Hokkmike
Member
I own two very beautiful lever action rifles. One is a Winchester 1953 Model 94 in .32 Winchester Special. The other is a Marlin Cowboy Limited with an octagonal barrel in .45(LC). Each has strengths and weakness.
The Winnny's action is clunky compared to the Marlin which ejects and reloads smoothly. The 94 also has a longer throw but handles a larger cartridge. The capacity of the Marlin is twice that of the Winchester but the .45 Colt round is considered by most to be inadequate for deer hunting. The .32WS is perfectly suited for the job. Really, the .45 is suited only for cowboy shooting, home defense, or range/plinking use. The 94 for hunting, range use, and, I would suppose, HD.
Price wise the Marin actually commands top dollar with representative samples like mine going for $900 and up. It is a mint JM stamped 2006 model. The 1953 Winchester, being a pre-64 is well thought of in the used market but is priced slightly lower at around $600 for a good specimen. Both are in 95% condition or better.
So, here is the crux of the thread and the question I want to ask.
There is some high performance ammo in my area - leverevolution@, for the .45 at $30 for a box of 20. Quite a bit is available actually. I thought about buying a couple of boxes "just in case" I want to use this gun for hunting or just have more power for the HD application. But in the end, it seems wiser to invest in stockpiling the .32WS since that is the deer choice that is not disputed.
I appreciate any thoughts you have on the matter.
The Winnny's action is clunky compared to the Marlin which ejects and reloads smoothly. The 94 also has a longer throw but handles a larger cartridge. The capacity of the Marlin is twice that of the Winchester but the .45 Colt round is considered by most to be inadequate for deer hunting. The .32WS is perfectly suited for the job. Really, the .45 is suited only for cowboy shooting, home defense, or range/plinking use. The 94 for hunting, range use, and, I would suppose, HD.
Price wise the Marin actually commands top dollar with representative samples like mine going for $900 and up. It is a mint JM stamped 2006 model. The 1953 Winchester, being a pre-64 is well thought of in the used market but is priced slightly lower at around $600 for a good specimen. Both are in 95% condition or better.
So, here is the crux of the thread and the question I want to ask.
There is some high performance ammo in my area - leverevolution@, for the .45 at $30 for a box of 20. Quite a bit is available actually. I thought about buying a couple of boxes "just in case" I want to use this gun for hunting or just have more power for the HD application. But in the end, it seems wiser to invest in stockpiling the .32WS since that is the deer choice that is not disputed.
I appreciate any thoughts you have on the matter.