Lever rifles vs bolt action

[BuckHunter31]

I've always loved my lever guns. Just something about them. They feel great and offer quick follow up shots when hunting.

That said, I primarily use bolt guns. They are light and accurate.

I never think of long distance shooting when it comes to lever guns. I always think brush gun. But I'm wanting to know what manufactures offer high powered calibers in a lever action? Are they accurate enough to deer hunt out to 300-350 yards?

As a hunter I have 3 staple rifles:
- Winchester 94 30-30
- Ruger M77 270
- Ruger M77 7mm mag

Brush gun, every day hunter and bean field gun.

I prefer the Win 94 feel over any of my rifles. Thinking of converting to lever guns only outside my single shots which I have a love for. I like bolt rifles but I love the way lever guns feel and cycle.

 

[wareagle700]

Browing BLR's come in calibers better suited for longer range shots and have a reputation for being pretty accurate. That's where I'd look first.

 

[021]

I'm sure I have 10 or 11 Savage 99's in my collection in .308, .284, .243, or 22-250 that would easily reach out there if that's what I wanted to do. But I don't generally scope them because it messes up the raison d' etre of the rifle--quick handling. I don't shoot at anything much farther than 50-60 yards away either, but that's just my personal preference. All my single shot Ruger number ones are scoped however, and they can be thought of in some ways as a "lever gun".

 

[lagrangedave]

I'm sure I have 10 or 11 Savage 99's in my collection in .308, .284, .243, or 22-250 that would easily reach out there if that's what I wanted to do. But I don't generally scope them because it messes up the raison d' etre of the rifle--quick handling. I don't shoot at anything much farther than 50-60 yards away either, but that's just my personal preference. All my single shot Ruger number ones are scoped however, and they can be thought of in some ways as a "lever gun".

No 250-3000?

 

[model88_308]

The Browning BLR will give typical bolt accuracy from a lever gun. I've owned at least 6, still have 3 and the one in .325 WSM is my long range thumper along with my 338 mag.

 

[021]

No 250-3000?

Forgot to mention that one. It reaches out pretty good too.

 

[sea trout]

I've always loved my lever guns. Just something about them. They feel great and offer quick follow up shots when hunting.

That said, I primarily use bolt guns. They are light and accurate.

I never think of long distance shooting when it comes to lever guns. I always think brush gun. But I'm wanting to know what manufactures offer high powered calibers in a lever action? Are they accurate enough to deer hunt out to 300-350 yards?

As a hunter I have 3 staple rifles:
- Winchester 94 30-30
- Ruger M77 270
- Ruger M77 7mm mag

Brush gun, every day hunter and bean field gun.

I prefer the Win 94 feel over any of my rifles. Thinking of converting to lever guns only outside my single shots which I have a love for. I like bolt rifles but I love the way lever guns feel and cycle.

I'm the same but but my lever guns are Marlins.
I have a 30-06 I use at my neighbors clearcut, and one elk hunt and that's all. Everything else is 30-30 all the way!!
Marlin has 2 lever guns you may like for long range. They are the 308 and the 338. These are Marlin and Hornady designed. They are not, and are not compatible with 308 win. and other 338 magnums. Check them out on youtube they are cool! I want them myself for my collection one day.

 

[old florida gator]

my marlin 336 in 3030 160 grn has been my ace in the hole as long as the scope is right.

 

[7Mag Hunter]

Browing BLR's come in calibers better suited for longer range shots and have a reputation for being pretty accurate. That's where I'd look first.

X-2....I hunted with a BLR in 7mm-08 for
2 seasons and liked it alot!!!

Light weight, but recoil was not bad...Very
accurate with my handloads.....

 

[GunnSmokeer]

Most lever rifles throughout history have used tubular magazines that put the tip of one bullet in contact with the primer of the cartridge ahead of it.
So lever guns have normally been used with flat tipped soft points that are not good for 300+ yards.
A box magazine fed rifle doesn't have this issue, but they are rare.
Maybe now with modern polymer-tip boat-tail ammo making tubular mags safer for pointed bullets, we will see more manufacturers making lever guns in rifle calibers that are in the .243 / .308 class.

 

[hayseed_theology]

As others have said, BLR is probably your best bet.

Other than that, a Marlin MXLR in .308 ME or .338 ME might be the only other option.

 

[Darien1]

I think, from experience, that the Marlin 308 Marlin Express or the 338 Marlin Express are the solutions and the BLR's are the other options. My 308 MX is my go to rifle for long distance shots. It does the job just as good as or better than any bolt action.

 

[cmshoot]

Browning BLR is available in a wide array of calibers from short action rounds all the way up to .300 WinMag.

Browning BLR available calibers:
.22-250 Remington
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts
.243 Winchester
.270 Winchester
.270 Winchester Short Magnum
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.308 Winchester
.325 Winchester Short Magnum
.358 Winchester
.450 Marlin
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Winchester Short Magnum
7mm-08 Remington

The out of production Winchester 88 can be found in .243, .284, .308, and .358 Winchester.

The also out of production Savage 99 was available in .303 Savage, .30-40 Krag, .300 Savage, .30-30, .250 Savage, .22 Hi-Power, .22-250, .243, .308, .358 Win, 7mm-08, .284 Win, .38-55, .32 WinSpl, and .375 Win.

