bad thing about the XLR guns. For more info on lever guns, got Marlinowners.com.http://www.marlinowners.com

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

I think your best bet in the calibers you mentioned is definitly the Marlin 336. I have two that are a dream to carry one in .35 and the other in 30-30. I don't think you can go wrong and you won't break the bank as compared to most new bolt actions. Goodluck!

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

1886 in 45-70. Tom.

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

If you can find one I would say a Savage 99 in 30-30 is "best"
Browning has a wide offering in it's BLR
Marlin makes a good hun also

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

The difference in calibers you mention is important.
What do you want out of the gun? Would it be a dedicated deer rifle? If so, then you should get the 30-30 and my suggestion would be the Marlin 336. Winchesters are good guns too, but prices on them are too inflated, bs in my opinion, and I personally think the Marlin isa better hunting gun as well. I have had a Marlin 30-30 that I shot, and won, in several Cowboy long range events, really liked the gun. Traded up for a Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55 and never looked back. Superb gun.
If you are looking for a gun you could deer hunt with, out to about 100 yards, and be able to shoot small game with reduced loads and plink for fun, then my suggestion would be the Marlin 1894 in 357. The 44 or 45 would be ok (probably a tad better for deer), but for plinking 44 and 45 ammo can become a bit expensive. If you reload, you can load up some very fun rounds that shoot around 650 fps in 357 all the way up to full magnum, jacketed rounds for deer. I shoot cowboy and have a 94 in 357. I have been shooting the gun for 6 years now and a very conservative estimate on rounds through the gun would be between200 and 300 thousand. Admittedly, I only shoot lead bullets at around 700fps but I have only had to replace the carrier in it once due to wear, but nothing else. These are great guns and will last forever.
Good luck
Hank

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

Ditto on this, but I would also want one in .444 as well.

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

Savage in 250-3000. I use my dad's old rifle that is over 60 years old. Never has that gun filed to smoothly cycle a round. Never jammed or had any problem of any kind.

As for a new rifle? The Henry Big Boy in .44 or .45. Brass reciever and a walnut stock.

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

Uhhh,
Let's see.

If a person just "had" to go with 44.

Henry Big Boy. Soft brass reciever that will tarnish and wear, goofy mag tube that you have to load from the top. Not a great reputation. Cowboy shooters that have used them give them poor marks for both speed and handling compared to all the other guns normally used. No track record for durability, dependability, parts availability or customer service. Cost about $650.

Marlin 1894 SS. Stainless reciever. Loads from the side like a normal lever gun. Will last for your and your kids lives. Parts readily available from Marlin and/or Brownell's and many other sources. A tried and proven design, dependable and repariable. Probably one of the premier American arms companies for price, dependability, durability and customer service.
Price about $550.

Now, which one would you really choose?

Hank

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

i would go with a ruger 96/44 if your going with a 44 mag. super light and fun to shoot. its like a big lever 10/22. i love the rotary clip.

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

ahankster - You had mentioned "cowboy action " shooting . I have a couple of sigle action pistols that I'm getting pretty good with . I'd like to get a rifle that I can take to the shoots . What are the rifle courses like ? Is speed and minimal recoil better than a longer flatter shooting cartridge ? Are most people shooting the older cartridges (like the one you had mentioned )? I would assume that long range shooting is done with a trap-door rifle . And your lever gun is probably used inside of 100 yds . Thanks for any info .

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

Marlin.

RE: best lever action rifle ?
 

Dog,
There are several variables here.
First, you have main match guns and side match guns. Side matches are competitions within themselves. They are a part of the main match, buteach is a separate competition. Side match guns are rifle caliber (30-30, 38-55, 45-70 and similar) and sometimes a pistol caliber side match. Usually, the rules are similar, just a different catagory. Rifle calibers CANNOT be used during a match. Only pistol calibers maybe used during the normal stages. Some folks use smokeless, some use black or a sub and some cross the fence as the wind suits them. Side matches usually range from 100 to 300 yards and are generally a five shot string with a time penalty for misses. Sometimes they allowshooting sticks, sometimes you canlay down and sometimes you have to stand like a man, it is always different. I personally shoot a Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55 and have won four different state champs with mine. I like the 38-55 over the 45-70 for recoil and heft reasons. Sometimes there is a single shot side match in rifle and/or pistol calibers as well. Every match you go to is differeent though. Some are total shots, some are a combo of time and shots, you just find out when you get there. There are folks that live for these side matches. They really enjoy cowboy shooting, but their pride and competitive juices flow for the side matches.

OK, now you have main match guns.
These HAVE to be pistol calibers, no rifle calibers allowed. Generally you run into 38, 357, and 45. Some folks will opt for 32, 44, and some of the other pistol calibers. In general, certainly not a rule, the more competitive shooters tend towards the 38 or loaded down 357. The top shooters in both local, regional and national level will generally be shooting 38 caliber bullets between 105 to 135 grains between 650 to 750 fps. There are certainly exceptions. Again, every shoot is different when it comes to the size of targets and range for main match scenarios. In general, rifle targets tend to be from 15 to 30 yards and around 24 to 36 inches in size. I have found that the bigger the shoot, the bigger and closer the targets (again, there are exceptions). So, for main matches, the accuracy of the rifle is rarely tested as the ranges rarely exceed 40 or 50 yards and generally are much closer. Due to this, you tend to see guns that will function fast and clean. This means three guns tend to rule the winners catagory. Those being Winchester copies of the 66 and 73 and the Marlin guns. A few folks use 92s, and very rarely you will run into other pistol cal lever guns. Course of fire can be anything from 10 shots on a 3 foot dia plate at 15 yards toa double sweep of 5 two foot dia targets at 30 yards and anything in between. With my Marlin, I can pick it off a table and dump 10 shots on a 2 foot target at 20 yards in less than 4.5 seconds. To sweep 5 twice takes a bit longer, but not much.
So, if you want something that you can play with and take to a cowboy match, Marlin is a good way to go. There are some lever guns, other than the 66, 73 and Marlin 94 that just cannot mechanically be made to function at the speeds CASS really demands.
Good luck with your rifle selection and giving cowboy action a try.
Hank