Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best lever action deer rifles

My old man bought one in .243 and it’s currently in my safe to get a load worked up for it. At first I was worried it might be a pile of [bleep] as first firings produced softball sized groups. Remounted the scope and not much improvement, maybe baseballs. Then the old man remembered he had dropped that scope several years ago.

put one of mine on and ran a variety of factory loads through it with more satisfactory results. Will start working up something with the 80gr TTSX next week. Overall it’s growing on me.

This is true of any rifle, I think. If someone was in the market for a new, or new to them lever, this is a good way of starting a discussion and getting feedback on the various rifles that are available. The only possible problem, which happens so often on this and other forums, are posters who read the thread and ask themselves, "Which one hasn't been mentioned yet? Like, what the best deer bullet for whitetails?

It does get a conversation going though!

Joyeux Noël!

336 in 30-30 or 35 Rem. They are good platforms for a scope and are accurate.

Then there is the 375 marlin?

There's nothing wrong with a 30-30 for deer, but if it's higher performance you seek it's pretty the domain of a used Savage 99, the Browning BLR, and Henry Longranger.

I'm personally fascinated with the European stand and the driven hunts where they shoot at moving game most times at closer ranges. I can't understand why the leveractions aren't popular for that sport. Those 3uro dudes operate bolt actions with a lot of speed but a lever action is easier run fast and not as costly as the straight pull euro rifles and some of the modern ones use full power rifle cartridges.

Folks,
Sako Finnwolf in either .308 Winchester or .243 Winchester . Very accurate, nice trigger, smooth action and came in LH also.
Merry Christmas.
Soup

I handled a Sako finnwolf couple a months a go in 243 they want 1100 for it. I thought it had charm and a clunky action nothing on an average m99 at all..mb

Not sure what the Long Ranger is going for, but the BLRs are currently going for ridiculous prices. There have been multiple which have sold on Gunbroker for between $1,700-$2,200 recently, which is crazy.

I need to pick up a stainless pistol gripped one in 7mm-08 for my youngest, but I’ll wait until next year’s batch comes out and hopefully prices will have gone back to sane by then. Also hopefully Browning will chamber them in 7mm-08 as they seemed to have phased that out in favor of the 6.5 Maaanbun.

Check with Tonto..

30-30 for the win?

Lever gun is is the savage 99. Cartridge....... 358 Win

I've actually contacted Browning about the BLR production. Locally the prices here start at $800ish and up. In Brownings response they noted that some cals like 358 win and others have been dropped and also configurations of the BLR because of weak demand. I suppose that it's one of those deals where their new X-bolt is outselling the other things and profit is where it's at.

The Gunbroker prices are insane and they can be had for 1k and less if you look.

Sako finnwolf in .308?

I handled one of these at the underground firing range during a Plant tour in Rihimaaki in 1984...I was working for Stoeger at the time as the S'West Rgl Rep and kept asking for some inventory of these lever guns ...but the big secret target was getting Tikka's production line off the ground in saleable numbers to compete with the lower price point guns coming on the market.

I wanted something to compete with the lever action guns in my market in Texas.& S'West...Tikka's won that "battle in the Board Room". I'd still like to have a FinnWolf in 308...but any of the newer cartridges would seal the deal for me. A SWEET handling shooter. I brought home a non cataloged gift that I'd picked out...a Classic Grade in 25'06... the only one ever produced I was told. 25'06 was my favorite caliber in Ruger's in those days.
Ron

Best is subjective,but in my case it would go like this ................
#1 M71('37) in 348 Win (of course)
#2 336A('51) in 35 Rem
#3 M99("47) in 300 Savage
#4 M81 ('82) in 358 Win

My #1 choice is the same as yours. A number of years back, I picked up a model 71 in a standard grade. Had that until I spotted a mint deluxe grade at a local gun show. Parted with the standard grade I had and now have that mint deluxe model but not sure of the year it was produced in. The M71 in 348WCF is my #1 lever gun/calibre combo and this one I keep.

Winchester Model 88 in 308.

Doesn't get any better...

Over the years, I've had a couple of 88's as well as three or four 99 Savages. No complaints in the field where I've found them to work well. However, for 'my eye', on a lever gun I like the external hammer but that's just my taste.

I remember Art Gault had one back in the early 80's
but wasn't very proficient with it.
He lost it during a flying lesson which he was a miserable
failure at. The man that had it after him used it with
desired results

Savage 99 in 300. I have a beautiful 99G takedown from 1936 with a Redfield receiver sight on it. I love the gun and the 300 round, but don't see the peep sight well enough to hunt with it anymore. No way was I going to D&T it so I found a 99 E in 300 that was factory drilled and put a Burris Fullfield 3x - 9x on it. To me it's just about the perfect deer rifle.