Do it all levergun

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have a Marlin 336 Stainless steel in .30-30. Part of me feels like I should've searched for a .35 Remington chambered 336, but I'm happy with .30-30. Recoil is manageable and it's much easier to mount optics on this than a Winchester 94. Positive target acquisition is paramount and knowing what's beyond it is also important.

I think a Browning BLR could also be another excellent choice. I have no experience with them, but having a detachable magazine instead of a tube fed, could be a benefit.
 
I think a Browning BLR could also be another excellent choice. I have no experience with them, but having a detachable magazine instead of a tube fed, could be a benefit.

I’ve always liked the Browning BLR, but I’ve never had the chance to handle one, let alone shoot one. I just don’t see them very often; maybe I’m not looking hard enough.
 
I’ve always liked the Browning BLR, but I’ve never had the chance to handle one, let alone shoot one. I just don’t see them very often; maybe I’m not looking hard enough.

FFL could order you one. I've never seen one at a gun store with a range to rent it out.
 
Yes, an $800 fancy walnut stock is a necessity.
Braces?! My kids don’t need braces, I NEED a seven thousand dollar, fifty caliber lever action rifle! Need it like oxygen I tell you! How I’ve made it this long I don’t know, but I’ll surely perish without one!:D

50 Caliber? Boom! Here ya go. Didn't cost 7K either. 50/95WCF Uberti 1876 Presidio. Could benefit from the $800 fancy Walnut stock tho. :D
Q3pv5Eb7vbRPURMrShrIEzCPA_TU4Qfr9V53s5cYdfB3jRoL_VZILaXEufg?cn=THISLIFE&res=medium&ts=1628105265.jpg
 
I have chosen: Browning BLR, in the Lightning, Takedown, and Stainless Takedown versions, .308 Winchester. I acquired them from about 1997, to 2021, so, nothing has changed, in well over two decades. The box magazines can be swapped right quickly, making them viable for civilian defensive purposes.

I have a Browning B-92, .357 Magnum, and a Winchester 94AE Trapper, .45 Colt, but nothing says “Do It All” quite like .308 Winchester, and in a defensive context, the BLR’s box mags are an instant, complete reload. I would rather not try to load a magazine tube with anything smaller than 12 gauge, under emergency stress, with my clumsy thumbs.

Edited to add: Not sure why there has been so much bickering, in this thread. I reckon that each of us has our own idea of “do it all.” Each of us has our own different, unique hunting needs. Each of us has our own idea of “civilian” defensive needs, and actual experience at Belleau Iwo Fallujahstan is not a prerequisite.
 
Last edited:
I don't dislike .30-30 as a cartridge, but I don't like the limitations a tube magazine puts on bullet choice because a .30-30 with a Spitzer bullet is hella good.

.45-70 is too limited in capacity and really best suited for break actions or other breechloading single shots.

So, it comes down to revolver calibers as they have the capacity, generally good power, flexible in terms of power levels from reduced loads for low noise to full power for big game.

The caliber is almost irrelevant, so long as you reload you can make what you want.

For do it all tho, .357 is hard to beat, but I dont think anyone can go wrong choosing from .327 to .454 Casull in a lever action.
 
Well at some point, some other ammo manufacturer might come out with their version of the Hornady Leverevolution ammo for .30-30 and other tube magazine fed rifles.
 
I’d vote a Savage 99 in 308. Henry and Browning make similar rifles but the 99 is more appealing because it’s harder to get.
 
I know this is the rifle section, but the question is about best do it all lever guns and to me that means a lever gun in .410. I truly believe that in the modern era the lever gun really shines as a .410 shotgun, and that rifles cartridges are best served in more dedicated platforms. The following are my reasons:

Hunting (all likely to be 75 yards or less for me because of where I live):
-Small game and bird hunting done with a wide array of bird shot.
-Bigger than a squirrel smaller than a deer use a foster style slug.
-Hog, Deer, Black Bear in your sights? Use a Brenneke style slug.
-bigger game than that, well now you are outside the do it all (in my opinion) category and should use the proper dedicated rifle platform.

Target Shooting:
-Shoot clay all day long due to light ish recoil of the .410 in a heavier platform and celebrate every success due to the challenge of .410 clay shooting.
-Plinking: Very affordable if you are into reloading, a challenge at all ranges with buck horns, or take it up a notch and play with a sight up to 100 yards or so.
-Fun for the whole family: Everyone can have fun with the limited recoil of the .410 and the thrill of working the lever.

Home Defense:
-Buckshot: This is where buckshot really shines in a .410. The whole family can handle .410 buckshot, and you get sufficient penetration and energy to stop nonmiliterized home invaders. Sure you are not getting as many pellets as a 12ga, but hitting someone with 4 pellets at once is still tremendous.
-Sound/Recoil/Flash: With a .410 these are all going to be at the lower end of painful/disorientating in your moment of need. Sure it’s not as quiet as a .22lr, but it’s nowhere as loud as that 9” barreled AR 15 is going to be or the 12 ga alternative.
-Easy reloading/topping off: You can use a side gate, or a quick reload tube you keep near the rifle. Is it as convenient as a magazine? No, but it is faster than all other platforms.
-That lever action sound is very similar to the pump action sound so if you believe in racking a round as a deterrent you have that feature in a lever gun.
-Tacticool Goodies: Everything available to the AR platform is now an option for a lever gun. Lights/lasers/foregrips/skeleton furniture/quivers, etc you name it, you can now put it on your lever gun.

