[bunker]

I've been around guns for my entire life hunting and shooting. I've always loved guns but until recently, didn't own many. Lately I've been looking at getting a lever action rifle and was hoping y'all could give me some help and point me in a good direction.

I like the look of the Yellow Boys but I'm not sure I want to pay $1500 for a rifle. I would really like something that loads from the side of the action. I don't want to put a scope on it. I mostly hunt deer but am looking to get into elk hunting, so something that wont blow out a deer but will still take down an elk.

Any info helps!
Thanks in advance!!
-Sheldon

 

[Popeye]

Greetings and Salutations

 

[Elapid]

Check the Browning Lever action line 30.06, 7mm, 300 WM more than enough power there to cover your needs. Lower grain for Deer and higher for Elk, take your pick. Not a side loader but uses a magizine so you can use pointed rounds which would help you, that and you can get them under 1k

 

[PrairieHunt]

Hi and welcome from da Hills...

 

[Northtidesix]

Welcome aboard. Lever action for big game is a wide open topic. I would recommend one of the older Marlin '95 lever guns in .45/70. That round will take down anything on two or four legs. Do the research on the rounds and make your choice. Cartridges of the World is where I would start the research. :thumbsup:

 

[Mad Scientist]

Welcome from NC!

 

[bunker]

I've looked into the Browning lever-actions. If I can't find what I'm looking for, that is probably where I'm headed. The look super slick and they keep popping up when I search for a good lever-action. I'm really not a fan of magazines which is why I'm looking for a side load. Thanks for the info!

 

[bunker]

...I would recommend one of the older Marlin '95 lever guns in .45/70...

When you say older Marlin, do you mean the pre-Remington rifles? The "JM" stamped ones?

 

[Northtidesix]

When you say older Marlin, do you mean the pre-Remington rifles? The "JM" stamped ones?

Yes. The post Remington Marlins have had problems. I have owned a Marlin '95 .45/70 Government. It was a very well made accurate rifle. I have since gone to the single shot big .50/70's.

 

[Elapid]

The newer Marlins are back to Marlin quality, the last one I got was made in 2013. Right when Remington took over Marlin they had a serious learning curve to work through and their quality control was garbage. First mistake they made was not bringing the old Marlin gunsmiths, they paid a dear price for that blunder. Lever rifles are a different breed than any other rifle and the skill set to manufacture one is different.
Edit to add mine is a 45-70.

 

[Northtidesix]

That is good to hear. I haven't owned one since I gave my .45/70 to an old friend of mine. It was one of the 1970's mfg. date. I have heard some real horror stories about the quality control, and customer relations. I really hope Remington got it's ...act together. :thumbsup:

 

[Speed]

Greetings from the Philly area and welcome to NGF.

 

[Elapid]

Only thing about the 45-70 is that it has the coefficient of a refrigerator,I have one so I should know .

 

[bunker]

That is good to hear. I've never liked the idea of buying a used firearm but trying to find a new, older JM stamped seems kinda hard so far.

What do you mean "coefficient of a refrigerator"? Also, how accurate would you say the round is? I mostly hunt open farmland and shoot from 150-300 yards. I did read a little on wikipedia (not a 100% accurate place to go) but the article said it was effective out to quite the range?

thanks all for the info, it really helps!!

 

[Artie1957]

Welcome aboard! Henry makes some really nice lever guns.

 

[Northtidesix]

That is good to hear. I've never liked the idea of buying a used firearm but trying to find a new, older JM stamped seems kinda hard so far.

What do you mean "coefficient of a refrigerator"? Also, how accurate would you say the round is? I mostly hunt open farmland and shoot from 150-300 yards. I did read a little on wikipedia (not a 100% accurate place to go) but the article said it was effective out to quite the range?

thanks all for the info, it really helps!!

I have a Quigley .45/70 that shoots inside 2 inches at 100 yds. with the lead cast 526 grain bullet. The 1873 Sandy Hook test shot that bullet out of a .45/70 Government rifle to a measured 3,500 yards. I don't know how good the accuracy was but the bullets made the flight. At that distance I would have need a naval gunnery binoculars to spot the target. The .45/70 Government round was adopted by the US ordinance board as the standard round for the army in 1873 because it was the only one tested that could penetrate the steel artillery caisson at 1,000 yards. The deal is that big bullet comes down nearly as fast as it goes up. It is a very stable bullet in flight. I have built .50/70 Government rifles that will shoot as well at 200 to 300 yds. Outside that the .45/70 walks away smiling. With modern powder loads it is easy to up load to .45/120 equivalent. I have fired rounds in mine that let me know that is not what one could consider pleasant. I am a delicate antique.
Look it up in the Cartridges of the World book. There is a very good article in there.

 

[Rivervalley0311]

Welcome.

 

[bunker]

I thought for a moment that I misread that, I didn't think a bullet had the power to travel that distance at that time. Have you tried loading with a smaller grain bullet? Would that help with the accuracy and the range? lighter projectile+same powder= more range??

Also, I read part of the article in the Cartridges of the World, I didn't realize that the popularity of the cartridge had fallen off. Very interesting to see it making a comeback.

At this point, I think I've talked myself into the Marlin 1895 Cowboy chambered in the .45-70 but I just want to make sure that I'm sure. :thumbsup:

 

[gvaldeg1]

I really loved my Model 1895 Marlin in 45-70. The only problem I had with it was the stock recoil pad was not adequate for the handload that I developed for it. I was loading 400 grain Speer flat-nose to 1950 fps (3378 ft-lbs muzzle energy). When I was developing the load with the stock pad, the recoil caused shoulder hemorrhages down to the pectoral muscles. I put a Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad on it and it worked great! No more hemorrhages and not even noticeable bruising. I want to point out that these were max loads and way above what you'd need for deer. However, at these levels, they would be adequate for anything on this continent even large bear.

 

[BOB/MO]

Welcome from Missouri