Lever Actions

[T-Test]

https://gunandsurvival.com/2020/09/25/enduring-legend-evolution-of-the-lever-action-rifle/

ever wonder about the 30/30 ballistics, that for decades was considered one of the better,
or at least more popular, standard deer hunting cartridges"
(personally I think the MARLIN 336 in 30/30 was about the best lever action you could own)
in a short easy handling carbine that will rarely be used at ranges over 120 yards
(typical of the areas I hunted hogs and deer in for decades)
I preferred a marlin 44mag throwing a LEE 310 grain hard cast bullet over 21 grains of H110 powder

Lever-Action

www.marlinfirearms.com

Id point out that where I've hunted for decades a 100-120 yard shot opportunity was very very RARE
running, or walking game shots made at 30-60 yards were far more common,
If I thought I needed more reach my BLR in 358 win, or my BLR in 450 marling got grabbed as I went out the door
and I certainly used my marlin 45/70 with hard cast cast check 400 grain bullets rather successfully for decades,
before upgrading to the BLR /450 marlin which has similar ballistics to the 45/70,
but adds about 50 extra yards with any bullet weight used.

 

[Grumpy]

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

www.accuratemolds.com

personal experience, gained hunting elk in COLORADO, leads me to strongly prefer the 45/70 ,
or 450 marlin BLR sighted in to hit 3.5" high at 100 yards, you'll be close to dead on at 135 yards,
in the thick timber and aspen you'll rarely get shots at a longer distance than 150 yards,
and a center chest hold directly behind the front leg works very effectively
loaded with a 405 grain hard cast gas check bullet sized .459 loaded over 45 grains of IMR 3031 in a 45/70
or 50 grains of IMR 3031 in a 450 marlin BLR

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

www.accuratemolds.com

alloy 95% WW and 5% pure tin
i used a MARLIN 45/70 for several decades,
but upgraded to a browning BLR in caliber 450 marlin that allows use of 50 grains of imr3031
and pointed cast bullets easily extending the range at least 50 yards in a stronger BROWNING BLR rifle action
yeah everyone tells you you need a long range magnum,
in 50 years of hunting I've . only very rarely had a shot at elk over 200 yards

LONG RANGE CALIBERS FOR ELK ARE NOT MANDATORY

now obviously this is a bit tongue in cheek, because different areas require different equipment, and if you watch most videos or out door shows, or read most hunting magazines, you might get the idea most elk and mule deer are shot at long distance in open grass lands. While this is true in...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

45/70 and other .458 caliber rifle Reloading

Grumpy I have another question on reloading for my 45/70 its a new Henry that I have run .458 bullets through both cast and plated some Hornaday 350g interlock #4503 and some Hornaday FTX 325g #45015 both .458 diameter and I've run some 450g cast bullets through it all shot good but the 325 FTX...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

45/70 options, old tech . old school , but very dependable performance in the hands of a good marks man, who understands its limitations

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-405B https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-375G http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/long-range-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/ I have to point out that almost anything a 45/70 in a...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

A Plus For The Use Of 45 Caliber Rifles For Hunting,

I was recently asked why I've stated use of a 45/70, 450 marlin and heavy bolt actions, like a 458 win or 458 LOTT rifles have any realistic use in north America, ? the basis of this question was that all the 458 caliber rifles have rather limited effective range, due to less than ideal flat...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

 

[Grumpy]

the most popular by far calibers among the group of guys I hunt with,
are the BROWNING BLR rifles in calibers 450 marlin, 358 win and 30/06 caliber
the 358 rifles love the speer 250 grain bullets over 44 grains of imr 4064
the marlin 450 rifles like the speer and remington 400-405 grain bullets over 50 grains of IMR 3031
and the 30/06 rifles like the 165 grain speer or hornady bullets over 56 grains of ww760
all use federal 215 primers

 

[Grumpy]

https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/prodimages/32635-DEFAULT-l.jpg

 

[Grumpy]

those earlier BLR rifles ,similar too the photo above, with the mag extending below the receiver
https://www.browning.com/support/dat...ion-rifle.html
https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals.html
are in my experience very accurate with the correct handloads, one hunting partner owns one in cal 308 and my late hunting buddy owned one in cal 358 both would routinely group 5 shots off the bench at 100 yards in under 1.3" rather consistently with selected hand loads,
the best load we found for the 358 was a Speer 250 grain over 44 grains of IMR 4064 the 308 preferred a Speer 165 grain, and 45 grains of BLC-2 both preferred fed 215 primers.
btw many of my hunting buddies, were originally rather concerned with a BLR carbine , in 358 or even 308 ,having rather limited range, (back in the 1970s-1990s) this proved to be a non-issue as most of the areas we hunted are sparsely to heavily wooded and steep or rolling terrain and in 4 decades the opportunity to make any shot over 250 yards just rarely if ever presented itself
the newer versions with the less exposed mag are just as or more accurate , as I own two, one in 358 win, which likes the same handloads and one in 450 marlin that likes a 405 grain rem bullet over 50 grains of imr 3031 and a 215 fed primer, I site all my big game rifles in at 3.5 " high at 100 yards,
this places the 358 with the 250 grain load dead on at 200 and about 10" low at 300 yards
this places the 450 marlin with the 405 grain load dead on at 186 yards, and about 10" low at 270 yards

