Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 444 or 1895

Thanks for the reply's ranch and savage. I had let this thread get way down the page. I am glad to see it still gets some interest. Started shopping for a 444 had the money set asside. my wife graduated nursing school a few monthes ago. and she needed money to take a capland course to prepare her for the state nursing exams. She needed to pass more then I needed a new rifle.If I drew a bear tage this year I would be bumed. I didn't so there is no rush. I mainly live vicariously through most of you guys anyway. Dreaming of the day when I can have a little more nose, and i don't need so much dust from the grind stone. thank again for the input

just some info I think you gentelmen may need to make an intellegent decision on which lever action caliber to buy,all compared sighted dead on at 150 yards
heres why I feel the BLR is vastly superior

caliber .bullet weight...drop at 300 yards .energy at 300 yards
444marl .......240 grains.......24.1.................................925
358 win.........250 grains.......17.1 ........... .................. 1813
300 win mag..200 grains......10.9 ................................2249
450 marlin.....350 grain.......24.1 ................................1349
Id also point out that further gains are available thru careful bullet selection since the BLR allows POINTED bullets due to the box magazine VS the tube magazine of the marlin design

450 marlin 400 grain....28.6 ..............................1682
this is what a pointed 400 grain bullet in the marlin/blr looks like

340 no doubt about it the BLR would qualify as the "cadillac" of the lever guns. I have 2 in the gun cabinet.
Problem is the Blr doesn't come in anything considered bigbore, and you left the 405 (my personal favorite big bore lever cartridge) out of your ballistics data.

Tried to edit but dumb thing wouldn't do it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />
The Blr does come in the 450, but the 450 won't do anything the 45-70 won't do when fed proper reloads.

Shucks Ken I wouldn't zactly call Bob Milek and incompetent hunter, even when he was still alive, and the big cahoona from Marlin had the same trouble killing his moose on that hunt. I do recall the yardage was guessed at around 175 yds.

Trying to figure that statement out? The Big-Bore Marlins and Winchesters have been killing critters for years. Pointed bullets and speed aren't everything and the BLR isn't for everbody. I would suspect that the sales of BLR's can't even rate compaired to the Marlins and Winchesters.

I just finished hosting my third Postal Match and the BLRs have never outperformed the Marlins or Winchesters.

Ranchdog its not terrible hard to figure out, look at his handle, look at the cartridge he's advocating in what rifle, and then look at the original intent of this thread. The rest will all fall in place. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I also agree with Jackfish.Flip a coin to the 444 or 1895..A well placed shot from either will get you what your after.

Good luck on your choice.

Jayco

I would not recommend a BLR to anyone. I know what they are made of.

I had a BLR years ago in .308 Win, only owned it for 7 months, it spent 5 of the 7 months being repaired under waranty, when I got it back I immediately traded it in because I couldn't trust it to hold together for me. Conversely I never had any troubles or issues with the Savage '99s I owned or with my Marlin 444s. My Savage '99s have all been traded away over the years, the only one I really miss was the .358 Win. My Marlin 444s on the other hand is a keeper that will be with me till the end. Only 11 more days untill the opening of my Bull Moose Hunt, I will be pack'n my .444 Marlin!
--Ken <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Go get'm Ken... pictures please!

BLR's--"the Cadillac of lever guns"? What an absolute joke! 358 superior? It's getting funnier by the second. The 348 has more balls than the 358 in the woods. BLR's are glossy coated, shiny triggered, Japanese made pieces of [bleep] with awkward looking, unbalanced receivers. They hardly qualify as the "cadillacs" of lever guns. Hell, they don't even qualify as the Marlins or Winchesters or Savages for that matter. And certainly aren't classics. Get yourself a 444 or 45-70(so you can use a scope if desired) and go huntin'. You won't ever be sorry---2MG

Thanks guys I was cruising through the local sporting goods store for a birthday present for my father in law. I picked up a BLR in 308 out of the rack, along with a win 450 timber. The shop would not take the zip ties off the lever, unless you bought the gun. The win has a nicer balance. The BLR's just have never turned my crank. They seem to be a love hate thing. To 340's chart you are comparing 200 grain bullets but the 444 are loaded to low 40.000 cup and the 300 mag is loaded to 55.000 to 60.000 cup. and with the 300's higher BC It is no wonder that it looks better on paper. But if you loaded the 450 to the same cup as the 300mag it would behave more like a 458 win then a 45/70. The BLR seems like an oxymoron. a fast handling rifle that can shoot medium to longer ranges. If i am shooting longer ranges, I like to be settled in on something steady and resting my body and rifle watching what i am shooting at and pick my shot. A light fast rifle doesn't help with this. And shooting pointy bullets really fast doesn't kill any faster then slower larger bullets at closer ranges. But as ranch was insinuating there isn't any bolt actions in my arsenal. The only thing I have that shoots a point bullet is a 25/06 in a ruger 1b standard. Thats the woodchuck/ U.P deer rifle.

FS--sounds like you came to the right conclusion. I agree those stats are totally bogus and in no way reflect true full-house loads. Not that I've anything against the 358 at all, but don't start tellin' me it's a more effective woods cartridge than a 444, 45-70, or well loaded 348 for that matter. Pointy bullets are nice, but for woods guns, the the big flat or round nose bullets have a much more devastating effect on game than faster pointy bullets. Nobody in their right mind needs or wants pointed bullets in these rifles, and couldn't care less what there drop is at 300yds. Go shoot something with them all and then get back to me! I own MANY lever guns, and the BLR has never even crossed my mind. My last U.P. bear(2003) was absolutely flattened by my Marlin 444ss( a personal favorite that I'll keep 'til I die). My next one I'll be using a Win 71 348, loaded the way it should be, with 250gr bullets. Take care---2MG

Dang, that is one purty shootin' iron. It just looks handy.

>>--->



And thisun.....just doesn't.

My .444 did the job again this year, dropping my Bull Moose at 150 yards with one shot to the neck, smashing a vertibrae, I then gave it a 2nd shot to stop the thrashing around, the second shot was to the head hitting the base of the right antler & shattering the top of the skull plate so the antlers were broken apart & attached only by the hide, moving independently of one another.

--Ken

Another 265gr Hornady?

Yup, that moose cost me two Hornady 265gr Bullets & 89gr IMR4198 powder, two magnum primers... {my most common load is 44.5gr IMR 4198}. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

--Ken

Man reading this thread is gonna cost me some cash. I have been able to subdue the temptations to snatch one of these bad boys up for quite some time. but I think I'm losing out.........must.......resist........

MS-man, just give in. Life's just better with big bores. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />