Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
08-12-2003, 09:40 AM
#31
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Moccasin, Montana
Posts: 1,835
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
Samm 444,
Yes they are hard to come by,I seem to find alot of 243,308,300 savage or 250 savage.They are all good calbers for deer.I wish Savage would come back out with them in maybe,7mm-08 and 260 rem and of corse the 284 win(One great round)BBJ
Yes they are hard to come by,I seem to find alot of 243,308,300 savage or 250 savage.They are all good calbers for deer.I wish Savage would come back out with them in maybe,7mm-08 and 260 rem and of corse the 284 win(One great round)BBJ
08-12-2003, 08:35 PM
#32
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Little Egg harbor NJ
Posts: 1,279
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
If you can find one the browning blr in 358 is on my wish list. But if I cannot find one then I will be very happy with the marlin in 444. That will cover everything from deer to brown bear.
Brian
Brian
08-14-2003, 09:02 PM
#34
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 22
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
If you' re looking for a good lever calibre - go with the 30-30, it' s responsible probably for more deer on the table than any other cartridge in history. If you want more power go with the Marlin in 45-70. Great knock down power out to about 100 - 150 yards. Both cartridges have been around a lot longer than the others out there and will more than likely be around for our grandchildren.
08-17-2003, 12:11 PM
#36
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Brook, IN
Posts: 491
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
Man now we have a good thread going! Leverguns, carbines whatever you want to call them, I believe that is the most exciting way to hunt.
I have a .35 Rem with a Williams peepsight, albeit it is a Rem 760 pump, still light, short and easy to handle. This rifle is accurate, likes the 150 gr over the 200 gr bullets though, odd. The recently discontinued Marlin outfitter .444 is my favorite brush gun, but it wears a 4x Leopold. My Browning BLR lightweight in .358 win has very nice iron sights for a new rifle, but a scope is going on it very soon. A Savage M99 .250-3000 I just got has a Redfield peepsight, and I think I will leave it that way. Last is a old late 1960' s WinM94 30-30, it does not see any hunting action, but gets some range time.
I also think that these rifles would be great to have, but you would have to watch your range with some of them.
Win94 in .480 Ruger
Win94 or Marlin 1895 in .44Mag
Marlin 336 in .35 Rem
CZ bolt-action in 7.62x39 I know this is not a lever gun, but it has about the same ballistics as a 30-30
Marlin .45/70
I agree with Iron Buck any Savage M99 would fit the ticket nicely. I am more a traditionalist so a lean toward .300 savage and .250-3000 savage.
I had a chance at a very, very, nice Savage M99 .284Win. This rifle had excelleant blueing and varnish, some some dings and scratches. Nice recoil pad and sling. Even a Leupold Varix II 3-9 scope. $425.00. Found this at a pawn shop in Reno, NV in 2002, was out for the NRA convention. This was probably my one and only good rifle " deal"
. Have found 2 since on Gunbroker but they both went for over $1,000.00 each. [
]
I have a .35 Rem with a Williams peepsight, albeit it is a Rem 760 pump, still light, short and easy to handle. This rifle is accurate, likes the 150 gr over the 200 gr bullets though, odd. The recently discontinued Marlin outfitter .444 is my favorite brush gun, but it wears a 4x Leopold. My Browning BLR lightweight in .358 win has very nice iron sights for a new rifle, but a scope is going on it very soon. A Savage M99 .250-3000 I just got has a Redfield peepsight, and I think I will leave it that way. Last is a old late 1960' s WinM94 30-30, it does not see any hunting action, but gets some range time.
I also think that these rifles would be great to have, but you would have to watch your range with some of them.
Win94 in .480 Ruger
Win94 or Marlin 1895 in .44Mag
Marlin 336 in .35 Rem
CZ bolt-action in 7.62x39 I know this is not a lever gun, but it has about the same ballistics as a 30-30
Marlin .45/70
I agree with Iron Buck any Savage M99 would fit the ticket nicely. I am more a traditionalist so a lean toward .300 savage and .250-3000 savage.
I had a chance at a very, very, nice Savage M99 .284Win. This rifle had excelleant blueing and varnish, some some dings and scratches. Nice recoil pad and sling. Even a Leupold Varix II 3-9 scope. $425.00. Found this at a pawn shop in Reno, NV in 2002, was out for the NRA convention. This was probably my one and only good rifle " deal"
. Have found 2 since on Gunbroker but they both went for over $1,000.00 each. []
08-24-2003, 09:10 PM
#37
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Manotick Ontario Canada
Posts: 115
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
One more vote for the BLR in .358 Winchester. Mine is certainly my favourite deer gun.
If you didn' t know the BLR is being chambered in .358 this year.
If you didn' t know the BLR is being chambered in .358 this year.
08-29-2003, 11:50 AM
#39
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: McDonough, GA
Posts: 754
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
I have the .450 Marlin in the model 1895M in the 18.5" ported barrel. I also have a Propoint Reddot tube mouted ' scout' style on it. I have killed three deer with this setup and it is a great short-range ' in the thick cover' deer round. Only one of the three deer ran, and that was due to an extremely close 7 yard shot I think. The blood trail was unbelievable and easy to follow.
I have found that this round requires some good bullet placement to keep from severely damaging the front shoulder venison. And this particular round is deafening in a short ported barrel. If I could do this again, I would still buy this round, but in a longer unported barrel, preferably stainless steel. Just my two cents worth!!
I have found that this round requires some good bullet placement to keep from severely damaging the front shoulder venison. And this particular round is deafening in a short ported barrel. If I could do this again, I would still buy this round, but in a longer unported barrel, preferably stainless steel. Just my two cents worth!!
08-31-2003, 10:34 AM
#40
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 582
RE: Best caliber for lever action Whitetail rifle?
You want a Marlin, no doubt about it. Something in 45/70 is fun as hell, but they also make good cowboy style guns in .44-40, .45 Colt, 30-30, .35 Rem., and .450 in the Guide guns. I have a guide gun in 45/70, and it is my favorite gun in my collection. There are great loads out there in 45/70 for deer, such as the winchester 300 grain hollowpoint, and Federal makes some great ammo too.