Which lever gun

[rdc]

I've wanted a lever gun for a long time. The main variable is caliber. I've considered .22LR because I used to shoot it a lot and it would probably see the most use.
I thought about .357 because I had plans of getting a matching revolver. Now that I'm an HQL refusenik (I'm open to arguments) that seems less likely.
Ive thought about the old standby .30-30 But I'm more of a target shooter and not much of a hunter. This does seem pretty versatile though.

What does the brain trust here at MDS say?

 

[engineerbrian]

.357 for me. Shooting .38 spls out of a lever gun is as good as it gets for plinking

 

[brownspotz]

I like my .44 henry.

 

[Straightbolt]

I like my Sako Finnwolf .308
Detachable box magazine and great accuracy .

 

[Mr. Ed]

I like the idea of having multiple platforms that eat the same food. .38 is relatively gentle and inexpensive, and the .357's muzzle flash (in a wheel gun) is pretty good fun.

 

[QuebecoisWolf]

No love for .44?

Since you're interested in a lever gun/revolver combo I'd choose .357. Although you're an HQL refusenik, there are .357 revolvers out there that are C&R (and therefore you don't need an HQL to buy) and in the upcoming years, many more old school police revolvers will become 50 years old. Of course, there are ample C&R .38s out there right now too.

.30-30 has the advantage of being the most common among used lever guns, if you're looking to save money.

 

[hodgepodge]

.357 or, maybe, .44-40. Old school.

 

[shaddydan]

I would definitely suggest a pistol caliber. I really wanted a .357 but opted for .44 mag since I already reload that caliber. .22 would be cheapest if you don't reload.

 

[damifinowfish]

.357 & .38 are easy to reload. They are gentle to shoot. With a heavy .357 mag load you can put food on the table.

The Henry line of rifles have the best overall quality I have ever seen at a fair price, and I look at a lot of different fire arms every week.

Just my .02

 

[dontpanic]

Get the .357. Then get a .357 C&R handgun. No HQL needed. S&W model 27 and 28, Ruger Blackhawk and Colt Python were all made before 1965.

I'm sure there are others that more knowledgeable members could suggest.

 

[montoya32]

To me, the .22 is a completely different animal than any other caliber in a lever gun. The 22 is not going to be a precision rifle, but a good fun plinker. The other calibers are super fun to shoot steel with and watch the plates nearly fall over. I have a Marlin 1894 and a Ruger alaskan that eat 44 caliber ammo. The Ruger is my camping side arm when in bear country and the Marlin is a fun plinker and will be my deer gun.

 

[montoya32]

.357 & .38 are easy to reload. They are gentle to shoot. With a heavy .357 mag load you can put food on the table.

The Henry line of rifles have the best overall quality I have ever seen at a fair price, and I look at a lot of different fire arms every week.

Just my .02

 

[Minuteman]

Sorry, but I have to disagree, maybe.

A good .22LR lever gun can be a tack driver. It's great to start new shooters, especially kids. Then move up to a .357 lever gun, start them with mild .38Spl then eventually go up to .357.

As far as 30-30 goes, that's probably the best bush - deer hunting gun of all time. I almost bought a youth model recently.

Get a good .22 lever gun first, but soon after get the .357 flavor also.

If you plan to ever shoot cowboy action, listen to Hodgepodge.

 

[montoya32]

Sorry, but I have to disagree, maybe.

A good .22LR lever gun can be a tack driver. It's great to start new shooters, especially kids. Then move up to a .357 lever gun, start them with mild .38Spl then eventually go up to .357.

As far as 30-30 goes, that's probably the best bush - deer hunting gun of all time. I almost bought a youth model recently.

Get a good .22 lever gun first, but soon after get the .357 flavor also.

If you plan to ever shoot cowboy action, listen to Hodgepodge.

You're not disagreeing. He's not a kid. I just bought my 7 year old a Henry .22 this past Christmas. Didn't say the 22 wouldn't be accurate, but if you're looking for accuracy, you can do a lot better than a lever action 22 and probably for less.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

If you're just shooting to shoot, then 22.

If you want a gun that'll stop something first time, get a 35 Remington and then join us 35 Rem folks as we search for ammo. ITS MORE THAN WORTH IT.

 

[Cowboy T]

Gotta go for the Rossi 92 in .38/357 in this case. I also have a Ruger 96/44 in .44 Magnum, but to feed that thing and not go broke, you've got to either reload or be a politician. Fortunately, I do reload, so this is not a problem. But not everyone does.

With a .38/357 levergun, you can find .38 Special ammo pretty much anywhere. If you reload, as I do, you can make a "powder puff" .38 Spl load that has very low recoil, yet still boogies out the business end at 1,000 fps. I think of it as my "reloadable .22LR" because the "kick" is so low. The load uses a self-cast Lee 105gr LSWC, the one which looks just like a Crayola tip, with a light-ish charge of Bullseye.

If you want power, remember, the .357M takes on whole new levels of energy when you shoot it from a 16+ inch barrel. There are loads in Lyman's 49th for .357M that start nipping at the lower end of .30-30 Win power levels. For typical deer-hunting distances here on the East Coast, that's going to be enough to humanely make Bambi "what's for dinner".

Since Henrys were brought up, yes, they're excellent. They're also very expensive. Winchesters, of course, are yet more.

Now, if you *do* reload, then I can, from experience, suggest either the Ruger 96/44 or the Rossi 92 in the same chambering. Both work very well. I just *love* the slickness and smoothness of the 96/44's action. I also really like the 96/44's ability to take those integral Ruger scope rings.

Here are pictures of both firearms. The .357M is at the bottom, the .44M is at the top.



That is a Simmons Whitetail Classic 3-9x40 on the 96/44.

 

[Armadillofz1]

I've got a 22, 357, 44, and 2 30-30s. The 22 is my favorite shooter. The Henry action is so smooth, cheap to shoot, and accurate as hell. The Marlin 357 is second favorite. The winchester 44's action is like dragging a dried dog turd through a box of sand.

 

[jimbobborg]

Two downsides to getting the Rossi in .357. It won't cycle all ammunition and you have to use bullet with a flat point or you may end up having a chain fire in the tube.

 

[shaddydan]

If you're just shooting to shoot, then 22.

If you want a gun that'll stop something first time, get a 35 Remington and then join us 35 Rem folks as we search for ammo. ITS MORE THAN WORTH IT.

Love my 336 in 35 Remington! I learned quickly that reloading really helps!

 

[Clem]

This does'nt have to be an either/or thing; just figure out what you want, prioritise and save.

My first gun was a Marlin 39A. More recently I found a 39A Mountie to go with a Marlin 1894C in .357. Reloading .357 and .38 keeps costs pretty close to the .22, but both are great fun.