Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Whatcha All Hunting With Them Big Bore Levers?

I used to own a Marlin 444 levergun, sold it about 12yrs ago. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> It had a Bushnell 2.5X in Weaver mounts and would group about 1" at 100yds with factory Rem ammo (265gr bullets I think) Never used it to take any game but always wondered how it would perform.

I was wondering if any of you have taken any big game animals with your big bore lever and how was the performance? I may just have to sneak one of those SS Marlin 45/70 Guide guns in the back door, maybe add a few tricks to her..............................

MtnHtr

I've shot one Elk and a Black Bear with my Winchester 1886, but I usually carry that on horseback for protection against Griz, or when Im checking cows at night. Use one of my two Winchester model 70s for most Big Game hunting.

I tried real hard to use my 405 on game last fall. Only chance I had was a buck antelope at about 50 yds. shot right over his back the first time, and the next 4 were slightly behind him. Just have to wait and see what comes this fall.

I used my .375 Win. 94BB on deer last season. Took a good-sized spike buck with it. The effect was devastating, as one would imagine.

RSY

Giant PA groundhogs.

A 45/70 is required to stop them when they charge at you!

MS what caliber is your 86. That is my favorite lever; don't have one yet, but...sooner or later will. How old is yours and how is it setup ie: barrel length, butt , sights etc.?

My main one is in .45-70 with a 28 inch octagon barrel, full length mag, etc. It was made in 1889. I also have an 1894 vintage SRC in .45-70 but Ive retired it after finding out how valuable it is.

My wife got me my 45-70 Guide Gun because I was whining about seeing Elk in the thick timber and carrying scoped rifles that arn't that quick to the target in really thick timber.I have had it for two years,but the first year we sold our house in Cascade Idaho on the second day of the hunt and had to leave and pack up.Last year my wife got a Moose permit and I passed on the Elk tag.So I can't say how it performs.I was holding two rifles when duty called and shot our Mule Deer with the .300 because the Guide Gun was quicker to put down un scoped.There's a good point to. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Hopefully next year.

Best of luck.Jayco.

My brother shot his first buck with a Marlin 444 a couple of years ago. When the buck came wihtin range, he could only see his head. Being his first time deer hunting, he aimed at the head of a 206# 8 point buck at about 75 yards as it was looking at him. At the shot, the buck dropped in his tracks. When I heard the cannon go off, I went over to see what he had shot at. I found him and my little brother field dressing a nice buck that had no entrance or exit wound anywhere. I thought maybe he scared it to death when he heard the blast from the ported 444. Turns out that the bullet just nicked a bone spur on top of the eye socket and then pierced the deers ear. If he had been shooting anything smaller than a 444, he would have missed the deer completely. The bullet must have hit like a hammer as the deer was dead when it was gutted.

Howdy, browning 71 in 348 fits & looks good on a horse. 250 gr for deer, elk & moose incase of griz problems, they are where I live and hunt. I believe them bears are born with their switch in the pissed off position.

danny

I used my Marlin Guide Gun in .45 70 for Mule deer in Alberta foothills.Dropped a nice buck , 8 pt dead in his tracks at 100 yards. Flipped him over backwards and he didnt even wiggle. 300 gr, Hornady round nose.

I've only hunted deer with my big bore Marlins, as mine are all over 100 years old. Can't really load them up too hot, so I haven't tried to hunt elk with them.

I shot my Mule deer two years ago with my 1870's vintage Marlin Ballard chambered for .45-70, with a 360 grain cast lead PB bullet, at 1350 fps. It is a slow old load, but it sure dropped that deer!

Same story on a smaller scale. Buzzed a groundhogs head right down the middle, only taking fur, no blood, his eyes popped out of his head, and he was dead at the shot. I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't happen to me.Also read a story about Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett," Barking squirrels "with a muzzle loader, hitting the tree limb right next to the squirrel and killing them! I am gonna try that some day.

