lever fever

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

Re: lever fever

Post by Gamerancher » 27 Dec 2020, 9:26 am

It's a bastardised version of a competition shot in the U.S. .22LR calibre rifles that satisfy similar criteria to the big-bore rifle rules, shooting modern .22 ammo of coarse. Old single shot-exposed hammer rifles. Stevens, Remington rollers, Winchester low/high walls, etc. You can also use a .22 converter liner in any conforming big-bore rifle, which a few of us have. There is an allowance for Martini actions due to the fact they are plentiful here, ( Sportco, BSA 1215's and earlier only- no Internationals).
The match is shot on 1/2 size targets at longer ranges. Chickens @ 50m, pigs @100m, turkeys @ 150m and rams @ 200m. Chickens are shot standing off-hand, the rest can be shot using any position and cross-sticks. ( most folks shoot prone ) The U.S competition uses smaller, scaled targets and doesn't allow Martini's.
We use 1/2 size targets because clubs already had them for the lever-gun event. I should add that it is an "Iron-sight" competition only.
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Re: lever fever

Post by womble » 09 Jun 2021, 5:21 am

Might be coming down with a temperature

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Re: lever fever

Post by Communism_Is_Cancer » 09 Jun 2021, 7:01 am

I got a marlin dark series 45/70.
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 09 Jun 2021, 9:20 am

I’ve a temperature and picked up a marlin 44 yesterday. I’m curious as to what scopes you other guys are running on your levers. . I’ve got Warne two peice bases and low rings, but am having a time deciding on what scope. Not that big a fan of the loopy “pig plex” in the freedom range. Too busy a recticle. Really like the idea of the “hunt plex” recticle , but the 2-7x33 is the lowest mag range you can get it in .
I have thought about the fx2 fixed power 2.5 as well
Opinions and experiences fellas :unknown:
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 09 Jun 2021, 9:20 am

I’ve a temperature and picked up a marlin 44 yesterday. I’m curious as to what scopes you other guys are running on your levers. . I’ve got Warne two peice bases and low rings, but am having a time deciding on what scope. Not that big a fan of the loopy “pig plex” in the freedom range. Too busy a recticle. Really like the idea of the “hunt plex” recticle , but the 2-7x33 is the lowest mag range you can get it in .
I have thought about the fx2 fixed power 2.5 as well
Opinions and experiences fellas :unknown:
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Re: lever fever

Post by Communism_Is_Cancer » 09 Jun 2021, 9:24 am

Just the iron sights on my lever mate. Sometimes I chuck a red dot on for a bit of fun.
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 09 Jun 2021, 10:25 am

Communism_Is_Cancer wrote:Just the iron sights on my lever mate. Sometimes I chuck a red dot on for a bit of fun.


Unfortunately at 53 years young I need glasses. Open sights and red dots don’t agree with me. When I was in my 20’s I could out shoot some of my mates scoped rifles with a husky Swede Mauser. Not anymore.....
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Re: lever fever

Post by in2anity » 09 Jun 2021, 10:41 am

It's all about sight picture. On the best days, I can put x10 under 2moa out of the m1907 sling, with my accurised No4. I honestly can't do any better with a scope. But that's a nice black target, on a nice big white background. Good luck trying to replicate that out in the sticks, against some arbitrarily camouflaged fur in the shade...

Soon I am going to try a 300m prone Service match with a Marlin 30/30, I've already made some very special ammo for it. I will report back on how she groups, under service match conditions.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: lever fever

Post by LawrenceA » 09 Jun 2021, 6:02 pm

Know how you feel old eyes suck.

Put a red dot on my 45-70. Great for running shots and can use with both eyes open and wear glasses.
Got a 2-7 on the 30-30 which is fine for still shots. I cant really use it on close running shots.

Rest are irons only which I can still see well enough.

