Lever Action Hunters
- Thread starter Jinx0760
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Yep, you're much better off with too little than too much.
Varminterror
Member
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If all you can see is fur, if both eyes are open, you'll kill just as well as if you were using iron sights.
Loyalist Dave
Member
About 20 years ago I bought my dad a TCR in .30-06, with a ported barrel. I had not known that for a short time before the Encore, Thompson Center made single shot rifles.
I thought the Contender was followed by the Encore with nothing else offered. My dad had a bad shoulder at the time so the porting was important for recoil, and he's left handed and so is the younger brother, but I'm not (and he's getting all the left-handed guns) so I got Dad the TCR as the stock works for him or for me. Dad got his shoulder fixed and then picked up a Savage 99 lever action in .308 Winchester. He wanted a take-down model, and found a used and "well loved" one in .303 Savage, but then found the .308 pretty much new and in it's original box. I've found that a lot of the "vintage" lever guns, especially shooting vintage calibers, really do well when one takes the time to get a handload worked up for that specific cartridge from that specific rifle. Even if one doesn't do handloading it's not a bad idea to find a good person who can work with you to come up with a good load, and then do a box or two of hunting ammo for you.
LD
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
We took a road trip through New England back in September, all the way to Maine. We were in the big L.L. Bean headquarters in Freeport and much to my surprise, they had a truckload of guns for sale, new and used. Perusing the aisles, I found several real nice ones and all the prices seemed reasonable. I happened upon a Winchester 94 Big Bore .375 that, while certainly not the oldest rifle that caught my eye, it had some of the heaviest wear. The wood was thoroughly banged up. The receiver was perfectly worn down right in that sweet spot for carrying in the hand. Same for the muzzle, probably from riding in the front sight of a truck. As I looked at the rifle, which is probably 30-40yrs old, and all the wear it had accumulated over those years, I wondered just how many Maine moose and black bear had succumbed to it. I wondered why it was in that used gun rack. Had the previous owner passed on or simply got too old to hunt any more? Had he just decided to get something newer and easier to feed? How many previous owners were there? All questions I'll never have the answer to but I can ponder them as I hunt with the rifle. As I felt compelled to bring it home. It may even return to Maine once again for moose or black bear.
I was about 13/14yo and my mom took me to WV to hunt the family land with my great uncles and cousins. I just graduated my hunter safety class and up until then only shot a 22lr and an old hand me down pump 12ga smooth bore maybe 2 times. I get there, get changed and head to the woods to find my cousin and stood with her and another for awhile but was pretty much told get lost. I go back to the house and they hand me a scoped 30-30win and I fell in love. I ran around those woods shooting at every deer I seen and never hit a one! I guess that's what happens when you send someone out on their own who had never done it before. I walked for miles and miles kicking up deer and slinging lead. Looking back it was pretty dumb but I always had a special place for the lever guns and tomorrow will be the first time I carry one in ohio. Marlin 1895 22'' barrel, leupold vx2 2-7-33 scope shooting 300gr jhp around 1800fps. I get to use this bad boy for the next 7 days. I hope to make it sing one of these days this week.
Yeah. It was dumb. But it was also a time that quite possibly changed the direction of your life. I’ve done more dumb things in my life than I have time to write about. I mean really dumb. I just typed two of the things I’ve done out and then deleted them because they were so dumb I’d probably lose any credibility I have on this forum. There were a few times ole Darwin was knocking at my door. But for some reason, it didn’t open.
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I shot my first big game critter at about 14 years old, it took me18 rounds before I finally put a bullet into an antelope.
But looking back on it. I was being rushed by the "adults" that were with me. I was not given a rest or was set up for the shot in any way. People were yelling at me to SHOOT hurry up and SHOOT. We didn't have range finders in those days and my rifle was just marginally sighted in and we were shooting at ranges that were way, way to far. We set up a bucket at 100 yards and hit it a couple of times and called it good for a sight in. And of course that's no even close to being zeroed at a known range.
