Yes I know a turn bolt action rifle is accurate and dependable ordinarily. Add some do dads, fancy optics and earth rotation data and bullet can go miles. OK, this is a given, they are a little dull however.
How about a lever action rifle? In a high intensity, bottleneck cartridge?
Or an oldtimer, in a 150 year old chambering? ....now this gets my attention!
Maybe ol'John Browning had a hand in it, maybe Fabrique Nationale or Miroku.
Why isn't there more development in this very quick to handle, American designed rifle option
Please enlighten me ( us) The great unwashed....

Lever-actions don't sell nearly as well as bolt-actions these days. They can be very accurate--I've owned several factory lever-actions that consistently shot 3-shot groups of 1/2" or less, sometimes with factory ammo. have also written plenty of articles on handloading for lever-action rifles of several makes, my most recent a .30-30 Winchester Model 64, but not long before did one on my Model 1886 Winchester take-down in .33 WCF.

But there's not much "development" in lever-actions because most hunters don't care anymore, partly because they don't need to fire repeat shots as rapidly as they did back when most hunters hunted slowly through cover to find big game, rather than sitting in an elevated stand, or shooting in more open country at far beyond iron-sight ranges. "Quick to handle" isn't the big factor in choosing a big game rifle anymore.

Hi John, I so look forward to your writings. I would like to see you put some of the modern leverguns on your test bench. You are followed and quite influential. I like a turnbolt but like the feel of a lever rifle. I use a BLR for my mountain hunting...I always thought the BLR would entice other rifle makers to experiment a bit. Cheers

BLR is a good rifle. Savage 99 no longer in production, but my goodness, quite a rifle. Henry has recently introduced their "Long Ranger" but I've never shot one. I'd think that in 6.5 or 308, it might be a mighty fine lever action rifle.

Others have been tried over the years.

Me? I really like a traditional Marlin and am quite willing to accept the old design. It just feels good!

I sometimes think that the 45/70 Marlin 1895 has kept the lever action fires burning. Great combo.

Guy

Glad you like my writing!

Did an article not many years ago that mentioned my BLR .30-06 that put 5 shots (not just three) into well under an inch. Apparently it didn;t help sales....

One problem with lever-actions (with the exception of the "pre-mil" Savage 99's) is the triggers aren't all that great--and aren't all that easilt replaced. Which leads me to another point: Lever-actions can't be dinked with as easily as bolts, either to "accurize" or to put together "parts rifles," as so many moduler bolt actions can today.

My advice is to buy as many older lever-actions as you can afford. The situation isn't going to get any better.

Hi Mule Deer

I guess you are principally writing for a US audience, but there are those of us who aren't in the US, and for whom hunting conditions and regulations are different. Here in Oz for example there's still a place for firearms which can fire repeat shots rapidly, especially when culling (and also taking account of the fact that bag limits are largely not a factor here). There's very few who shoot from treestands, and people do, by and large, mostly hunt by sneaking slowly along through cover on foot. We also have very stringent restrictions on self-loaders, which takes them out of reach of many (don't get me started!).

As a result, lever action, as well as pump action rifles and some newer designs using various straight-pull mechanisms are pretty popular here. Lever action shotguns too, for that matter - there's a fair few different models on the market here, both Winchester 1901 clones and more modern designs.

I too enjoy your writing, and would love to read more of your thoughts on lever actions, as well as some of these other types.

I've always been a levergun fan but have never owned a modern lever gun. I've always been satisfied with the 30-30/32/35 Rem level of performance. Have also had a few of the bigger 44/45 caliber thumpers. If I want a modern cartridge I guess I want it in a bolt gun.

Over the next 5 years you'll see an uptick in lever sales mainly due to all the legislation passing at the state level.

Fixed it for you.

I have owned old and new and they suit my needs really well.
I gravitated to the takedown version of the BLR as a trial and liked it so much I bought another.
I use a scout scope on them with quick detach rings, and can put the whole works in my pack.
This is great for my Bighorn and mountain Goat hunting. The trigger take a little getting used to, but it can be refined.
A great subject for the a writer like JB. Just Imagine!
Or the m95's, 94's ( old and new) 88's, 99's or the Longranger etc.
Enjoy the day, folks.

I've gotten into lever guns in my dotage for hunting, I'd like to take my 99 for elk, my 71 for moose and around here my Marlin 1895 Carbine (1951 manufacture) for hogs and deer.

The lever action is far from dead. Writers still write about them, more than you would expect. I have worked with Mike Venturino on many such articles and books. Phil Spangenberger, John Taffin, Brian Pierce and others still write about them. Lever actions are here to stay...

I've got several lever guns in the stable, and I've spent time hunting with one every year since 2002. They are fine for whitetails (which is my primary game). However, as I've aged, I find less reason to be lusting after one. I just bought yet another over the winter that I'll probably rebore to 38-55--you can tell I'm conflicted.

There is nothing better for generating glurge than a lever gun. Make it an old one. Place a kid in the story, and you've got the making of a good outdoor story. The only problem is that there is less and less of a market for glurge these days. Readers are far more interested in technical stories with hard facts, charts, and words like secant ogive and runout tolerance. I love writing glurge. I'd do it all day if someone would pay me to do it.

The Glenfield

To me, what's killing the market for Levers is the MSR. My son has one. He dotes on it. It has all these possibilities for upgrading and accessorizing. So far I've seen him put 3 different sighting systems on it. His latest buy was a chamber cover with WW1WGA laser etched on it.

Levers are just something you love and cherish and shoot and clean. Where's the fun in that?

I don't own an MSR, BTW. I'm much more of a troglodyte. I'm still warming up to bolt actions. Therein lies my biggest conflict.

When I go looking for a rifle to do a job, I'm a guy who likes the cheapest, easiest solution to the problem. Levers generally aren't. Need a new deer rifle? You can buy a Mossberg Patriot in 308 for under $300, or you can by a Marlin 336 for $420. The Patriot gives you longer reach. The 336 gives you a warm feeling inside. The Patriot strips down without muss or fuss. You should have a Marlin 336 on a bench and be ready to catch a bunch of small pieces to take it apart. It's hard to talk up a lever action to a newbie unless you throw in sentiment, and even then it is a hard sell.

Now, don't get me wrong. My Opening Day GOTO deer rifle is a Savage 99, and my off-season walking around rifle is a Marlin 1894 in 336. However, I love the Savage 99, because it's just cool, and the Marlin 1894 could just as easily be my Mini-14. If it were raining out, I'd probably grab the Mini-14, because it's stainless. Were I talking to somebody new to the game, I wouldn't put forward a rifle that has been out of production for 20 years as a suggestion.

Solution? I know one solution that I can't abide:



That thing is an abomination.