Try the diopter effect by putting a peep at the back of the rifle. Looking through that, the rear sight will be much clearer. Even swinging the back sight around so it runs away from you will often clear it up enough.
Could use shooting glasses? Not sure they can do em for hunting.

If you are after running shots you could just go a peep???
One well placed shot is all it takes.
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Re: lever fever

Post by Robin » 09 Jun 2021, 6:16 pm

There is something about lever actions and revolvers that makes me want to be in the wild west
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Re: lever fever

Post by Smiley » 09 Jun 2021, 7:22 pm

Well I've added since my last post in this thread.
Now, to compliment my 45-70, I have a Winchester 73 in 44-40 and I bought the young bloke a Henry 22lr for his birthday (which I borrow).
Next on my wish list is a 1885 Highwall.
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 10 Jun 2021, 4:45 am

LawrenceA wrote:Know how you feel old eyes suck.

Put a red dot on my 45-70. Great for running shots and can use with both eyes open and wear glasses.
Got a 2-7 on the 30-30 which is fine for still shots. I cant really use it on close running shots.

Rest are irons only which I can still see well enough.

Try the diopter effect by putting a peep at the back of the rifle. Looking through that, the rear sight will be much clearer. Even swinging the back sight around so it runs away from you will often clear it up enough.
Could use shooting glasses? Not sure they can do em for hunting.

If you are after running shots you could just go a peep???


I’ve tried a few different options, including peeps. The front and rear sight have to be in just the right spot. It’s the front sight I have trouble with, gets fuzzy. A good 1.5-5 loopy scope works better than peeps. But I don’t want to spend vx3 money on a scope for a 44 mag . The freedom range is about the right price point. But the available scopes have “busy” retcles, ballistic hash dots and “Moa “ circles and all sorts of stuff. Too gimmicky for me .I think I might wait until a 2-7x33 huntplex scope is in stock. I like the reticle, a refined German 4A . It’d stay on 2 out in the paddock, but for finer work or plinking the extra magnification would be useful
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Re: lever fever

Post by boingk » 10 Jun 2021, 12:03 pm

Nice one Womble! I've had a deposit on one since they were listed. Finally picked it up the other day in 44 Mag.

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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 10 Jun 2021, 12:21 pm

All these people getting 44mag levers, sounds like a good thing :thumbsup:

Just don’t buy up all the ammo on me ;)
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 10 Jun 2021, 1:46 pm

bigrich wrote:I’ve tried a few different options, including peeps. The front and rear sight have to be in just the right spot. It’s the front sight I have trouble with, gets fuzzy. A good 1.5-5 loopy scope works better than peeps. But I don’t want to spend vx3 money on a scope for a 44 mag . The freedom range is about the right price point. But the available scopes have “busy” retcles, ballistic hash dots and “Moa “ circles and all sorts of stuff. Too gimmicky for me .I think I might wait until a 2-7x33 huntplex scope is in stock. I like the reticle, a refined German 4A . It’d stay on 2 out in the paddock, but for finer work or plinking the extra magnification would be useful


The front sight is the only part of your sight picture that should be clear, the aperture should be invisible and the target will be blurry.
I've put apertures on most of my levers, and have been using fine holes, 0.5mm currently.
But I've also tried removing the aperture and using the housing as a ghost ring.
No loss of accuracy, even on small targets, and fantastic for practicing snap shooting.
I'd put the aperture back in to finish off and it's like wearing a blindfold :-)
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Re: lever fever

Post by in2anity » 10 Jun 2021, 1:55 pm

Blade's on the money; "intense front sight focus, target is a blur". With a nice 6-oclock hold and good contrasting sight picture, shooting a 2moa group is not so difficult (if the rifle is up to it). A longer sight radius makes it easier.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 10 Jun 2021, 2:41 pm

in2anity wrote:Blade's on the money; "intense front sight focus, target is a blur". With a nice 6-oclock hold and good contrasting sight picture, shooting a 2moa group is not so difficult (if the rifle is up to it). A longer sight radius makes it easier.