That was a serious confidence killer. And that is the reason that with my children I do everything I can to set them up for success. Their rifles are sighted in. They practice and know how to shoot. They are given an exact range and they have a solid rest to shoot from. They are never rushed and if they aren't comfortable and solid they are encouraged to not take the shot.
They've both become excellent hunters and superb marksmen. I was a spastic wreck in the field until I was a young man and had hunted with some competent hunters who helped me get it figured out.
But looking back on it. I was being rushed by the "adults" that were with me. I was not given a rest or was set up for the shot in any way. People were yelling at me to SHOOT hurry up and SHOOT. We didn't have range finders in those days and my rifle was just marginally sighted in and we were shooting at ranges that were way, way to far. We set up a bucket at 100 yards and hit it a couple of times and called it good for a sight in. And of course that's no even close to being zeroed at a known range.
That was a serious confidence killer. And that is the reason that with my children I do everything I can to set them up for success. Their rifles are sighted in. They practice and know how to shoot. They are given an exact range and they have a solid rest to shoot from. They are never rushed and if they aren't comfortable and solid they are encouraged to not take the shot.
They've both become excellent hunters and superb marksmen. I was a spastic wreck in the field until I was a young man and had hunted with some competent hunters who helped me get it figured out.
If you decide to go the open sight route, I have xs sights on my guidegun, and love it.
I think varminterror makes a really good point about the 45-70 not being just a close range rifle. I'll admit, I tend to use it as one mainly cause I don't have the ability to dial for elevation on it and I don't feel right about using hold over on a game animal yet (I'm expecting that to change once I get my hands on a laser range finder and start hand loading so I can shoot it a lot more)
Your not alone in that! Those are the kind of stories best saved for when you're with a small group of friends, and they've already confessed to doing something just as stupid.
I think varminterror makes a really good point about the 45-70 not being just a close range rifle. I'll admit, I tend to use it as one mainly cause I don't have the ability to dial for elevation on it and I don't feel right about using hold over on a game animal yet (I'm expecting that to change once I get my hands on a laser range finder and start hand loading so I can shoot it a lot more)
Your not alone in that! Those are the kind of stories best saved for when you're with a small group of friends, and they've already confessed to doing something just as stupid.
MCgunner
Member
Were I to get a lever gun purely for hunting, it would be a BLR. I have a friend who's had one for quite a while. His is in .308 and it's very accurate, like a bolt gun with a lever.
But, I started deer hunting with a bolt gun has usually been with me ever since. Yeah, I killed one with my .357 lever gun once, shot a few with pistols over the years, but the vast majority were shot with one or the other bolt gun. Even shot one with a .30-30....from a Savage M340 bolt gun. 5 others have been shot with a .30-30....from a TC 12" pistol. .30-30 makes an excellent pistol round for deer and hogs. I've taken a couple with semi auto (7.62x39) and took my first with an AR, actually an M4, a couple of weeks ago. Only ever shot that one with a lever gun using my Rossi 92 in .357, was an 80 yard shot with iron sights. It did the job, but I kinda like optics on my rifles, not because the ranges are long out here, but it gets dark real quick in those woods and a 40mm objective can keep me hunting when the deer move at dusk or dawn.
But, I started deer hunting with a bolt gun has usually been with me ever since. Yeah, I killed one with my .357 lever gun once, shot a few with pistols over the years, but the vast majority were shot with one or the other bolt gun. Even shot one with a .30-30....from a Savage M340 bolt gun. 5 others have been shot with a .30-30....from a TC 12" pistol.
.30-30 makes an excellent pistol round for deer and hogs. I've taken a couple with semi auto (7.62x39) and took my first with an AR, actually an M4, a couple of weeks ago. Only ever shot that one with a lever gun using my Rossi 92 in .357, was an 80 yard shot with iron sights. It did the job, but I kinda like optics on my rifles, not because the ranges are long out here, but it gets dark real quick in those woods and a 40mm objective can keep me hunting when the deer move at dusk or dawn.
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