Right now I own more lever action rifles than bolt action rifles.I prefer Marlins and have 93`s ,1936`s,36`s 39`s,1894`s,1895`s, 336`s.I also have some Browning 53`s and 92`s both super quality guns .I have to disagree with MD in that I think it is easier to do trigger work and accurizng on the lever actions that I own than bolt actions.Huntz

Yep, gotta make "tactical" lever-actions these days!

Kirk, yes, there will be articles about lever-actions as long as there are gun magazines, but the demand is WAY down from even 10 years ago, partly because Dave Scovill retired. He was convinced that the average gun-magazine reader was far more interested in old lever-actions than bolt-actions (or any other "modern" rifle, even though bolt-actions have been around even longer than lever-actions). This was because HE was more interested in old lever-actions. But as the writers who really like levers retire (or go to the big shooting range in the sky), there'll be even fewer articles about old lever-actions, because not many of the coming generation of gun writers has much interest, and hence knowledge..

This is partly because many of the really nifty old lever-actions are in larger collections of fewer and fewer older enthusiasts (like you and Mike) rather than circulating on the used-gun market. But there are enough of the more common lever-guns still around, at lower prices, to compete with the fewer NEW lever-actions being produced. Which is exactly why Savage never did start making the 99 again, even after saying they might for quite a while: Along with being a very expensive rifle to make (or at least make well enough to attract older fans of the 99), there are still hundreds of thousands of 99's already out there, especially the more common models. As a result, a new-production 99 would be competing against already existing 99's that would be priced lower..

I have done my part to write about lever-actions. In fact back when I was a 99 addict (once owned half-a-dozen .250's at once, amid the rest of my collection, from very early take-downs to the sometimes maligned post-1960 99A) I wrote an article for RIFLE on 'em. Guess what? A bunch of readers then quite seriously blamed me for driving the price up! More recently, however, the price actually seems to be dropping, especially for more common 99's like EG .300's, because demand is fading as older hunters pass on.

As noted, in the past year I did an article on my Model 64 Winchester .30-30, along with one of the new classic-style 94 Sporters. The 94 review was for GUNS magazine, but from recent changes there I would guess that there won't be as many articles on traditional lever rifles in the future.

In the past decade have also done articles on my Marlin 336 .35 Remington, the Winchester 92 in .25-20 I bought from you, along with my Model 71 .348, Model 1894 .25-35 (note the 1894, which is what Winchester stamped the early models--mine was made in 1898), and 1886 take-down .33 WCF, and back in my 99-addict days also did one on a Marlin 93 that had originally been a .30-30 but eventually was rebored and rechambered to .38-55. Oh, and I also did an article on the .32 Special, using a Winchester 94 made in 1952, and worked up handloads with black powder to see how well they worked, since the .32 was designed to be reloadable with black, because reloading with smokeless was considered pretty dangerous back then. It worked just as it was designed to do.

But the magazine market is driven by readers, which are now much younger than the Baby Boomers who were the backbone of the gun market (and other markets) for so many years. And aside from a very few exceptions, Gen Xers and Millenials simply don't care about lever actions.

Yes, lever rifles will always be around, but there are real reasons fewer articles will appear about them, especially as lever-fan gun writers get older. Even that "young" gun writer Brian Pearce is almost 60 now.

Lets make it fairfor the guys from Oz

I’d rather read an article on the ‘92, ‘94, ‘99’, ‘86, ‘73, 336’s, BLR, Henry etc. than any AR article. Alas, I’m in the Dave Scovill age bracket maybe older, I don’t know.

I see American Rifleman keeps up the AR on their front cover and I wish they were more oriented towards ~ 1900 to 1945 era guns. Maybe I should change to American Hunter...

My grandsons are coming of age and soon will be able to hunt their { my } rifles so the instruction presently is with one of my lever guns of choice...

They will as I did many moons ago be instructed to understand and become proficient first with irons... I see way too many younger shooters at the range that couldn't hit a bull in the azz with anything other than a scoped rifle!

Scovill liked lever-actions! Who knew?

Mule Deer, you aren't off the hook til you write an article on the 444!!

Not a gun writer but definitely a rifle looney and a lever fan. I find I'm nearly even between lever and bolt guns and more levers keeping showing up. I just picked up a Miroku 1886 Winchester High Grade in 45-70. It's on the way. I have a mixture of new and old lever guns. An old 71 and 64 along with a 336 and a 39. On the new side is the Browning 53, 65 and now this 86. There's an old pre-safety Marlin 94 that's going to Nonneman to become a 480 after I sell a few guns I no longer use.

This--------

Yeah, Nick Harvey's one gunwriter who has written a good number of articles on lever actions. Spoken of their pro and cons as hunting tools in a number of his books too.

There again he is an Australian. A tremendously knowledgeable bloke too. I've met him several times myself.

Mule Deer,i feel for you if you have to write an article and shoot a 444 . 22 hornet would be more fun,Pete53

Going out tomorrow with my highly loved Guide Gun in 45/70 after pigs. It don’t get any better.

I have a few, they are fun to shoot. I wish I had discovered 99’s when I was younger.

I had a Savage 99 300 savage that was left to me by my maternal grandfather. Gave it to my daughter. That was a nice rifle as was the Model 88 Winchester in 308 that I had until I sold it to help pay for grad school. Sure wish I still had it. My only lever rifle now is my Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70. I can't wait till elk season this fall in central Utah.

last fall i purchased a new to me Savage 99 in 284 win. with a clip and its a shooter,looks like new and is now my walk around rifle.sure wished i would have been buying them and using these 99`s years ago as well as my Ruger #1`s.

I like most practical guns, but I did not get the memo saying modern lever guns cannot succeed in Africa or kill anything that walks the earth!

My Miroku 1886 45-90 has taken elephant, Cape Buffalo, leopard and plains game in Africa. At home it has taken bison, deer, exotics, pronghorn, etc.

My Miroku 1895 .405 WCF has taken Cape Buff(400 grain Woodies) and warthog in Africa and numerous exotics, hogs, deer, pronghorn in Texas and New Mexico.

The elite African hunter "rifle snobs" call such lever gun success "stunts". I call it hunting. Handgun hunters call it "overkill".

With suitable bullets, a hunter with a modern 45-70 can take any land animal - period. For example, anyone here hunted DG with the Grizzly Cartridge .45-70 +P 400 grain brass Punch bullet at 2050 fps? In our bullet tests, the 45-70 450 grain Punch bullets shot through 5/8 inch steel plates from 50 yards. Other monolithic bullets made big dents, but did not make "daylight holes" through the plates.

With modern lever guns, bullets, powders , etc, the hunter has few limits.

