Trying to decide on a lever action

With all the guide gun failures I would shy away from the 45-70. 35 Remington would be cool. 32 special also cool. I think I would keep it in the 336 family and the 30-30 parent case.

I'm not really into lever guns, but I would just look for a used Marlin 336 in 30-30 and put a 4x scope on it. You can get 30-30 ammo just about anywhere.

WestKentucky said:

With all the guide gun failures I would shy away from the 45-70.

Click to expand...

What failures?

No one has mentioned it yet so I guess I will. Size... .Not ammo size though. That's been discussed heavily. Rifle size and weight. The handgun caliber Win 1892 replicas from either Rossi or Miroku through Winchester and the Marlin 1894 rifles are considerably more compact and lighter than those which handle the longer rifle rounds. I don't have a champion in any of this but just thought I'd throw this fact into the mix.

I had a 45-70 but got tired of the recoil. So I loaded down some 300gr bullets and killed one deer with it. Then I realized I was just shooting an overblown 44 mag. So I sold the 45-70 and started using the 44 mag more. It kills deer just as well and uses more common brass and cheaper bullets. I don't think the 44 mag has enough case capacity to really get good performance from 300gr bullets so I just stick to 240s.

I bought a 35 Remington a couple of years ago and really like that round. You can find more powerful loads for it on the Marlinowners site that are safe to use that give the 200gr bullet 2200+fps.

But if I were in big bear country or hunting elk beyond 100 yards I would pick the 45/70 or even a 444 Marlin since Marlin is making them again. Thats a round I have always wanted to try.

There is one down side to the Marlins and that is they all have the same outside barrel diameter. So they will walk when hot with the bigger calibers because the barrel walls are thinner. But for hunting I doubt that will be an issue.

whughett said:

But I’ll add a personal favorite also. A BLR in 358 Winchester. Browning Lever Action Rifle.

Click to expand...

The .358 Winchester has never been "popular" but I'm still a big fan of it. Whitetails hit close to the right place with 200 grain Silvertips never go far and the recoil is modest when compared to cartridges like the .350 Remington Magnum and even the .35 Whelen. I've had a Savage Model 99 rifle chambered in .358 since 1977 and it has never disappointed.

Trapper is good. Wish it was available when i was in the market.

CCFD1414 said:

Well I think I've decided on the 45-70. Now I just need to decide on the model, I definitely want a Marlin even if it is a new Remington made Marlin. I'm looking at the cb, cba, gbl, trapper, and the dark series.

Click to expand...

I got a great deal on a guide gun a couple years ago plus a $100 rebate. If I buy another it will be the CBA.

SwampWolf said:

The .358 Winchester has never been "popular" but I'm still a big fan of it. Whitetails hit close to the right place with 200 grain Silvertips never go far and the recoil is modest when compared to cartridges like the .350 Remington Magnum and even the .35 Whelen. I've had a Savage Model 99 rifle chambered in .358 since 1977 and it has never disappointed.

Click to expand...

You beat me to it -- I was going to suggest a Model 99 in .300 Savage, assuming you can find one for the right price/condition. Not necessarily better than the other suggestions, but I like the original rotary magazine.

If you want bear protection, the .45-70 is the right choice. A 400gr+ bonded soft should give you a reliable fast stop. Woodeligh and Hawk make suitable bullets. You can get at least the Hawk from Grizzly Cartridge if you don't reload.

You say you want Marlin, but owning both Marlins and Miroku-made 1886s the 1886s are somewhat better guns in my opinion. Smoother, stronger, and less prone to jams. I would try to find one with a shotgun butt/recoil pad/pistol grip style stock for comfort and easier shooting positions. Admittedly this config can be a bit tough to find and you may have to have a stock modified or swapped out but IMO it's worth it.

If you do a Marlin 1895 I would get the base model as I much prefer that stock config and see no reason to shorten the barrel past 22".

If I were in the market for a lever for any type of hunting over 100 yards, it would be a Savage 99. I had one in .300 Savage, which is identical to a .308

I had a really nice one that I sold for $450 before they were legal for deer here

CCFD1414 said:

Well I think I've decided on the 45-70. Now I just need to decide on the model, I definitely want a Marlin even if it is a new Remington made Marlin. I'm looking at the cb, cba, gbl, and the trapper.

Click to expand...

The CB is overkill in my opinion. Having a 26" barrel on a 45-70 may have been useful 150 years ago; when you're lobbing 400 grain bullets at buffalo and marauding Comanches half a mile away across the Great American Desert, you need every drop of velocity you can get. But for 100 yard Tennessee hog hunting, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

The rest of them are down to your personal preference. The CBA is just about perfect for me, but it depends on whether you like straight stocks or pistol grips, and how you like to trade off the lighter weight of a shorter barrel vs the balance and decreased blast of a longer barrel.

The Marlin 1895 in 45/70 or 338 Marlin Express makes a excellent 200 yard gun. My 45/70 with 350gr hardcast makes a excellent Bear and Moose rifle.