Best lever gun hunting cartridge in strait wall

45-70 is the most versatile, especially if you reload. I don't know if that makes it best.

375 Winchester, 444 Marlin?

45/70 can do a heckuva lot of things. Near and reasonably far... Big and smaller.... Tough critters or dainty.
Reloading ammo wise, you can easily tailor the load to your needs.
Factory ammo has a very decent "power" range as well.
The 45/70 would be my vote.


.44 Mag is a handy sized carbine, With a large assortment of bullet weights.

And a sidearm could be chambered in the same caliber if desired, same thing in all the pistol rounds.

I am not sure if a 454 carbine could handle as many rounds through it as a .44 Mag.

.45 Colt would be a fun gun., but not quite my cup of tea.

That's a tough one..

I have 357, 44, 444, and 45-70. If you go to this thread https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-it-done-on-whitetail-and-black-bear.883962/
and look at post #5 you will see what that 44 mag has done for me. But if I had to choose one to be my only straight walled rifle, the nod goes to 45-70. But I am a reloader. Factory 45-70 that isn’t LeverEvolution is crazy expensive for trapdoor performance. Does anyone make 444 ammo besides Hornady?

My guess is the strait wall cartridge that has taken the most game in a lever action just might be 22lr.

If I could use only one for any need that arises it would be .45-70 in my Marlin. If it were deer and smaller game within 150 yards, I like my .357 magnums, Ruger 77 and Marlin. Both have peep sights, are handy, and pretty accurate with what ever they are fed. I know there are more potent chamberings, but they were purchased as play mates for my S&W 19-2, and they have worked well.

AJC1 said:

Are you talking about 38-55... I had considered them at one time but they became popular and the price spiked and then I forgot about them... might be worth looking at again.

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375 Win = 38-55 +P

I like the .375 winchester, I wish it was more popular. Bullet selection for tube magazines may be annoying as one couldn’t use many of the same pointy projectiles one might load for .375 h&h. I have brass, and dies, just waiting for a winchester 94 someday.

I like....454 Casull (or 460) even though few lever guns are chambered for them.

It is legal in all the straight wall states as most have a 1.8” case length maximum making the 45-70 and 444 a non starter in most straight wall legal states.

If not for that case length maximum then I would go 45-70 as well or make a 45 Colt case as long as a 444.

There is 450 Marlin too.

The 450 Marlin is just a hot loaded 45-70 with the case modified slightly so it won't fit into a 45-70 chamber. I personally like 45-70 a little better since factory ammo can be had across the entire spectrum and handloads will match anything 450 Marlin will do.

I may be wrong, but I believe that most states that allow straight walled cartridges also allow muzzle loaders and/or shotguns. In fact most used to be muzzle loader and shotgun only and only recently started allowing certain cartridge rifles to be used. If I were restricted to those cartridges I'm not sure any of them would really be an advantage over a modern inline muzzle loader. Or a modern shotgun with a rifled barrel and sabot slugs.

Alaskan Ironworker said:

I like the .375 winchester, I wish it was more popular. Bullet selection for tube magazines may be annoying as one couldn’t use many of the same pointy projectiles one might load for .375 h&h. I have brass, and dies, just waiting for a winchester 94 someday.

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I buy 200 gr .375 Flat Tip bullets, with SR 4759 (or Trail Boss) and download my 375 H&H to 38-55 specs...
Does that count?

Bwana John said:

375 Win = 38-55 +P

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Alright, alright you have me looking into a 94 in .375 Winchester even though I'm not the OP, nor do I live in a straight wall only state. I hope you are happy with yourself.

As long as we are including the Model 1895 Winchester.....

The ultimate strait wall cartridge in a lever action is the .405 Winchester.
With pointy bullets.

As long as it is not over length for your state, no question but it is the .45-70. If your state has a limiting length, I am going to vote the new to me .44 Magnum caliber.

Rifle cartridge... .45-70, no doubt.

Pistol cartridge... .41MAG, and that's only because I already own one.

I think there's a gun shop in Michigan that is converting some 336's or 94's to .450 Bushmaster.
Seems like I read that somewhere.

So here's my take.

The 45-70 (and 444 Marlin) have alot of kinetic energy on tap. Way more than enough for any deer that's ever walked.

44mag and 45 Colt do too however.

The 45-70 and 444 both get you a little flatter trajectory, but it's not much difference under 150yrds.

You can get a real nice, handy carbine in 44/45. The longer cartridges necessitates a longer, heavier gun.

So I'd pick (and did when I lived in Ohio) a 44 or 45.

Now, one last catch...

44mag has a different spec between rifle and handguns. The rifles rarely like typically sized cast bullets. Mine shot XTP's very well though. But for flexibility, I'd go 45 Colt. Preferably in a 16" 92.

Bandit67 said:

I think there's a gun shop in Michigan that is converting some 336's or 94's to .450 Bushmaster.
Seems like I read that somewhere.

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There is a gunsmith in Saranac, MI who converts Handi Rifles and Henry Long Rangers to 450 BM.

I am unsure of anyone besides Grizzly who converts 336s to 450. They took over the business and process from Ranger Point. Really, anyone who is familiar with 336 rifles can do the conversion.