Given how close he appears to be to the targets, why does he need a rifle at all?
Heck, those look too close for me to be comfortable shooting with my pistols.
When are each of the actions preferred?
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Given how close he appears to be to the targets, why does he need a rifle at all?
Heck, those look too close for me to be comfortable shooting with my pistols.
lefteyedom
Member
What action?
What is legal for what you want to do and fit your fancy
I would only add that there are two two distinction types of lever action
a. those that feed from a box type magazine
Winchester 1895, Savage 99, sako finwolf Winchester 88 and Browning BLRs
B all other tubular magazines.
The ability to use spitizer ammunition truly separates capabilities of these rifles.
What is legal for what you want to do and fit your fancy
I would only add that there are two two distinction types of lever action
a. those that feed from a box type magazine
Winchester 1895, Savage 99, sako finwolf Winchester 88 and Browning BLRs
B all other tubular magazines.
The ability to use spitizer ammunition truly separates capabilities of these rifles.
Never thought of Remington 760 as front heavy.
Any rifle with a tubular mag under the barrel gets front heavy when loaded to capacity.
Bolt guns can typically handle high pressure big bore cartridges better than semis or lever guns. While there are exceptions (50 cal semi autos) you won't see an 'African hunting round' like .416 Remington or .375 H&H in anything but a bolt gun. People TEND to take their eye off target or at least point the rifle down when cycling a bolt gun.. that's a training issue that can be cured. Bolt guns remain the most accurate of the platforms.
There are flanged (rimmed) versions of those big African rounds made for double rifles, which are by far the fastest way to get two accurate shots with a heavy caliber downrange.
Pump guns just aren't that common anymore but at the turn of the century many US makers had a centerfire pump action rifle intended for hunting. I suspect Winchester bowed out of pump guns in favor of 'magnum' rounds that were becoming available post war. Remember pre-war a lot of guns were made in a labor intensive process. It's possible that it simply wasn't economical to make them 'the way they used to'.
Remington remains the last hold out making pump rifles in numbers .. however as someone pointed out it works EXACTLY the same as an 870 shotgun, and can be had in .30-06, .270 and .308.. arguably the most popular hunting calibers in North America. They are pretty accurate rifles as well as being almost as fast as a semi auto for a practical aimed follow up shot.
Lever guns were some of the first successful attempts at creating a repeating rifle in the USA and for that reason alone remain iconic. By the turn of the century the lever gun was being offered in pistol calibers like 38-40 and heavy calibers like 405 Winchester (which had a ressurection of late). The lever gun remains "THE" deer rifle most hunters over 50 grew up with, be it a Marlin or a Winchester. It was the icon of the cowboy era, the silver screen westerns and but to amazing use by trick shooters like Annie Oakly. They are mechanically more complex than a bolt or pump gun, but they are pretty robust. Follow up shots are fast and there's really no reason to take your eye off target when cycling the action. The flat profile of the lever gun makes it easy to store behind a truck seat or in a scabbard for those that still ride horses.
Semi autos can get lead downrange in a hurry and may have a high capacity magazine option, but until recently a precision semi auto hunting rifle was a high priced endevor. It's only been in the past 20 years or so that the AR platform has been 'pushed' to new rounds like 300 Blackout, 458 socom, etc. Most AR-10s right out of the box out shoot FAL's and M-1a's and even Remington's 742.
Any one of them will put meat on the table, anyone of them COULD defend your life in a pinch. It's pretty obvious a bolt action rifle is a poor choice for home defense but the best choice for long range shooting. The lever gun soldiers on while only one manufacturer still makes a pump action centerfire rifle. Semi autos abound now as the most popular rifle type in the USA, though not many people actually hunt big game with them. (revised for clarity)
Whatever you choose, try them all.
Any rifle with a tubular mag under the barrel gets front heavy when loaded to capacity.
Bolt guns can typically handle high pressure big bore cartridges better than semis or lever guns. While there are exceptions (50 cal semi autos) you won't see an 'African hunting round' like .416 Remington or .375 H&H in anything but a bolt gun. People TEND to take their eye off target or at least point the rifle down when cycling a bolt gun.. that's a training issue that can be cured. Bolt guns remain the most accurate of the platforms.
