I know everyone has their favorites…
But I’ve NEVER handled a lever action gun!
Now I’m interested.

Do you have a favorite lever action and what caliber/game do you use it for??

I have a few I have used and like. Winchester 88, 94. Also have my grandfathers Savage 99 in a 250-3000 and that old gun is a tack driver.

Ive bought 2 lever .22 henrys for my son that are fun to shoot. Also have 2 marlin lever 30 30s one with a scope and one without.

Savage model 99 is a great old lever gun. Mine is a 300 savage.

…. I’ve got marlins… winchesters and henrys… don’t even own a bolt action or semi auto

… killed lots of things with them

I run a Winchester Model 64 in 30-30. Thats the gentleman's version of the 94, for all you heathens out there.

Those Henry 22- are sure nice too.

Winchester 94, 92, 86, and 71 are my favorites.

I have my grandfathers Winchester Model 71, in the 348 Winchester. By far my favorite lever gun. It is handy and capable of taking all North American big game. I have shot moose, black bear and deer with it.

…. Had a 308 Mx for a time too … ammo got hard to come by so I sold it and got the Henry long ranger in 243 when it came out

… that 308 mx would reach out there if needed though

Winchester 1895 30-06

my new favorite is 45-70 , you can go mild to WILD in the same gun.

the new one is a Marlin dark series with threaded barrel and a muffler will be coming around soon , probably pre order and have it early January when the tax rate goes down.

410gr at 1050fps on the softer side of sound

350gr at 1900fps on the wilder side can go heavier and a little harder but that starts getting abusive on the shoulder.

as for game there isn't really anything it can't do on this continent , probably nothing on any other continent either with good shot placement.

Marlin, Henry and Winchester are the top I can think of.

I have a Henry golden boy .22LR.

I’d like to get one in .35 Remington for deer.

You can get just about any caliber you want for whatever you want to hunt.

Guess it depends on what you hunt the most.


Get out there and try a few Smash. Can’t go wrong with a lever gun. They are cool.

A Winchester Model 1892 rifle chambered in .44-40 Winchester caliber modified with a shortened barrel, enlarged lever loop and a set screw like Lucas McCain used in "The Rifleman" would be a fun gun to have.

Keith

I've got a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45/70 that I love and a Savage 99 in 308 that is a nice gun, not the traditional tube fed lever gun but nice and better for longer ranges than your tube fed guns. The old Winchester 94 especially in 32 Special have a special place with me. Brownies makes some really nice clip fed lever guns that come in Magnum calibers. Much stronger action than most of the other lever actions.

Browning bl22 22lr
Chiappa 1892 357 mag
Winchester 53 32-20

Have two Winchester 94, ex-wife got my 94 Trapper, all in 30 Win (30-30).

I have a marlin Pre safty model( mad before they put the dumb safty on a hammer gun in 357 mag. Also have a marlin 39a in .22lr. Small game for one deer the other

savage 99 in 7mm/08.

You can get a safety delete for a Marlin 336. Safety on a lever gun with a hammer makes about as much sense as a safety on a single action handgun. I like to hide and wait sometimes but when the wind is right I like to stalk. Move slow with the wind in my face. Take a step or two and stand there a bit. Takes awhile to cover a hundred yards. Dont cross open areas. Stay in cover. Move when the wind is making weeds and branches move. Iron sighted 30-30. Never killed a deer still sleeping but have killed my share still lying down.

Those old savage 99's are nice. Can find them in 243 and 308. Safely shoot pointed bullets. Designed for a scope. You can put a scope on 336 or 94 but I never saw a need for a 150 yard rifle.

Bolt action is a German invention. Lever action is 100% American. I got no problem using a bolt gun. Great invention. Sometimes you just cant beat a lever gun.

Marlin 336 in 444 marlin awesome

Got a lil 30-30 I've played with.... Want my own I can mod and not feel bad about however. This a family heirloom and all.. hate the sights one it something bad ... Stick between wanting some set up like a yeehaw marksmens rifle with a rear tang and front globe site .....or just full on call of duty with stainless steel and pic rails ... decisions decuonso. Will say tho , 200gr cast hollow point are fun int his lil sucker .... Wild hog piglets...they umm... Don't like this set up much I'll tell you that. Close in the pines ... Yeah that 20lbs of Bacon seed reduces in weight verrrrry bad when one of these hits
Ahe RAWR

I only have one, a Marlin model 336 chambered for .35 Remington.

My dad bought it new in 1953. He killed his first buck with it. I killed my first buck with it. My daughter killed her first buck with it. I'm hoping my granddaughter kills her first buck with it.

My buddy won a Henry at a bash three years ago and has yet to shoot it.
I don’t know anything by comparison but they sure seem costly!