So yeah, to me the lever gun as an outdated platform really shines as a do it all firearm in the .410 configuration. Will it defeat the military of a tyrannical government? Nope, but it will feed your family, protect you from scum, has the widest range of shooting fun, and everyone in the family can handle it all day with a smile on their face. Everything else you need to do with a fire arm to me is something best done with a dedicated platform. Conceal carry out in public, shoot large or dangerous game, target shoot out at 500+ yards, defeat body armor or win military gunfights these are all done best with dedicated tools and should be outside the scope of what you want your do it all platform to actually do.
 
Last edited:
An old man's wisdom and advise: Boys and Girls the question is oxymoronic ;) There ain't no sech thing as one gun doing everything! ;) Even if there were you would have to have several of them for protection, one in every room, etc to be safe because you can\t carry one around all of the time !!!! When we start buying guns we see the need for many others as we go through life. That's why we have multiple calibers in lever action, bolt action, and semiauto. Then you have to consider revolvers, shotguns, and pistols, we need them all to cover all of the bases. The manufacturers know this, they come out with new calibers and models every year to satisfy every niche! I have a lot but there are so many more that I desperately need ! ;) So if you are a newly wed forget honesty and transparency, set it aside kid, exercise your prerogative as "Head of Household" and slip your new acquisition into the basement, otherwise she will be demanding equal dibs and waste your scarce funds on frilly stuff.
 
An old man's wisdom and advise: Boys and Girls the question is oxymoronic ;) There ain't no sech thing as one gun doing everything! ;) Even if there were you would have to have several of them for protection, one in every room, etc to be safe because you can\t carry one around all of the time !!!! When we start buying guns we see the need for many others as we go through life. That's why we have multiple calibers in lever action, bolt action, and semiauto. Then you have to consider revolvers, shotguns, and pistols, we need them all to cover all of the bases. The manufacturers know this, they come out with new calibers and models every year to satisfy every niche! I have a lot but there are so many more that I desperately need ! ;) So if you are a newly wed forget honesty and transparency, set it aside kid, exercise your prerogative as "Head of Household" and slip your new acquisition into the basement, otherwise she will be demanding equal dibs and waste your scarce funds on frilly stuff.
 
An old man's wisdom and advise: Boys and Girls the question is oxymoronic ;) There ain't no sech thing as one gun doing everything! ;) Even if there were you would have to have several of them for protection, one in every room, etc to be safe because you can\t carry one around all of the time !!!! When we start buying guns we see the need for many others as we go through life. That's why we have multiple calibers in lever action, bolt action, and semiauto. Then you have to consider revolvers, shotguns, and pistols, we need them all to cover all of the bases. The manufacturers know this, they come out with new calibers and models every year to satisfy every niche! I have a lot but there are so many more that I desperately need ! ;) So if you are a newly wed forget honesty and transparency, set it aside kid, exercise your prerogative as "Head of Household" and slip your new acquisition into the basement, otherwise she will be demanding equal dibs and waste your scarce funds on frilly stuff.
 
An old man's wisdom and advise: Boys and Girls the question is oxymoronic ;) There ain't no sech thing as one gun doing everything! ;) Even if there were you would have to have several of them for protection, one in every room, etc to be safe because you can\t carry one around all of the time !!!! When we start buying guns we see the need for many others as we go through life. That's why we have multiple calibers in lever action, bolt action, and semiauto. Then you have to consider revolvers, shotguns, and pistols, we need them all to cover all of the bases. The manufacturers know this, they come out with new calibers and models every year to satisfy every niche! I have a lot but there are so many more that I desperately need ! ;) So if you are a newly wed forget honesty and transparency, set it aside kid, exercise your prerogative as "Head of Household" and slip your new acquisition into the basement, otherwise she will be demanding equal dibs and waste your scarce funds on frilly stuff.
 
Mr. Administrator, I have been trying to delete these extra posts but obviously do not know how, please do it for me .
 
I have to have 4 levers to do my work. All Winchester. M73Sporter in 357 Mag, M94Sporter in 30-30, M94 in 375 Win Carbine, M1886TD26 inch in 45-70. I'll just bring them all. Best all-around would be the M73 in 357 Mag as it is scary accurate and versatile.
 
What do you prefer for a do it all lever action rifle?
What would you choose?
Have serval, The 1949 Winnie 94 in 30WCf is waiting for a new owner.
The 2006 Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70 is the go to varmint eliminator.
A 405gr pill going 1450fps will pernitrate 6ft, 6in of meat.
You just have to wait for them to line up to take yer shot.
 
A do all levergun... ok I will play. My Grand Pa had only 1 rifle, and several Ideal bullet molds. He managed to keep his family in wild game, squirrel, rabbit, occasionally a deer, put down hogs and cattle for slaughter wack coyotes and deter bums and "trashy " folk. Winchester 1894, 30 WCF
He cast and loaded little 90 grainers, used .311 buckshot, made 150s for the bigger stuff with what ever powders were avaliable.
It worked for him. I prefer Marlins, old Marlins, and d have done the same thing
 
I don't know why so many people think that a shooter with a lower capacity firearm is bound to be a good shooter and someone with a 30 round mag rifle just has to be a spray and pray shooter. If someone is a good accurate shooter with speed he would be able to take advantage, if needed, of those extra rounds. He doesn't automatically start mindlessly blastying away.

An incompetent shooter will be bad with either gun and may blast away. For regular home defense I'd probably be better of with my 44 mag marlin because I've shot it a ton more then my one AR15. I need to start shooting it more.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top