Six-o'clock holds work fine for shooting bullseyes on paper. Shooting at an eight-inch bull at 200m you can use this hold and zero to put the bullets four-inches above point of aim, not so much use in the field or plinking at targets of unknown size or distance.
I don't use a six-hold on anything.
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Re: lever fever

Post by in2anity » 10 Jun 2021, 2:53 pm

bladeracer wrote:Six-o'clock holds work fine for shooting bullseyes on paper. Shooting at an eight-inch bull at 200m you can use this hold and zero to put the bullets four-inches above point of aim, not so much use in the field or plinking at targets of unknown size or distance.
I don't use a six-hold on anything.

Not a problem for the metallic silhouettes - you just "stand" them on the blade. But yeah, for arbitrary field targets, indeed you need a center-mass. For offhand quick fire I actually do use a center-mass zero anyway, and lower the barrel onto the target and break just as it crosses center. Slow fire is different.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 10 Jun 2021, 3:15 pm

in2anity wrote:
bladeracer wrote:Six-o'clock holds work fine for shooting bullseyes on paper. Shooting at an eight-inch bull at 200m you can use this hold and zero to put the bullets four-inches above point of aim, not so much use in the field or plinking at targets of unknown size or distance.
I don't use a six-hold on anything.


Not a problem for the metallic silhouettes - you just "stand" them on the blade. But yeah, for arbitrary field targets, indeed you need a center-mass. For offhand quick fire I actually do use a center-mass zero anyway, and lower the barrel onto the target and break just as it crosses center. Slow fire is different.


For the silhouettes, I aim at different places depending on how well I can get a fine sight picture on it. I don't aim "at" the silhouette, I try to aim at a point on it, where one side of a leg meets the body, where a leg meets the foot, the point of the nose, or wherever the wind requires me to hold it at the time.

Because I shoot them in 100rd+ sessions, I gave up trying to dial them in and just hold over/under as required. I set them up together, then shoot from 40m, 50m, 77m, and 100, or even further. With the .22LR I also tend to use a wide variety of ammo (and rifles) as I chew through the many, many bricks I bought for testing. So I have to drop some shots onto steel or a board first to ascertain where it's shooting, then adjust my hold to suit. There's no point trying to zero the sights every day to suit different ammo, so my Kentucky Windage Kalculations are getting lots of practice :-)
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 10 Jun 2021, 3:41 pm

bladeracer wrote:
bigrich wrote:I’ve tried a few different options, including peeps. The front and rear sight have to be in just the right spot. It’s the front sight I have trouble with, gets fuzzy. A good 1.5-5 loopy scope works better than peeps. But I don’t want to spend vx3 money on a scope for a 44 mag . The freedom range is about the right price point. But the available scopes have “busy” retcles, ballistic hash dots and “Moa “ circles and all sorts of stuff. Too gimmicky for me .I think I might wait until a 2-7x33 huntplex scope is in stock. I like the reticle, a refined German 4A . It’d stay on 2 out in the paddock, but for finer work or plinking the extra magnification would be useful


The front sight is the only part of your sight picture that should be clear, the aperture should be invisible and the target will be blurry.
I've put apertures on most of my levers, and have been using fine holes, 0.5mm currently.
But I've also tried removing the aperture and using the housing as a ghost ring.
No loss of accuracy, even on small targets, and fantastic for practicing snap shooting.
I'd put the aperture back in to finish off and it's like wearing a blindfold :-)


the distance of the front sight and the rear aperture to my eye is the issue . i had a turk mauser that was turned into a carbine with a old "feild instruments" rear peep that worked beutifully . it had a largish rear app and the front blade was clearly visable at it's distance .i also had a 64a 94 winchester with a 24" barrel and a williams foolproof on it . the front blade was hard to focus at times due to it being futher from my eye . regardless , this 44 marlin of mine is a fun gun, plinker , pig gun . a scope i can get fast focus from is what i want/need . iron sights and peeps aren't going to cut it for me i'm afraid .
i was just curious as to what others were using on their levers and whether there were options in scope choice i hadn't considered :thumbsup:
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 10 Jun 2021, 3:55 pm

