Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Backcountry lever - BLR vs Marlin

Good evening all. I'd like to hear some opinions/experience/feedback around preferred backcountry lever deer rifle between the Browning BLR and Marlin 336.

I would primarily be hunting the big woods of Ontario, Adirondacks, etc. Some of those hunts would feature overnight backcountry stays. All hunts are likely to feature inclement weather - rain, snow, cold, etc.

The areas I hunt are a mix of deciduous trees, conifer trees, and swamps. It's thick cover - maximum shot would be about 150 meters, most shots will be 60 meters and under.

Reliability and build quality are paramount. It needs to work and it needs to hold up over time.

I have two Kimber Montanas that I use for the majority of my hunting - but would like to add a lever action as well.

Thanks in advance for your input.

I suspect that moose, big bears, and timber bison would be included in the game you’d like to hunt?

If those are all included I’d think a Marlin in 45-70 would work rather well.

Blr has 450 marlin as well

How are the new BLR’s? Mine was an early one. I had two magazines and I didn’t care for those magazines. They would not feed with a full Mag. It was a 358 Win. I liked the cartridge and everything else was good. The trigger pull was only ok.

On the other hand the only thing I don’t like about Marlins is the limit of over-all-length of the cartridges. I wish they fed a 1/4” longer shells to accommodate the cast bullets I prefer.

This is my favorite foul weather Marlin. .358

When I walk the woods, I prefer my BLR in 358 Win with 200 RN's. A very accurate, light package. I've had mine around 20 years and never had an issue.

You can take a Marlin apart with a multi tool. A jammed up BLR not so much.

Some people claim Marlins are unreliable. Oddball ammo may prove that true, but the usual stuff has never failed me at least.

I have no faith in any mechanical device being 100%. So, the one that is easiest to put right.

I'd use something like this, a Marlin 336 .444. The Marlin is a much more reliable action for adverse conditions and is easy to disassemble and clean. Given the ranges you'll be shooting the .444 shoots flatter than the .45-70 and with the right bullet will shoot through any big buck at any angle. Other rounds such as the .356 would work, but that's what I have to use.

I have a Marlin in 45-70 and a steel 81 BLR in .358 Winchester . For myself , given the hunting you mentioned , I would much prefer the BLR . I know nothing at all about the new BLR's from but I have not heard anything bad said about them . Any of the rifles mentioned by the others will work just fine , this is just my preference . My BLR mags work just fine when completely loaded.

I have an old steel frame, short action BLR '81 .308 that has never given me a seconds worth of trouble. But then neither have my Marlin 1895 and 336 rifles or the various Winchester M94's I have owned over the years.

Marlin 45-70.

Any model.

Having owned a 444, I think it would be a better deer cartridge. But the bullet selection was rather poor to say the least when I owned mine. I sold it in around 1990 and never desired another. I did get a 320 grain plain base mold for it and with that bullet I’d take on some of the animals that you might encounter. Otherwise I’d limit the 444 to deer and elk - maybe moose too.

I think the Marlin feed system is better than the BLR and with the conditions you mentioned you would not need flatter trajectory. Failure to feed in some circumstances could be quite unpleasant.

The 450 Marlin could everything as well as a 45-70.

I really like the 358 Win cartridge, and feel it too, is a good if not great elk and deer cartridge, (moose too).

But I think I’d be asking people that come across grizzlies which of the cartridges and rifles being discussed. If your large bison was part of the menu, I’d also be looking for something with a lot of power.

Also, what ammo is available where you are planning on hunting?

If you were needing flatter trajectory you might be best with the BLR and 300 Win and premium bullets.

Or you could Re-barrel a BLR to pretty much the limits of your shoulder- say a 458 Win.

I own a BLR and have done a lot of research on them in the past. That said, unless I need a specific cartridge only offered in the BLR, i would choose a Marlin if I were going to use it in adverse conditions where reliability is paramount.

