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Which lever carbine?
Sig220_Ruger77
Member Posts: 12,754 ✭✭✭
My brother knows I go on here quite a bit and he asked me to ask you guys your opinion on something. He currently has a Winchester Black Shadow lever gun chambered in .44 mag, but it is his only deer rifle. He wants to get a new lever gun and put the .44 away for his son and use it only as a backup to the new rifle he gets. Range is not a issue because he is also in the works of getting a .243 or .270 bolt action. He has done some research and narrowed it down to 2-- a Marlin 1894 chambered in .357 Magnum(pluses are that he owns a revolver in this caliber and ammo is fairly cheap) or a Puma 92 chambered in .480 Ruger. He likes the idea of the .480 because, "it's big, different, and should have less recoil then the .454 Casull." I told him I wasn't sure about how much less the recoil would be in a .480 then the .454, but I would think is would be a noticable differene. I suggested a .45/70 to him, but he said he doesn't want to pay that much. I even offered to sell him mine.[:0] I am glad he passed on that opportunity cause I really don't want to get rid of it.[:D]
Jon
Jon
Comments
Also like Savage model 99's if you can find one in good shape thats affordable. Just my two cents.
That was my reasoning, but it is hard to reason with him.[:D]
Jon
He can get some serious rifle calibers in either of those, and they are wonderfully made firearms.
Doug
Nuff said..
I do love lever guns! [:)]
If I were your brother, I would try to get my hands on a pre-64 (used, obviously) Winchester 94 in caliber .30-30 (the pre-64s may be too pricy, so a later, less expensive post-64 model may do), a Marlin 336 in caliber 30-30, a Marlin model 1894CB (CB=cowboy) with octagonal 20" barrel, semi-buckhorn rear and blade/gold dot front sights in caliber .45 Long Colt, or a Marlin Model 1895 in caliber .45-70 Govrenment.
The Winchesters are my favorite guns. There's even a reprise of the Model 1895 out there (24" bbl, I believe) that Winchester only made for a year or two. I was going to buy one, but they included a cross-bolt safety in the design, so I nixed that.
The Marlins are good, strong, solid guns and very, very reliable.
They can be had in a pistol-grip-style stock or a straight stock. The straight stock variations are my choice. The little 1894 .45LC gun (also in .357mag) is a great little gun! The .45LC will take down a dear easily with current factory loads or your own handloads. The octagonal 20" barrel adds flair (and a little more weight; not sure if it's available in round barrel), plus 20" is a good for a brush gun and for longer shots, too. The semi-buckhorn rear/blade-with-gold-dot front sights are very good, too. If cost is an issue, a new one of these Marlins is cheaper (500+tax+paper[?]) than a used Winchester. The only gripe I have with the Marlins is their stiff actions. This can be mostly mitigated with an inexpensive ($15-$25) spring kit, which is easily user-installed. There is also an inexpensive kit available so you can remove the silly-assed cross-bolt safety and cover the open holes with plugs that look like screw heads.
It's hard to beat a Marlin lever gun...but I would step up to at least a 30-30.
I love that stainless Guide Gun in .45-70 that you sold me last year. I went to the XS Sights website (formerly Ashley Express) and mounted a scout rail topped with a Leupold fixed power extended eye relief scope in scout style with quick detach Warne rings. I swapped the front site for the XS high visibility front sight and their ghost-ring rear sight. It can't be beat IMHO.
It's hard to beat a Marlin lever gun...but I would step up to at least a 30-30.
...or a .35 Rem. Recoil is not bad.