Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General What lever action should I buy?

I am looking to buy a lever action but dont know where to start. I remember shooting a Browning in 7mm-08 cal. and it was very comfortable. Im looking to shoot only whitetail and hogs with it & maybe an occasional black bear any where from 50-200 yards. What manufacture and caliber would you guys suggest. Any recommended bullets would be great also. Thanks.

Are you looking only at new rifles, or the whole wide world of used ones also. The one you mentioned would certainly work, but there are other rifles and cartridges. Marlin has some new ones that might work for you.

Savage 99's for older class. Marlin for new ones.

Im not objective to buying a used one or a new one. Ok so we got Savage & Marlin. What calibers are recommended?

BLR - 7-08, .308, .358 or long action in .30-06, .300 Win, .338 Win

Savage - .300, .308, .358 - .284 if you can find one

Marlin - discontinued ones in .307 and .356 Win or the new .308 Marlin round. (Didn't they come out with a .338 version?)

My choise BLR 308 or Marlin in 444. for what you are hunting.

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A marlin 336 in 30-30 will do just fine. Ammo can be purchased almost any place and is, compared to most, less expensive.

The .338 Marlin. Ballistics are on par with the .338 Federal at 2565 MV (2900 FP energy) with 200 grain Hornady loads. Big performance for a lever action Marlin.

To my mind, the class of the group are the Savage 99, Winchester 88, and the Sako Finnwolf. They all have stacking (or rotary) magazines and therefore fit the common short action rounds with spitzer bullets (243, 260, 284, 7mm-08, 308, 338 Fed, 358), rather than the rounds which were designed for tubular magazines. The Winchester and the Sako both lock up when a round is chambered, just like a bolt action (the BLR does too, but I'm not a fan).

The bad news is that they have long been discontinued, and you'll have to look for them used. The good news is that they are solid, dependable, well-balanced, and made with quality materials and workmanship.

Thirty-thirty carbines are the standard, but don't pass up a Marlin 336 in .35Rem or a Win Mod 94 in .32Win Special. Savage 99's are my favorite. Good luck.

Savage 99 in 300 Savage is the perfect setup for what you want to hunt. A whole lot less kick than a 308, but practically the same performance up to 250 yards. Can also be picked up pretty reasonably.

If you don't reload and don't want the limited options in 300 Savage, a Savage 99 in 308 is fairly easy to find also.

Even the gray ones have class..

Browning BLR w/ Neil Jones trigger job, .308. I think that it would pretty well cover your needs, maybe a nice 1x4 variable on top to boot.
I have a stainless Browning with weaver mounts and a Burris 4power staight tube. Since the scope has no bell I can leave the rear sight on and when I take the scope off I can use the open sights over the mounts, handy for hogs.

You need look no farther than a Winchester Model 94 or a Marlin model 336 in the classic 30-30 caliber. Pre-64 '94s are the best as are the Marlins without the safety. Newer ones are fine too though.

The .30-30 carbine begins to run out of velocity and sights at 200 yards. .308 and .338 Marlin ammo can be difficult to locate at times. The 7mm-08 or .308 in a BLR like that you first tried would serve 98% of your big game needs from now to interment.

Yeah, at 201 yards those bullets just bounce off!

That's a great photo Calhoun!

Savage 99 in 250-3000 is my first choice, also a .308 in same...

Browning Levers are great guns, I had one in .308 and I liked it..

For up to 200 yards there is nothing wrong with a Win. or Marlin in 30-30 and I have shot many deer at up to 200 yards with a Win 94 SRC in 25-35 WCF and a 30-30, also a few elk..but they are not scope friendly so keep that in mind.

Find the gun "you" like, not what "we" like and the caliber that suits you, and go with that as any of the guns mentioned will work fine at 200 yards.

Your choice of a Browning in a 7-08 is an excellent choice IMO.

Simple.

Marlin 336 in 35 Remington is PERFECT for what you describe. Deer and bear inside 200 yards.

Others would work as well. But the 30-30 or the 35 Rem is all that you will need for what you describe. With the nod going to the 35 rem if for no other reason than a little heavier bullet for bear.

Can't really argue with 336 in 35 Rem.
Or a new Marlin in the 308 or 338 Marlin Express

Winchester 94 in .30-30, .375 Win., or .444 Marlin
Marlin 336 in .30-30, .35 Remington, .375 Winchester
Marlin 1895 in .45-70
Marlin 444 in .444 (same as an 1895 Marlin)
Savage 99 in .30-30, .300 Savage, .308 Wincehster, or .358 Winchester

Basically, the classics, as what you describe is what they were designed for and what they made their reputations on.