I hunt conditions very similar to conditions the OP mentioned. I've been in the rain all day, snow, freezing temps and never had an issue nor a need to disassemble. I maintained it like normal and it was fine. Same with a Marlin 336. I'd have no issue taking either.

i own all these types of rifles maybe not each cartridge mentioned but many of them. i own 5 - BLR`S too , my favorite is a BLR takedown laminate stock 30-06 with a 6x - 42 Leupold mounted on this rifle ,i also like that it has a clip / magazine so the bullets don`t get bent up and i can shoot 300 yards if i have too. its accurate , easy too handle , recoil is not to bad , never have had trouble with this rifle , i use this rifle to track wounded animals if i ever have too for someone and this rifle is loaded at campsites. best thing about this rifle is you can buy 30-06 ammo at grocery stores , gas stations maybe even at a fishing or hunting resort any place in the world what ever . where ever i hunt i always bring this BLR 30-06 even sometimes fishing camp , its kinda like a favorite pillow it always goes with , i live in Northern Minnesota we get all types of weather its not always sunny and nice.

Sweet looking Marlin! Is it stainless or did you have it plated?

As to the OPs question, for the use he outlined, I'd choose a Marlin over a BLR any day. I had a BLR81 .358 and twice had issues in sub freezing conditions. I dumped it in favor of a Savage 99 .358.

How about a Marlin 1895XLR?

i own a Marlin guide gun 45 -70 recoil is horrible and its not that accurate maybe its a 100 yard rifle at a big animal . you can have trouble with any rifle i have had Remington 700`s freeze up , and to be honest i have had no problem with my S.S. BLR 30-06 ever , i was in the mountains this year in the snow freezing weather with this BLR 30-06 and it work just fine , plus was easy to unload with the clip and no messed up bullet tips so my ammo was still accurate all season long.

I would choose a Marlin chambered in 444 Marlin. Flatter trajectory than the 45-70 but still hard hitting delivering a heavy payload. As others have mentioned, the Marlin lever is easy to field strip. I jammed one once on a bear hunt. I made a poor shot on the bear and short-stroked the action trying to take a second shot. The bear went out into a marsh while I pulled out my knife to clear the jam. I got it cleared pretty quickly and followed the bear, ultimately catching up with it and killing it.

I doubt I could have corrected a BLR in time to put it back in use. Here's the rifle I cleared with a knife.
https://i.imgur.com/NXYmPO2.jpg
I was using iron sights on the hunt I described. I added the scope later. Also, you might note the aftermarket lever takedown screw. That too was added later and really makes taking the action apart simple without tools.

T.S

[quote=TexasShooter]I would choose a Marlin chambered in 444 Marlin. Flatter trajectory than the 45-70 but still hard hitting delivering a heavy payload. As others have mentioned, the Marlin lever is easy to field strip. I jammed one once on a bear hunt. I made a poor shot on the bear and short-stroked the action trying to take a second shot. The bear went out into a marsh while I pulled out my knife to clear the jam. I got it cleared pretty quickly and followed the bear, ultimately catching up with it and killing it.

I doubt I could have corrected a BLR in time to put it back in use. Here's the rifle I cleared with a knife.
https://i.imgur.com/NXYmPO2.jpg
I was using iron sights on the hunt I described. I added the scope later. Also, you might note the aftermarket lever takedown screw. That too was added later and really makes taking the action apart simple without tools.

T.S
if you know how to use a lever correctly you won`t have much trouble , i grew up using levers in bear country . just the old plain Jane 30-06 is still good enough rather its 50 yards or 300 yards and the tips of my bullets out of my BLR will still be accurate and can be used by someone else out of a bolt rifle 30-06 . > just maybe those old beat up bent tips out of a lever with a tube will jam up a lever i have seen that
happen too ?

I have a BLR in 358 Winchester. I've shot both Whitetails and black Bear with it. Great rifle and round.


Dan

Funny I've never seen those "old beat up bent tips" in a lever cause a jam or degrade accuracy to any significant/noticeable degree and I've been shooting the piss out of and hunting with Marlin and Winchester levers for 44 years. In fact, I have several bolt actions that will "beat up"/flatten the tips of soft point bullets in their magazines when the cartridge in the chamber is fired worse than any of my lever guns. Furthermore, if beat up tips bother you, there are various bullet options for tube magazines out there that will completely eliminate the issue. The Hornady flex tip, Winchester ballistic silvertip and various hollow point options from Winchester and Barnes being a few examples.

Yep, the only lever jam I have ever experienced was my fault. I have many Winchester, Marlin and Savage levers that I use in the field. They are quick and reliable. I am confident the same is true of the Brownings. And then.... there's the Henry Long Ranger. ;-)

T.S.

I thought about a Long Ranger until I handled one... action just felt rough, and the stock didn't fit me very well.