I would really like one of those 99’s in 284.

400 gn @2050 fps? That must get your attention in a light lever-action. In my 1895 Marlin I had a 420 gn hard cast at about 1800, and that was pretty stout. One went right through a sambar - a large deer, bigger than a red deer - lengthwise, and a mate of mine knocked off a number of buffalo with the same load.

Dan OZ,
I do not hunt big game with light lever guns.

My 1886 .45-90 weighs in at 9.5 pounds unloaded - 26 inch octagon barrel.
My 1895 .405 weighs around 8 pounds, has a recoil pad and does kick some with hot 400 grain loads. Factory 300 grainers at 2225 fps are easy.

My Simson .405 double rifle weighs 9.5 empty, 10 with scope attached.
My Beretta .45-70 double with 26 inch barrels weighs 10 pounds with scope on.

The Levergun always sparks some " conversation".
JB is my favorite writer these days and I was just tugging a little on his chain to write something again.
The long range game more or less excludes our saddle rifles and once that fades out I hope the lever phase begins( again), ...just thinking out loud folks!
Refine the pull and lock time and no reason the it can't satisfy some of the turnbolt guys, hey, and my .450 Marlin juiced up a bit sends a bunch downrange, imo. Just stirring the pot, but I believe this .Cheers

My two youngest asked for lever-guns in .22 LR. The only reason I am considering bolts or semi-autos in larger hunting calibers for them is stock length. My daughter got a Browning youth for her 10th birthday and my youngest boy wants a Henry when he turns 10.

This is lever operated as well (some might say it's a pump). Regardless, it demonstrates that there is more than one way to get water.

As do these...

I just got a Rossi 92 today in 357 mag. Took it to the range and had a lot of fun. I'm going to like this gun.

Mr. Dan, I'm a fan of the Rem 760, 7600 & Model Sixes.

I'm curious what/which pump action rifles are popular and used in Oz.


Jerry

If you are a horseman you will find a levergun fits a scabbard better, is more narrow and less affects your ability to keep your leg on your mount's side. It also pulls out of the scabbard easier . My 2 cents.

Love my levers, 3 custom 356's 24in with ladder sight, 20in on top eject big bore action and a 16in trapper, mod 71, mod 64 30-30, 1955 mod 94 30-30, mod 94 375win and a 1948 mod 64 made into a kids gun 19in barrel, shortened stock and cerakoted.

Morning, I have owned a .356 myself and found brass tough to get. It is a hard hitting round, and if brass was more available or could be made from something else I would get a .356 and a .307. Both are good rounds , imo

It'd be the one or other of the Remington most commonly here too. The 760, especially in .35 Whelen, seems popular for sambar, and there's been a good number of 7615s sold here too. The odd Browning BPR, IMI Timberwolf, Colt Lightning clones, Verney-Carron and some others, less common.

There are lots of pump-action .22s too of course, from Winchester, Remington, Browning, Rossi and a lot of others.

Brian Pearce had a good 444 article published, November 2018. Good stuff!

Yeah, let's resurrect the .444. The .44 long needs some TLC

Thank You, I had forgotten about the BPR.

Growing up on Rem 870 shotguns the 7600 etc. was a NATURAL transition to rifles.

Thnx Again

Jerry

Some more comments:

While I love lever-action rifles (especially older ones) my experience is they're not any faster in repeat fire than a bolt-action, as long as the shooter using a bolt rifle knows how to run one. Pumps can be a LOT faster than either--in fact even faster than semiautos, though again, if the shooter really knows how to run one.

If somebody can tell me exactly what advantages the .444 has over the .45-70 in a lever-action, especially for a handloaders, I could be interested in doing an article on it. So far nobody has.

There's another factor as well: I often end up doing articles on certain rifles due to running across an interesting used rifle--which is exactly how I acquired my ancient .25-35 Winchester 1894, and take-down .33 WCF 1886. So far I haven't run across an interesting used .444. In fact I can't remember ever running across any used .444, which may be related to my above comment.

I prefer to shoulder my rifle or carbine on my left side. I am right handed. I also like to tie spare shirts around my waist, with a fanny pack.

The bolt knob likes to get caught in the [bleep] around my fat azzed waist. Levers don't do that. Eventually I am gonna get butterknife bolt knobs that are flush on the bolt actions I am gonna use to see if that helps.

The only thing I can possibly think about a triple 4 over a 45/70 is they are supposed to have more material in the receiver so they are slightly stronger. But it would seem one would need a Ballard rifeling in the 444 to have it be " superior " or even " comparable " to the 45/70.

Hornady is making 307 brass again, seems quite good.

How does the 307 win compare to the 308 mx?

Put them both in a bag and shake it up and they'll both fall out the same hole.

Which, of course, is impossible.

I have a relative who is Blackfeet and quite a student of historic firearms. He has referred to Winchester lever guns as "The AK-47 for Indians." That says a lot!
There is a nice 1895 Marlin somebody might get into cheap at https://www.gunbroker.com/item/802178104

This pretty much covers it.

The 20” 307 Winchester and the 22” 308 Marlin Express pretty well equal each other.

Using Alliant Reloder 15 It is easy to push the 150-grain Speer 2,700 fps.
The 170-grain Speer bullet will nudge 2,550 in either the 20” .307 Winchester or the 22” .308 Marlin Express using Reloder 15.

In todays world the .307 Winchester is obsolete. If you have one they are pretty easy to feed and it is a good rifle.

The .308 Marlin Express is slightly easier to feed and will perhaps, be back in production one day.
I cannot imagine how Remington will work with the 308MX rifle. The early Marlin is a well put together rifle and quite accurate with factory ammunition.
The handloader has to work to equal the accuracy of the factory .308 Marlin Express ammunition.
Marlin took a bit of extra care in the fitting of the vertical locking bolt to the notch in the sliding bolt. This seems to have contributed to the fine accuracy delivered by the rifle. Prior to published load data coming out for the .308ME we were loading in to equal to .307 Winchester and not thinking much about it. When published load data appeared for the .308ME we were surprised to see the reduced pressure loads. Thank goodness for the 22" barrel which helps bring the velocity up to equal the .307 Winchester.

The advantage of the 444 over the .45-70 is trajectory. With the Hornady 265 gr. at 2200 fps it is nearly identical to the 170 gr. .30-30 at 2100 fps. That doesn't sound great, but is better than the .45-70.

Here's what I posted: "If somebody can tell me exactly what advantages the .444 has over the .45-70 in a lever-action, especially for a handloader.....

Please explain what advantage a .444 has over a modern .45-70 lever handloaded with a 300-grain at 2200+--the velocity listed in Hodgdon's data, which is usually pretty conservative.

