Classic western Lever gun?

[Irrelevant]

What?!

yeah i know.

 

[Nick87]

yeah i know.

Meh, I guess I shouldn't nid pick. I could Make a list of things we don't have in illinois.

 

[Irrelevant]

Meh, I guess I shouldn't nid pick. I could Make a list of things we don't have in illinois.

It's really too bad because I've never bought a new gun, and it was a lot more enjoyable to wander around an actual store a few times picking something out, than trying to sort through gunbroker.

 

[howl]

Winchester 1895 uses cartridges with pointy bullets. You could put a suppressor on it and still be in the pre-1950 theme. The Russian military version.would be neat, but maybe going too far from the cowboys. With good sights practice you will not suffer too much versus a scope, at least when the lighting is good.

I find the pistol grip Winchester 1871 to be the finest looking lever ever.

All that said, I bet most game taken with scoped bolt actions could have been taken with a peep sighted 30/30.

 

[p_ham]

so in terms of ammo availability...?
View attachment 306014

Ya, pretty much. You can find 25-35 and 38-55 if you look but it's getting harder.

 

[Bigjay73]

yeah i know.

Seattle area pipefitters are $20 and hour more than here in Denver, I've been tempted to move that up way. Imma have to research that a little more

 

[mtmuley]

It’s the pronghorn thing that gets me away from a ‘94 .30-30.

Load some Hammer Levers at warp .30-.30 speeds. mtmuley

 

[nhenry]

444 marlin wasn’t pre-‘50, but those old marlin model 444s can be made really accurate and can shoot fairly far with some oomph. Probably 250-300 ish yards with an FTX.

444 is also not uncommon

 

[BrentD]

Bat-signal to @BrentD

I'm here at last. Had to make it to Ely tonight for time and cell signal

BrentD is gonna love HT today

You are exactly right. My fingers will worn to the bone before I retire tonight...

Guys are just falling into my little wheelhouse like hmmm, I'm always lost for a metaphore, like a Leonid meteor shower? Sounds a little nerdy...

It’s the pronghorn thing that gets me away from a ‘94 .30-30.

Oh no!!!! See Hunting Wife's tale of mule deering with her family .30-30

Personally I think the Savage 99s are butt ugly. A lot of people like them and they were made in some interesting cartridges.

[/QUOTE]
I agree with you on that - their acreages of empty cheek panels and receiver frame are hard to look at directly. But every once in a while, one catches the corner of my eye and makes me rethink that. And then I get over it.

Id be looking for something chambered in 25-35, 30-30, or 38-55 if it were me.

Somebody mentioned the Win 1873, its a pistol cartridge gun, and its toggle lock isn’t particularly strong. It's fine for black powder level loads. The scaled up version is the 1876, and they're big money.

[/QUOTE]
Right on the money.
Add .32 Special to the list. .32-40 if you will cast and load your own.

My picks:
Marlin 1893: 32-40, 38-55, 30-30
Winchester 1894: 25-35, 32-40, 30-30, 38-55
Winchester 1886: 38-56, 40-65, 45-70, 45-90, 33 WCF
Winchester 71: .348WCF

I differ a bit with the last of this. I would rule out all the .40s and above, plus the .33 Win, the .38-56, and all 86/71 Winchesters and the 1895 Marlin. The calibers are way overkill and require the big framed (heavy!) frames such as the 86/71 and the 1895 Marlin. Great guns, but not for this I think (though I have done it).

I am a Marlin-queer, according to my Winchester-queer shooting partner. For my money, Marlins are simpler, easier to work with in the field, easier to work with at home, easier to scope when the time comes, a bit cheaper, and maybe a slight bit stronger (but sort of irrelevant). I think it really boils down to the 1893 Marlin and the 1894 Winchester. Plus, everyone has a 94 Win. Be different - stand out in a crowd

As for cartridges, the .30-30 probably meets your specs better than any, though I prefer the .38-55.

Here is my .38-55 Marlin 1893, using black and lead.
We could throw something at the original 1895 Winchester in .30-06. Another so ugly, it's kinda handsome gun (like the 99 Savage). I've heard their recoil is horrendous, but I don't know first hand.

I do like the way I see more HT folk giving the ol' vintage road a careful consideration. I'm hear to direct traffic and assist an any way I can ))

I love to play match maker for vintage guns and their next caretakers.

 

[deer_shooter]

I love to play match maker for vintage guns and their next caretakers.
[/QUOTE]


That 38-55 is just delightful. If it ever needs to be rehomed give me a shout.

 

[BrentD]

I love to play match maker for vintage guns and their next caretakers.

That 38-55 is just delightful. If it ever needs to be rehomed give me a shoput.
[/QUOTE]

Hanks! But, don't hold your breath.

 

[deer_shooter]

That 38-55 is just delightful. If it ever needs to be rehomed give me a shoput.

Hanks! But, don't hold your breath.
[/QUOTE]

a guy can dream right?

 

[fishing4sanity]

Despite everyone saying the Savage 99's are ugly, I remember my dads model 99 in 264 Win Mag and wish I had that rifle. I've also always had a soft spot for model 94 30-30s.

 

[MTTW]

If I was going to actually hunt with one it would really be hard to beat a Win. 1895 in 30-06 as was mentioned above. The gun was ahead of its time as far as effective range. Might not be the look you are after though.
I wouldn't rule out a 45-90 in an 1886 Win. as you can shoot 45-70 in it and it just sounds better.

The best advice I could give is buy one that you can shoot first. These old rifles don't all shoot well enough to hunt with, but some shoot better than you can believe. I have both presently. If you don't like recoil, the big calibers with a steel butt plate might not be your thing. A shotgun butt helps a lot but changes the look considerably. Short magazine rifles balance better in my opinion and are better to carry all day.

Here are 2 with a shotgun butt and short magazines. Top is a 45-90 and bottom one is a 33 WCF.



They don't look as western but are better to actually hunt with in my opinion.

 

[huntnfisher]

Marlin 336s started production in '48, so it sneaks in there. If you want pre-turn of the century, the 1893 Marlin is your guy. 30-30 is your friend.

It's always been a better design than Winchesters. Fight me.

Agreed. When I was young I had a Marlin 336C and a Winchester 94. Both guns were bought new, and both in .30-30. Between the two, the Marlin was a much nicer gun. Ended up selling them both and never regretted it.

 

[Salmonchaser]

A 94 in .25/35

 

[Ben Lamb]

Thanks to the endless campaign ads being forced on me I know that Jon Tester uses a Savage 99 to defend Big Sandy against marauding grizzly bears and Chinese spy balloons. Can’t argue with that.

View attachment 306015

Hes talked a lot about his 218 bee & I think he uses his dad or grandfather's 94 Win in 32 Winchester for slaughter.

Sounds like a dirt farmer to me.

 

[Ben Lamb]

For Neffa, I'd say the 95 Win in either 30-40 Krags or 30 Gov't.

Or quit being a slave to the ammo industrial complex and come to dark side and start reloading then you can shoot really cool cartridges.

 

[SaskHunter]

You can’t go wrong with a Winchester model 88 in the old reliable 308 or 243. Fast handling and a joy to shoot. I have several in my collection and they get the job done.

Nothing screams more Saskatchewan than road hunting with a model 88, in a scare body, hacking darts and chasing the world record typical whitetail buck from slough to slough.

 

[JT88]

Nothing screams more Saskatchewan than road hunting with a model 88, in a scare body, hacking darts and chasing the world record typical whitetail buck from slough to slough.

View attachment 306092

Look at those tiny binos, with no bino harness. Do you even hunt bro