Lever Action What Caliber

If you don't reload and just want a deer rifle, get the .30-30.

If you think you'll get into reloading and want a gun to shoot often, but still have enough cajones for deer, go for the .44mag
You can tailor your own load for the gun, run some heavy 300 grainers for deerbusting and lighter stuff for plinking.

But, if you're just silly for lever guns like me, get a few in every caliber and reload for all of them. [smile]
 
Every single time there's a lever-action thread, I get all depressed about the levergun I passed up because I didn't think I could spare the cash (long story short: I could've) 16" Winchester .44 mag, pre-safety, NIB never fired :( someday.
 
WallHack said:
Every single time there's a lever-action thread, I get all depressed about the levergun I passed up because I didn't think I could spare the cash (long story short: I could've) 16" Winchester .44 mag, pre-safety, NIB never fired :( someday.
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wedgie.gif
 
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dhawk69 said:
Pre 64 model 94 30/30 here. One of my favorites to shoot. I reload, but I love the fact that any shop worth a dam is going to have ammo in stock. Normally that is...
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I love my Marlin 336 30-30. I just got back from Alabama. When gasing up near Slocomb they stocked 30-30 and 270. Gotta love the south. I let my friends shoot my 30-30 and 2 of them went out and bought a 336. I would like a 22lr lever gun but the price of 22 right now offsets the fun factor of the 30-30.
Also while in AL I cleared the shelf of bullets and powder. They still have lots of ammo, reloading stuff and guns on their shelfs. At The Outpost (class 3 dealer) I was buying a Ruger mark 3 .22 and at least two UPS trucks delivered many hand trucks of the good stuff. Total gun porn.
 
Not to start a caliber argument but I grew up in a family butchering business and we did over 200 deer every year. The caliber that seemed the most effective with least damage was the 30-30. I know many have killed deer with many different calibers it just seemed after looking at the carcass's and talking with the hunters the slower moving .30cal bullet of the 30-30 seemed more effective than the other .30 cals. .50 cal muzzleloader seemed the second best. Kind of did my own comparisons and it was not by any scientific ballistics or anything like that. I own a 1942 M94 carbine in 30-30 and won't trade it for anything. Bought it after I did my "comparison".
 
asp said:
All great suggestions so far. Watch out for Marlins with microgroove barrels. No first hand experience, but I've read of more than one microgrooved barrel having a problem with cast bullets.

My vote would be whatever you are already set up to reload. .44 mag would probably be it. You'll probably find that you will shoot something with a straight walled cartridge more, too. Much less time consuming to reload.
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The problem with cast bullets in the microgroove barrels tends to be the bullet sizing. Slug the bore. Using a .429 dia bullet in a barrel that measures .431 will lead to barrel leading and poor accuracy.

I have a 30-30, 44mag, 32 win sp, and a BLR in .243. The 44 mag and 32 win sp are my favorites.
 
Chistech said:
Not to start a caliber argument but I grew up in a family butchering business and we did over 200 deer every year. The caliber that seemed the most effective with least damage was the 30-30. I know many have killed deer with many different calibers it just seemed after looking at the carcass's and talking with the hunters the slower moving .30cal bullet of the 30-30 seemed more effective than the other .30 cals. .50 cal muzzleloader seemed the second best. Kind of did my own comparisons and it was not by any scientific ballistics or anything like that. I own a 1942 M94 carbine in 30-30 and won't trade it for anything. Bought it after I did my "comparison".
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Oh, now you're introducing ACTUAL OBSERVATIONAL DATA into the caliber arguments? Hey, that's cheating. [laugh]

Now you're making me want another lever gun.
 
This thread is killing me. I am looking for a GP rifle now that I am moving north, and I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun, but at the same time I really want a Savage Scout in 308. I already shoot 308, and intend to start loading it once I get a man room set up in the new house, so I would not be adding an other caliber to my safe, but I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun.