Then there's the fact that 45-70 ammo, of whatever type, is far more available than .444.

Plus, I know from actual experience that a "traditional" .45-70 load (whether factory or handloaded) with a bullet in the 400-grain range will take game beyond 200 yards--if the hunter knows what they're doing, even with an 1884 Springfield trapdoor.

Heck, I don't know for sure, but, it seems there is a up tick in lever rifle purchases, especially in handgun calibers. Maybe they're just more fun to shoot[me], maybe it's another current fad with some shooters, or, shooters just plain like 'em. As for me, I no longer hunt "big game", deer elk. So, I bought a couple handgun lever rifles just to shoot and have fun with. Enjoying rifles and shooting. Nothing wrong with that. My bolt rifles would shoot further, if needed, probably more accurate; but, more fun? No way.

At the gun show in Albany Oregon.

They were pretty proud of the Remlins and Henerys NIB.

Me thinks like mule deer said. Buy what you can afford!

Yeah, pistol caliber leverguns are about the epitome of fun.

Sounds like the beginning of article....keep going , the 45/70 is such a strange and interesting old round.

I know this for sure, if I go to the range and seated beside me are frustrated bolt action rifle shooters , I pull out a levergun and they smile a little . Oh....what do we have here! Leverguns are fun, including the big bores.

Mule Deer,
Two questions for you ;
1. Have you read" From Elves to Elephants" by Paco Kelly? If not, here is a link to it:
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/4570_leverguns.htm

2. Have you written articles on the .405 Winchester? If so, where can I locate one?

crshelton,

Yep, am familiar with Paco Kelly's writing.

Did an article on the .405 for HANDLOADER about 15 years ago--but used a Ruger No. 1. Despite my collection of "traditional" lever-actions, have probably been more intrigued with single-shots than levers. In fact my latest rifle acquisition is a 1866 Springfield .50-70, the second Allin conversion. This particular rifles was actually made in 1866.

In 2003 went on an all iron-sight safari with a friend who brought as his rifle an 1886 Winchester in .50-110. Using black powder and 500-some grain cast bullets, he took four plains game animals and a Cape buffalo. I took two rifles, a bolt-action .416 Rigby and a Ruger No. 1 .375 H&H, but did almost all my hunting with the .375, taking the same animals.

In reality, however, I like just about all rifles.

Look to Hollywood to understand the popularity of certain rifles as well as most any other item in pop culture.

The days of the western movie and/or tv series is all but over. So goes the popularity of the lever rifle and single action revolver.

Look what the series "The Walking Dead" did to the price and availability of Colt snake guns if you don't believe me.

Mule Deer, we will bring you back from the Dark Side...

Beartooth bullets has some great technical articles on the 444

https://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/17

first one above...

and since when does a handloading Loony have to have a logical reason to prefer one cartridge over another?

but here you go: (1) it is more versatile than the 45-70; (2) it can provide comparable big bore killing power with less pain on the shooter's end than the 45-70

Mule Deer, advantage of 444 over 45-70 for me is the use of cheaper 44 cal. bullets that I also have on hand for handguns. The use of 180gr bullets loaded fast or slow for practice or pest. So no real advantage just works for me.

I knew Pythons had gone out of control but I didn't know The Walking Dead had anything to do with it?

MD,
Thanks - I may have that R #1 article in my .405 file. I will check later.

I love lever rifles, though I do not often (but sometimes) grab one when it comes time to hunt. I owned a 444 Marlin a few decades ago. The problem with that 444 was the short action. I have a Marlin 44 Mag, same problem, though there is a fix, I guess, with the 44, maybe with the other Marlins?? My cast bullets for the 44/444 have long ogives. I sold the 444 to someone who didn't cast bullets and he was satisfied, he only used it on whitetail and factory loads worked OK. I had a Ruger 44 tube feed way back when, it didn't last long in my rack - short action.
I have a couple of 45-70 levers, a Marlin and a '86 Winchester. The '86 is a bit heavy, but the Marlin will be on the sale block before the Winchester because of their short action. Maybe the Marlins can be modified to allow cast bullets?? I read an article somewhere...
At any rate the reason for me with the large caliber lever guns is cast bullets. With a 44/444/45-70 and cast bullets, I think the combination makes a deadly whitetail rifle. I'd use my 45-70 on elk too, if I lived in elk country and got tags every year.
I believe my 7600 Remington is much faster to get multiple fast shots than any lever rifles. My hope is to drop the game on the first shot. Hearing multiple fast shots means to me there might very well be a running deer or whatever coming fast, get ready.

Dogger,

Excellent points!

But "more versatile" hasn't been a valid point with handloaders since owning only one (maybe two) centerfires went out in the 1950's. As an example, I always loved to hear from .260 Remington fans who claim it's the most versatile modern centerfire--when they own several.

Don't understand the physics of why the .444 can provide more killing power than the .45-70, when shooting basically equal-weight bullets at basically the same velocity. But then I haven't found much difference in killing power with a bunch of cartridges!

Bugger,

All of which is why I tend to prefer single-shots over lever-actions with larger rounds: There isn't any problem with "action length."

When repeat shots MIGHT be required, as I noted earlier somebody who really knows how to work a bolt-action can fire aimed repeat shots just as fast as with a lever-action. If really fast repeat shots are needed, then either a pump or double-barrel is faster.

Where lever-actions really shine is when firing LOTS of rounds without reloading the tube magazine, their original reason for being--back when their primary cartridges were short, so a lot could fit in am under-barrel tube magazine. That's still a valid purpose with rimfires, but the basic fact remains that reloading a tube magazine takes considerable time--one reason it didn't take long for them to be bypassed as military rifles, their primary original purpose.

When repeat shots MIGHT be required, as I noted earlier somebody who really knows how to work a bolt-action can fire aimed repeat shots just as fast as with a lever-action. If really fast repeat shots are needed, then either a pump or double-barrel is faster.

How about someone that really knows how to use A lever action compare to A average bolt user. Lever guns are faster.

OK I get the point here that for shooting mulitiple magazines in a gun fight there are better actions than levers. But think about it, for a hunting rifle where you may have 3-6 shots at a running deer, the lever gun is hard to beat. You are working the lever which is close to the action, which is to me conducive to better accuracy because you don't get out of position with a lever. With a pump or even a bolt gun you get more out of position shot to shot. With a lever you just use your right hand or left if you're a lefty and stroke downward and back up to the same position. And in a hunting situation your return to battery is quicker and all your motion is more repetitive. Having said all that I'm a bolt guy. I try to kill on my first shot.

Filaman,

Sorry to put it bluntly, but BS.

The pump-action is fastest not only to cycle, but you don't have to remove your finger from the trigger. While some lever-actions have the trigger in the lever mechanism, most don't.