bigrich wrote:the distance of the front sight and the rear aperture to my eye is the issue . i had a turk mauser that was turned into a carbine with a old "feild instruments" rear peep that worked beutifully . it had a largish rear app and the front blade was clearly visable at it's distance .i also had a 64a 94 winchester with a 24" barrel and a williams foolproof on it . the front blade was hard to focus at times due to it being futher from my eye . regardless , this 44 marlin of mine is a fun gun, plinker , pig gun . a scope i can get fast focus from is what i want/need . iron sights and peeps aren't going to cut it for me i'm afraid .
i was just curious as to what others were using on their levers and whether there were options in scope choice i hadn't considered :thumbsup:


My Winchester 94 has a Lyman aperture, but the front sight is difficult to focus on due to being rounded from wear. Depending on how light hits it affects how I discern its size and shape. I need to file it square again someday.

I have an M1903 Turk that's been sporterised to a carbine for deer, but the sights are just standard, and not drilled for a scope.
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Re: lever fever

Post by in2anity » 10 Jun 2021, 4:08 pm

Having the foresight squared off perfectly, and also blackened, is critical. You can use a cigarette lighter, or black spray paint, or better still proper "sight black" to help with any glare and maximize contrast. For some time I used a pointed front blade, thinking my young eyes would give me the edge. Nevertheless my scores improved measurably once I switched to a classic square service foresight - it's just easier and clearer to be more consistent with, under varying conditions.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 10 Jun 2021, 7:05 pm

bladeracer wrote:
bigrich wrote:
I have an M1903 Turk that's been sporterised to a carbine for deer, but the sights are just standard, and not drilled for a scope.


their a wonderfully slick and well made bit of gear ,with tight tolerances . most people don't know they were originally made in germany as a consignment for turkey . i don't regret selling a lot of my rifles , but i should have kept that one :roll:
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 13 Jun 2021, 10:16 am

anyone with a 1894 marlin had to do any work for smooth feeding ? i had to work over mine last night . carefully deburred the edge of the chamber , deburred the edges of the lugs of the bolt face . all edges that were dremeled were finished with 600 wet and dry for a polished finish . nope, still jammed on the feed . :(

researched on the marlin owners website and found a wealth of info . took the bolt out and deburred a lot of edges , smoothed and polished the hammer cocking lug on the bottom of the bolt and top of the lever . okay it's getting slick, but STILL hanging up on feeding . hmm , had a good look , more research , and pulled , slightly reshaped and polished the extractor .

BINGO ! she now feeds slick as, fast or slow . thank god , i was ready to wrap it around a post last night :P

i guess i've got rid of most of what the yanks call "remlins" :lol:

google "making a widdermatic marlin" . this website has a wealth of information on lots of different levers on the homepage also :thumbsup:
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 13 Jun 2021, 11:00 am

bigrich wrote:
bladeracer wrote:
bigrich wrote:
I have an M1903 Turk that's been sporterised to a carbine for deer, but the sights are just standard, and not drilled for a scope.


their a wonderfully slick and well made bit of gear ,with tight tolerances . most people don't know they were originally made in germany as a consignment for turkey . i don't regret selling a lot of my rifles , but i should have kept that one :roll:


Agreed, I think the Turk, along with others is greatly under-rated as a shooter's rifle.
I also have an unmolested original Turk.
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Re: lever fever

Post by bladeracer » 13 Jun 2021, 11:02 am

I haven't had to go inside mine, but I do get the occasional cartridge falling off the lifter and jamming it up.


bigrich wrote:anyone with a 1894 marlin had to do any work for smooth feeding ? i had to work over mine last night . carefully deburred the edge of the chamber , deburred the edges of the lugs of the bolt face . all edges that were dremeled were finished with 600 wet and dry for a polished finish . nope, still jammed on the feed . :(

researched on the marlin owners website and found a wealth of info . took the bolt out and deburred a lot of edges , smoothed and polished the hammer cocking lug on the bottom of the bolt and top of the lever . okay it's getting slick, but STILL hanging up on feeding . hmm , had a good look , more research , and pulled , slightly reshaped and polished the extractor .

