Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why not?

Lever actions are fine.

Bolt actions are better, which became apparent about 1898. Lever guns have been in decline ever since.

The 30-30 and the model 94 Winchester were a step backwards. The 6.5X55 and 7X57 in bolt guns predate 30-30 by several years. Both the 30-30 and lever actions would have become a footnote in history had it not been for the proliferation of "cowboy" movies starting in the 1920's. Yes, our grandfathers buying decisions were influenced by Hollywood too.

Most people incorrectly assume that levers are lighter, handier, and quicker firing. None of which is really true. My Marlin 30-30's are the heaviest rifles in my safe. They make lightweight, short barreled bolt guns too. With irons on them the weight is reasonable, but with even a low powered scope they are pushing 8 lbs. My bolt guns range from 6 to 7 1/2 lbs including optics and are just as fast for "aimed" repeat shots. Yes, I can empty the magazine in a lever rifle slightly faster shooting in a general direction. I've timed myself getting off 3 shots with both. I'm about 1/2 second faster with a lever action But include the requirement that all 3 shots hit a target the size of a deer's vital zone and there is no difference.

A lever action in a 30-30 class cartridge will certainly work for an awful lot of hunting. Can't deny that. But it is also a disadvantage for a lot of it too. A bolt gun set up with a lower powered scope in a light compact package is at no disadvantage in thick woods. And does a much better job at longer distances.

And for the record I own over a dozen Marlin and Winchester lever action rifles. I like them for what they are and do hunt with them occasionally. But if I really want the best tool for the job they ain't it.

Memtb, my father was a pastor so we shuffled around a bit. I guess I call LaSalle, Catahoula and Rapides Parishes "home" more than any other. I lived the last 20 years in Rapides, northeast of Alexandria.

I have hunted with bolt actions in the woods too and killed lots of deer that way. My decision to start hunting with lever action rifles happened one day in a climbing stand while hunting in the edge of a thicket where I could see only about 40 yds. I was 30 ft up a tree with a 25/06 shooting a 100gr Nosler Partition at over 3400fps. It just seemed to me that I was using the wrong tool for the application. The next season Istarted out with a Marlin 336 chambered in 35Remington. Lever-itis took hold and I've done a lot of hunting with them since. I haven't bought but one bolt action rifle in over 25 years but a lot of levers have come my way and most of them stayed with me.

I'm "vertically challenged" at 5'-7" and the Marlin stock fits me well; maybe because I scope all of them. I am well aware that bolt actions can be made lighter while being chambered in more powerful cartridges but there is a problem with most of the bolt actions that I can't get around. I shoot left handed. Until recent years you had few choices if you wanted a left hand bolt action. Your choices were 270, 30/06, 7mm Magnum or 300 Magnum. You'll notice that there are no short action cartridges in the line-up and no short, light- weight carbines were within reach of the working class man.

I looked longingly at the rifles of Melvin Forbes but working manual labor for $7 an hour back then they were only a dream. I wanted a left-hand Remington Model 7 so badly it hurt but there were none and there still aren't. I vowed that if a made manufacturer made a left-handed short action I would have one. To my knowledge Browning was the first with the A-bolt Micro Hunter. I was true to my word and I have one in 7mm08 and I love to hunt with it. In fact I took my heaviest buck with it a few seasons back. I like that rifle a lot and could hunt the rest of my life with it alone if I had to. But thankfully I do not have to and I will continue to hunt the woods and thickets with my lever-actions because I find them to fit me well and they kill just as well as well as my bolt action cartridges at ranges inside 150yards and usually well within 100 yards. I love the 35Remington, 375 Winchester & even the 45/70 among others.
So are my lever-actions better than my bolt actions? No, not really but they fit me well, I shoot them well, they kill well, they are nostalgic and I just like them. So, in the way I use them, why not?

Goat
I looked for a couple of yrs for a **22 RM** in the Wincam stock. Never made it.

Jerry

A step backwards in the days of iron sights? I don't think so.

Goat
Today the only LG I have is a 94, 22 M in Winchester’s Wincam stock.

Jerry