Opinions... lever vs pump

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Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Archie » 06 Jan 2018, 6:01 pm

So with the "one million more in march" thing, I have been thinking about buying something for pig hunting. I have done a little, I'd like to do more. Stalking in brush, creek bottoms etc. Everything I currently own is bolt action (other than shotguns), and I was thinking, is it time to get something different. Because room in the safe. So in terms of next rifle:

1/ lever action (lots of choices) or pump (in which case I think its pretty much Remington only?). I've only used mates levers before so I don't have a strong opinion either way.
2/ calibre - but I'm a lot more interested in what to rifle buy than calibre because I'll probably end up somewhere no smaller than 243 and no bigger than 30-06. It needs to kill a pig properly but it doesn't need to split a cape buffalo.
3/ sights. I've tried shooting with iron sights and I reckon the safest person around me when I'm shooting with iron sights would be if I was aiming at you. This is for close in stuff so was thinking.. aimpoint? some other form of red dot? Or would I be better with a low magnification scope?

What do people think?
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by bladeracer » 06 Jan 2018, 6:24 pm

Archie wrote:So with the "one million more in march" thing, I have been thinking about buying something for pig hunting. I have done a little, I'd like to do more. Stalking in brush, creek bottoms etc. Everything I currently own is bolt action (other than shotguns), and I was thinking, is it time to get something different. Because room in the safe. So in terms of next rifle:

1/ lever action (lots of choices) or pump (in which case I think its pretty much Remington only?). I've only used mates levers before so I don't have a strong opinion either way.
2/ calibre - but I'm a lot more interested in what to rifle buy than calibre because I'll probably end up somewhere no smaller than 243 and no bigger than 30-06. It needs to kill a pig properly but it doesn't need to split a cape buffalo.
3/ sights. I've tried shooting with iron sights and I reckon the safest person around me when I'm shooting with iron sights would be if I was aiming at you. This is for close in stuff so was thinking.. aimpoint? some other form of red dot? Or would I be better with a low magnification scope?

What do people think?


.44 Magnum lever is pretty handy, carries ten rounds with 240gn bullets. Recoil not too bad. Rossi Puma with the 16" barrel is very handy and light. I've played with red dots and holographics and prefer the holo. The red dot's tend to be a pretty big dot and the sight is bulky. The holo is a finer reticle but you have no sight at all if the battery goes flat. I would definitely put a peep sight on it as well so you don't have to go home if the electronic sight packs up. Red dots often have a dot reticle even unpowered which could be an advantage. You can also use a 3-power magnifer that mounts in front of the sight but flips to the side when not needed. You'd need a longer pic rail to mount that though.

There are very cheap Chinese options you can play with to decide if it works for you.

Red dot sight:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tactical-Holographic-1X30-Red-Dot-Riflescope-Sight-for-Hunting-Shotgun-IAU/152088073355

Holographic sight:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tactical-Red-Green-Dot-Sight-Holographic-Reflex-Scope-Rifle-Hunting-Rail-20mm/142497689487

Magnifier:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3X-Magnifier-Scope-Sight-Tactical-with-Flip-To-Side-20mm-Rail-Mount-Scopes-Sight/401456446746
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by AusTac » 06 Jan 2018, 6:43 pm

Lever with a red dot would be pretty handy i've got a sig sauer romeo 4 red dot on a shotgun of mine and its awsome, as for caliber 45-70 govt
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Wm.Traynor » 06 Jan 2018, 7:32 pm

The levers I have owned, Rossi and Mossberg, have been rubbish, except for two BLR's. Had a Winchester Black Shadow many years ago and it was rough to cycle but the Jap Winnies are probably much better.
I own a flawless 7600 but a tradey I know hated his. In other words, the whole thing is a lottery. If you want to know about Marlins, go to www.marlinowners.com/forum They are made by Remington,BTW.
I sympathise with you mate because I like levers but there is no getting round it; they can't be trusted in the cheaper price ranges. Marlin Owners has a forum on Henrys too.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Lumbajak » 06 Jan 2018, 8:03 pm

God father has a blr in 308 and its great but I prefer my 7600 carbine with 16inch barrel and 10 shot mag. Got a 1-4 vxr hog scope on top with Burris PEPR scope mount which allows you to look through and use the factory Wilson Combat ghost rings that come from factory.
Depends what your comfy with lever or pump - I find lever a little easier to stay on target.
And a note on the rem pumps the older ones are usually more reliable and the 10 round mags can be hit or miss depend on supplier ie kkk or wild dog.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Browning » 06 Jan 2018, 8:24 pm

