Originally Posted by cra1948
Originally Posted by vapodog
with the exception of a few nostalgia seekers, the days of the lever action is behind us. Once folks learned that making the first shot count is far better than having up to seven quick follow up shots, the bolt action became king of the deer hunting woods......and I suspect will continue to be just that.

My Browning M-65 in .218 bee is my nostalgia gun.....other than that, I can find no practical reason to own a lever gun....even though the old Winchester M-88 has peaked my interest, it's not getting good reviews on another forum.

I grew up with a Marlin M-39-A and a Savage M-99......I later owned a M-94 in .30-30 and a M-92 in .25-20. Then I discovered the M-70 and have never looked back


I respectfully disagree. I hunt often with a bolt gun or Ruger No. 1, but they can’t match my Marlins or my 99’s for ease of carrying and handling when long days on foot in the woods is the plan.
Absolutely. No bolt action carries as well as a M94 or 336. None. Bolt guns are just too fat at the balance point and that applies even to very light weight bolt guns. Bolt actions offer no real advantage to a whtetail hunter who is strictly a woods hunter. They gained popularity for such because most hunters today sit on their ass in a stand and still hunting and tracking are becoming lost arts. The supposed accuracy advantage of a bolt gun is also of no advantage whatsoever to a woods hunter. Both of my M94's will group inside 2" at 100 yards and my 336 is a solid sub MOA performer. Either will dependably take any whtetail in the woods with a single shot. A fact I have demonstrated roughly 80 times over the years.