Lever Action Advice

Bolt action rifles, lever action, pump action, self loading rifles and other miscellaneous longarms.

Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by Mattraff » 01 Mar 2019, 11:35 am

I looked at them all and bought a Marlin 1894 in .357 and have just fitted it with a Leupold VX Freedom 1.5-4×20 pig Plex. Reasons were everyone sells Marlin and after talking to some western action guys that's predominantly what they use. I also had a Uberti 44 black powder pistol years ago and while it looked great was not very solid and started feeling old very quickly. The Italian guns really look nice but the Marlin will last.
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by pomemax » 01 Mar 2019, 12:31 pm

Good choice you wont be sorry .
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 01 Mar 2019, 12:40 pm

pomemax wrote:Good choice you wont be sorry .

+1
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by wrenchman » 01 Mar 2019, 12:50 pm

good pick i hope it last you years
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 01 Mar 2019, 2:46 pm

in2anity wrote:
pomemax wrote:Good choice you wont be sorry .

+1


+2 .the more I use mine the better it shoots . After a bit of hand loading it doesn’t shoot to bad . The scope I have has a very thick recticle that covers most of a 6” target at 50 but she’s a great shooter
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This a 200 yard target I set up at 50. Ignore the smaller holes, their from setting up a scope on my hornet
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 01 Mar 2019, 2:50 pm

I'm just in the process of bedding a Marlin actually:
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and there's certainly no mention of lever brands other than Marlin and Winchester in this book:
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 01 Mar 2019, 2:53 pm

bigrich wrote:+2 .the more I use mine the better it shoots . After a bit of hand loading it doesn’t shoot to bad . The scope I have has a very thick recticle that covers most of a 6” target at 50 but she’s a great shooter

Good shootin BR - gotta be happy with that! IMO Marlins are generally the pack leader when it comes to accuracy. Just curious BR, how do your groups pattern when the barrel starts to heat up?
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by Diamond Jim » 03 Mar 2019, 1:24 am

I've owned a Rossi in .38/.357 for nearly 40 years. I bought it when they first came on to the Aussie market. It went back under warranty for headspace issues after the first box through it but has never missed a beat since. I use it primarily for IPSC 3 gun competition now but it was a great rifle to carry on a motorcycle chasing feral goats. I love it. Fun to shoot, accurate, one of the last I'd part with. Very light to carry but full-power factory loads can be surprisingly punishing due to low weight and narrow metal butt plate. After 40 years mine is smooth as silk but google will tell you how to polish the action to your satisfaction.
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 03 Mar 2019, 9:26 am

in2anity wrote:
bigrich wrote:+2 .the more I use mine the better it shoots . After a bit of hand loading it doesn’t shoot to bad . The scope I have has a very thick recticle that covers most of a 6” target at 50 but she’s a great shooter

Good shootin BR - gotta be happy with that! IMO Marlins are generally the pack leader when it comes to accuracy. Just curious BR, how do your groups pattern when the barrel starts to heat up?


the more i shoot my 357, the more it seems to settle in as a reliable shooter .i haven't done any rapid fire tests, just consistant bench shooting. if the barrel heats up , i give it a rest . but it seems the group pattern spreads less the more everything "beds in". i swapped out my 1-4x20 heavy recticle vx-1 leupold , the crosshairs seem to be a dark silver that you can see against dark "targets" , no batteries required. but, i got a good deal on a loopy vx-r hog scope. 1.25-4x20 , 30mm tube, nice fine red dot. the finer recticle is better for paper shooting accuracy for load developement. the following pics are from range time yesterday. ignore the smaller holes, this target has been used a few times . i've settled on lil' gun for powder , as this works great in my 22 hornet also . 158 XTP hornady projectiles are my pick, whether i use the normal hollow points or the stouter 158 XTP FP that are meant for rifle velocity, will depend on a bit of feild testing and what game i'm encountering i guess. the only thing about this marlin is the heavy trigger release. i reckon i could tighten my groups with a better trigger . might try a WWG trigger.
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 03 Mar 2019, 9:30 am

Here’s yesterday’s effort
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158 xtp fp fired as quick as I could load at 50
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 03 Mar 2019, 9:35 am

Here’s a slow deliberate group, the flyer on the left is due to me and marlins “great “ trigger :sarcasm: 158 xtp hp’s . Notice the point of impact is lower, even though both are 18 gn loads of Lil’Gun
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by meawls » 03 Mar 2019, 9:40 am

