Best Lever Action Cartridges.

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WCG
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Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by WCG »

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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by piller »

I don't have any arguments with his article. A couple of rounds in his list I haven't shot, but that is not any real issue.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Griff »

I might quibble about including the 44 Mangl'em as BEST Pistol Cartridge in a Levergun as I feel that honor belongs to the 45 Colt. My main reason is that I feel there is a better selection of bullets appropriate to a levergun. Plus there is that fact that I used to have a 44 levergun, now I have 5 45 Colt leverguns! Surely I haven't made a mistake? :twisted:
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by piller »

Griff, I don't have either caliber in a levergun. I cannot give any real or practical opinion on those 2 for a levergun.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Griff »

piller wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:14 pmGriff, I don't have either caliber in a levergun. I cannot give any real or practical opinion on those 2 for a levergun.
No issues. In most leverguns, you can push the 45 Colt to 44 Magnum velocities... and bullets designed for that velocity are available from several makers. Besides, a .02" difference in diameter has to be valued higher, right? :P
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Sixgun »

I don't agree with half of what was written...especially the 32 Spl, which is nothing more than a 30-30 with a name change for marketing and a reason to get rid of a million barrels with the 1-16 twist...the .307 and .356, and the 375 are dead due to lack of availability.....the .348 is a troublesome cartridge unless your well versed on it....

As factory loaded it all boils down to the 32-20, 30-30, and the 45-70......all no brainers in working with....

As a handloder/bullet caster the 30-30 is all that needed....but a .22 L.R. would be a big help.

as Americans, we can have them all......because we can........and we do......so let's all thumb our noses to every other country, especially Canada, where gun control of any kind makes no sense.

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.45colt
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by .45colt »

Here is how I see it,,,,,, BLA, BLA, BLA, BLA, BLA....................... At the end of the day what works?.... the .348, 30-30, 35rem, 32-20, 44-40, 45-70, .45colt, 44mag, 357mag. Of All of them the 44mag, 45-70,.357 & .45 Colt are the easiest to feed.....No matter... IF the 360 Creedmoor (buck hammer) really does appear later this year a whole generation of hunters will soon forget and jump on the NEW bandwagon.......So it Goes. The Beat Goes on.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by 44shooter »

All of those cartridges are excellent for at least some things. Bear in mind, these were the author’s opinion on the best that came from certain time periods. 30-30, 45-70, and various revolver length cartridges definitely dominate today. Most everything else is not made anymore and difficult to find or possibly make ammo for. I only have 44 mag, 45 Colt, 30-30 and 444 so far. To me the 44 is the most handy and versatile of what I have. Cartridges like 307, 308 & 338MX, 348, 356, and maybe 375 and 444 seem like optimal blends of enhanced power and/or range for tube fed guns. The 35 is pretty cool too. 32WS always seemed redundant to me but I wouldn’t turn down a deal on one.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by OldWin »

The 30-30 is hands down the best overall cartridge to be chambered in a levergun. Just look at the numbers. The market decides what is best. I'm not saying the 45-70 is a bad cartridge, but it isn't in the same league as 30-30.

Much as it pains me, I do think the 44 magnum probably is the best pistol cartridge chambering. It maybe responsible for the resurgence of pistol cartridge leverguns in some measure, also
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by 44shooter »

I always felt the 30-30 was popular because of the Winchester 1894 and the later Marlins rather than its own merits. Much flatter than the likes of 44 WCF, 38-55 or 45-70 sure, but if you consider its bolt action contemporaries of the time, it never was all that ballistically innovative.
I maintain the guns made the cartridge popular. Don’t get me wrong, it’s capable to moderate ranges, easy on the shoulder and wallet, but even in 1895 it was outclassed by battle cartridges of the day.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by AJMD429 »

.
I could 'make do' with just two:

.32-20 - for coyotes on down (Marlin 1894 CL)
.500 S&W - for whitetails on up (Big Horn Armory 89)

Instead of cat-sneezing the 32-20 I'd prefer to add a 22 LR (Ruger 96/22 - or maybe even a 96/17 HMR),

and I'd like to fill in the middle with a 375 Win (Winchester 1894 BB)

But those four would do nicely, for sure, and cover an interesting variety of designs, too.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by RIDERED350r »

I still lament the failure of the Winchester Big Bore and Marlin Express line of cartridges. I think they were well thought out and executed cartridges to improve the performance of the most common lever rifles. It's too bad they didn't catch on and stay for the long term.