Again with an out of production piece, the cool Sako Finnwolf was available in .243 and .308.

The Browning BLR is very accurate. I had a Win 88 in .308 and it was as well. With any of these, they are accurate enough at 350yds to take deer, as long as the caliber is capable of it.

 

[Lilly001]

My #1 deer gun is a BLR in .358 win.
It is accurate, cycles like glass, and puts me back on target asap.
Limbsaver makes a direct fit recoil pad for it that really tames it.
With a Leupold 3x9 VXR it is about the closest to perfect deer gun I've ever owned.
And if you don't feel the need for a .358 win it is available in a plethora of other chambers.

 

[jmoser]

I have a BLR takedown in .300 mag; shoots 200 gr Accubonds quite well. The BLR factory trigger is not very good and your options are limited but there is a smith in PA who can make them fairly decent.
BLR is a keeper; for 100 yard use I have a 1895 guide gun in 45-70.

 

[Buzz]

I've owned a couple of BLR rifles and shot a few more and recently sold a Savage 99a. Most were around an inch in a quarter to an inch and a half at 100y. Good enough for typical distances, but not what I'd personally want want when pushing the shots to 350y.

For me the long action BLR with a pistol grip is a pretty cumbersome rifle add a 3x9 or larger scope and it's even more so. I shot one in .300 Win Mag that I just didn't much care for, the recoil seemed awfully harsh from the bench compared to other 300 magnums I've shot and it just looks odd with the 4x12 scope the guy put on it. You personally mentioned you like the feel of a lever gun. I too like the feel of a M94 or an unscoped 336, but a long action scoped BLR really loses that feel IMO. I like the straight stocked shorter action steel receiver models with a compact scope much better.

I suppose you could use it if you wanted to, but I can't think of a good reason to use a rifle with a two piece stock, barrel band, and an exposed hammer in place a factory bolt action rifle with little tuning when you are starting to talk regularly making shots to distances of 350 yards when there is a lot easier path to do so.

 

[021]

I've owned a couple of BLR rifles and shot a few more and recently sold a Savage 99a. Most were around an inch in a quarter to an inch and a half at 100y. Good enough for typical distances, but not what I'd personally want want when pushing the shots to 350y.

For me the long action BLR with a pistol grip is a pretty cumbersome rifle add a 3x9 or larger scope and it's even more so. I shot one in .300 Win Mag that I just didn't much care for, the recoil seemed awfully harsh from the bench compared to other 300 magnums I've shot and it just looks odd with the 4x12 scope the guy put on it. You personally mentioned you like the feel of a lever gun. I too like the feel of a M94 or an unscoped 336, but a long action scoped BLR really loses that feel IMO. I like the straight stocked shorter action steel receiver models with a compact scope much better.

I suppose you could use it if you wanted to, but I can't think of a good reason to use a rifle with a two piece stock, barrel band, and an exposed hammer in place a factory bolt action rifle with little tuning when you are starting to talk regularly making shots to distances of 350 yards when there is a lot easier path to do so.

Pretty much what I was trying to get across, but didn't do as well as you.

 

[Alan in GA]

lever gun shouldn't shoot like this.....

I have a couple of rifles that will shoot well under an inch. Two that will do under a half inch - Shilen and Pac Nor custom barreled 17 Mach IV and a 250 Ackley Improved. Nothing unusual for a bolt action with high quality after market barrels fitted.
What clouds the issue is a 1950's [forgot exact year] Marlin 336RC in 30/30 Winchester. Has a full length magazine tube, TWO barrel clamps [one at forearm and a second at front sight area. Two piece stock of course, all 'factory'.
It shot 5 FACTORY rounds into an inch. How does that happen???
I used to lay out out in open view when shooting at the range and hope someone would offer up wisdom that 'lever guns ain't as accurate as.....' conversation.
I don't know why it shot so well... I shot it as it came from the factory other than scoping it.

 

[Buzz]

Never said they couldn't be accurate BUT the number of ones that shoot 1.25" to 1.5" are a lot higher than the ones that will consistently aggregate groups into less than < 1".

Every once and a while the factory screws up and sends a gun out the door that's a serious shooter. I had a Savage 110 FLP tactical in .223 that would put five shots into the .3s with boring regularity as it existed from the factory. Of course I've shot a pile others that wouldn't.

 

[sea trout]

I have a couple of rifles that will shoot well under an inch. Two that will do under a half inch - Shilen and Pac Nor custom barreled 17 Mach IV and a 250 Ackley Improved. Nothing unusual for a bolt action with high quality after market barrels fitted.
What clouds the issue is a 1950's [forgot exact year] Marlin 336RC in 30/30 Winchester. Has a full length magazine tube, TWO barrel clamps [one at forearm and a second at front sight area. Two piece stock of course, all 'factory'.
It shot 5 FACTORY rounds into an inch. How does that happen???
I used to lay out out in open view when shooting at the range and hope someone would offer up wisdom that 'lever guns ain't as accurate as.....' conversation.
I don't know why it shot so well... I shot it as it came from the factory other than scoping it.

I've got marlin 30-30 from the 80's that shoots under 1 inch groups at 96 yards (thats the range behind my house) an a marlin 35 that may be as old as yours that shoots under 1 inch at 96.