Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Which lever action rifle and caliber would be the deadliest?

Read the articles entitled "444: America's most versatile big bore" @ www.beartoothbullets.com and then draw your own conclusions. --2MG

Is a bear going to notice the slight difference in case pressure when the hammer drops. Go with the one that has the most readily available ammo, or if your reloading, the most load data to play with. 45-70 130 years of hunters can't be wrong. Can they????

The conclusions might be a little different if Marshall had spent as much time on doing the same kind of testing with the 45-70. But then it was obvious he was intent on supporting a certain hypothesis.

45-70+P 405 Grain WLNGC
SKU: 45-70+P405WLNGC

Caliber: 45-70 +P
Bullet Wt: 405 Grain WLNGC
Velocity: 2050 fps
No. of Rounds: 20



Grizzly Cartridge Company




I have shot these round's made by Mike ( owner of Grizzly Cartridge Company) in my Marlin GS ..

I think rossi is referring to jacketed bullets. Hard cast bullets can be driven faster than jacketed bullets of the same weight due to less bearing surface (lube grooves, and no jacket and a wide metplat makes them shorter) and softer material (quenched lead alloy vs. copper, pure and alloys). So, around 1900 fps with a 405 grain jacketed bullet is about right, although one can probably push to 2000 fps with some rifles in a 24"+ barrel.

You right i am sure Jackfish .And since i am shooting them out of an 18 1/2 inch barrel there no dought slower then the 2050.
More like 1800+ or around there. thay are a fair cast bullet he use's .

All his loaded ammo is very well made .


Pottsy

bcbrian, I've been talking to the folks at z-hat.com about this very thing. The Browning BLR can be rebored/rifled/chambered for the .375 and .411 Hawk rounds, which are '06 based. I would bet that the .300 win mag BLR could be similarly treated, and that sounds like one hell of a lever gun!

cobrad

About one week after i got my new GS Marlin .I picked up a Browning stainless then sold it becouse it was a shorty mag type and picked up a full length 300 Win Mag in a BLR

I was thinking at that time about rechambering it to 458 win mag ..

I already have one in a M 77 Ruger and i was just thinking
it would be one hell of a lever in 458 Win Mag..

after taking it to the gunsmith and leaving it there for about 3 month's he called and told me all the part's i wanted were there..New front sight new rear sight Etc Etc.
He told me the barrel was there . it was a plain old Dougless
I asked him if there was a chance i could go 50-110 with the rifle ..Dead Silance......I am sure you could Mr #### but we have your .458 barrel here and it's not returnable..
So he has ordered a .510 diameter barrel and we shall see
what happen's <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> i ordered a three leaf rear sight and a banded front sight... i will be getting a new recoil pad one of those decelerator pad type's mine is a pistol grip vertion BLR

For the money it's about the cheapest route you can go to get a 50-110 .. the rifle and barrel and the reamer job run around 1100.00 beat's the winchester or browning's out
for cost..
And there's no tub work just a little feeding work and that's just the box is all

martinpotts that sounds like one fine lever rifle. I am leaning toward the Browning myself. I like the box mag, and it feels smoother and quicker to me to cycle a lever action with a pistol grip stock vs a straight one. Let us know how that project works out when it is finished.

If you want to rely on a lever gun in the field the Browning BLR might not be it. Parts is parts. And many of them on the Brownings ain't that good. Snap, crackle, pop.

You guys really have me thinking about a new way to spend money I don't have - darn you anyways!

A .375 H&H or .416 Remington Magnum or .458 Winchester Magnum in a long-action Browning Lever...hmmm...
Can't think of any reason a .300 Winchester based gun couldn't be rebarreled in any of those. I'm not sure I'd really want to shoot it much though...but a guy can dream.

mpotts, you are to blame! The idea of a big bore based on the BLR magnum action was more than I could take. I just found a NIB 7 mag BLR with the rounded pistol grip and forend. Best looking lever I've come across, and at $650 shipped, well, its' on the way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> Now, what shall we rebarrel/chamber this baby for??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

For the same money you could of got one already chambered in the 450, with the box magazine it would open the option of pointier bullets like those available from Northfork.
those lightning models don't have the same fell and balance as the original or 81 models.

In this case it was simple asthetics that made my decision. Pro's and con's to each make and model, but I find the rounded pistol grip and forend to be particularly elegant. Have already fired off a message to a 'smith about a rebore/chamber to 416 taylor. Could make for a rather exotic lever gun.

I guess I was spoiled by the handling characteristics of the first 2 models of the BLR. I looked at one of the lightnings in 708 but with that fatter forend it just didn't feel right to me.
Turning that one of yours into a 416 taylor sounds like a really interesting deal, hope to read all about it when its done.

As mentioned, the 45-70, 300gr partiton load outpenetrated the 375H&H 300gr. Saw the data myself. And the 300gr partition was not a "full potential" load for the Marlin 45-70. That same cartridge has been used for 1 shot broadside full penetration kills on buffs. I would have full confidence in it for Grizzley if confronted. Have used heavy hard cast in 45-70, and could not get good accuracy. Partitions are very accurate in mine.

cobrad

It can be rechambered to almost any case you can think of ...
..save the super big dog's 378 weatherby ..460 etc

i went 50-110 becouse i make a really good .510 diameter
jacketed 10 deg tapered bullet in it..

But a 458 Win Mag would be cheaper for brass and buying .458 diameter bullet.


Then again you could alway's rebarrel it and rechamber it to somthing more exotic like a 461 Gibb's



Or a 12.7x44MM Rimmed Danish



Or even one of the Lazzeroni type shell's like the 10.57 Meteor



Your's is your dream buddy make the best of the dream <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />




PA Bullet's

Well ,that is if you go strictly by the reloading books that specify 28,000 CUP for a 45-70 in a marlin or the 35,000 that a 450 marlin will get you.I'm sure some people can/will push the 45-70 close to 450 marlin specs,but I would rather be reloading to specs rather than pushing the limit and end up with the same result.max that 3diff books show for 45-70 is about 1750-1800fps with 400 grain. 450marlin shows 1900-2000 with the 400 grain.

The data in my '04 Hodgdon "Annual Manual" lists a load for the 45-70 pushing a 400 gr bullet 2002 fps @ 39,400 cup. This load is specifically for the Marlin rifle. It also shows the 450 marlin doing 2023 fps @ 42,600 cup. Both potent, but redundant it would appear. I would like to see the data showing the 300 gr 45-70 out penetrating the 300 gr 375 H&H. Were they both shooting partitions? It would seem to me the 375, with its' greater SD and velocity should have greater penetration provided the bullet held together. If the 375 H&H will indeed work through the BLR, that may be my choice. Adequate power for a bear rifle, with the potential to make a 300 yd rifle on other game.

375 H&H seems like it would be too long. The 375 Taylor would work though, I think.