Did not know that a bolt action was German! Interesting

I have a Browning 243 lever action about 60 years old maybe has a box of shells run through it.

Mine is the SC (Sporting Carbine) model. It's an excellent brush gun and I've killed quite a few deer with it while still-hunting in the thick stuff. I've always shot Remington Core-Lokt 200 grain rounded soft-points through it. Those big, slow bullets are like hitting them with a bowling ball. It's been a while since I carried it, I prefer to sit with the 06 and shoot them at longer ranges these days.

The usual .35 Rem ammo has gotten really hard to find and wildly expensive when you do find it. I'm starting to see more of it but the price hasn't come down much.

I bought a bunch of Hornady Leverevolution ammo for it but soon after found a few more boxes of Core-Lokt hiding in my ammo closet. So I haven't re-zeroed or had a chance to see their effect on deer-sized game yet.

I'm sure you're aware that the older ones are better built guns than the newer stuff. The fit and finish on mine are excellent and the action is glass smooth. And no silly extra safeties.

I've handled some newer large calibre lever-actions and was not impressed with the sloppy actions and poor craftsmanship.

Had one in 22-250, thought it would be a good calling rifle and walking sections jumping coyote and fox. I am fairly sure they could have seen the shine off the stock and bluing from the space station and I couldn’t wear to big of gloves and still work the action. I went back to a savage bolt in matte stainless and painted the stock white.

I have hunted and killed many deer with my old scuffed up Marlin 336 in 35 Rem over the las 20 years, If I am in thick stuff that is what I carry. I reload all of my own ammo for it and have a good stash of brass that will las till I am gone. Great gun for deer.

Did not know that a bolt action was German! Interesting [/quote]

Yep I vaguely remember the Germans Going after the US on patent infringement maybe on the 1906 Springfield design? But they lost the first world war and it went nowhere after that. It's been so long since I heard it i don't know if its true or just repeating internet myth

Wont find a better lever gun than a marlin 336

I also have a Winchester model 55 Takedown in 25/35 and a browning BLR in .223. I have taken one deer with the Winchester.

Lots of nostalgia in the lever guns every kids dream is to one day shoot/own one. I own a Henry 001 youth model for trapping it’s one fun little gun and reasonably priced .

My Dad had a Marlin 336 in 30-30.
I've used it a couple of times.
When he died I got it.

I couldn't get rid of it fast enough, hated that thing.

I'll never own another lever gun.
Just another opinion for what little its worth.

Can you point to a particular reason that you disliked it? I'm not trying to argue with you, just an opinion I've not often heard and it riles my curiosity.

Mine too.

By far my favorite is the Win. 94/22M, second is the 94/22. The smoothness and sharp clicks as you rack a round is so satisfying. Their finish is also very nice. The Marlin 39A is a close third with Henrys be adequate, but to me just utilitarian.

For me a gun is a tool. Figure out what the job is then work backwards from there.

Ashley, one of my firearm instructors, used a Marlin 1894 44mag in sport shooting matches for some years. Several years ago he gave it to me .

It has been my go-to rifle, in the woods and carried in a scabbard, riding. It's been fired so much the action is butter smooth. Nothing stiff to be smoothed out from being new.

It's dependable, easy to swing in small spaces, and dead on accurate every time.

A short compact but powerful caliber rifle can't be beat. Well, except for a 1911.

Lever rifles are a favorite. 44 mag is easy to shoot and recoil is practically nothing. I prefer a pistol grip stock, but such a nice rifle as a gift , Im not complaining.

I think you would like one.

I’ve had several over the years. Down to three now. A Marlin 39A, a Winchester 64 in 30-30 and.a Marlin 1894 converted to 480 Ruger. It’s a thumper.

A friend with no heirs left me a Marlin 336 in 35 cal.

Marlin 336 RC, in .35 Rem cal. and 200 gr RN hand loads. A real Ozark Deer buster.
Marlin 444, in .444 Rem cal, with 300 gr FP hand loads.

I like everything about that picture!!

Smasho bite the bullett and go buy you a lever 22 and 22 mag and a 33-30 and heck thrown in a 44 mag and you got it covered !!! You’ll thank us all later when you shoot them all and fall in love like a school girl

Hold yer horses I’m still paying off that Coyote blanket!!

Besides, first thing I want is a flintlock pistol.

And probably a 4 wheel drive full size pickup…

Just buy a group get the guns and a truck !!! It’s just money !!! Dig up some of them mason jars buried out back

Sharon I'm stealing that picture as proof to my wife i do need a new mushroom gun. Although I was thinking something smaller than .44 mag but that will take them right off the stem with one shot so just maybe...