Working a lever-action requires pulling the lever down, which unless the trigger is part of the lever mechanism tends to push the buttstock down on the shoulder--especially with a rifle chambered for a longer cartridge, which requires a longer lever-throw, often even in front of the trigger. Which is exactly why so many early lever-actions had curved metal buttplates, which tend to keep the butt in the same place on the shoulder. But except for "classic" reproductions, curved buttplates are very rare--and on harder-kicking rifles tend to hurt the shoulder.

In contrast, a pump-action allows the shooter's finger to stay on the trigger, and the forward push on the forend also brings the rifle down from recoil. Which is why lever-action shotguns quickly became essentially extinct: Pumps were a LOT faster. Which is one reason so many professional trick-shot artists used them, instead of lever actions.

I don't carry a lever action Big Game rifle because it is any quicker, I am a Sheep hunter, quick doesn't matter, narrow does and because the BLR takes down , I do this regularly.
The new Miroku model 94 does as well.
I really like the old leverguns too, but I always wanted a takedown hunting rifle and after seeing a European hunter with one. I decided to get a takedown BLR.
More rifles should be available in takedown models, imo. It is nice putting it away in a dry pack when you need to.

What is your BLR chambered In? I have a non takedown 358 Win that sure is fun to shoot. Had another BLR in the past and love how they handle in the field.

m d you cant please every body .some body all ways knows more you . just ask them. any way I read most of what you wright a bunch don't interest me it is not your fault . just my interest is different I enjoyed your wright up on that 35rem bear hunter in alaska

44mc,

Glad you liked the .35 Remington article!

I realized long ago that not every reader would care about a wide range of subjects. But once reason I like to write about a bunch of different subjects (whether overall or about rifles) is that opening my mind to different subjects forces me to keep learning.

Have observed over the years that most hunters tend to make up their mind about what they prefer between ages 30 and 40. After that they quit learning. I like rifles, not just pre-'64 Model 70 Winchesters, or lever-actions, or cartridges that appeared before World War II, or whatever. As as result I often buy rifles that are outside my experience in some way, partly because they provide another subject to write about, but perhaps more to learn new stuff. Which is why my two most recent rifles are a custom, synthetic-stocked 6.5 PRC and an 1866 Springfield "trapdoor" .50-70. While not many readers are interested in both, I will learn something from each rifle, and hopefully be able to explain what I learned well enough for some readers to be interested as well--even if they have no desire to own either rifle.

Mule Deer,
Any thoughts on the Sako Finnwolf? I've been lusting for one for a while, but haven't been able to find one up here.

Have only seen a few in my lifetime, and never owned a Finnwolf, much less fired one. So dunno!

I have a couple in 243 and 308, and they are exceptional rifles. They look a lot like the Winchester model 88, but are better made. They are quite accurate and work very well. I have been helping Mike Venturino with an article on these rifles that should be done for "Rifle" magazine in the next few months...

Shrapnel,
I look forward to the article, and that is one beautiful rifle!

Those are 2 separate rifles, 308 with the antelope and 243 with the deer...

Thanks M D

Folks who don’t use a pump rifle enuff to become proficient — or never have — don’t understand the natural action of the rifle and body’s natural movement during firing, & can’t understand the fluidity of motion.

Also the pumps in standard cartridges hold 4 rounds in the mag. Once you’re ready to hunt/shoot, one up the spot makes 5 rounds completely loaded.

I do like levers, especially the BL 22, 9422 & 9422M. Obviously the Savage 99
has great respect in the hunting world. I’ve had BLR s in 243 & 358 so I’m not UN accustomed to lever action rifles.

I have & like the Rem pumps BUT I’m a B A guy too.

Jerry

Hi, my sheep rifle is a .270 win, I picked up another takedown in the. 450 Marlin, I have a .243 win that does not take down . These are all Miroku made. They do bring a smile .

Hi, my sheep rifle is a .270 win, I picked up another takedown in the. 450 Marlin, I have a .243 win that does not take down . These are all Miroku made. They do bring a smile .
It looks immaculate.

I may be wrong, but eventually many things in life come full circle.

It only takes one hunter in a group of stand n' baiters to have continued success (which they will), to shoot some really nice stuff away from the corn slingers that gets a bit more attention towards pumps, autos and levers.

The recent "allowances" by government entities here in Iowa has seen the very recent use of rifles, especially the handy ones chambered in pistol cartridges, by people walking around in the woods and cover. The shotgun, despite being very effective, will lose ground to these guns in short order.

It's been a boon here in IN to getting kids started too! Both my boys shot their first few deer with a 357 Mag single shot at an earlier age than I did. They couldn't handle a 20ga slug at the time, but the little 357 worked peachy!

Camerade,

+1 for takedowns.

All my sxs and pump shotguns are TD
All my single shot shotguns are TD
My Savage 24 Combo turkey gun is TD

Naturally both my double rifles(.405 and .45-70) are takedown.
My 1886, 1892,and 1895 are takedowns
My M61 is TD
My wife's 03 .22 is TD


My poor old pre 64 M70 FW .308 is not TD, but I am attached to it.

And then there are the guns of my kids and grand kids,,,

Morning, I just discovered the takedown rifle 10 years ago...an expensive European Sheep rifle. I saw this an decided a rifle that I could put in my dry pack had lots of merit. I couldn't justify buying a gorgeous German rifle, so decided to try the BLR. I have been very happy with it, I even bullt a split scabbard for horseback hunting and easily goes in my pack for places the riding stock can't get.
If I knew how to post a pic or video I would.Enjoy the day

i ordered a Browning BLR S.S 30-06 take down i see great advantage on a pack trip. i thought long and hard about a take down rifle and thought well my trap guns are all take downs why not a rifle too ? i decided to order a 30-06 its so popular all over the world and easy to find ammo for too.

Here are a couple of 6 shot groups at 80 yards. Shot with a Marlin 1894. Gun is slightly modified for accuracy and had a 16X scope mounted for load testing. Who says a lever gun will not shoot accurately?

https://i.imgur.com/sanoci8.jpg

Hi Pete, I think it is a great choice. What Scope are you considering?

What kind of accuracy are you getting from your 270? I thought about a 450 Marlin for bear protection but got the 358 Win which is a joy to shoot.

I've been giving this lever gun thread some thought and thinking back over a lifetime of deer hunting. Of all the deer I've killed, the most memorable have been the first one with a M64 Winchester and a ten point that I walked up on. I've taken bigger deer from a stand, but the experience of just prowling around with a great to carry lever rifle like my M99F .300 Savage adds a lot to my enjoyment of deer hunting. A lever action shoots one shot just as well as anything else at Wisconsin deer range and is a whole lot more ergonomic to carry than any of my bolt actions.

