Which lever rifle would YOU choose to buy AMMO for?

wiscoaster · Oct 2, 2020

Hookeye said:
Am no fan of buckhorn sights.

Ditto for me, so I changed out the buckhorn rear sight on my Henry Classic Lever with a Skinner peep sight.

WestKentucky · Oct 2, 2020

You have 2 guns that are interesting. The Winchester 32 is one I have considered buying several times. I don’t typically go for 45 Colt but in a cowboy special I would. Your best bet on both rounds is to buy a basic reloading setup and a couple sets of dies. You could likely get set up to reload both for roughly the cost of about 5 or 6 boxes of ammo. The 32 is a big concern as it is fading fast, and I fully expect that it will not be loaded other than occasional batch runs for the next few years before it gets phased out entirely. The 45 is not cheap to shoot factory loads, but it can be cheap to reload, and that’s a fun gun so reloading cheap ammo gives you some financial freedom to shoot more and have more fun with it.

If reloading is not something you are inclined to do then you need to do as described above by another poster... haunt the gun shows and buy everything you can find in 32, or sell the gun. 30-30 will not fade away any time soon, and is a very similar round in a similar gun. 35 Remington is another choice but it’s fading as well.

jmorris · Oct 2, 2020

The capacity of the Marlin is twice that of the Winchester but the .45 Colt round is considered by most to be inadequate for deer hunting.

Out of a rifle at reasonable distances, I’d use it. The 357 mag even works fine for whitetail and I’ve used it out of a pistol.

Hokkmike · Oct 2, 2020

Thanks all for your responses. I think, in the end, I will probably pass away with kids inheriting my ammo stash.

magyars4 · Oct 2, 2020

Hokkmike said:
I own two very beautiful lever action rifles. One is a Winchester 1953 Model 94 in .32 Winchester Special. The other is a Marlin Cowboy Limited with an octagonal barrel in .45(LC). Each has strengths and weakness.

The Winnny's action is clunky compared to the Marlin which ejects and reloads smoothly. The 94 also has a longer throw but handles a larger cartridge. The capacity of the Marlin is twice that of the Winchester but the .45 Colt round is considered by most to be inadequate for deer hunting. The .32WS is perfectly suited for the job. Really, the .45 is suited only for cowboy shooting, home defense, or range/plinking use. The 94 for hunting, range use, and, I would suppose, HD.

Price wise the Marin actually commands top dollar with representative samples like mine going for $900 and up. It is a mint JM stamped 2006 model. The 1953 Winchester, being a pre-64 is well thought of in the used market but is priced slightly lower at around $600 for a good specimen. Both are in 95% condition or better.

So, here is the crux of the thread and the question I want to ask.

There is some high performance ammo in my area - leverevolution@, for the .45 at $30 for a box of 20. Quite a bit is available actually. I thought about buying a couple of boxes "just in case" I want to use this gun for hunting or just have more power for the HD application. But in the end, it seems wiser to invest in stockpiling the .32WS since that is the deer choice that is not disputed.

I appreciate any thoughts you have on the matter.

I've hunted with a Winchester 94 in 45 Colt for close to 40 years...deer, turkey, boar have all fallen to my trusty Winchester and my reloads

Which lever rifle would YOU choose to buy AMMO for?

wiscoaster

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WestKentucky

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jmorris

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Hokkmike

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magyars4

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