I do own a BBS carbine in 327, and it's a little jam prone. The action isn't really scaled down to the cartridge, so sometimes it'll try to pick up a round cockeyed off the elevator and jam up. Not a huge deal, but it does get a bit annoying sometimes.

no problem for me at all i use either my BLR or my Ruger # 1 and my rifles shoot well with my bullets on bucks at any distance.

I owned both and shoot right or left handed a BLR is a better rifle in a cartridge based on the 308 with a 20" barrel....you can go up from the 308 or down they all will take down deer with a proper shot....I favor 358 Win. heaver bullet just not easy to find in a store....308 Win is easy to find shop around and get ammo at great price.....

The 444 Marlin is more problematic so far as factory ammo.
But what isn't right now?
I reload for everything so my favorite is a 45-70. I shoot the 300 JHP in reduced load in an original TD carbine that was relined. I run full power Marlin level loads in an 1895XLR as well as a Ruger No 1. This year I had my first ever experience with a deer moving after being shot with that load but it was my fault as I shot it through the heart. It made it about 15 feet. A double lung shot drops them there.
I also have a Marlin 336 ER in 356 Win that has a bit flatter trajectory but I did not use it on deer yet. The 180 Speer JFP gives me very good groups in that gun and has a great reputation on deer.

Of your choices, I would choose a Marlin 1895. Put a Skinner rear peep on and you will be good to go. To me, the Marlin feels better in my hands, especially when carrying, compared to my BLR .358.

However, if you care to expand on those 2 choices, take a look at a Winchester (or Browning) model 71. There is still factory ammo available (not by the manufacturers though) and if you reload, cases and bullets are available. You can hunt with the rifle that was designed for big game hunting in exactly the country you will be hunting in. Swift makes 200 grain a-frames and thus loaded, you will be.good for anything you will come across.

Good luck with your choice!

Manny

I would choose a BLR in .308 Winchester. Better bullet choices, better trajectory, and so on.

If you decide to opt for a 308 lever, I have a Savage 99C that is an extra and is for sale.
The 308 Win does have more reach than other levers.
Lots of good choices in a lever gun to be had.

this is a good choice too ! Savage 99 ,Browning BLR just get a rifle with easy to find ammo 308 or 30-06 both shoot well at a couple of hundred yards , as a Alaskan bear guide said to me when i asked him what rifle he preferred and he said i like a rifle i can shoot bears at 150 -200 yards before things can get ugly.

I live and hunt in the adirondacks and I use a stainless 7=08 BLR with a pistol grip great b

That’s the one I’d like to find myself. Those suckers are a gem and they just aren’t around much these days.

Thanks for opinions/views folks - much appreciated. It would appear folks have lots of confidence in both options.

Well, I have a short action BLR, '99, 336, and a '94 and I like 'em all! The smoothest is the BLR and with the short lever throw, is the fastest to operate. The next smoothest is the Savage 99 and is probably the best fit of all. Marlin 336 comes next on the smoothness and fit table but, I dislike the long lever throw. The '94 is a slim, trim little carbine that is easy to carry but, as for fit, I like the other three much better. My suggestion to you is to try and locate them and see how they handle before buying one. Because the BLR comes in both long and short action, try them both to judge the handling. Hope you find what you like, they're a lot of fun.

A SS Marlin in 45-70 if I was hunting anything BIG with 4 legs, 30-30 SS 336 for everything else.
No way I would want a detachable magazine rifle back in the dead blow downs & prickly ash 40 mi from town.

I have a 99 EG savage in 300 savage. It’s a classic I still deer hunt with this rifle today. If I was buying new today, it would be a BLR. I’ve had a couple BLR’s in the past and still have one today.

I believe either is a good choice and would shoulder both before deciding. My first rifle was a 336, 40 years ago and never had an issue due to weather. I live in New England and hunted in rain, snow, and temps down into the negative digits and the Marlins have never failed me. Not saying a BLR would and the BLR IMO, gives you a better selection of cartridges. To me though, the BLR length of pull is a tad bit longer and doesn't come to my shoulder as quick.

In the Marlins I've had 30-30's, 35 rems, 308 Marlin, and 444. The 444 to me had more recoil than needed and ballistics didn't truly do anything over what a 45-70 will do, 45-70 ammo being more common and a far greater selection of bullet weights, options and loads.

Again, the key is what feels better in your hands

I had only one BLR and have six Marlins.

If long range was part of the equation the choices for me would be Henry or BLR or perhaps a Marlin in 308 Marlin.

