I have always wanted a 30-30 and a 45-70?

[chetrogers]

I Dont have alot of funds and for under 500 bucks i can buy easily a 30-30 or a 45-70 in lever action "I just want a lever action to have one ".Any suggestions on what to get..

I have these rifles already ..2 shotguns,30-06,m44 Russian,Sar-1,and a .22lr.

I dont have a big bore but am not sure if a 45-70 is going to be the Grizzle zombie monster stoper that i want..I wish i could afford a .458 lott but that will be in the long future.Thanks for any suggestions.
But if the 30-30 is to close to my sar-1 i dont think i should get a lever that is pretty close to something that i have that is semi auto and has a 40 round Magazine.

 

[jobu07]

Well, a 45-70 is certainly nothing to sneeze at. It's a very respectable cartridge and in a lever gun platform you've got powerful repeater. If you want a lever gun, it's a great caliber to go with. Powerful and accurate. The only problem is that if you don't reload, the cost of ammo might be prohibitive.

 

[mete]

The 45-70 Marlin is a wonderfull gun ,accurate and reliable. Loads range from very mild 300 gr to the very serious Garrett loads that are as good a grizzly medicine as anything.

 

[Smoke]

Buy the 45-70. My Marlin has become one of my favorite guns.
And good used 30-30s are $150 everwhere....won't take long to sve for one of those too.

Smoke

 

[Preacherman]

Ballistically speaking, the .30-30 is virtually identical to the 7.62x39mm. round of the AK47, SKS et. al. So, for something different, look at the .45-70. You should be able to find a used Guide gun for under $400 if you look around.

Two hints:

1. Try to get one of the more recent models, without porting, unless you really, really don't mind loud noises!

2. Similarly, more recent production Guide Guns switched to the Ballard-style deep-cut rifling, instead of the earlier Micro-Groove rifling. The Micro-Groove works fine with jacketed bullets, but not so well with cast bullets: so if you plan on shooting cast bullets through your .45-70, look for one with the Ballard rifling.

If you get lucky (very lucky!), you might find one of the Marlin 1895CB rifles in .45-70. This has a 26" barrel and a full-length magazine tube. I highly recommend it over the Guide Gun if you like rifles rather than carbines.

For comparison, here's an 1895CB:

And here's the Guide Gun:

Also, Smoke has it right: good used .30-30's can be had for a relatively low price almost anywhere, if you look around and are willing to wait for the right gun at the right price. I'd give priority to the .45-70, which is less easy to find.

 

[joab]

If you get lucky (very lucky!), you might find one of the Marlin 1895CB rifles in .45-70. This has a 26" barrel and a full-length magazine tube. I highly recommend it over the Guide Gun if you like rifles rather than carbines.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Not under $500, but not much more

 

[MrMurphy]

As others have said you can pick up a .30-30 for $200-250 anywhere just about.

However they are ballistically similar, shooting the two is not quite the same (I had an AK and .30-30 at the same time, and had a guy who'd never shot rifles shoot both within a few minutes. He loved the AK for moving stuff but for bench shooting, he liked the 4X scope on the .30-30.)

 

[dogngun]

I have had Marlins in .45-70 and .30-30, and both are great shooting rifles. THe .30-30 is very easy to come by, and factory ammo is available anywhere cheap. The .45-70 can be handloaded up or down - I used to like 300grain JHP's from ( I think) Hornady as my GP round.
Also, I have owned 1950's Marlin .30-30's that would outshoot any SKS or AK ever made. They are a lot more accurate than most people think if you practise.


Get both.

Mark

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I love lever-action rifles. Lots of fun.

One thing you may find is a lot of fired-only-a-few-times Marlins in 45-70. They don't call them "thumpers" for nothing. I think a lot of shooters like the idea of them more than they like the actual recoil.

Me, I stick to 30-30s and .357 magnum.

Whatever you choose, you'll probably learn to love 'em in a hurry.

Good luck!

 

[JNewell]

You're getting all the right advice here. The Marlin .45-70 is a fabulous gun. Pick your flavor, 26" CB, 22" regular rifle, or 16" Guide Gun. With factory-level 300 gr bullet loads, it's pretty mild; with heavy loads it will speak to anything on this continent with authority. You will not soon get over the fun factor of a rifle with a bore just under half an inch in diameter, either.

 

[Coronach]

With the right loads, how much oomph do you give up going from 26" to 22", and from 22" to 16"?

Mike

PS And I just had a This is Spinal Tap moment...I at first asked about a 22 foot barrel. Hiking with that would be a pain!

 

[kptaylor]

Well, there's an 1895C in the classifieds right now! $400 shipped. (not mine)

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=125196