How tight is the scrub you’re chasing pigs in? If it’s thick and close up, perhaps a shotty is the go?
We chase em in really thick lime bush and lignum and I use a and Adler. I know they’re cheap but mine has been faultless in the last 18 months and I’m far from easy on it.
I wouldn’t be in the thick stuff with anything else. For sights, I use something a little different called a “redring”. It’s a specialist red ring for shotties. Awesome bit of kit. And don’t worry bout battery life on sights. My aim point and redring last for bloody ages!! I always carry a spare battery on me but I change them once a year regardless and I’ve never run out in the field.
I used to own a BLR .308 and it was silky smooth. If you’re after a center fire in a lever, I reckon you couldn’t go past one.
Having said that, mate of mine uses a remmy pump in 308 and it’s like an extension of his arm.
I know it’s cliched but it comes down to personal preference.
I’m only ever in really thick stuff (shotty) or on the back of the ute (22-250) so choice is easy.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Baronvonrort » 06 Jan 2018, 11:30 pm

Remington 7600 just to piss off the antis, I guess the idiocy over the adler means lever actions also piss them off.

Aimpoint or EoTech are really good for closer range stuff
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by MontyShooter » 07 Jan 2018, 6:57 am

I've got a BLR pistol grip in 308.
Until this week it's had a red dot on it for two eyes open.
It now has a scope for some range fun.
It cycles great, is reasonably lightweight, and is cheap to run. Recoil gives you a decent wack with the bigger pills.

The two negatives I can think of are price, and the gloss finish doesn't lend itself to being a great scrub gun.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by marksman » 07 Jan 2018, 8:28 am

+1 for the blr 308
I owned a blr 30-06 and found the throw of the lever on my shoulder a bit long
I recon the 30-30 winchester is a look in as well being so light and with 150gr/170gr pills thumps good enough
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by in2anity » 07 Jan 2018, 9:38 am

I mainly hunt in steep, semi-cleared country for pest control purposes. Distances extend out to 250m across valleys but mostly shots are in nice and close in brush. I have a Marlin 30/30 which is just perfect for this; loaded up hot with a fancy hunting projectile it wrecks truly medium-sized game (like pigs and deer). But in fact I mostly run a moderate lead load for improved accuracy - it's a 2 minute rifle with this load. FWIW reduced loads are 1) easier on rifle 2) easier on the brass 3) easier on the shooter 4) projectiles don't need to be expensive 5) more accurate (potentially)

With this load I feel confident attempting 200m shots on smaller game like roos and goats (which is the vast majority of pests at that location). The catch is you gotta be super across your trajectories; I have quick adjustment knobs on my sights which I pretty much tweak for every shot, and I carry a little range finder around my neck to help me estimate those longer distances.

I run a .093" aperture with a fine blade - I love shooting with irons because of the reduced overall weight and bulk. I also have a ching sling on it which allows me to quickly adopt a stabilized position for the longer shots. I can without a doubt say it's my favorite no frills hunting setup; I can carry it in one hand for literally hours at a time.

Now in saying all of that, I have run a scope on it in the past. Indeed a low-power scope makes hunting significantly easier, but it comes at the cost of added weight and bulk (well, at least my old scopes are heavy!). I've never tried a red-dot or holo - I bet they are pretty kick-arse :o !

TLDR: +1 for the 30/30 lever, just don't expect moa accuracy.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by SHV » 07 Jan 2018, 10:20 am

BLR 308 +1
The only negative thing is ammo capacity 4+1

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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by in2anity » 07 Jan 2018, 11:04 am

Another plus for the BLR is it takes any 30cal projectile which means you have a TON of options when it comes handloading. Not to mention 308 reloading gear/brass is cheap and plentiful - I just raid the brass bins for all my 308 brass!
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Sus_scrofa » 07 Jan 2018, 5:49 pm

Get both, I did. Usually for motor biking the river on the farm chasing boars and mobs.
1) Ruger 96/44mag. 4 shot detachable mag. Open sights. Never lets me down. 2 spare mags and a 50pk of ammo in a bum bag.
2) Remington 7600 35 whelen carbine. 4 shot mag and 2x 10 shot mags & 4-16x40 bushnell, helps me cull 2 pigs with 1 shot if they cue up in the crosshairs right.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by snag » 07 Jan 2018, 9:44 pm

Winnie '94 30/30. There simply is no other choice.
The pen may be mightier than the sword, but personally I prefer the .30/30 Winchester.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Archie » 08 Jan 2018, 9:24 am

Thanks for that guys, lots of ideas to chew over.. sounds like on balance more votes for lever than pump.