 

[Grumpy]

https://reloadingdata.speer.com/downloads/speer/reloading-pdfs/rifle/450_Marlin_400.pdf

https://reloadingdata.speer.com/downloads/speer/reloading-pdfs/rifle/358_Winchester_250.pdf

I site all my big game rifles in at 3.5 " high at 100 yards,
this places the 358 with the 250 grain load dead on at 200 and about 10" low at 300 yards
this places the 450 marlin with the 405 grain load dead on at 186 yards and about 10" low at 270 yards

both options are good heavy cover deer/elk hunting rifles
trust me when I state that out at 200 yards and less where I've used these rifles on both elk and deer a 358 or a 450 marlin is,
100% lethal with a single well placed shot in repeated personal hands- on field testing

LONG RANGE CALIBERS FOR ELK ARE NOT MANDATORY

now obviously this is a bit tongue in cheek, because different areas require different equipment, and if you watch most videos or out door shows, or read most hunting magazines, you might get the idea most elk and mule deer are shot at long distance in open grass lands. While this is true in...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

 

[Grumpy]

keep in mind the BLR is basically a front locking bolt action, magazine fed repeater ,with a lever actuating the bolt ,
for a marginally faster repeat shot than most people can duplicate with a bolt action,
and the box magazine that allows pointed projectile designs
most other lever actions are rated for significantly lower cartridge pressure levels.
you can do FAR worse than hunt with a BLR,
you could do far worse than a BLR in chambered in 325 mag as a near universal hunting carbine

.325 Winchester Short Magnum

.325 WSM

www.ballisticstudies.com

Cartridges available in the Browning BLR:[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_BLR
.22-250 Remington
.222 Remington
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts (Discontinued)
.25-06 Remington ( Limited Run of 150 for Kones Corner)
.243 Winchester
.270 Winchester
.270 Winchester Short Magnum
.284 Winchester (Discontinued)
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.308 Winchester
.325 Winchester Short Magnum
.358 Winchester
.450 Marlin
6.5mm Creedmoor
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Winchester Short Magnum
7mm-08 Remington
See also

 

[Grumpy]

its hard to think of any hunting rifle style more uniquely AMERICAN than a larger bore lever action

I've owned and used , and hunted with several marlin and BROWNING lever actions over many decades,
the marlin pistol caliber carbines are very useful. but in my opinion the BROWNING rifle cartridge lever actions,
are some of the most consistently accurate and durable made rifles,
I've owned, certainly the 257 Robert's , 30/06 Springfield's and 358 win chambered browning's (BLR's) make excellent deer rifles
and cartridges like the 450 marlin , 30/06, 300 mag, and 325 mag, are good for thick timber elk, and even , in some chambering's ,
for extended ranges, that in some cases traditional lever actions were never considered to be used for.
yes your choice in optics and mounts and ammo choices mater.

CALIBERs BLR's were or are now available in

• 22-250 Rem (4)
• 222 Rem (1)
• 223 Rem (4)
• 243 Win (4)
• 257 roberts
• 270 Win (4)
• 270 WSM (4)
• 30-06 Spfld (4)
• 300 Win Mag (4)
• 300 WSM (4)
• 308 Win (4)
• 325 WSM (2)
• 358 Win (4)
• 450 Mar (4)
• 6.5 Creedmoor (4)
• 7mm Rem Mag (4)
• 7mm WSM (4)
• 7mm-08 Rem (4)

 

[Grumpy]

I found this video rather interesting

C308 and CETME 20rd Surplus 308 Magazine, VG, Used.

Surplus military issue 308 cal. magazines for the Century C308 rifle, and CETME rifles. 20rd steel mags, Spanish manufacture, in very good condition, will show some wear.

www.jgsales.com

obviously if you can measure and fabricate , you can build your own
308, 243, or 358 versions as they are based on the basic 308 win case and cartridge
similar custom magazines, could be built, so its a welcome option
I can easily see a tig welded, extended magazine version
if you can measure and fabricate ,and tig weld
or if your not up to cut and weld they sell for $130 each

Lucky 13 Browning BLR 9 shot magazine

www.thebarn.net.au

I can't see the need or usefulness of that size mag in a hunting rifle,
as the original 4-5 shot capacity seems more than adequate
If I need a great personal defensive rifle I'd vastly prefer grabbing the M1A1 OR FAL over a BLR

m1a1 related

with all the talk about riots and civil unrest and building being burnt to the ground, along with the people inside them, as a result of the news shows promoting violence and ,law enforcement ignoring left wing riots I and others see these tv programs, about that recent incident in Missouri...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

 

[rlphvac]

In my state Pennsylvania you are limited to a 5 shot magazine. I have only used a second shot 1time in all my years of hunting

 

[Grumpy]