Nothing wrong with a lever action rifle, especially in 45-70. Love my guide gun.
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Nothing wrong with a lever action rifle, especially in 45-70. Love my guide gun.
My first centrefire was a Winchester M94 Trapper in 30-30, bought new in 1986 for pig hunting in the bush on horseback. I still have it, and it is the rifle most often taken out of the safe to go hunting (I do mostly bushstalking).
The rifle is pretty much a loved member of our family, my father said he wants it if I ever decide to sell it, and he doesn't even hunt anymore!
I don't like lever actions. You did ask for thoughts! The cowboy look doesn't do it for me. If you want a bush rifle, then the shortest option is a single shot.
I'm a lefty, and one of my all time favourites was an early BLR (straight pistol grip) in .308. You could safely carry it cocked with the hammer down. It looked great with a Leupold 2-7x (sorry Rushy, you are SO wrong on the scope thing!). They have a short lever throw, so second shots can be quick.
I agree with the safety aspect. Mine all have the hammer block safety and half cock... can't get much safer than that (with a round in the chamber. Another reason I like mine.
I had a mate ask me once what I was doing with the cowboy gun. At the the time it was a straight stock BLR
in 308 but the truth is a love carrying and shooting levers actions more so that my bolt actions. the sound of lever action is music to my ears and the fast follow up shoots feel natural off hand to me.
Mine have all been accurate enough. My favs are a slender Win 94 with peeps sights, great little shooter and bloody cool to carry. My Marlin Texan, accurate with the best trigger of any of my levers and the pig plex scope is perfect. My latest a Win 94 22 is a dream to shoot and been busting bunny's and hares with open sights. Heaps of fun. My 7 year old runs a Daisy Red Ryder. It's a family thang ya'll.
I to like them and am guilty of past ownership of a Winchester 94 30 30
2 Marlin 30 30's
A Marlin 39A this had a 24" barrel and was extremely accurate with the Winchester power points, easily on a par with my Bolt CZ.
A Browning BLR in 308
Every single one of them I'd have back except for the wildly inaccurate Winchester.
I currently only have a Jm marlin 30 30as in almost perfect condition which took a bit of finding and am still waiting for an esteemed forum member to sell me his 444.
Each to his own my friend. I appreciate your honesty @MB . I would like a bergara single shot in 45/70 that I can use subs in and suppress but yet to find one for sale.
My SBL 45 is 18in barrel so reasonably compact. 357 is 16in so neither are as long as more traditional levers.
I've gathered up a few levers now, fun to shoot, easy carry and I carry the 45 colt and .358 for bear protection camping and fishing.
win 94 in 30-30
Blr takedown in .358 win.
A new unfired 1895 win in .270,
a takedown chipper 45 colt,
and have a Winchester takedown 1894 44 mag, 16" trapper, on order,
The mail yesterday bought sum lever goodies, Attachment 147823
skinner sight for the BLR and a barrel mount for the 1895, and a CZ rimfire and low pro for the double rifle.
Order a takedown blr 308 through Cameron sports ,meant to be here in December but I see Browning have stopped making them so they must have left overs I'm hopeing be gutted if it fills through
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I am as you say a mean bugger, hunting is my time...take the little ones to the park and play on the swings. I had a guy turn up at my place with 3 kids to go for a hunt, middle of the day, their camo clothing alone would have bought me another gun, one kid was in a backpack, all the others carried enough lunch for a week on a half day wander around...well root-me-boot he shoots a deer and then the fun begins, what to do with the backpack kid, well the little tyke had to walk didn't he...I have never seen such a happy bunch of people after their mission, two of the kids shared carrying the stags head and helping their sibling through the tough stuff...now there is no way he can ever get a peaceful hunt on his own.
We would take the kids when they were old enough to walk for themselves, but they were more armed day walks than hunts. One time the lad,must have been around 8 or 9 yrs old at the time, was ranging ahead of us and came tearing back up the track... dad ,dad there's a pig on the track! So the wife and daughter who's a couple yrs younger stay put and the lad and I go forward and sure enough there's the pig. So I get a bead on him and a goat steps out and blocks my shot. I wait and wait, still they feed side by side. So I tell the lad go get your sister knowing she would love to see them. So he does and they come creeping back down the track. So daughter kneels next to me and I explain situation as goat still blocking pig. she's so excited to see the animals... but I can't see the pig dad. Them the goat steps from in front of pig which is now in full view. She leaps onto her feet and yells 'there it is!! I see it!!'
All I saw was four blurs as the pig, and the goat and two other which were just out of sight the whole time vacate the area....
I couldn't get upset with her...bless her heart.. but she learned a valuable lesson that day on what not to do when hunting as has been perfectly self controlled ever since.
I helped a mate out one time when he took his medically disadvantaged teenager hunting, the payback on that is a planned all expenses paid (by the well now kid) chopper trip next year, this is no pack and rifle trip, going the full hog apparently...I think my title is 'camp cook'
14 next month. She is the world's biggest animal lover and wants to be a vet. Yet she is the first one packed and standing ready at the door when hunting is mentioned...357 in hand. She loves the outdoors and follows my every step out bush and is always by my side like my shadow no matter how tough the going... if she isn't in front that is..
I have started a new thread hunting with the family. Please add some stories/pics there if you have any to share. There must be plenty of great stories to be told...
If I could add a rifle to my lock up just because I want one... it would be a Marlin 1895 Dark 45/70 - alas that's a lot of money that I don't "need" to spend... one day though....
SAVAGE 99. in 243 and 358, Both stop deer and goats up close and fast or out to about 230mtr is the longest shot so far.
Only advantage to the 358 is that the low power lead rounds make a hole large enough to stop an animal quickly.
Full power gets to be hard work and destructive on smaller bodied reds etc.
Z
Love my 3030 Marlin 336 TS with XS rail and Sig Romeo 4 reddot.
Only a 16inch barrel. Fits nicely in a lockable drawer in the truck.
Slim and short for the bush.
3030 doing what it was designed for.
170gr sierra flat points loaded with ADI 2206H.
Let’s try this picture thing again....nope still won’t let me:oh noes:
I'm waiting (im)patiently for this to show up:
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....n-img_0288.jpg