Austac, I kind of like the idea of a 45-70, the only thing is, I'm a recoil wuss. I do not enjoy shooting 300 win mag, so when I looked up 45-70 on the recoil table...

Will let you know what I land on.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by marksman » 08 Jan 2018, 9:41 am

I forgot to say why the lever,
I have seen the rem 7600 pumps open as they were fired and dont consider it safe
although when I asked my gunsmith about it he said it would probably be ok as long as the case did not change shape after firing
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Wm.Traynor » 08 Jan 2018, 10:28 am

marksman wrote:I forgot to say why the lever,
I have seen the rem 7600 pumps open as they were fired and dont consider it safe
although when I asked my gunsmith about it he said it would probably be ok as long as the case did not change shape after firing


Mine is one of those that opens. Consensus on another forum was to ignore it. Cases are ok; just don't pick one up in a hurry....................they're hot :o :oops:
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by bladeracer » 08 Jan 2018, 10:33 am

Wm.Traynor wrote:
marksman wrote:I forgot to say why the lever,
I have seen the rem 7600 pumps open as they were fired and dont consider it safe
although when I asked my gunsmith about it he said it would probably be ok as long as the case did not change shape after firing


Mine is one of those that opens. Consensus on another forum was to ignore it. Cases are ok; just don't pick one up in a hurry....................they're hot :o :oops:


Surely they're designed to open as soon as you pull the trigger?
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by marksman » 08 Jan 2018, 10:53 am

not supposed to open until you disengage by pulling forearm back :thumbsdown:
I have seen one that flicked the empty out after firing like it was a semi auto, not cool :thumbsdown:
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by sungazer » 08 Jan 2018, 12:16 pm

If its capable of flicking one out, "oh sorry light just went on not magazine" wouldn't it reload aka semi. Convert it to mag fed and see how it goes?
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by bladeracer » 08 Jan 2018, 12:41 pm

marksman wrote:not supposed to open until you disengage by pulling forearm back :thumbsdown:
I have seen one that flicked the empty out after firing like it was a semi auto, not cool :thumbsdown:


I haven't used a centrefire pump rifle but with shotguns I pull the gun into my shoulder with the left hand so as soon as you pull the trigger and the action unlocks, it cycles immediately. Then recoil closes it and you fire again, very quickly.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Lumbajak » 08 Jan 2018, 2:33 pm

I would say that the pump that allowed the receiver to open was one of the later batches that were known to be faulty. Mine has been faultless over many hard dusty dirty hunts.
Have a look at shv’s blr mag fed lever. Looks like a cracker
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by GLS_1956 » 08 Jan 2018, 8:42 pm

A lever gun in 45/70 or 444 Marlin is punishing to shoot. A Marlin 336 in 30/30 is comfortable.
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by marksman » 08 Jan 2018, 10:35 pm

Lumbajak wrote:I would say that the pump that allowed the receiver to open was one of the later batches that were known to be faulty. Mine has been faultless over many hard dusty dirty hunts.


you could be right as not all do it :unknown:
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by bigrich » 10 Jan 2018, 8:06 pm

hey archie, until recently i owned a marlin 336 30-30. a fairly new one, the older JM marked rifles are supposed to be better. i tried a 4x scope with mounts on it and decided it weighed about the same as my mod 70 scoped winchester. not what i bought a lever for. traded it on a 1974 '94 30-30 winchester. much lighter ,quicker to point as well. i like the factory iron sights better and can shoot quick 3" groups at 50 yards standing.good enough for pigs. any country with longer shots i would take a bolt gun. have a mate with williams peeps on his that would help accuracy. actually 303 sporters can be a good scrub gun as they are very quick to cycle. just my two cents.....
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Re: Opinions... lever vs pump

Post by Max30wcf » 19 Jan 2018, 9:51 pm

30-30 Win 94 all the way. Handling, weight, light recoil, real world hunting track record with the good ol 150-170 gr round nose thumpers at a velocity that kills well yet isn't overly loud. The list goes on..no comparison to a pump center fire IMO.
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