Short of the obligatory "get both" advice, I will at some point I am sure, is 30-30 a better choice for New England hunting?
 
edmorseiii said:
This thread is killing me. I am looking for a GP rifle now that I am moving north, and I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun, but at the same time I really want a Savage Scout in 308. I already shoot 308, and intend to start loading it once I get a man room set up in the new house, so I would not be adding an other caliber to my safe, but I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun.

Short of the obligatory "get both" advice, I will at some point I am sure, is 30-30 a better choice for New England hunting?
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Get both. Keep your eyes out for a used. 30-30. Good deals to be had if you don't need it RIGHT NOW
 
I have a Marlin 1895 in 44mag, great shooter and it compliments my 629. I just picked up another SS Marlin in 45/70, still had the tags on it and I got it for a great price. A few years back I had a Rossi 92 in 44.40 Win which was a lot of fun but expensive as hell to shoot.
 
My opinion: Pistol caliber. They are fun, not too expensive to shoot if you can find ammo, and their performance is pretty good as well.

I've been on a lever gun crusade over the past few weeks. Picked up a pair of Henry Big Boys in .357 and .44 Mag, a .22, and was able to snag a Winchester 1892 Trapper 16" .357. If you want to save money, make sure it can shoot both types of ammo (i.e. .357/.38, .44 Mag/special). The Winchester is .357 Only which i've read is due to the OAL of the cartridge it is setup for. It will sometimes work with .38s but not reliably.

I don't hunt so i'm not going to give you info on which for deer, but I have heard of many people taking deer with both .44 and .357.

I find photos help. Here are my .357s, Henry up top and Winchester in middle, and the .22.




I love the size of this thing!

 
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edmorseiii said:
This thread is killing me. I am looking for a GP rifle now that I am moving north, and I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun, but at the same time I really want a Savage Scout in 308. I already shoot 308, and intend to start loading it once I get a man room set up in the new house, so I would not be adding an other caliber to my safe, but I feel like I need a 30-30 lever gun.

Short of the obligatory "get both" advice, I will at some point I am sure, is 30-30 a better choice for New England hunting?
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Yes. I have several customer who use .30-30 for hunting. A tad light for moose, but it could be done with good shot placement and practice using the lever action w/o taking it of your shoulder.

Keep an eye out for one arriving here in the next week or so. [wink]
 
M1911 said:
As a deer rifle? .44 Mag or .30-30.
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This, or .357 also. The .357 option also lets you load lower power (and cost) .38's, for range, practice, and plinking.

That said, the Henry .22 lever is SO smooth. I wish Henry made a lever 30-30.


je25ff said:
Big Horn Armory - Products

.500 S&W ....giggity
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H-S had a H&R single shot in .500 S&W.



Nicole said:
Oh, also, we have a lever chambered in .444 Marlin. Overkill for deer, but you're welcome to test that too and see if it floats your boat. :)
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Do those also shoot .44 Mag?


strangenh said:
... the Winchester Silver Tip runs 145gr over 1700fps out of a carbine, too. Over 100y I think the SD (which isn't as good as a 30-30) starts to really matter, so keep it for a brush gun/100y deer rifle.
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Most New England deer I would guess are taken at 60 yards or less, from conversations with a lot of guys.


bfm said:
... I love my .357, but I have several other firearms in the same caliber, so I have plenty of the ammo. If you already have a .44, why not keep with that so you are not stocking another caliber.
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Good point.




The .44 Ruger lever action was a nice looking gun, too. Heck, there aren't many BAD ones, are there? I wish Ruger would bring back the .44 Deerfield. Did they ever do it in .357, or was it just .44? It looks like a grown-up 10-22.


My ideal gun would be a Henry in .357, .44, or 30-30 with ring rear sight and fiber front, with a nice barrel (NOT the heavy octagon, too heavy to lug around the mountains of NH or VT, but not a pencil either).
 
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