Bolt or lever Please teach me.

[Amadeus]

In general, are there any benefits of a lever action .30-30 over a bolt action in a similar caliber?

For a general purpose trail rifle which you prefer and why? Mind you, I'm not talking about a SHTF battle rattle. You're not battling zombies. You get to go home and take off your boots at the end of the day. I'm just trying to get some education about each platform.

In short, why would you want one over the other?

 

[trainwreck100]

Levers are a whole lot more fun to shoot and in general a whole lot prettier too. If you're looking to get a heavier bolt action rifle, consider something with more power...300 WinMag or something similar.

 

[rcmodel]

30-30 lever-action = short, light, flat & easy to carry, holds more rounds, no bolt knob sticking out when carried in a saddle scabbard or pack, powerful "enough" & accurate "enough" to get the job done, light recoil, handles & points like a good English shotgun, historic & nostalgic.

Bolt-action = generally offered in way more powerful calibers then the 30-30, generally slightly more accurate, better for long range hunting because of power & accuracy when scoped, generally much heavier when scoped.

These are just a few differences.
I'm sure others will soon chime in with many more!


rcmodel

 

[strat81]

Size, weight, and recoil are generally less in a lever gun. What kind of animals do you think you'll encounter on your trails? If this isn't a dedicated hunting arm, but rather a "just in case" weapon, have you considered a shotgun?

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

With a lever action you can work the action much quicker. If its a caliber like .30-30 or these new leverevolution loadings that can be safely put into a tube magazine and are short enough, a lever action is much faster and easier to make follow up shots. A bolt action in a caliber that a lever gun is made for would just be kind of pointless unless you just wanted it just to have.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

For a general purpose trail rifle which you prefer and why

There is no question you want a lever action for a trail rifle, they are light weight and easy to pack around, and follow-up shots are much easier as well.

I just got my first camping/trail gun the other day(marlin 1894s .44mag) and absolutely love it...I picked .44 mag so she can have a revolver buddy in the same caliber one day.

 

[Slugless]

A-

I've read several postings at the orangutan blog.

There are obviously zombies trying to eat your brain.

From your post, you say a "trail gun". With no other information I have to say lever gun. The previous posters cover many reasons but I sum it up in one word. A lever gun is "handy." I find a long barreled lever gun is faster to mount, point and work the action than a long barreled bolt. I don't know why but it comes down to handiness. Levers are very accurate. They are fun and a fun gun gets shot more. The more you shoot with a gun the better you are with it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

First of all, virtually no one makes a bolt-action .30-30 these days.

Secondly, many of those made in years past are not as strong as they might be, so other than having a box magazine (thus allowing the use of pointed bullets) they have no advantage over the lever actions. And with the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo, even this advantage is gone.

Third, lever actions are much more convenient if you're carrying them in a saddle scabbard.

Fourth, if you're going to use a bolt action, why not go to a cartridge with more zip, like .308? I would suggest if you had a rack full of identical bolt actions in your store, some in .30-30 and some in .308, you'd have the .30-30s in stock looooooong after the .308s sold out!

 

[Amadeus]

To clarify: I'm not debating the purchase of one over the other. I am simply curious about the handling, accuracy and durability characteristics of the two different action types. Clearly shooting from ridge to ridge is a task for which the bolt is better suited, while deep brush pig hunting is probably better done with a lever gun. But what of the two as a utility trail gun? Is one action more durable than the other? I'm just curious here.

 

[Amadeus]

Slugless! Thank you for visiting the Urban Bunker. I hope you enjoyed what you read. Please feel free to PM me if you would like to be added to the mailing list. That way you'll know whenever new stories are posted. Other than that, we pretty much leave you alone.

 

[rcmodel]

Is one action more durable than the other? I'm just curious here.

Even halfway properly cared for, either one will last far longer then you will, and most likely your children & grandchildren.

I have several pre-1900 Winchester lever-guns that still work just fine, and for the most part, have probably never had a screw turned in the way of repairs. And there are a lot of old Marlins still around just like them.

The same could be said for any good bolt-action.
Lots of folks are still having a ball shooting mil-sup bolt guns that were made before 1900.


rcmodel

 

[Starter52]

Lever action. Short and light and handy. As far as durability; well, no gun can beat a bolt action, but the lever gun is still plenty durable enough for me.

 

[woof]

I guess utility trail rifle depends on the trail. In most places I would suggest something even lighter than the .30-30 like the Marlin 1894c .357/.38spc that is a lot of fun and pretty cheap to plink with. I suppose in some places where you might encounter something like a pissed off grizzly, you might want a Marlin .450. Somehow a bolt action on a horse just doesn't seem right.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It's really a moot question. Who makes a bolt action in .30-30 these days?

 

[Amadeus]

Vern Humphrey: It's really a moot question. Who makes a bolt action in .30-30 these days?

Be careful how you read my original post. I never mentioned a .30-30 bolt. If you look at my post I asked the following: "Are there any benefits of a lever action .30-30 over a bolt action in a similar caliber?"

I indicated a bolt action in a similar caliber. So that could be any round with similar characteristics of the .30-30.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Be careful how you read my original post. I never mentioned a .30-30 bolt. If you look at my post I asked the following: "Are there any benefits of a lever action .30-30 over a bolt action in a similar caliber?"

I indicated a bolt action in a similar caliber. So that could be any round with similar characteristics of the .30-30.

In that case, the answer is a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06.

 

[R.W.Dale]

sounds like a CZ527 VS marlin 336 thread

In which case I choose the little 7.62x39 everytime

 

[Soap]

I generally carry one or the other, just depending on if I'm anticipating any long range shots. I don't really find either one to have a large advantage over the other. My GP rifles are a Remmy .270, CZ-527 .223, Winchester Wrangler .30-30, and a Marlin 336 w/ XS GS sights and a Leupold Scout scope. Either action works just fine if you know how to run it.

 

[TnBigBore]

With the new Hornady ammo in 30-30 or especially 308 Marlin Express, the Marlin leveraction becomes a legitimate 250-300 yd rifle. Some of the groups this ammo is producing in old carbines will rival many of the better bolt guns. I say go with a Marlin 336 or 1894 straight grip carbine. There is no bolt rifle, even the CZ, that can come close to these for handling qualities. I cant think of a better trail rifle than a Marlin or Winchester.

 

[f4t9r]

i like the lever action better myself. Easier for me to cock and fire the second or third or .......