Lever action rifles

[StG58]

.357 is cheaper and easier to come by. As far as penetration...well...that's open to discussion. Factory loads, maybe. Maybe not. One of hte original design criteria for the .45 Colt by the Army was that it had to shoot through a horse and into whatever was behind it. The original loading was a 250 grain soft lead conical bullet with a case full of black powder. Chronographed out at right around 900 fps. I'm pushing a 270 grain cast bullet that is relatively soft by current standards at about 1,200 fps out of my Redhawk as a standard load. Same bullet out of the R92 is expected to result in about 1,800 fps with a slightly different loading, and that is still safe for the Redhawk to digest if needed. Your lever gun, if the barrel isn't too long, will give you 200 - 300 fps more than your revolver with the same load, and a lot more with a tailored load. Revolvers like faster powder and lever guns like slower powder, but they will both safely digest the same stuff if need be.

 

[Chris]

Interesting. Do you have any idea why the 7.5" barrel Blackhawks only come in Colt 45 and not .357?

The shorter length barrels have a .357 option.

 

[StG58]

Right now .45 Colt is pretty easy to come by. It's running about $25 a box of 50. I reload mine for about 6 - 7 cents a round though. If you go the .45 Colt route, order it online in bulk. There's lots of it available online for reasonable prices because the Cowboy Action shooters go through boat loads of the the stuff. Bimart, Fred Meyers, Walmart and all of the usual sporting goods outlets have a pretty decent supply right now. The BiMart in Brookings had a ton of it on the shelf this last fall when I was down there. So did the Fred Meyers.

Hey, if you are talking about lever guns, it's only natural to talk about revolvers, right?

No idea about why the longer barrels are only available in .45 colt. (and .44 Rem Mag.)

Oh, carrying a long barreled revolver in a TJ is a pain in the backside. I resorted to carrying my Super Blackhawk in a shoulder holster so I wouldn't get constantly tangled up in the seat belt. The 4" barreled Redhawk carries very nicely in a cross draw holster. I have the same issue with the 1911, and carry it in a shoulder holster as well in the TJ.

 

[Kyle_W]

Remember, you have to enjoy the rifle that you spend hundreds of dollars on. If you'd enjoy a lever action, then get one! Mossberg owns Winchester now, so you will never find a brand new Winchester. However, as others have stated, a Marlin lever action is a nice rifle. My Dad owns a Marlin and an original, late pattern Winchester (both 30-30). The Marlin is a beautiful gun and both are bad ass.

If you imagine yourself having more fun on the range with a lever action over a bolt action/semi auto, then what more of a reason do you need to go out and buy one??

 

[Chris]

That's the thing... I see myself enjoying shooting a lever action rifle more than a bolt action. I was in the Army for 4 years and shot my M4 Carbine so much that I just grew bored of it.

I always thought it would be cool to have a lever action rifle (paired with a revolver) to have fun with. Something about cranking that lever just makes me thinking of cowboys and the wild west!

 

[Chris]

Right now .45 Colt is pretty easy to come by. It's running about $25 a box of 50. I reload mine for about 6 - 7 cents a round though. If you go the .45 Colt route, order it online in bulk. There's lots of it available online for reasonable prices because the Cowboy Action shooters go through boat loads of the the stuff. Bimart, Fred Meyers, Walmart and all of the usual sporting goods outlets have a pretty decent supply right now. The BiMart in Brookings had a ton of it on the shelf this last fall when I was down there. So did the Fred Meyers.

Hey, if you are talking about lever guns, it's only natural to talk about revolvers, right?

No idea about why the longer barrels are only available in .45 colt. (and .44 Rem Mag.)

They also have a 30 carbine option on the 7.5" Blackhaws, but other than that, the .45 is the only option. So, I may be getting a .45 Colt.

Perhaps what I need to do (and I should do) is learn to make my own bullets (like what you're doing). Is that a steep learning curve, or is it relatively easy to pickup? It's a skill I'd like to have...

 

[Ryan Thomas]

The smallest gun in my collection, and also my favorite, just happens to be a lever action rifle! It's no 30-30, though...
It's the Browning Arms 22 short/long - long rifle that I learned to shoot on and still have! I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but it's pretty old

 

[StG58]

They also have a 30 carbine option on the 7.5" Blackhaws, but other than that, the .45 is the only option. So, I may be getting a .45 Colt.