BINGO ! she now feeds slick as, fast or slow . thank god , i was ready to wrap it around a post last night :P

i guess i've got rid of most of what the yanks call "remlins" :lol:

google "making a widdermatic marlin" . this website has a wealth of information on lots of different levers on the homepage also :thumbsup:
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Re: lever fever

Post by Communism_Is_Cancer » 13 Jun 2021, 11:24 am

bigrich wrote:anyone with a 1894 marlin had to do any work for smooth feeding ? i had to work over mine last night . carefully deburred the edge of the chamber , deburred the edges of the lugs of the bolt face . all edges that were dremeled were finished with 600 wet and dry for a polished finish . nope, still jammed on the feed . :(

researched on the marlin owners website and found a wealth of info . took the bolt out and deburred a lot of edges , smoothed and polished the hammer cocking lug on the bottom of the bolt and top of the lever . okay it's getting slick, but STILL hanging up on feeding . hmm , had a good look , more research , and pulled , slightly reshaped and polished the extractor .

BINGO ! she now feeds slick as, fast or slow . thank god , i was ready to wrap it around a post last night :P

i guess i've got rid of most of what the yanks call "remlins" :lol:

google "making a widdermatic marlin" . this website has a wealth of information on lots of different levers on the homepage also :thumbsup:



My Marlin dark series 45-70 was brand new and I had to send it back to the importer because the rounds would get stuck between the magazine and the receiver. A round would just not chamber.
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Re: lever fever

Post by bigrich » 13 Jun 2021, 2:28 pm

Communism_Is_Cancer wrote:

My Marlin dark series 45-70 was brand new and I had to send it back to the importer because the rounds would get stuck between the magazine and the receiver. A round would just not chamber.


not a uncommon story at times unfortunately . i hear ruger own marlin now . hope they do a better job than remington corp :roll:
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Re: lever fever

Post by Communism_Is_Cancer » 13 Jun 2021, 2:47 pm

bigrich wrote:
Communism_Is_Cancer wrote:

My Marlin dark series 45-70 was brand new and I had to send it back to the importer because the rounds would get stuck between the magazine and the receiver. A round would just not chamber.


not a uncommon story at times unfortunately . i hear ruger own marlin now . hope they do a better job than remington corp :roll:


The importer bloke told me it is cheaper to fix new rifles as required then to inspect every new rifle for defects. Lets say for example 5% of new rifles need repairs. That still works out cheaper than paying people to inspect every rifle. Not to mention time.

It is annoying buying a new rifle that needs repairs but as long as the company fix it than I am happy. However this strategy could bite them in the backside. People might stop buying it if they hear of horror stories of broken new rifles.
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Re: lever fever

Post by No1_49er » 13 Jun 2021, 3:29 pm

Communism_Is_Cancer wrote:
The importer bloke told me it is cheaper to fix new rifles as required then to inspect every new rifle for defects. Lets say for example 5% of new rifles need repairs. That still works out cheaper than paying people to inspect every rifle. Not to mention time.

It is annoying buying a new rifle that needs repairs but as long as the company fix it than I am happy. However this strategy could bite them in the backside. People might stop buying it if they hear of horror stories of broken new rifles.


That's why people stopped buying Remlins / Marlingtons.
Anything with an MR serial number has been tainted by the disastrous attempt to make what was good, better. FAIL.
And probably a good reason as to why a JM Marlin will always hold its value, and for some models a huge premium!

It'll be a waiting game to see whether Ruger will do the right thing with the Marlin name.
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