I run a pre Remington Marlin 1894C 357. It’s absolutely scary accurate, and has won medals at national level, despite me shooting it competition on average less than once a year!! The action seems rougher than what I’d like, and it has an annoying habit of flopping half open while being reloaded unless you consciously hold the lever shut ... but I’d never part with it purely from the accuracy perspective. Taken more than its share of porkers without any fuss too. Have recently started experimenting with subsonic loads using trail boss ... fun. Whatever you settle on I’d recommend you outlay a little on reloading stuff and experiment to hell ... as others have said, that pistol caliber is as easy as pie to reload ... and pretty cheap too!!
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 03 Mar 2019, 9:45 am

i'm really liking my pistol round lever carbine, 357 will probably do well for me on pig and goat , i think deer are smarter to me at this point and i would be lucky to get close enough to use the 357 :lol: but i still have a lust for getting a 44 mag. i don't really want to get another marlin, and i want something i can scope mount . i really like old winchesters, but even with angle eject i feel the scope mounting is a bit awkward. anyone got any opinions on this ? BUT, i'm really liking the idea of the henry leavers, can anyone give any opinions on these ? i don't see any for sale second hand, and have heard build qaulity is excellent . opinions ?

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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 03 Mar 2019, 12:52 pm

meawls wrote:I run a pre Remington Marlin 1894C 357. It’s absolutely scary accurate, and has won medals at national level, despite me shooting it competition on average less than once a year!! The action seems rougher than what I’d like, and it has an annoying habit of flopping half open while being reloaded unless you consciously hold the lever shut ... but I’d never part with it purely from the accuracy perspective. Taken more than its share of porkers without any fuss too. Have recently started experimenting with subsonic loads using trail boss ... fun. Whatever you settle on I’d recommend you outlay a little on reloading stuff and experiment to hell ... as others have said, that pistol caliber is as easy as pie to reload ... and pretty cheap too!!


sounds like you got a good one . micro groove barrel ? have you had the opportunity to field test the 357 against 44 mag and 30-30 at all ?

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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 03 Mar 2019, 5:46 pm

Might be of interest to some of you blokes:
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by Wm.Traynor » 03 Mar 2019, 7:15 pm

That's interesting about how to fit the the long projections that straddle the tang.
Thanks in2anity :D
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 03 Mar 2019, 8:05 pm

Wm.Traynor wrote:That's interesting about how to fit the the long projections that straddle the tang.
Thanks in2anity :D

Yw wm! - my understanding is you should not bed the entire length of the tang, more buttstock/receiver contact - the tang should be left alone at least behind and around the tang screw as there is normally a slight amount of clearance here to allow for a bit of give under recoil - otherwise energy will be transferred directly into the timber here and can cause splitting
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 04 Mar 2019, 4:39 am

Thanks for the tips in2anity, I might have a crack at this. Ya never stop learning do ya ?

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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 04 Mar 2019, 8:19 am

bigrich wrote:Thanks for the tips in2anity, I might have a crack at this. Ya never stop learning do ya ?

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That’s for sure br! And especially lever guns - they are complex little boogers. One tip I have - make sure you only use a gel-style bedding compound, the runny ones are rather problematic on vertical areas. You can get the acraglas gel kits on Brownells.
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 04 Mar 2019, 9:15 am

I get my acraglass from rebel gun works in Brisbane. 15 minutes from where I work. I still got some left from when I bedded my 222 model 70. Wonder what the shelf life is after it’s been opened
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by in2anity » 04 Mar 2019, 9:20 am

bigrich wrote:I get my acraglass from rebel gun works in Brisbane. 15 minutes from where I work. I still got some left from when I bedded my 222 model 70. Wonder what the shelf life is after it’s been opened

Is it there green gel kit? Or just the normal red 2-gun one?
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by meawls » 04 Mar 2019, 5:43 pm

sounds like you got a good one . micro groove barrel ? have you had the opportunity to field test the 357 against 44 mag and 30-30 at all?



Yep ... microgrooved. Prefers jacketed by a long shot ... and it feels a bit weird being the only bloke on the line shooting that against everyone else’s pet cast recipes!! Having said that though early results using trail boss sub loads and cast 140 grainers is showing some promise!!

Nah no field results regards vs 44 vs 30/30. A mate got a new Rossi in 44 mag, but didn’t like the crunchy action, so he sold it before we could compare out bush. Shame too ... that rifle was a real keeper accuracy wise- whoever bought it would have been thrilled !! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Lever Action Advice

Post by bigrich » 05 Mar 2019, 12:20 pm

I had a Rossi 92 in 357 , no complaints about the accuracy, but it’s much quicker to get on target with a scope on my marlin. The Rossi I had was slick and nice to use but the hardwood they use for stocks is prone to cracking and I got rid of mine cause it had those issues
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