Hi Windfall, I agree, I find I enjoy using mine in the field over any other design. Other types have their limitations too, the lever action is more complicated , and is affected more by wet and cold, imo.
I use it because it is more useful horseback for me, I can carry it in a .270, 45/70 , 300 Win. etc, I can carry if as a takedown, 300 yards is about maximum for me anyways.
Mine are gouged and weathered and not collectors items.
I am in the minority, but prefer them .

John the 444 will give you less recoil than a 45-70 when both are loaded to the same velocity with bullets of similar sectional density. I believe so loaded it will also shoot flatter due to a slightly better BC.

So it offer less recoil,shoots flatter and kills big stuff just as dead.What's not to love for a rifle looney.

leupold 6 power x42

You guys need a lever gun outlet.....that’s where I go in the “off-season” to get my fix and it’s in the form of NRA lever silhouette. Gives you the chance to use all your lever guns - .22s, pistol cartridges, and high-power centerfires. I use a bunch of different rifles and it’s great practice for hunting season. The sport, at least in western Pennsylvania is growing so maybe there is some hope?!

PennDog

Hi Penndog. Just saw this... I would attend something like that. I use the .243 BLR for our local club positional shoots, but I am the only levergunner there.
I wear a felt cowboy hat 365 days a year but don't care for the costumes I see in Blackpowder, mounted shooting etc. Many of those shooters are city bred and consider their getup a costume...kinda gets stuck in my craw a little.
Some of us wear this clothing for everyday...for a purpose.

I agree - Cowboy action and NRA lever silhouette are two different games...Cowboy action is period specific with dress appropriate - lever silhouette (formerly cowboy silhouette) only requires the lever action rifles (tube feed with no spitzer bullets allowed) - you can dress as you like but no requirements there. I haven’t ever shot the cowboy action stuff - probably fun though?!

PennDog

My first big game animal, taken a while back with my father's lever-action .30-30:

Very cool!

Thanks!

Didn't need the scope, as the range was about 40 feet.

But at that point my father needed it. He killed his last deer that same year, on opening day.

Looks to be a 1950's Marlin 336.

Basically, yes. But it's the Western Field store-brand version sold by Montgomery Wards--as is the 4x scope, made in Japan.

Yup. I've seen those before. There's a lot of guys that seek out those store brand guns. The Glenfields are especially starting to get pricey.

Have noticed that!

I started off with a Savage 99 in 300 Savage. My dad had one he got right after the war. it was used, but in excellent condition when he got it. It was the only CF rifle in our home until I got my 1st rifle, a M70 in 270 with a Waver K4. But I started with the old Savage when I was a very young boy. It had a straight grip and a crescent steel butt and seemed to be far too long in the stock to fit my dad, and of course it was too long for a small skinny kid like I was when I was 7-11 years old. I remember it kicking like a mad mule. It had a supper light weight barrel on it. I killed a few deer with it, but never could make myself like it. So I got a 270 when I was 12. About 1 year later my dad sold the 300.

Somehow for some reason I have missed the old Savage and I can't seem to understand why. I didn't like it. But for years I wanted to get another. Maybe just because of the old memories.,

Well I am happy now.

I traded for a M99 giving some AR15 parts for the rifle about 1 month ago. It was in "ok shape" but the stock was split, and someone had tried to re-finish it, and done a VERY bad job. They had taken the thing apart and had no idea how to put it back the right way. The spindle for the magazine was free-wheeling and the cartridge cut-off spring was totally missing. So it was a "single shot" when I got it, and the wood was bad enough I don't think it should have been fired. I am pretty sure the recoil would have finished the job.

I fitted a new stock, sanded it and did the finish. I re-cut some of the old checkering on the fore-end. Got the new cut-off (ejector) spring installed, re-set the spool spring the right way. Today I installed a Williams peep and a sling. I looked up it's serial number and the table says it was made in 1949. It's a standard 99 with a pistol grip and a standard barrel instead of the real like thin one like my Dad's old gun had.

WOW! It's a REAL good shooter with handloaded 150 gr Remington C.Ls. and "OK "with 180 grain Sierras. I got 1-1/8" groups with the 150s and I got 2.5 to 2.75" with 180s. Both are good enough for deer antelope or elk within 300 yards.
The 150s were excellent, and that was with 40 gr of 4064 and 150 gr Remington Core-Lokts. I will chronograph the loads soon. The book shows it will be about 2500. We'll see. I am happy with anything from 2300 or higher. My brass is Federal 308 Winchester cut down and re-formed to fit.

I wish I were not so old at times like this. I'd love to stack up a long tally of deer and elk with the rifle, but I have others I want to do the same with, and it's sad I will not have 55 more years to do it.

This is a great picture. What year? We must be close to the same age...1958 here

Born in '52. I was 13. The doe was almost as large as a Cape buffalo.

You are older a wiser and I see that doe is enormous.
I would like to see more folks post pictures like this. This could be me.

Yep, I always enjoy seeing them too! Especially if they post another hero-photo of themselves today.... :-)

MD, with a Western Field as a buy, I take it that your dad wasn't a gun guy. How did you get mentored into being one? Neat picture. Thank goodness that my own dad had a gun guy friend that gave me all his old gun magazines. Dad's idea of sighting in for the deer season was over the hood of the car and a cardboard box with a bullet hole anywhere was good enough.

It's kind of a long story.

Yeah, my father wasn't a real gun loony, but grew up with them on a Montana homestead, we had a few in the house, including a J.C. Higgins single-shot .22 rifmire, his father's old Stevens side-by-side 12-gauge, and a trapdoor Springfield .45-70, one of a case full he and a fraternity buddy found in the attic of the old fraternity house, apparently leftovers from the ROTC program.

He was an English professor at Montana State, and like many English teachers, did some writing, often for western history magazines. The first firearm I ever saw him purchase was a new Colt Frontier Scout .22. I was about five, and because of his interest in western history he'd always wanted a single-action Colt revolver. The check for his first article was just enough to buy it. I went to the store with him, and of course still have the Colt, along with the .45-70.

The Stevens was a really cheap gun, one of those that homesteaders kept over the door to kill a skunk or scare off a drunk. I don't even remember my father shooting it--the little hunting he did was for deer--and I am sure my grandfather didn't shoot it much either, as he wasn't much of a hunter. My grandmother was a hunter, and I must have gotten the gene from her, as I was always fascinated by both hunting and guns. My father let me take the Stevens bird-hunting, and I shot it enough over the next decade that it finally started falling apart, and wasn't worth enough to repair.