3 does & a 3 point so far for my 45/70 GG. All the doe were shot with Rem 405 factory loads & all were pass thru's & the deer died within 20 yards. The 3 point (thats 1 on one side 2 on the other) I shot with a Win 300 grain hollow point factory load. The deer was real close & I had the bullet blow up on

me. Scooped out a huge hole on entry & flattened the deer on the spot but didnt penetrate. When I went to get him, as I circled around to get in front of him he came back to life. Jumped up & tried to run, I say tried because his left shoulder & back were mangled & he could barely keep his feet. He got maybe 25 feet away & became tangled in some brush & I got another shot in, this one in the neck, damn near decapitated him but at least he died.

Went out with PMC hard cast 405's this year but didnt score.

I'm kinda of the mind that these big heavy bullets dont need to be flying real fast to kill a deer. Bought some PMC +P 350's & sighted in with them but I think when theyre gone I will stick with standard loads as, for me anyway, they do just fine. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Don't believe everything you hear about dan'l or davy I believe they used head shots with thier flintlock's [like me!]but as far as that grinning a bear to death ,it work's! it took me two day's of straight grinning to get the job done and I walked around with a grin on my face for a week after but it works.when the bear fell down dead I had passed out fro m exhaustion and when I woke up some low life had draggedit off and claimed it as his legally taken bear.!I just went home figurin' noone would believe my story. Shootrj2003

if we can find a cow elk ive got some 405 grain hard cast bullets loaded up in my 1895G for my fiance' to use. 2 more weekends left to find one. i may also use it on a deer yet this year.

Rattler

I have a Marlin 444SS with Leupold 2-7x compact on it. I use 225 grain Barnes X handloads. I don't know what it is about this combo, but it gets the job done. I've shot several bull elk and deer with it; knocked one bull off it's feet at 100 yards, the others stood there for a couple seconds like they didn't know what happened before keeling over. I've also shot elk with a 30-06, and they run a way before going down. A friend shot an elk this year 4 times with a 7mm Rem Mag - 2 double lung, 1 liver, 1 neck (all pass throughs w/ excellent expansion/energy transfer) before it went down... The guys I hunt with are converting - they're looking for 444's for next season!

KC

I had an unfortunate close range dark timber experience on a bull elk I stalked in fresh soft snow one year.... I didn't expect to actually catch up to him, actually pull off the whole stalk thing. Well I did, 30 yards away from me as I stood up slowly from having my right hand pressed in his fresh warm bed... I scanned the dark timber, there he was to my left just standing silently watching me in hopes that I would pass by without seeing him. As soon as we made eye contact he exploded away from me, I raised my scoped M-70 featherweight 30-06 & absolutely screwed up everything from there out. Scope was cranked to 10 from 2 hours previous when I was watching muleis on a long ridge.. saw nothing but hair in the scope, un shouldered to give a fast crank on the scope tube, reshoulder... he's showing me nothing but ass but he's about to bound over a down tree, here's my only chance, a spine shot between the shoulders as he bounds over the log. Sweep the 3 position safety, follow.... here he goes up, right there, perfect! Squeez.... and squeez, white knuckled squeez... safety is somewhere between half safe & fire. If a fly would have farted on it it would have clicked to fire. that was it, bull is gone, no more chances, damn it.

Well, right then & there I said I need a big bore carbine lever for dark timber elk hunting, open sights. Marlin 1895M .450 Marlin, that's what I got, trouble is I've had it for years now but never killed anything with it, never seen anything to shoot at while carrying it. I even carry it for white tail on ocasion just because I want to break it in so badly, so far mine has killed nothing.

I mainly hunt whitetails and black bear with my 1895G. It seems that ever since I got my 1895G, I've had a harder time finding game. I've shot a few deer with the gun and last year two black bear presented nice shots, but it was two days before bear season. The darned bear sat down about 40 yards away and tore apart a log the other bear walked righ by me. I used to carry a 45-70 contender carbine. I think deer were attracted to this gun (ha! ha!). It seemed big bucks would follow me around. I took two nice 10 pointers with this set up. I might have to go back to the contender if things don't change. I've only managed to take a few small bucks with the 1895G.

Northern Dave, I also hunt with a Model 70 Featherweight 30.06 on most occasions. But when it comes to hunting roosevelt elk in the thick forests found on the westside of the Cascades, I prefer my iron-sighted Marlin 1895 Guide Gun 45-70. It's a great gun. And loaded with Garrett Ammo it will definately get the job done.