Okay, I have a craving for a lever action. It's been on the list for years, but I think it's made it to the top. I have a couple of directions I'm looking to go.
Option one: a 30-30. I like the fact that this works as a hunting rifle and truck rifle. I live in Florida, potential targets are either deer or pigs at maximum. Ranges are not much more than 150. At present, I only small game hunt, so this is just planning ahead for future possibilities. Ammo is cheap enough, packs a satisfactory punch, looks like reloading is readily available. I already have a collectors edition Winchester 94 that'll never be fired unless the world goes seriously sideways. Downside to the 30-30 is that I don't currently stock that caliber, so I'm adding to my required inventory. I'm waffling between the 16 inch barrels and the 20 inch barrels.
Option two: a 357. I've been eyeballing the Rossi 92 for a few years. I like the fact that I already stock a fair amount of 38, so I'm not adding a new caliber like I would be with the 30-30. I also have a bunch of brass I've been saving over the years. Reloading is also readily available. In 357, the longer barrel adds a nice punch to the round compared to a pistol, but I don't consider this rifle adequate for anything other than super short range hunting or longer ranges with smaller game, which I have better tools available for. So basically, this is more of a fun gun.
In either case, I'm looking to stay under $500. In the 38/357 version, I want something with a traditional loading gate. I dislike the Henry style tube loading.
Discuss!