I want them all! I’ve got the .44 and .30-30 at present. Right now I just need the .357 and .45-70. My credit cards are rattling and calling me to get that new Ruger made 1895 in .45-70.So been wanting a lever gun for along time and finally ready to pull the trigger but not sure what caliber. This is a fun gun.
.357
.44mag
30-30
45-70
Which one if you had to choose one?
I do own a ruger in .357 so that’s slightly tempting to stay same caliber.
I’ve had lever guns in each caliber. They’re all good deer rounds. .357 makes the most sense for you due to commonality with your Ruger. I have a S&W .44 but my hunting lever gun is a 45/70. It’s expensive, it’s overkill, but I love it!So been wanting a lever gun for along time and finally ready to pull the trigger but not sure what caliber. This is a fun gun.
.357
.44mag
30-30
45-70
Which one if you had to choose one?
I do own a ruger in .357 so that’s slightly tempting to stay same caliber.
I have a 336. I wouldn't use it for plinking though...however, I was told you can load some 158 gr. .357 bullets with some light powder and have a low power/recoil option to "plink". I have never done it, but I might some day.I am going to throw this one out here as best deer round. 35 rem.
30/30 on steroids. A true rifle round in 357. Has the ability to take big bear. Terminal performance high above what the ballistics chart would make one think. Does not rattle filling loose when you touch one off. Is available in the smaller 336 package instead of the larger 1895.
I use one in contender rifle at times hunting and in a 336 if the single shot is not an option. Now I still use the 44 mag as my still hunting gun but mainly because of the old PCR rules and some areas I hunt I like the 44 as it has the ballistic properties of a football.
The first Henry I come across in .357 is mine.
Yes, if you're looking for hunting performance out of a standard lever action round and you hunt private land, then .35 Rem would be the choice.I am going to throw this one out here as best deer round. 35 rem.
30/30 on steroids. A true rifle round in 357. Has the ability to take big bear. Terminal performance high above what the ballistics chart would make one think. Does not rattle filling loose when you touch one off. Is available in the smaller 336 package instead of the larger 1895.
I use one in contender rifle at times hunting and in a 336 if the single shot is not an option. Now I still use the 44 mag as my still hunting gun but mainly because of the old PCR rules and some areas I hunt I like the 44 as it has the ballistic properties of a football.
I had a 1894c in .357 and I wish I still had it. Sadly I was young, got it dirt cheap and flipped it for 3 times what I paid. I shoulda kept it lolBy fun, I'm assuming you're talking about a range toy, for basic target plinking, no practical purpose.
I own a number of Marlin leverguns, pretty much have one in every common caliber exept .35 Remington. My best shooting one is my Remington-made Marlin 1894C in .45 Colt. It will tear the center out of a target over and over again, and makes you feel like you're a better shot than you actually are. I love that gun. But unless you reload, .45 Colt is expensive and hard to find.
As others have said, .45-70 is a hoot, and if you handload, it can be incredibly vesatile. Anything from light plinking loads to heavy bear-stoppers that will make you think you got kicked in the shoulder by a mule. I love the round, but if you thought .45 Colt was expensive, wait until you see the price of these! For a range plinker, it can be fun, but you better have a pretty comfortable income if you plan to shoot it a lot. Even if you handload, the components aren't cheap (and you're not going to find .45-70 brass discarded on the range for free!), and 405gr pills use a lot of lead.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the .22LR. My 39A is absolutely the most fun rimfire gun I have. It's smooth, accurate, and reliable. You can put a TON of rounds downrange for hardly any money at all, and it's also good for keeping pesky critters out of your yard. You don't get the satisfying punch of a centerfire round, but it's still a ton of fun to shoot. The downside to these is that they're no longer made and expensive and hard to find. I've shot the Henrys and while they're ok, the action doesn't give you that same clasic levergun feel that you get with the 39...but they could still be a fun plinker on a budget.
Ultimately, my recommendation would be a .357. If I could only own one, this is the one I'd pick. It's got enough punch to let you know you're shooting a real gun. Ammo won't kill your wallet, so you'll get to shoot it more, and you can load it with anything from light-recoiling .38s that recoil almost like a .22, all the way up to hot .357 that approaches the bottom end of .30-30 energy levels, which is plenty for deer hunting, at least around these parts. One thing to keep in mind is that magnum cartridges gain a ton of velocity, and thus energy, out of the carbine barrels compared to what you'd typically see out of a revolver. I've measured loads that are around 1100FPS out of a handgun but are at 1700FPS out of my 1894. A lever-action carbine in .357 Magnum is no slouch.
Even with the hot .357 loads, though, recoil is very manageable. You don't get any flash or blast like you do shooting magnums out of a handgun, and you can comfortably shoot it all day with any load without beating yourself up. Another big benefit if've found with the .357 compared to the big-bores is that it's flatter trajectory makes for less variance in point of impact downrange when you're shooting different loads (my .45-70 can be completely off paper at just 50 yards depending upon the load). This makes it easier to enjoy the versatility of the platform without having to constantly re-zero.
Yeah, I could probably get between 2-3x what I paid for mine these days, but I'm not selling, lol. Beyond just enjoying them on the range, a levergun is a fine companion to a big-bore revolver in the same caliber when you're camping in bear country, and they make an excellent deer rifle as well.I had a 1894c in .357 and I wish I still had it. Sadly I was young, got it dirt cheap and flipped it for 3 times what I paid. I shoulda kept it lol
Knowing it`s all completely subjective, I agree with the timeless .30-30. It`s the cowboy lever gun, and it's killed, so I`ve read, a TON of deer. When I bought a Winchester `94, I wanted it only in .30-30.Sorry, I must disagree with these suggestions. 30wcf (30-30) is the only choice here. The classic and most popular of lever rounds. Available in just about any center fire lever gun. Will take care of all the fun you can handle. Second choice would be 32 Winchester if you reload. Of course, this is just MHO. Your mileage may vary.
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I not long ago had a Winchester `94 Trapper in .44 mag. Great gun, fun to shoot with the LeveRevolution loads. I killed one little buck with it. It was an Angle Eject, (AE), and I had it scoped. For some unknown reason, I parted with it, wish I hadn`t. But now I have a Winchester `94 in .30-30. I`, much more excited about this particular rifle because it`s a .30-30.I had a Marlin lever gun in 35 Remington, good deer gun but for just range fun I think a pistol caliber would be more fun.
I look at my Winchester 94 44 mag I gave $300 for and my jm stamped Marlin 45/70 and look what they are selling for and think to myself, "damn yetti you did invest well.!!!!" Then I look at that Winchester 94/22mag and say, "damn, wish I'd bought more at that price.". Then hindsight being 20/20 all the sks I could have bought for $90 a piece. And then that python I let pass at $750 and anaconda for $500......jeez why did I start thinking of the past......I had a 1894c in .357 and I wish I still had it. Sadly I was young, got it dirt cheap and flipped it for 3 times what I paid. I shoulda kept it lol