I’m still looking for more Marlins. I have no experience with Henry’s.

Apples and oranges when comparing a tube feed lever and a magazine fed lever with spitzers. A BLR in 308 WCF will hurl and flatly shoot out at 350 yards with 180 grain loads and take anything in your neck of the woods. If you want more long distance power you could go LA BLR in 30-06 with 180 or 200 gr loads. In comparison the 30-30 WCF will shoot out to150 yards fairly flat with 170 gr loads and work well with good shot placement. I see no reason to carry a 45-70 Marlin lever in the areas you described as there are no real worries about big brown bears. Not all but most owners of 45-70s shoot them less than you can imagine, especially with 400 gr class loads at 1,900 fps, very unpleasant. A 308 WCF or 30-06 in a BLR is hard to beat for overall versatility under any type of field conditions.

just remounted new Leupold quick disconnect mnts. and a 1 1/2 x 5 Leupold scope on my BLR 30-06 takedown rifle ,now i can either use open sights or a scope on my BLR nice to have options. sure glad someone posted about this on 24 Campfire. thank you ,Pete53

Lever actions don't have gears in them. The BLR is just a lever operated bolt action with a piss poor trigger and stud grade lumber covered in a garish shiny finish.

> don`t care BLR`s are a better rifle in my eyes , BLR `s offer much better modern cartridges , shoot farther, are more accurate ,still fits in my leather boot on a horse or mule , mine is not shiny and shoots the most easy cartridge to find ammo just a plain jane 30-06 that you can find ammo any place in the world . and believe it or not BLR`s are a safer rifle too. so go ahead and wear a cowboy hat and use your cowboy lever rifle with some old type cartridge ya-hoo !

My Marlin 336 .30-30 consistently shoots sub MOA with several different loads, has a trigger that breaks like a glass rod at 2 3/4 lbs. and has dependably killed deer in the woods for the past 29 years in my hands. I doubt your BLR can lay claim to better. The OP said he wanted a lever rifle for hunting deer in the woods. If you can't get that done dependably with a .30-30 or similar traditional lever action, you either need lessons on deer anatomy or shooting, one or the other.

Trigger could be better, but accuracy wise...my BLR isn't bad..

A good trigger and proper balance is much more critical to success when shooting off hand or from improvised positions in the woods than from the bench.

Blackheart > well most of the time about 90 % of the time for the last 20 some years i just use my Ruger #1 257 Weatherby mag single shot and that`s all i have ever needed on bigger bucks from 30 feet to 700 yards with 1 shot and the longest shot was witness by 2 old tough Marines and one of these Marines was with Carlos Hathcock in Nam . the other 10 % is with my BLR 30-06 for scouting some in the rifle season , but in one way your right i don`t just don`t shoot a deer for numbers , i leave regular deer to kids and meat hunters like you are, i only hunt bigger bucks , no brag just a fact. i am the unknown guy with no brag pictures who never does well with a big grin , by the way i hunt more with a bow for the last 55years . > but your the man Blackheart.

I've killed some slammers with my .30-30 too. Tag soup never held much interest for me though so will leave that to you big trophy hunters while I continue to fill mine every year.

> good for you ,i tip my camo bowhunters hat to you as i sharpen another old used Zwickey broadhead !

You da man pete. I've killed a few with arrows myself. Including a buck and a doe just this past season.

Agreed, but you mentioned MOA so that's what my BLR does; it's as accurate as some of my bolt guns, a trigger job would make it even better. It balances and shoots well for me in the woods, probably my favorite still hunting gun.

My 336 averages a bit under 3/4" at 100 yards with my handloads and just a hair over with 170 grain Federal factory loads. Killing deer with it has never been a problem in the woods. I've had a half dozen 336's over the years and all would do under 1.5" with their favored loads except for one .35 Remington and it still did under 2". In other words every one of them was more than adequate for taking deer at woods ranges and beyond..

Mine is my Marlin 30AS 356W Trapper rebore. I had JES do the rebore and cut it back to 16.5”. With it’s Leupold 1-4x it’s a handy little package with plenty of thump.

Yep, I enjoy the all the levers I have. I also have a 336 in a 35 Rem. I managed to score some 200 Win PP's that shoot very well in it with Leverevolution. I couldn't get the 200 Rem CL's to shoot quite as well, I've tended to get better accuracy with the PP's over the CLs generally.