My father didn't hunt for many years, partly because my grandmother was a really lousy cook, so he didn't like deer meat. But eventually one of the students in his freshman English class, a guy named Norm Strung who'd moved to Montana from New York largely for the hunting and fishing, talked my father into going deer hunting. My dad didn't have the .30-30 at the time, so borrowed my grandmother's .257 Roberts from his brother. (My grandmother had passed away by then, but my uncle liked to hunt deer, so he got the .257, which his wife used some.) My father put a cheap 2.5x scope on it and shot a forkhorn mule deer at 250 yards. He always was a good shot, due to growing up on the homestead and meat-hunting during the Depression, and shot the little Colt a lot, which made killing a deer with a scoped rifle pretty easy.

I wasn't old enough to get a Montana deer license then, but was a couple years later--which is when my father decided to buy the .30-30. (I suspect he always wanted a traditional lever-action, just like he wanted to Colt.) Our neighbor across the alley was a fellow English professor who was something of a rifle loony, and did some home gunsmithing, "sporterizing" a 1903 Springfield with an after-market stock and Lyman receiver sight. (He was also the first person I even knew who owned a Remington Nylon 66--which my father thought was a travesty, since "guns don't have plastic stocks." He may not have been a rifle loony, but did have some firm opinions about guns.)

Anyway, I needed a big game rifle, but my father was also firmly believed kids should pay for their own stuff, like guitars, guns and cars. At the time Mosin-Nagants were cheap enough for me to afford one on my paper-route money, and the neighbor helped me sporterize it. Killed a few varmints that summer, using the iron sights, with handloads put together on a Lee Loader, also a paper-route purchase. Took it deer hunting that fall, but never got a real opportunity. (My father, however, did take a mule deer doe on opening day--the last deer he ever shot at, because he'd already had one bad heart attack, and died from a second three years later.)

It came down to the last week of the season, and Norm Strung offered to take me to a ranch where he had permission to hunt, and my father offered me the .30-30. Early that morning, while we cruised around the ranch, I spotted the doe in an opening on a timbered hillside maybe 600 yards away. Norm let me out, then drove slowly off.The doe had since disappeared into the timber, but I entered slowly where she had been, and shot her between the shoulder and base of the neck when she stood up from her bed, looking at me.

Norm was my primary mentor in hunting, guns and profession. He became a full-time hunting and fishing writer, eventually a staffer for Field & Stream. He was something of shotgun loony, but not really a rifle loony. Big game was basically meat to him, but he LOVED hunting birds. I love hunting both big game and birds, and while shotguns don't have the same attraction as rifles (partly because they don't come in as many chamberings) I have some pretty nice ones.

But I was mostly a hunting and fishing writer (with a little western history) until the 1990's, when I started submitting more gun articles. Editors liked them, and gun writing became most of my job.

I’ve got a bunch of lever guns and always wanted to write, any suggestions?

Looks like the first step is, go hunting with Norm Strung.

Good story... very candid.
I am sure a guy with a handle like Shrapnel would have some good stories and close scrapes...give it a go!
My uncle was my great influence, when Jack was in his heyday and milsurp powders were used in great quantity.
Long gone and still my personal hero.
John, keep writing and us entertained.Cheers

That’s tough to do when he won’t leave the cemetery...

Exactly. Not much hope for you.

Kirk,

Am guessing you want to write for money? (Samuel Johnson, a famous British writer, said, "Only a fool writes for anything but money.")

I have a pile of advice, some of it even halfway good.

MD, let's have some Pearl's of wisdom on the subject. Not that I'd attempt it, just interested in your observations.

Similar to what Wyatt Earp said in Tombstone “I’m already famous, I might as well have the money too”

Here are my top 10 tips:

1) First, it's easiest to write for magazines you like to read--but you might also find out if they actually pay money. Most do, but often pay far less to freelancers than staff writers. These days most magazines pay on publication, which means a freelancer may have to wait months, perhaps over a year, until the article appears. (When I started in the business, all but the very smallest magazines paid on acceptance, meaning you got a check within a few weeks.) Not as many magazines take freelance articles these days as when I started out, so it's tougher to break in.

2) Figure out what article length they want. Submitting a 3000-word article to a magazine that only runs 2000-word articles usually doesn't get you anywhere. Yeah, editors can cut it down, but they generally prefer the writer do his job in the first place. When I was editing Gray's Sporting Journal, I assigned a well-known writer a piece on Dall sheep hunting, with a limit of 2000 words. He sent 5000. I cut it down, but never gave him another assignment.

3) If you haven't written much before, beginning and ends are the toughest. One old rule of magazine (and speech) writing is to first, tell the readers what you're going to tell them in a short paragraph, maybe two. Then tell them with details in the next few pages, with then summarize what you told them, ending with one of my long-time editors called a "punch line." In fact he said an ideal article was like an extended joke, with a punch-line--even if the story wasn't supposed to be funny. All the rest should build toward the defining end. (One good piece of advice, even for long-time professionals, is to make sure your first paragraph--or page--is the actual beginning of the story. Very often, writers take a while to get to the real point, and lopping off the initial wandering-around helps a lot.)

4) Provide at least one piece of new/obscure information, or at the very least gather several interesting pieces of information from various sources. Magazine articles are almost never all new stuff. Instead they're built on previous knowledge, with some new info. (One major exception is when writing about the 7x57 Mauser, you had better mention Karamojo Bell and his dead elephants. If you don't, at least one reader--and probably more--will complain to the editor.)

5) FOCUS the article. One advantage non-professional enthusiasts often have over full-time writers is more knowledge about a specific subject. So pick a subject you really know, say one model of Winchester lever-action, rather than trying to cram all your knowledge of Winchester lever-actions into 2000 words

6) On the other hand, if you don't have some other perspective on the subject, say some knowledge of Marlin lever-actions, then your point-of-view isn't as interesting. One long-time gun-magazine editor said that nobody who's only used the .30-06 for hunting can write an interesting article on why the .30-06 is the greatest all-around big-game cartridge.

7) Keep the average reader firmly in mind. You're not writing for other enthusiasts on the same subject, but for people who might not be interested unless you explain clearly why your perspective might interest them.

8) Double-check your facts. Don't just rely on one source, whether printed or Internet, unless it's THE source.

9) Limit your use of adjectives and adverbs, as well as fancy punctuation. If you decide to liven things up with a little conversation, here's some good advice from Elmore Leonard, the bestselling fiction writer: "Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. Said is far less intrusive than grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied." In other words, what the person says should carry the idea.

10) Provide around 10-12 digital photos to illustrate your points; generally around 1 mexapixel is minimum.They should include overall shots of firearms, close-ups, some field photos of shooting or hunting. Don't use flash unless you're a semi-professional and understand how to eliminate "hot-spots." Firearms are best photographed in relatively soft lighting, whether artificial light indoors or cloudy days outdoors.

