What's your favorite lever action rifle?

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Project355 said:
I should probably add this one... as my dad had a Winchester 88, which was the USA import of the Sako Finnwolf, his was in .308, but I think they came in .243 too. I shot it some, hunted with it, but dad was stingy with the ammo, thinking 20 shots was enough for a LIFETIME practice and hunting.... Since he never shot anything with it, I'm sure he was right!
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Since the Winchester 88 came out before the Sako Finnwolf there's no chance of that.
The 88 and 100 we're both made by Winchester right here in the USA.
Over the years the 88's were offered in .243 Win, .284 Win, 308 Win and .358 Win.
 
Also the model 88 used " accelarators in the linkage where as the Finnwolf was rack and pinion. I believe the Browning BLR was also rack and pinion gear from en
 
All I remember about Dad's rifle was it seemed to have "gears" on the inside of the lever (inside the stock/action) and that the bolt rotated, at its forward travel. I was... damned young then! He always compared it to the Sako, hence my thoughts on that, but I'll stand corrected. It had some tacky impressed leafy "checkering" too. That must have been around 1967-69 'ish. Didn't Sako have a Finnbear too, that resembled the Model 100? I'm remembering paging thru the Parker Brothers and Leslie Edelman catalogs of the day... seeing that they looked alike ... 88/Finnwolf & 100/Finnbear.
 
Howdy

Tough to choose.

My 44-40 Uberti 1860 'Iron Frame' Henry probably gets shot the most, because it is my standard Cowboy Action Main Match rifle. Been shooting it for about ten years now. Black Powder only of course.

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For my first CAS match I brought this 44-40 Marlin Model 1894 that shipped in 1895.

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Then I shot this 44-40 Winchester Model 1892 that shipped in 1897 for a few years. I was shooting Smokeless in this one.

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When I got the Black Powder Bug I bought this used 44-40 Uberti replica 1873. Shot it at every match until I got the Henry.

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This 38-40 Winchester Model 1873 that shipped in 1887 needs to get out more often.

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This 32-20 Winchester Model 1892 from 1911 needs to get out more often too.

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I came across this terrific old 30WCF Winchester Model 1894 with 26" Octagon barrel last year. Couldn't pass it up.It shipped in 1895.

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And just today I was shooting this 22RF Marlin Model 39A.

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Right now it's my Marlin Cowboy in .45 Colt.
It's accurate, has a front sight bead that I can see well with old eyes, has an excellent rear sight.
Has a tapered octagon barrel and nice walnut, and no stupid recoil pad.
Balances great, looks great, works great.
I can shoot factory standard loads or cowboy loads, cast bullet handloads, or 250 grain JSP handloads at .44 magnum velocities with less pressure than a .44 magnum.
The groove diameter slugs out at .452" like it is supposed to, unlike the .44 magnum 1894s that all have oversized groove diameters of .431" or .432".

My Miroku 1873 in .44-40 comes in as a close second, but that may change after I shoot it more with cast bullet handloads. (waiting for handloading stuff in the mail)
 
Okay, today I am back to my 336S being my favorite. Just put a few rounds through it to check zero, all good:

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It wears a Leupold 2X7X33 scope on Warne quick remove rings for access to open sights. The low mount rail is from RPP as is the lever and the take down screw. Inside it has the WWG Bear Extractor, WWG alloy magazine follower (to improve feed with LR 160 FTX bullets) and WWG no rattle trigger. Plus, not being new to Marlin rifles, I did some action work and relaxed the gate spring and polished the inside of the loading gate. Marlin provided the hammer extension in stainless for free. This rifle is right at MOA for the first three or so shots, after that the groups tend to grow a bit as the barrel heats up, but it is a hunting rifle and if ever called upon to dispatch wayward zombies in an apocalyptic gun battle, it will do just fine thank you.

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I have learned that backing the LR factory load down about 75 FPS really tightens the groups with this particular rifle but it eats the factory stuff just fine. Here are two targets, factory LR ammo 160 grain at 100 yards. First five on the left and hot second group on the right:

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I am kind of shaky today so some of it is me on that right target and I have a good cross wind gust going on from right to left. But not atypical. Interesting, the first shot of each group went through the bullseye. I allowed about a five minute cool down (at most) between groups. Out at 150 yards this fella dropped by for a visit:

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Today, shot my Marlin 39A Mountie. It was due some TLC and I could no longer use the buckhorn sight and I do not remember right now where the scope and rail is :( . So, I bought a new Skinner rear sight and got the Target and Standard apertures. I also got the dovetail aperture holder and installed it. A few days back I was shooting with the buckhorn sight I was all over the place even at 25 yards, I could do no good but with the new Skinner and Target aperture at 50 yards, started top left and then worked down in order, once I learned the sight picture I started getting groups, second row, right side, that is ten MiniMags, all others are five shot groups:

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Here is the Mountie with it's new Skinner hardware:

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My right eye is pretty bad, I have to wait for it to clear as it has a floating obstruction due to a retinal tear. There is a reason every rifle I shoot frequently has a scope (or two). I am going to stay with the Skinner on this one unless I find that dang El Paso Weaver that used to be on it. With a scope, retinal tear be dammed, I am fine.
 
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I’m intrigued by the browning BLR series of lever actions because they’re chambered in many more modern cartridges.
 
The Winchester 94 30-30 is my favorite rifle lever or not. In the woods It does anything You could want a rifle to do, light, compact, shoulders easy, low recoil
The cartridge can handle animals up to black bear and in a pinch it doesn’t have the worst track record for self defense
If I ever get the chance to go elk hunting I will use my second favorite rifle the browning BLR (308)
 
Model 71. Lots of fun and dog gone good lookin' too! The buck in my avatar was taken with a Savage 99 in 300 Savage, did I say I like lever guns?
 
I have several #1s, a #3, a #13, a couple of Marlins and three Martini Cadets and a Cadet switch barrel, 225 WM to 357 Super Mag. Perhaps the #3 I converted to, at first glance, what looks like a #1, what I call the #13. It is a 22 Hornet to a 7mm RM it shoots pretty well. But then the 357 SM Martini is pretty nice as is the 222R Cadet.
 
I've only ever had 5, so my experience with them is rather limited, but my favorite out of those is the one I kept... The Rossi 92. It's my only lever gun at the moment. I want to say the Chiappa, but the one I had was a Mare's leg. It was by far the best quality, and had it been a rifle, it would have been my favorite, but I just never could get into it not having a stock. Both it, and the Rossi are the 92 action, in .44 mag, and very smooth. I wish I'd kept the Chiappa, I'd like to have SBR'd it...
 
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