Perhaps what I need to do (and I should do) is learn to make my own bullets (like what you're doing). Is that a steep learning curve, or is it relatively easy to pickup? It's a skill I'd like to have...

Reloading isn't rocket science. It can be a little expensive to get started with if you go with a ton of high end gear, but that's not really necessary. The nice thing is your girls can still be reloading with your gear after you are long gone. I've shown people how to reload safely in a day. I've shown them how to cast and reload in two days. It's a great skill and really lets you shoot tons for the same cost as shooting just a little. When the great ammo famine happened, I just shrugged and went on about my business as usual. I did have a ton of reloading supplies in stock for other reasons though.

Everything you need to reload for .45 Colt will fit into a shoe box and you can cast and reload around a campfire. Chew on that. It's been done that way since 1873. The total cost of that setup will run you about, oh, $200 bucks or so. That's all in by the way, and includes an ammo can to store all the stuff in. So, the bottom line is you can feed a .45 Colt lever gun and revolver for about 6 -7 cents a round. You can do it sitting around a campfire. It's only going to cost you about $200 to get all the stuff together to do it. Your girls will be doing the same thing with the same gear after you are gone. You can hunt anything in North America with that setup (out to about 150 yards), and provide personnel protection while doing it.

How's them apples?

 

[Kyle_W]

Reloading isn't rocket science. It can be a little expensive to get started with if you go with a ton of high end gear, but that's not really necessary. The nice thing is your girls can still be reloading with your gear after you are long gone. I've shown people how to reload safely in a day. I've shown them how to cast and reload in two days. It's a great skill and really lets you shoot tons for the same cost as shooting just a little. When the great ammo famine happened, I just shrugged and went on about my business as usual. I did have a ton of reloading supplies in stock for other reasons though.

Everything you need to reload for .45 Colt will fit into a shoe box and you can cast and reload around a campfire. Chew on that. It's been done that way since 1873. The total cost of that setup will run you about, oh, $200 bucks or so. That's all in by the way, and includes an ammo can to store all the stuff in. So, the bottom line is you can feed a .45 Colt lever gun and revolver for about 6 -7 cents a round. You can do it sitting around a campfire. It's only going to cost you about $200 to get all the stuff together to do it. Your girls will be doing the same thing with the same gear after you are gone. You can hunt anything in North America with that setup (out to about 150 yards), and provide personnel protection while doing it.

How's them apples?

I have wanted to reload my own ammo forever.... you think it is certainly worth it? I don't want to spend the almost $1 per 30.06 and 7.92x57mm round anymore. And 45 cents per 5.56mm round, which adds up.

@Chris, get one then!! Honestly they are funner than shooting a wartime bolt action rifle, which is about as fun as you can get! Plus, when you pull it out of the safe everyone will come out of the woodwork and ask "Ooooooh was ist das???!?"

 

[Head Lice]

Everyone is in love with the exposed hammer lever action .....
The older Savage Model 99 with the rotary magazine is eons ahead of anything that Winchester, Browning, and Marlin ever put out.
It can handle 'tipped' rounds, is safe in a scabbard, and inherently stronger. Available with a 24" barrel ...
I've had a number of '94 Winchesters ..... nice to look at and great balance ..... not my choice for a hunting weapon.

 

[StG58]

I have wanted to reload my own ammo forever.... you think it is certainly worth it? I don't want to spend the almost $1 per 30.06 and 7.92x57mm round anymore. And 45 cents per 5.56mm round, which adds up.

@Chris, get one then!! Honestly they are funner than shooting a wartime bolt action rifle, which is about as fun as you can get! Plus, when you pull it out of the safe everyone will come out of the woodwork and ask "Ooooooh was ist das???!?"

I think it's worth it. But then I shoot stuff, and in volumes, that kind of make it necessary. Start out with getting a Lyman reloading manual, and read all the information in the front about reloading. That will give you an idea of what it's all about. You can produce better ammunition for your particular firearm for less cost than anything the factory can provide. The difference in cost and accuracy is astounding. You can tune your ammunition for accuracy for a specific firearm. Or you can crank out a ton of generic ammunition for your firearm for way less than factory. It all depends on what you want to do. I hunt with a .458 win mag at the moment. That's about $100 a box of twenty retail right now. I reload .458 for about 18 cents a round, and my groups are half to one third the size I can get with factory ammo. Same with 8mm Mauser, same with 45 ACP and all the rest. The wife's 7mm mauser shoots one hole groups on occasion with reloads. But then, she's a good shot and the rifle is exceptional.

