Thread: Lever action rifles- thoughts?

Brought an M1894c in 357 to use as a general purpose handy rifle. Scoped it and is accurate but now "clunky" decided to remove the scope and fit a set of peep sights but cant find any "skinners" anywhere and can not be bothered trying to import a set now with NZ Post "virtue signaling liek they do it may or may not be delivered

So in the safe it sits

Originally Posted by tetawa

Waikato, thought it had been commandeered by your Mayor and the overpaid boss of Auckland water for Latte drinkers, nothing left for making the poor excuse for beer.

Tainui will never give the wai to Auckland and nor should they have to. The solution to Aucklands water woes is to start capturing rain on property as a backup to low dam levels.

i have a browning bl22, cream of the crop on 22 l/a
also a marlin 30/30 and a rossi 44mag.
love em all

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

My "hideous" Winchester Big Bore 94 .375 (top eject) with side mounted aim point scope has accounted for a shit load of animals over the 30 odd years I have owned it...it may not look right to the "purists" but in that thick shit supplejack Kaimai country it performs really well...it has survived at least three falls from horse back (any horse can be shot from, not all stand around for a follow up shot), As for how accurate it is, if it kicks up dirt near a Cody can at 50 metres from a shoulder shot that is near enough for me.

My sbl running the Hornady Ftx 325 (where have I seen that before?) grain rounds through with pistol dot from seated at the range is capable of punching holes within an inch of center at 100 metres. Have photo proof but still won't load. Can take out clays against a bank from standing at 50 metres at will...if missed it is solely because I missed them... not the rifle. I am very impressed with the accuracy with these rounds. That said my other calibres don't seem to like those rounds so much , the 30/30 especially. Yet to find any that really likes. Winchester seems to be better but still not the best.

my first centrefire was a winny trapper wish i never sold it .....after 30 years of mauser addiction have just picked up a marlin 30-30 with the intention of shortening and suppressing......when i picked it up turned out to be a "jm" marked marlin 1974 made not a remlin ..... bloke bought it in from the states where he had used it to shoot coyotes.
have decided against shortening and supressing and will leave original ......havent fired it yet as cant get any ammo round here will have to do the 100k trip to hamilton or wait till covidland opens its borders again...

Back in 1991 I traded a Lithgow SLR for a new Rossi 357mag, still have the Rossi and yes Rushy it`s scoped. Have nailed a lot of pigs, reds and goats with that rifle and cheap to reload with hot loads (for a pistol calibre). Also have a Ruger 44/96 lever gun topped off with a night scope. Was going to get A Ruger 44 Carbine semi but now pleased I went the lever action way.

Anyone used the Henry Long Rangers .223 & .308 detachable mag. Kind of interested in one of those.

Originally Posted by Ftx325

My sbl running the Hornady Ftx 325 (where have I seen that before?) grain rounds through with pistol dot from seated at the range is capable of punching holes within an inch of center at 100 metres. Have photo proof but still won't load. Can take out clays against a bank from standing at 50 metres at will...if missed it is solely because I missed them... not the rifle. I am very impressed with the accuracy with these rounds. That said my other calibres don't seem to like those rounds so much , the 30/30 especially. Yet to find any that really likes. Winchester seems to be better but still not the best.

Try Hornandy 150gn whitetails in ya 30-30, mine sprayed the fancy pants red tips all over the show but would group under an inch with the whitetails.

Originally Posted by mikee

Brought an M1894c in 357 to use as a general purpose handy rifle. Scoped it and is accurate but now "clunky" decided to remove the scope and fit a set of peep sights but cant find any "skinners" anywhere and can not be bothered trying to import a set now with NZ Post "virtue signaling liek they do it may or may not be delivered

So in the safe it sits

Maybe consider a red dot? Was never a fan of them until fitted to my lever as found the scope heavy and cumbersome in the bush and very happy with it.
Small , light and don't need magnification at ranges it is used at.

Originally Posted by scotty

my first centrefire was a winny trapper wish i never sold it .....after 30 years of mauser addiction have just picked up a marlin 30-30 with the intention of shortening and suppressing......when i picked it up turned out to be a "jm" marked marlin 1974 made not a remlin ..... bloke bought it in from the states where he had used it to shoot coyotes.
have decided against shortening and supressing and will leave original ......havent fired it yet as cant get any ammo round here will have to do the 100k trip to hamilton or wait till covidland opens its borders again...

I had intended to suppress the 30/30 XLR but after also discovering the JM stamp binned that idea too.

I had a .356 Win for a few years, sold it to a guy in Auckland to add to his collection of Model 94's...probably never been fired since.

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I had intended to suppress the 30/30 XLR but after also discovering the JM stamp binned that idea too.

I think suppressing defeats the purpose of a short rifle for bush work.

Originally Posted by dannyb

Try Hornandy 150gn whitetails in ya 30-30, mine sprayed the fancy pants red tips all over the show

do you think this is a marlin thing ? the microgroove barrel ?..... surely hornady wouldnt market a product that was that bad accross the board (i have noticed other marlin owners complaing of the same results)

Originally Posted by Ftx325

Maybe consider a red dot? Was never a fan of them until fitted to my lever as found the scope heavy and cumbersome in the bush and very happy with it.
Small , light and don't need magnification at ranges it is used at.

Have 2 red little dots unused in the safe. They still ruin the "look" and I find appature sights just as fast and no need to ift head to see them. I don't think the straight stock levers work well with scopes or "dot's" never tried the modern pistol gripped versions maybe the comb is higher.

I regret selling my Marlin 3030 (to someone on here) but at the time a suppressor on my .308 seemed like a good idea and needed financing.

I shot many fallow deer and pigs with in the Bluies. And a great saddle rifle when horseback hunting. Had a canvas sleeve/whatchermercallit made and with a little 2-7 scope on it, I felt it had its place.

I became weary of the hassle to empty the tube mag however, and didn’t like the damage to projectiles compared to a drop in type mag.

Tbh I regret selling it if only because it was pleasing to hold and shoulder.

Originally Posted by scotty

do you think this is a marlin thing ? the microgroove barrel ?..... surely hornady wouldnt market a product that was that bad accross the board (i have noticed other marlin owners complaing of the same results)

No idea, apparently the 140gn leverevolution was good in my 30-30 according to the previous owner but the solid copper rounds where $20 more per box than the already overpriced 160gn stuff.
I ended up reloading and can get 1/2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards with 150gn sierra round nose projectiles at good pace.