I own a 94 Big Bore in 375 Win and I positively love it. The author low-balled it's capability a little bit though. I get 2500fps with a 200gr with mine as predicted by most published load data, and I do not exceed book spec charge levels. That said I've settled on the 220gr Vollmer Precision JFN at 2200fps.

I didn't catch the date on the artificle, but Henry does offer rifles chambered for 35Rem.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by RIHMFIRE »

I have shot nearly every one of those rounds.
One of the old members here, who dropped off the face of the earth, had every one of those and more!
I have only seen 1 7-30 waters. Good luck finding that one.
Pretty much the same with the .307 and .356, and the 375. Six is right about those!
Would love to have a 348 and go moose hunting. love those 71s.
and an 86 in 45-70 for elk.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by RIDERED350r »

A vintage 71 is on my short list. Relative obscurity be darned

A have the 1886, in 45-90 😬
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by buckeyeshooter »

I have or have owned all those cartridges but the 7mm waters. All I can say is his list does not look anything like mine.
Mine looks like this;

1. 44-40
2. 44 magnum
3. 30-30
4. 38-55
5. 348 Winchester
6. 30-06 (Winchester 1895)
7. 50 Alaskan
8. 50-110
9. 45/70
10. 308 Marlin Express

other favorites; 444 Marlin, 358 Winchester, 35 Remington and 357 magnum
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Sarge »

I've had fun with lever actions in revolver calibers but they aren't very practical in open country. The 30-30, 35 Remington and a few others are usable with a 200 yard zero, provided you only use one load and pick your shots. My old 35 is on at 325, at the 3rd step of the rear sight elevator.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Old Savage »

45-70, 45 Colt, 444, 44 Mag, 375/38-55, 35 Rem, 357, .308 Win, 300 Sav, .250 Sav, 25-35, 25-20, 243, 22 Mag, .22 LR are the ones I will go with.

And .410
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by 44shooter »

Always thought a 356 would be an ideal hunting cartridge in a tube gun but they were scarce by the mid nineties. Passed on a deeply scratched one once and regretted it. Thought I might get a 338 MX to fill the niche, but slept on that too then they went away. If you like something new or unpopular, get it immediately with ammo, dies, brass or whatever else is unique for it. Everything doesn’t last.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by RIDERED350r »

44shooter wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 11:53 am Always thought a 356 would be an ideal hunting cartridge in a tube gun but they were scarce by the mid nineties. Passed on a deeply scratched one once and regretted it. Thought I might get a 338 MX to fill the niche, but slept on that too then they went away. If you like something new or unpopular, get it immediately with ammo, dies, brass or whatever else is unique for it. Everything doesn’t last.
Solid advice.

When I first got my 375 Win back about 8 years ago, components were super slim picking. Fortunately the rifle came with about 30rds of factory ammo, so at least I had some brass. I managed to gather what I could when I could to keep it shooting.

Now things are a little better although far from abundant. Starline now makes brass, Vollmer Precision makes the bullet I like best and there are a few other players offering suitable projectiles as well. Now I have enough brass and bullets to keep me shooting my 375 for many years, maybe even the rest of my life if I'm not wasteful with bullets. I have a penchant for things a bit out of the mainstream.

As an aside, a have a modest list of "gotta haves" and the 356Win is solidly on that list.
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Re: Best Lever Action Cartridges.

Post by Twodot »

RIDERED350r wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 3:48 pm
44shooter wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 11:53 am Always thought a 356 would be an ideal hunting cartridge in a tube gun but they were scarce by the mid nineties. Passed on a deeply scratched one once and regretted it.
As an aside, a have a modest list of "gotta haves" and the 356Win is solidly on that list.
JES will rebore a Marlin 30-30 and chamber it in .356 Win for you.

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