Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Gun writers and leverguns

The pump-action is fastest not only to cycle, but you don't have to remove your finger from the trigger. While some lever-actions have the trigger in the lever mechanism, most don't.

Working a lever-action requires pulling the lever down, which unless the trigger is part of the lever mechanism tends to push the buttstock down on the shoulder--especially with a rifle chambered for a longer cartridge, which requires a longer lever-throw, often even in front of the trigger. Which is exactly why so many early lever-actions had curved metal buttplates, which tend to keep the butt in the same place on the shoulder. But except for "classic" reproductions, curved buttplates are very rare--and on harder-kicking rifles tend to hurt the shoulder.

In contrast, a pump-action allows the shooter's finger to stay on the trigger, and the forward push on the forend also brings the rifle down from recoil. Which is why lever-action shotguns quickly became essentially extinct: Pumps were a LOT faster. Which is one reason so many professional trick-shot artists used them, instead of lever actions.

What is your BLR chambered In? I have a non takedown 358 Win that sure is fun to shoot. Had another BLR in the past and love how they handle in the field.

What is your BLR chambered In? I have a non takedown 358 Win that sure is fun to shoot. Had another BLR in the past and love how they handle in the field.

What is your BLR chambered In? I have a non takedown 358 Win that sure is fun to shoot. Had another BLR in the past and love how they handle in the field.

I have a couple in 243 and 308, and they are exceptional rifles. They look a lot like the Winchester model 88, but are better made. They are quite accurate and work very well. I have been helping Mike Venturino with an article on these rifles that should be done for "Rifle" magazine in the next few months...

I may be wrong, but eventually many things in life come full circle.

It only takes one hunter in a group of stand n' baiters to have continued success (which they will), to shoot some really nice stuff away from the corn slingers that gets a bit more attention towards pumps, autos and levers.

The recent "allowances" by government entities here in Iowa has seen the very recent use of rifles, especially the handy ones chambered in pistol cartridges, by people walking around in the woods and cover. The shotgun, despite being very effective, will lose ground to these guns in short order.

Camerade,

+1 for takedowns.

All my sxs and pump shotguns are TD
All my single shot shotguns are TD
My Savage 24 Combo turkey gun is TD

Naturally both my double rifles(.405 and .45-70) are takedown.
My 1886, 1892,and 1895 are takedowns
My M61 is TD
My wife's 03 .22 is TD


My poor old pre 64 M70 FW .308 is not TD, but I am attached to it.

And then there are the guns of my kids and grand kids,,,

i ordered a Browning BLR S.S 30-06 take down i see great advantage on a pack trip. i thought long and hard about a take down rifle and thought well my trap guns are all take downs why not a rifle too ? i decided to order a 30-06 its so popular all over the world and easy to find ammo for too.

Hi, my sheep rifle is a .270 win, I picked up another takedown in the. 450 Marlin, I have a .243 win that does not take down . These are all Miroku made. They do bring a smile .

Some more comments:

While I love lever-action rifles (especially older ones) my experience is they're not any faster in repeat fire than a bolt-action, as long as the shooter using a bolt rifle knows how to run one. Pumps can be a LOT faster than either--in fact even faster than semiautos, though again, if the shooter really knows how to run one.

If somebody can tell me exactly what advantages the .444 has over the .45-70 in a lever-action, especially for a handloaders, I could be interested in doing an article on it. So far nobody has.

There's another factor as well: I often end up doing articles on certain rifles due to running across an interesting used rifle--which is exactly how I acquired my ancient .25-35 Winchester 1894, and take-down .33 WCF 1886. So far I haven't run across an interesting used .444. In fact I can't remember ever running across any used .444, which may be related to my above comment.

Hi Pete, I think it is a great choice. What Scope are you considering?

Hi Penndog. Just saw this... I would attend something like that. I use the .243 BLR for our local club positional shoots, but I am the only levergunner there.
I wear a felt cowboy hat 365 days a year but don't care for the costumes I see in Blackpowder, mounted shooting etc. Many of those shooters are city bred and consider their getup a costume...kinda gets stuck in my craw a little.
Some of us wear this clothing for everyday...for a purpose.