What do you use for deer?

[georgeky]

Hi guys, I am new here, and just wondering if any of you use lever guns for deer hunting. I have various bolt and a couple semi auto's but just rather tote a lever gun myself. I am partial to Marlins and iron sights. I took a fair 6X6 bull elk in Colorado with a levergun in .375 Win. Killed a 420 pound black bear on Potts MT, VA with a 30-30, and have killed scores of KY whitetails with them Let's see those deer rifles. Here is a few of mine.

Top to bottom is Marlin 336 Cowboy 38-55, 1894 Cowboy .45 Colt, Whoops a squirrel rifle sneaked in. 39A .22, 1894 .44 mag, and last is a 30TK 30-30

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0553.jpg

Next is a pair of 336 Texans. First one on left is a 1971 336 Texan in .35 Rem, then 1971 336T SRC in 30-30, and last is a 1974 336C in 30-30 that I have set up as my varmint rifle. Shoot 110 grain pointed bullets in it. Only load two at a time in the rifle for safety reasons. One in the chamber, and one up the tube. As you can see I love lever guns.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0670.jpg

I just found the modern firearms forum so, management feel free to move this thread if you like. Thanks, George.

[EKY.MTN.HUNTER]

When you return to this deer section and can't find the thread you started it will more than likely have been moved to the modern gun section of this forum....Welcome aboard.;) P.S. Ill post my lever action pic tommorrow when I have my cam around.

[Georgia Transplant]

nice collection! I have a Browning BLR .308 that I use half the time and a Browning BAR 30.06 the other.

[georgeky]

Sorry about that. If you notice I did finally see the firearms forum and mentioned that someone should move it. Thanks for the welcome.

[EKY.MTN.HUNTER]

Sorry about that. If you notice I did finally see the firearms forum and mentioned that someone should move it. Thanks for the welcome.

Hey bud, Im no mod, but these guys work fast around here, just tryin to help you out. Very nice collection by the way.

[georgeky]

I thought I had seen all the forums but somehow missed the modern firearms forum or I would have put it there to start with. No big deal. The mods can leave it or move it. I will be watching for a pic of your lever gun/s.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

I'm a lever-lover too, but my collection isn't anywhere near as nice as yours. I've used a Marlin 336CS in .35 Reminton exclusively for about 20 years now for deer and I pack a Henry H001 .22 lever in the squirrel woods most of the time.

[georgeky]

I am a newbie to the 35 Rem. Just recently got the 336T. Lots of folks use them, I just never had one before. I hope to blood it this fall. I have been using the 45 Cowboy lately with souped up loads in it. It was quite surprising how well it shoots and kills. I have used 30-30, and the 44 mags more than most of them. I did kill a nice buck last year with the 38-55 at 164 long steps using a Lyman peep sight.

Just nice to know that folks are still using them. Ole boys(bolt guys) around here pick at my obsolete rifles, but I fill my tags every year with them. Had one guy at the store a couple years ago that hadn't even seen a deer yet tell me that I needed something to hunt with and I already had my first one hanging in the barn. He saw my 30TK laying on the dash and just had to make fun of it. Some of them never kill a deer but they have nice high dollar rifles and plenty gadgets.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Don't get me wrong - I have a nice bolt 30-06 too, but that ol' .35 just seems to be the perfect woods-packin', iron-sighted, deer-slammin' rifle for me. I've never lost a deer with it and they've never gone more than 30 yards. On top of that, it doesn't blow the shoulder to smithereens like the '06 does either.

I put a Williams peep on mine a couple of years back. It was my first deer rifle and still my favorite, especially with the new Hornady Leverevolution rounds or the trusty ol' Remington Cor-Lokt 200 grainers.

[buckkiller08]

very nice i like lever guns also.. my father has a couple of them...

[BadDuck]

DANG.......Nice Collection of Lever guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ptbrauch]

I'm surprise anyone would make fun of someone with a lever action. I'd almost be willing to bet that if a .30-30 lever action rifle isn't the most used gun during deer season in Ky, it's got to be #2.

Last season I went to the range before deer season and the guys shooting lever actions greatly outnumbered the bolt actions while I was there.

[georgeky]

Maybe I don't get out enough. I don't go to ranges even though there is one just a mile from me. I kinda have my own range here on the farm. Lots of folks here hunt but very few tote a lever gun. My uncle uses a BLR in 243, and one neighbor uses a Marlin 444, but most everyone else around uses bolt guns. Some just think the old lever gun design is outdated, and is only good for 50 yard shooting. Myself I think they are real piece of good old American know how and tradition.

Dad got all this started when I was 13. He bought me a new 336C 30-30 for Christmas. Been addicted to levers ever since. Marlin has a new flat shooting long range caliber out now. The 308 Marlin express. Not the same as the 308 Win but shoots almost the same ballistics. Hornady designed the round with those Leverevolution soft tips and it is performing very well. Now you can get a true 300+ yard lever action hunting rifle. I have one in lay a way so soon I hope to have it home. Can get them in blue/walnut or SS/lam. Got to do my part to keep an American company in business by buying all of them I can afford. Would hate to see Marlin go the way Winchester did.

I do know the 30-30 is still among the top deer killers in this country. The 30-30 is a fine black bear/feral hog round too. Just don't have many feral hogs or bears in this part of KY. I read where the sale of 30-06 ammo finally surpassed 30-30 sales last year in something.

[Auk1124]

Wow, nice collection. I've never been a lever fan but your rifles make me want a Marlin.

[trust me]

Wow, nice collection. I've never been a lever fan but your rifles make me want a Marlin.

Seeing them makes you want one, shooting them makes you need one.