There are flanged (rimmed) versions of those big African rounds made for double rifles, which are by far the fastest way to get two accurate shots with a heavy caliber downrange.
Pump guns just aren't that common anymore but at the turn of the century many US makers had a centerfire pump action rifle intended for hunting. I suspect Winchester bowed out of pump guns in favor of 'magnum' rounds that were becoming available post war. Remember pre-war a lot of guns were made in a labor intensive process. It's possible that it simply wasn't economical to make them 'the way they used to'.
Remington remains the last hold out making pump rifles in numbers .. however as someone pointed out it works EXACTLY the same as an 870 shotgun, and can be had in .30-06, .270 and .308.. arguably the most popular hunting calibers in North America. They are pretty accurate rifles as well as being almost as fast as a semi auto for a practical aimed follow up shot.
Lever guns were some of the first successful attempts at creating a repeating rifle in the USA and for that reason alone remain iconic. By the turn of the century the lever gun was being offered in pistol calibers like 38-40 and heavy calibers like 405 Winchester (which had a ressurection of late). The lever gun remains "THE" deer rifle most hunters over 50 grew up with, be it a Marlin or a Winchester. It was the icon of the cowboy era, the silver screen westerns and but to amazing use by trick shooters like Annie Oakly. They are mechanically more complex than a bolt or pump gun, but they are pretty robust. Follow up shots are fast and there's really no reason to take your eye off target when cycling the action. The flat profile of the lever gun makes it easy to store behind a truck seat or in a scabbard for those that still ride horses.
Semi autos can get lead downrange in a hurry and may have a high capacity magazine option, but until recently a precision semi auto hunting rifle was a high priced endevor. It's only been in the past 20 years or so that the AR platform has been 'pushed' to new rounds like 300 Blackout, 458 socom, etc. Most AR-10s right out of the box out shoot FAL's and M-1a's and even Remington's 742.
Any one of them will put meat on the table, anyone of them COULD defend your life in a pinch. It's pretty obvious a bolt action rifle is a poor choice for home defense but the best choice for long range shooting. The lever gun soldiers on while only one manufacturer still makes a pump action centerfire rifle. Semi autos abound now as the most popular rifle type in the USA, though not many people actually hunt big game with them. (revised for clarity)
Whatever you choose, try them all.
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At 4 MOA, FALs are not known for great accuracy.
If you don't think many folks hunt with their self loading rifles, you've been living under a rock. Head over to http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ and what they're using. Plenty are using ARs and that's just counting predator & varmint hunters
If you don't think many folks hunt with their self loading rifles, you've been living under a rock. Head over to http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ and what they're using. Plenty are using ARs and that's just counting predator & varmint hunters
bushmaster1313
Member
Compared to some bolts, which can be finnacky, pumps and levers are good for the dexteriously challenged
Gordon
Member
The primary cammed extraction on the bolt is certainly a plus for reliability. Add controlled round feed and in the absolute worst conditions they are superior to any other system IMHO and I also believe it is the most potentially accurate platform- the bolt action rifle .It is the openspace choice although the AR series are doing good these days too at least in the accuracy area.
I much prefer the Savage 99 platform when talking lever guns and my 1957 .308 winchester Savage 99F with it's 4x Lyman All American Perma Center comes close to being the ideal wooded area hunting rifle.I have a Lawrence Saddle scabbard for it and used to use it for back country horseback hunting in the early 90s. I could count on 3" 200 yard groups with it and once shot a deer at 340 yards with it, although most were less than half that distance.
If working very thick brush for pigs it doesn't get much better than my 141 Remington .35 Rem pump.
I much prefer the Savage 99 platform when talking lever guns and my 1957 .308 winchester Savage 99F with it's 4x Lyman All American Perma Center comes close to being the ideal wooded area hunting rifle.I have a Lawrence Saddle scabbard for it and used to use it for back country horseback hunting in the early 90s. I could count on 3" 200 yard groups with it and once shot a deer at 340 yards with it, although most were less than half that distance.
If working very thick brush for pigs it doesn't get much better than my 141 Remington .35 Rem pump.
tahoe2
Member
I use my levers and pumps for dense woods, and my bolts and semi's for the wide open spaces.
I like em all, that's why I have em, I still need a falling block or rolling block single shot.
I like em all, that's why I have em, I still need a falling block or rolling block single shot.
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