Did Norm Strung take the photo?

Yep--with a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera.

Awesome.
My dad was a barber, I grew up reading F&S from the shop when Mr. Strung was with the magazine. You're a lucky man.

md I can say that to me a lot of writers do not write about what my interest is . I will not bad mouth a writer cuzz they don't write about what I want to read.i miss skeeter he was [is] my hero

Bry, yes I was lucky in meeting Norm, but Norm was also lucky in some ways.

The reason I got to know him was because of Norm being in my father's freshman composition class, compulsory for all students, no matter their major Norm was majoring in wildlife biology, because of wanting to be a hunting and fishing writer. My father told him those classes would help, but the primary job of a writer is writing, so he needed to learn more about writing than a freshman composition class could teach. Norm switched his major to English, and eventually even started a master's degree in English, but had to quit because his writing career took up too much of his time. (I had a similar moment, though as an undergraduate. I went to college after getting a few years of experience in "real life," and had actually started selling articles when I decided college might help specific aspects of my career. It did, but my progress was slow. Back then Montana universities were on the quarter system, and I took fall quarter off to hunt, and went half-time in spring to fish, only taking a full course-load in the winter. Eventually I somehow ended up in my junior "year," where I had a choice of writing a research paper for a history class, or writing my first book for money.)

My father also informally tutored Norm in both writing and photography. Among the jobs my dad had when younger was as a printer, which taught him a lot about what sort of photos reproduce best, especially black-and-whites--which dominated the magazines back then. I also strongly suspect my father informally traded his advice for Norm taking me hunting and fishing when I was young. (Was eight years old when I met him.)

But Norm was also unlucky when he developed fatal stomach cancer at 49.

It sounds like most of us cut our teeth reading these magazines, and maybe it was the crazy mind of a twelve year old boy but this this stuff seemed magical . (sometimes, reading it under the covers with a flashlight)
Thanks for continuing on the tradition, John.
It takes me back in time and this is quite a gift. Cheers

Thanks MD. I always wondered about that, as in "how do those guys make a living." Seems like for someone just starting out the chances of being hired on as a staff writier for a national magazine are about the same as a golfer making the PGA tour.

Might be!

I've noticed today that often "new" staff writers are often in their 30's or 40's, and already successful at some other aspect of the shooting/hunting business than magazine writing, such as outfitting or competitive shooting/instruction. Back when I broke in (admittedly primarily as a teller of hunting and fishing stories, rather than a gun writer) it was also easier to start selling articles when in your 20's.

The market is also more fragmented now, with far more smaller, specialty magazines. While I wrote for a few of those when starting out in my 20's, I primarily aimed at the larger, better-paying magazines. Sold my first article, in fact, to Sports Illustrated back when they still ran some "blood sport" stories, a "regional" piece on flyfishing for trout in the winter, for the equivalent of what today would be over $2000, and sold SI a feature article (that ran amid the football stories of the week) on hunting a year or two later for what would be over $5000 now. These days even the bigger hunting and shooting magazines usually don't pay $2000, and many smaller ones pay $500. You have to write an awful lot of $500 articles to make a decent living, but quite a few people do it.

However, $500 isn't bad "extra" income if something else is your primary income. In fact, one Campfire regular sold his first hunting article last year for exactly that--at age 60. I know this because of taking a look beforehand, at it and making a few suggestions, both about the story and where he might submit it. But the story was pretty much there, and I strongly suspect the magazine would have run it anyway.

I am always willing to help aspiring writers, but generally can be a lot more help after they've actually written something, so it can be discussed more concretely. Which is how Eileen and I run our monthly adult-education writing class, offered through the local school system. Every student writes something, then e-mails it to everybody else, so it can be read before the class is held. This is probably the most common method used for writing classes, because the writer gets a lot of direct feedback from a variety of readers. (Plus, we also find the class often inspires us in our own writing.)

I only shoot levers and have all my life, though I have dated a couple of single-shots. And much of my writing, whether an article, novel, or non-fiction book, will contain a lever-action rifle or two in it somewhere. Will not hunt with anything else. I have owned four BLRs -- but none at the moment. I do have the new Henry Long Ranger in .308 but I am not particularly crazy about it. I have a premier elk hunt coming up this September and may likely take the old standby, my Marlin 1895G.

I was hoping the new Henry would be offered in more chamberings. I have looked at them myself, the competing BLR is lighter and has that folding hammer safety.
Why did you not favor it?

comerade, I got one of the first ones off the line and the action was so rough I had to send it back. It came back smoothed and tuned, but it seems really finicky. I am going to play with it some more -- it does like the expensive Swift premium ammunition topped with A Frames -- and see what I can do.I gave up reloading for it.

I have other Henry rifles and the quality seemed decent, just supposed this new rifle would be on par with Browning.
Finicky is not something a hunting rifle should be, hopefully the good Swift stuff proves functional. I don't understand why a company launching a new product puts it out there.
Our little machine shop/ gun shop has a new one and we have been negotiating for a while now. That is half the fun. I will try chambering a few next time to town.
It is kinda ongoing and they owe me a little money.
Hey, keep us posted....thanks

I'm a lever lover and have rifles from Winchester, Marlin, Savage, and Henry. My last two purchases have been a Henry Long Ranger 223/5.56 and a Big Boy Steel in 327 Federal. I've been really pleased with both. The Long Ranger is ridiculously accurate. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that it has a .22 caliber hole in the same profile barrel they use for the 308. I haven't had the 327 very long, but it functions well and is a lot of fun to plink with. You hardly notice when a 32 S&W L with 2 grains of Bullseye goes off, and even the heaviest 327 load is pretty quiet and easy on the shoulder.

MD
I have four levers that if not as fast to cycle as a pump are darn close. Okay, they're only good for small game hunting, but Marlin 57's in .22 LR and 22 Mag and 62's in 256 Win Mag and 30 Carbine were named Levermatics for good reason. Your hand doesn't leave the grip and your trigger finger stays in place. All you have to do is flick the lever a short distance with your last three fingers.

jones,

Thanks for the post. Yes, I am aware some smaller lever-actions that work very fast. Still dunno if they'd work as fast as a pump, though, but it would a lot closer than with bigger centerfire levers.

Gents

Although I no longer own one, my FAV lever Rifle is the BL 22. It works just like the ‘levermatics’ that Jones describes. Yes they are indeed very fast for L A rifles but are not
for deer or bigger game.

I called the BL 22 the “finger flickers”.

SWEET.


Jerry

The Daisy Red Ryder was fast and furious and has a legendary reputation. Just use your imagination....I haven't seen a review for quite a while.