Favorite lever gun for hunting with iron sights?

[Kevinq6]

The next gun I plan to buy is a nice western-looking lever action with iron sights for hunting woods. Lots of good choices, my great grandpa used to hunt with a 30-30 lever action and the gun is still in our family.

I hunt deer and wild hogs in Texas, and am thinking of a nice 30-30.

Do you have a favorite lever gun for hunting? What model/caliber?

 

[hawg]

Winchester 94 in 30-30.

 

[FL-NC]

I have 1- an old Win 94 30-30 given to me by a widow after I helped her sell off her late husband's gun collection a year ago. It was rusty and in pretty rough shape. I cleaned it up and added a Williams peep sight, which I was able to dial in for a good zero. In memory of her late husband, I took a nice doe with it last winter.

 

[Frulk]

Having hunted both deer and hogs in Texas I’ll make this observation. Most native deer I saw were relatively small and their hogs can get HUGE.

The 30-30 will get it done but for some of those bigger hogs I’d like something that is capable of ‘anchoring’ them consistently with a little horsepower to spare. I base that opinion on this. I’ve shot one black bear (+/- 400 pounds) with the 30-30 in Canada and the first shot was well placed and still had to empty the mag to keep him down.

Maybe the .444 or .358 Win. Both come in levers.

Savage 99 in .358 Win is my favorite although I have others that give it a close run depending on what day it is.

 

[jmr40]

I would be looking at an older pre-safety Marlin or a pre-64 Winchester 94. If I decided on Marlin, it would be the straight stocked Texan model or nothing. Those guns are out there, you just have to look for them.

 

[mcb]

Winchester 9410 in 2.5 inch 410 bore shotgun. Hunted everything from dove to deer with that gun.

 

[Sav .250]

Savage 99F 250/3000. Not everybody has one.

 

[The Bushmaster]

First: M94 Winchester .30-30. Second: Browning BLR .308.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I have a Mod 94 30-30 and love it. But, a lever gun in .35 Rem would be very nice to have.

 

[courtgreene]

I have a Marlin, so internet logic says I should vote that way, but I'm not. I would rather have a Winchester 94 than my Pre-Remington Marlin. I would rather have a Ruglin than either if they get around to making 336s as well as they have the 1895s (in my home state, NC pride yo). As it stands, though, I like my Henry in .41 mag.

 

[archeryrob]

Marlin 336A in 30-30 as it used to be my Uncles gun and I inherited it. I used to shoot Core-lokts through it and did my own hand loads for it with 3031 and 185 grain, weight weight, powder coated, gas checked bullets at 2000 fps and WOW, what a difference. Made that Remington Ammo look like junk.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Winchester Model 71 in .348.

 

[Bayou52]

That would be a 1947 vintage Win Model 94 in 32 Win SPL. This rifle is also known as the "flatband" as it was one of the first commercially produced rifles off of the Winchester production line after WW II. The name refers to the forward barrel band having a flat surface rather than the customary and usual convex shape.

This rifle has brought down many deer in the Pennsylvania area. Not by me, however, but by my neighbor who sold me the rifle before he had to be admitted into a nursing home. Sadly, he recently passed.

Pic:



Bayou52

 

[Armored farmer]

I bought a 336 marlin years ago at a farm auction. It has those plain and simple iron sights. It’s like shooting a .22.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Bayou52,
I have a Model 94 "flatband" in 32 Special just like the one in your picture.
Took mine hunting a few times but never had a shot tho...

 

[Bayou52]

^^^ Wishing you better luck on future hunts, Shanghai McCoy!

Bayou52

 

[Steve in PA]

I always wanted a Marlin in .35 Remington, however I never got around to getting one. But, last year I did pick up a Henry Big Boy Sidegate in .44

I'm a handgun hunter, have not used a rifle in probably 20+ years, but I always wanted to take a deer with a lever action.

 

[Speedo66]

I had three lever actions, but my favorite for hunting was my Belgian made Browning BLR in .308.

Great lightweight and short woods gun, with plenty of punch, did a nice job on deer.

Sold it after moving to a straight wall state.

 

[trekker73]

I only use levers for hunting these days. Most my recent hunting with a Rossi 92 in 357 mag and hogs. I had to put a red dot on it as my eyes arent much good anymore. With a decent sight and load the 357 will drop hogs to 120 yards. It doesnt need hardcasts either, full power 158-180 grain jacketed bullets worked fine for me. I upgraded recently to a 44 mag rossi 92 which I am still load testing. It wasnt due to any failings of 357 on the above game but I am intending to take some bigger game and also like to run subsonics in some situations and the diametre of .429 wins out for that.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’d opt for a pre-safety Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.

Those 220 gr Hot Cors shouldn’t have a problem with anchoring.

 

[Gerd33]

I bring either a .35Rem or .444 but they both have scopes.

My father brings this 336 SC 30-30. It's the one he bought for my first deer rifle, but he's "borrowed" it back the last few deer seasons.

 

[Random 8]

Swiss K-31. Not a lever gun at all, but running 6 rounds roughly equivalent to a .308 Win with a straight pull as fast or faster than one can run a Win 94 or Marlin 336 in stouter caliber with superior accuracy is an eye opening experience. They also feature IMHO the best tangent (open) style sights ever fixed to a rifle. The S/M M95 is a similar experience, but the goofy enbloc clips, poor ergonomics and obsolete caliber take some of the fun out of it.

If you cut your teeth on a Rem 870 shotgun, a Rem 760 slide action feels like a third arm also!

If my eyes and the terrain I hunt supported iron sighted rifles, the K-31 would go in the woods with me!

I get the nostalgia aspect though. I don't think you could go wrong with a Winchester or Marlin .30-30 for your stated purpose. There are some good iron sight enhancements out there as well.

 

[Alaskamike]

I've been pretty happy with my Rossi 92 in .454 Casull. I haven't taken it out hunting yet though.

I did hunt for blacktail deer and black bear here in Alaska with my .44 mag Rossi 82, and it did well.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

The .30WCF will work fine, (I have a 1949) just stick with 170 grain bullets. I load mine with 180 grain round-nosed soft points. Made for the more powerful calibers, they have very minimal and controlled expansion. If you reload, it's fun to play with cast bullets in the 190-200 grain range.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Possibly the least western themed lever you can get, the Ruger 96/44 chambered in 44 Mag. Its under 6 pounds loaded with a 4 round rotary mag, its super short, and carries plenty of oomph in the woods. And that short throw lever is Fast!

Pictured with a 10 round box mag