Thread: advice on calibre for lever action

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

I think my brother shill has his stainless .450 for sale?
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....e-450-a-64230/

yeah just having a gander at that what's the Recoil like?

Love my .44..

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

I would suggest that the pistol rounds while great over dogs (with silencer) are still very much a short range option.
30/30 hard to go past, and it's family mates the 38/55 or 375 win, or step across to the 35 Remington or it's modern clone the 35 legend.

Otherwise if your are wanting to get pigs out past 200 mtr you need to step up to the 308 family, 308, 338, 358.
Thats assuming you don't want to go the whole hog and go 45/70 or 444 etc.

Following question is are you reliant on shop ammo or reloading. If shop ammo in which ever town you are passing through on a Saturday morning then you are back to 30/30, 308, 45/70 as common.
If you have the coin it's hard to walk past a new BLR or pickup an old Sav99 and re-barrel. Probably work out to be a similar cost.

Scope wise I started with a 1-4x20 on my Sav 99 in 358 win. I recently upgraded this to a 1.5-6x42, as I was finding more shots where past 200 that I expected, it also deals with looking into deep shade under trees on the bush fringes really well at sun set etc.

NB Recoil can be an issue were fast followup shots are required. That's were the lighter 30/30 or large pistol would come into their own.
Zq

I have a Savage 99 in 308 I am considering rebarreling. Be interested in where you got yours done and how straight forward it is. I'm thinking 22-250 or 243, probably the latter.. I'd be after lower recoil for an old shoulder but still with a bit of reach on the small stuff and doing the biz on the rest at closer range.

Your answer is likely to be relevant to the OP also.
Cheers.J.

When we lived in Arnhem Land the local Aboriginals were basically stopped from getting Semi Autos so a lot used lever actions & pump rifles ,at the end of season we were responsible for cleaning up as many ferals on our designated blocks as possible so we shot 1000's of pigs & Jesus Taxis with various levers as ammo was supplied & we cleared using quads or cut down Suzi's & Air Boats.

I have owned 357mag,44mag,30/30,375 big bore, 444 &45/70 of all of them for here l would select 44mag for pigs & deer up close in the bush, a 30/30 for pigs & deer out to 150 with a 1x4 or good red dot if hunting is usually up close , my choice would be 444 for all round general out to 200 with a 1x4 or 2x7, to many over scope them .IMO the 444 is a really good set up for our hunting ,but absolutely nothing wrong with the dirty 30 just not as much punch in the thick stuff & there is plenty of them floating on the SH shelves in GC last l looked .

Originally Posted by Blisters

yeah just having a gander at that what's the Recoil like?

Not sure as I haven't actually shot it.
If you are into reloading, your world is your oyster. Powder and projectile selection will dictate felt recoil.

With my 44Mag hand loads they would rub the skin off your collar bone and the recoil was 'very snappy' due to fast for calibre powder because I was pushing it out to around 120-130m as a hunting round. Buy, I could also load it soft at the sacrifice of hunting range.

The 450 is no different.

45/70.
You can always load it down in power.
Can't load a 44 up to match.

Originally Posted by Jhon

I have a Savage 99 in 308 I am considering rebarreling. Be interested in where you got yours done and how straight forward it is. I'm thinking 22-250 or 243, probably the latter.. I'd be after lower recoil for an old shoulder but still with a bit of reach on the small stuff and doing the biz on the rest at closer range.

Your answer is likely to be relevant to the OP also.
Cheers.J.

Hi J, first one I did was just a straight barrel swap as my local smith had a new old barrel from a project that did not go ahead. The one I had, had a rust pit down from the muzzle and had already been shortened once due to crown damage. that was my Dad's 243.

Mine was a mid 1970's one 308win I picked up used for $500. Sent it to TrueFlite, and they put a 358 win on it for me. Took about 2 weeks and came back with several used cases to show that they had test fired it to double check head space etc.
Cost, I can't remember but they have prices on their web page. I'm guessing it was $1200, barrel, chamber, silencer thread, fit and test fire and they fixed up a stripped thread in a scope mount screw hole.
Zq
PS as your's is a 308 I would expect you would need to stay within the 308 family to ensure feeding, the feeding ramps lift it up on the shoulder. ie 243 fine but ask questions about the creedmoore family as the shoulders are further back. The 22-250 being based on the 250-3000 may also required the older shorter action Savage prior to the 308 family.

I have had issues with short pistol bullets as the cases can move forward in the mag and the bolt dose not pick up the rim. Not a problem if all loads are that level but if I have a full power 3000 ftlb load shot first over a short one.

Originally Posted by hamsav

307?

might as well get a blr in 308, ammo choices unlimited and available

I think I'm settled on the 3030 now to find one.. . I would like a stainless one

Originally Posted by Blisters

I think I'm settled on the 3030 now to find one.. . I would like a stainless one

45/70 would be better just incase your ever in Fiordland and bump into a moose

Originally Posted by Steve123

45/70 would be better just incase your ever in Fiordland and bump into a moose

I live in papakura I've seen a few to many "mooses"...... ��haha ��

Originally Posted by Blisters

I live in papakura I've seen a few to many "mooses"...... ��haha ��

Sadly good ole 'Kura Mooseknuckle is something that can't be unseen. I wish to god it could be

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

454 Casull. Run it on 45 colt when you don't need horsepower.

very effective on deer sized deer .....just ask @thatguy

I have shot pigs with 30 30 and 308 in lever guns
Not saying nothing else will work, just that they are the only lever guns I have.
Untill a certain member ......

I have 44 mag, 30-30 and 308 levers and for your described top of gully situation I would reach for the 308. More legs, more punch and easy to down load to 30-30 levels if you want. Mount a 2-7x 32 optic (+ or -) and your good to go.