One of those guns has better-than-average wood. Most Marlins have the straight grain walnut but that one looks purty.

[georgeky]

trust me, 3 or 4 of that bunch has better looking wood than normal. Just can't really see it in the pics.

Everyone should have a lever gun or 3 or 4. They will surprise you at their accuracy. Some of them will group better at 100 yards than my 700 Rem's do. Several will shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards or less on a good day. Once you learn to shoot them you can do most any type of hunting with them. Most of my hunting shots are less than 100 yards, but I have taken a couple deer at 200 or a bit better.

The 38-55 will group 3 inch groups at an even 200 with peeps when you get the trajectory figured out. Lots of folks shoot them in long range events up to 600 yards. The old 38-55 was designed as a long range target caliber in the late 1800's.

[ptbrauch]

They guys I saw at the range were sighting them in at 100 yards.

[MikeKy]

I've got three lever guns. Two Savage Model 99's and one Marlin 1895 CB. The 99's are in .300 Savage and .250-3000 Savage and are real shooters. The Marlin is in .45-70 and will cloverleaf a three shot group at 100 yds with HOT 300 gr HP handloads. Can't shoot it over three times without turning black and blue all over. I use them on deer but my favorite for deer is my trusty old Rem 742 in .30-06.

[georgeky]

MikeKy, I like those Savage 99's too. You have a couple in great calibers there. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to get one or two. Gramps had one in 30-30 and he thought it was the cats meow.

[260.rem]

I use a 220 swift, 260 rem, 300 win mag in rifles and a 44 mag and 454 casull in pistol. All of them Rugers. I just wish the 260 would pick up in popularity. Great round but hard to find ammo or even brass for it.

[georgeky]

I know just what you mean. I have a Rem model 7 in 260 and finding ammo can be a challenge. Don't have that trouble with the 30-30 though.

[Bystandah]

I'm going to be deer hunting for the first time this year and my choice rifle is a Mosin Nagant M91/30 with 4x scout scope(pistol scope). I was just wondering if anyone else on here has hunted with a Mosin and what you think of it's capabilities?

[headoftheholler]

Hi guys, I am new here, and just wondering if any of you use lever guns for deer hunting. I have various bolt and a couple semi auto's but just rather tote a lever gun myself. I am partial to Marlins and iron sights. I took a fair 6X6 bull elk in Colorado with a levergun in .375 Win. Killed a 420 pound black bear on Potts MT, VA with a 30-30, and have killed scores of KY whitetails with them Let's see those deer rifles. Here is a few of mine.

Top to bottom is Marlin 336 Cowboy 38-55, 1894 Cowboy .45 Colt, Whoops a squirrel rifle sneaked in. 39A .22, 1894 .44 mag, and last is a 30TK 30-30

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0553.jpg

Next is a pair of 336 Texans. First one on left is a 1971 336 Texan in .35 Rem, then 1971 336T SRC in 30-30, and last is a 1974 336C in 30-30 that I have set up as my varmint rifle. Shoot 110 grain pointed bullets in it. Only load two at a time in the rifle for safety reasons. One in the chamber, and one up the tube. As you can see I love lever guns.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0670.jpg

I just found the modern firearms forum so, management feel free to move this thread if you like. Thanks, George.
I use an 1895 Guide gun (45-70)
Excellent rifles.

[georgeky]

Yep, I never had a guide gun, but do have a standard 1895, and the 1895 CB in 45-70. Tis a wicked old round.

[Georgia Transplant]

trust me, 3 or 4 of that bunch has better looking wood than normal. Just can't really see it in the pics.

Everyone should have a lever gun or 3 or 4. They will surprise you at their accuracy. Some of them will group better at 100 yards than my 700 Rem's do. Several will shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards or less on a good day. Once you learn to shoot them you can do most any type of hunting with them. Most of my hunting shots are less than 100 yards, but I have taken a couple deer at 200 or a bit better.

The 38-55 will group 3 inch groups at an even 200 with peeps when you get the trajectory figured out. Lots of folks shoot them in long range events up to 600 yards. The old 38-55 was designed as a long range target caliber in the late 1800's.

At 200 yards how far above the top of the shoulder do you have to hold with 150 grain 30/30 factory loads?

[Georgia Transplant]

I know just what you mean. I have a Rem model 7 in 260 and finding ammo can be a challenge. Don't have that trouble with the 30-30 though.

Thats why I bought a 30.06 and a .308 which are standard calibers. I figured if I could'nt buy ammo at the local Walmart then I needed one I could.

[georgeky]

Zeroed in at 100 yards my 30-30 with 150's will shoot 6 to 7 inches low at 200. This is with my hand loads at a bit over 2300 fps. I haven't shot factory ammo in quite a while. I do have some that I have bought when on sale, but still shooting hand loads. I am working on a 110 grain PSP load now. I have it pushing 2700+ fps. Groups less than an inch at 100 yards. Haven't tried it on 200 yard targets yet.

The iron sighted rifle I hunt with has a tang sight that is marked for 200 yard shots so I just hold in the heart/lung area on them. Helps cut down on the guessing as to how high to hold above POI. It varies quite a bit with different loads though, so I use the same load in this rifle all the time.

I bought the model 7 in 260 to complete the set. At the time the model 7 was only available in .223, .243, 260, 7mm-08, and 308. I bought the 243 from a buddy used, and liked it so well I bought the other 4 calibers. Got the .223, 7mm-08, and 308 at a gun show in Heritage Hall, and found the .260 in a gun shop in Morehead, KY a year later. I think the 7 is made in more calibers now, but not sure about that.