Seriously I have told her more than once I need a new mushroom hunting gun. This falls right into place.

Winchester 94 in 30-30, and a Winchester 9422. Would like to add a 1873 replica sometime

Henry Carbine .44 mag. My son has killed several deer with it.



We have a Henry Golden Boy in .22 mag that sets in the safe for the most part. It's a family gun so it won't be sold, but even though its a nice gun and fun to shoot, we don't have a lot of use for it. Our A22 mag gets all the use for caliber gun.

2x. if I run across one of these at the right time and price it will follow me home. Definitely one that's on my list along with M1 grand

I forgot about shooting a friend's.22 Henry lever action he won at a banquet. It was very smooth and shot well. Both of my boys liked it also.

An older Marlin 35 Rem has eluded me for years.
If I really wanted a 35 cal levergun, I'd buy a Henry 360 Buckhammer....

I disliked the way it loads/unloads, I dislike the hammer/safety, I find it very awkward, much harder to operate quickly.

I spent most of my deer hunting days using a 870 , where i live was shotgun only for most of my life.

Seeing how I used a 870 or a 1100 for all sorts of other hunting from Sept till Feb. going to a lever gun for deer hunting was night and day difference.

I have used other Guns for deer hunting but none were as awkward (different) as the Marlin to use.

I see no reason why I should bother with a lever gun.

Just my .02 for what little its worth.

Thank you for the explanation. I started with an 870 for deer hunting myself and was elated when I could finally use a lever gun. I've always appreciated the operation of a hammer gun and a lever gun, and felt it was more natural for me. Interesting how different folks operate in completely different ways.

I have my great uncles 99 in250/3000 found a stith mount for it shot a deer with it and its the only lever I own. He hunted the blue ridge in the Adirondacks with his brothers and my father.

this one use to be my favorite, then I got old and my eyesight failed, sold it to a young veteran. a winchester model 71 carbine in 348 win.

It’s unanimous smash you need lever gunssssssssss!!!!!

I think between the 2 of us we're up to about 14 lever actions rifles.
Everything from .17 HMR to .454 Casull.
Fun to shoot for sure and great hog hunting guns.

Look at that B’ar!!!!!

Makes since to me I started deer hunting with a bow but my first deer gun was an 870. But my first shotgun was an old break action single shot Steven's so cocking the hammer as the gun come up is also natural and probably why leverguns feel so natural to me.

I had never even though about it before so thanks for your post. I love things that get me thinking.

I probably wouldn't own a lever action rifle if I hadn't inherited one. I prefer bolt actions and pump actions in that order.

As far as loading the Marlin, and probably Winchesters too, there is a trick to it. When you feed a round into the magazine you don't push it in all the way so the gate closes, you leave the end stick out. Then you shove the one sticking out all the way in with the bullet end of the next round and repeat until fully loaded. It's much easier, smoother and faster than shoving each cartridge all the way in so the gate closes.

I've always unloaded back out through the magazine gate. It's kind of a pain to get the first one started, especially with a full magazine tube, but after that you back them out in reverse of the loading procedure, you don't let that gate close until the last round is out.

I know most folks just lever them out because it's faster and easier but I've never liked or used that method. It's not the safest method and you end up with cartridges all over the ground most times.

The hammer safeties are just stupid. I wouldn't own a hammer gun with that sort of ridiculousness installed.

336 in 30-30 with custom 170 gr round nose loads. Inch groups at 100 yds with Williams sight. Darndest I have ever used. Never knew a ghost ring sight could be so accurate until that sight.

I Have a savage 99 in 308, henry big boy X in 3030, marlin 336 in 3030, pre 64 winchester in 3030... Can't go wrong with ay of them but my least favourite is definitely the marlin. Bit heaver than the others and I still hunt mainly, even though it's much harder in the dense 2nd growth wood here in Nova Scotia. also find despite having many rounds through it for break in period, and well oiled it just has a much stiffer action than the others which I don't like. Shoots very straight though and solid built. Can't go wrong with any of them really.

I think you'll be happy with whatever you get brand wise, if buying used just check the normal stuff, bores, rust, pitting, missing parts etc. Figure out a caliber that will suit you best and then look for the rifle that has it.

I’ve had BLRs for years. My favorite is my stainless steel/ aluminum Model 81 in .300 WSM. It’s killed a half dozen elk, eight bull moose, several bears and more deer than I can remember.

I bought a model 94 Winchester from a good friend of mine for $100.
I had no intention of ever buying a lever action deer rifle as I somehow became fixated on precision rifles.
Well, I bought this one and a box of shells and shouldered the rifle and my eyes were instantly lined up with the sights as though it had been custom made for me.
I instantly became John Wayne and this 30-30 is now one of my favorite guns to shoot!