Yup

Still slinging Zwickeys while mocking Blackheart for his "old time cartridge" 🤣

Can/did he reinstall the front sight?

Yes, he reinstalled the front sight. He also eliminated the front barrel band and installed a dovetailed hanger and installed a sling stud in the forend end cap. Great work, quick and reasonable.

Thank you. I have a Glenfield 30 that I would like to have the same thing done

That would be my pick also, I hunted for many years with a 99F in 358 Win. using factory Winchester 200gr. Silver Tips and it hammered deer.

and that tells you what ? Zwickey broadheads are stiil a great old broadhead that still draws plenty blood maybe better than any new broadhead when i sharpen a Zwickey ,plus everyone i know who was a older bowhunter seem to give me their old Zwickey broadheads . > but when you talk rifles i have never been impressed with a 30-30 and yes i killed deer with the 30-30 lever its just not my cup of tea. give me either my Ruger # 1 257 W. mag. or my BLR 30-06 these 2 cartridges kill bigger deer much better and faster . when it comes to what is my all time favorite it will always be a Ruger #1 257 Weatherby mag.. , its just a old reliable single shot lever that when i put the x hairs on a nice old buck within 600 yards with my handloads and squeeze my Timney trigger those horns will be mine .>> you have my blessing to use a 30-30 lever for any deer large or small , i could care less.

My .30-30 killed it's 83rd and 84th deer in my hands this past season. One went down instantly to a high shoulder shot, the other ran 50 yards after a double lung. Both bullets exited and the runner left a good blood trail, though it wasn't needed because I saw it go down. Typical performance that I've come to expect and not much different than I've seen with my .308, .30-06 or 6.5 Creedmoor with the same shot placement. I have a safe full of scoped bolt actions chambered for more powerful, flatter shooting cartridges. I have taken deer with all of them and am every bit as confident in success when I walk into the woods with my .30-30. It has proven itself for too many years over too many kills for me to question it's effectiveness.

I too would cast a vote for the ole Savage 99, might not be as sexy as a BLR but I have a post mil in 308 that's as accurate as most bolt guns and super reliable, handles very well too.
I've owned many lever guns, 99s, 88s, 94s, Marlins, a Finnwolf in .308, BLRs.
All I have left are some 99s, by far the best lever gun ever made IMO, IF they ever go back in production I will buy more.

you don`t have to convince me about a 30-30 lever rifle or how proud of how many deer you have shot, i have let 100`s of deer walk away , even some decent bucks that many people would have got mounted . but i just will use my single shot lever Ruger #1 and might sunday shoot another large buck some year . i am now teaching my 10 year old grandson how to use his Ruger #1 257 Roberts for next year and to make that 1st shot count again and maybe he can take 1 doe and hold out for 1 bigger buck if he wants ? in our camp we don`t kill every deer we see its fun to just watch what a deer does in our woods ,fields and Tamarac swamp. besides i buy a 1/2 of corn fed Angus steer every fall from a friend and there is no deer as tasty as this beef i buy !


i should mention my grandson will be getting a new BLR 6.5 Creedmoor S.S. I already have for him ,son gets my 30-06 BLR takedown someday too. both very accurate too.

A .257 Weatherby is about the last thing I'd want to haul around these woods to shoot a deer at 50 yards. Some of us don't sit on our ass all day in a stand on private land overlooking wide expanses of real estate. We do like to eat venison however and have found it more filling and better tasting than piles of unfilled tags. You don't need to convince me of how few bucks you kill or how far you need to be able to shoot on the rare occasion you pull the trigger. I have no trouble believing you rarely kill anything. Personally, I fully intend to kill shyt when I go hunting and often do and I know what works to get the job done, whether a meat doe or the biggest buck in these woods.

its wonderful you enjoy shooting every deer small and big and enjoy eating venison Good for you ! > myself i am on a little different plateau in life rather its right or wrong with a grin !

Different strokes for different folks. Nothing wrong with it. I've largely lived on wild game meat my whole adult life and enjoy killing and eating deer every year.

Please give more info on this rifle.

We’ll a bit off base and not cheapest option but I once bought a steel framed 7mm BLR and had it rebarreled to a .358 Norma Mag. It was a thumper and felt comfortable carrying it in Alaska.

Bet it thumped on both ends!

i always wanted a 338 WIN. MAG in a BLR , but a 358 NORMA MAG would be a real animal !