 

[Kyle_W]

I think it's worth it. But then I shoot stuff, and in volumes, that kind of make it necessary. Start out with getting a Lyman reloading manual, and read all the information in the front about reloading. That will give you an idea of what it's all about. You can produce better ammunition for your particular firearm for less cost than anything the factory can provide. The difference in cost and accuracy is astounding. You can tune your ammunition for accuracy for a specific firearm. Or you can crank out a ton of generic ammunition for your firearm for way less than factory. It all depends on what you want to do. I hunt with a .458 win mag at the moment. That's about $100 a box of twenty retail right now. I reload .458 for about 18 cents a round, and my groups are half to one third the size I can get with factory ammo. Same with 8mm Mauser, same with 45 ACP and all the rest. The wife's 7mm mauser shoots one hole groups on occasion with reloads. But then, she's a good shot and the rifle is exceptional.

Thank you, I shall look into that book!


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[Chris]

Okay, well now it looks like I'm leaning towards a Ruger Super Blackhawk with 44 mag.

I figure if I go that route, I can then get something like a Marlin 1894 (which also comes in a 44 mag), and then my rounds will be interchangeable between the lever action rifle and the revolver. Am I wrong?

As for re-loading... It sounds like this is going to be a new hobby I pickup.

 

[Chris]

Everyone is in love with the exposed hammer lever action .....
The older Savage Model 99 with the rotary magazine is eons ahead of anything that Winchester, Browning, and Marlin ever put out.
It can handle 'tipped' rounds, is safe in a scabbard, and inherently stronger. Available with a 24" barrel ...
I've had a number of '94 Winchesters ..... nice to look at and great balance ..... not my choice for a hunting weapon.

Do they let you own guns up there in Canada? I am not sure how it works up there.

 

[StG58]

Okay, well now it looks like I'm leaning towards a Ruger Super Blackhawk with 44 mag.

I figure if I go that route, I can then get something like a Marlin 1894 (which also comes in a 44 mag), and then my rounds will be interchangeable between the lever action rifle and the revolver. Am I wrong?

As for re-loading... It sounds like this is going to be a new hobby I pickup.

Check out the R92 Rossi's as well Chris. John Moses Browning's answer to the lever action, and Rossi makes a good one for an affordable price. Did you know that you can shoot .44 Special in a .44 Magnum? Or you can load .44 Magnum to .44 Special levels and save a little powder and recoil. Also, you can load the .45 Colt to approxamatly the same performance levels as the .44 Magnum with less recoil and chamber pressure. You can also push a heavier bullet with the .45 colt for those times you want to nail a Moose or an Elk.

Yup, same-o, same-o on the ammunition. If or when you get to reloading for the rifle and the revolver, there will probably be slight differences in the loads as you tune for each. They will still be interchangable though.

 

[Kyle_W]

Well that's a good plan for consolidation, however are you sure you want the same round for two different firearms? They both are unique in their own way, why not fire unique rounds through them?


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[Head Lice]

Do they let you own guns up there in Canada? I am not sure how it works up there.

Not sure where you get your information ....
I live in a 'hunting' culture ....
Have rifles ... hunting rifles.
I hunt.

Do you live in a 'black gun' culture ?
Lots of people with guns that don't hunt ?
Just asking .....

 

[Chris]

Not sure where you get your information ....
I live in a 'hunting' culture ....
Have rifles ... hunting rifles.
I hunt.

Do you live in a 'black gun' culture ?
Lots of people with guns that don't hunt ?
Just asking .....

I just didn't think you could legally own a gun in Canada. That wasn't meant as an insult (which it sounds like you've taken it as), it was meant as an honest question.

Do I need to hunt to own a gun, is that a requirement?

 

[Head Lice]

The nice thing with a .44 Special/Mag in a rifle ...... you get to watch the bullet arc out of the barrel.
Kind'a like a slingshot, but not as powerful ......

 

[Head Lice]

Not insulted at all Chris ..... good question!
Was a bear guide for a number of years .....
Interesting thread!