Above: Turnbull-finished Marlin 1895CB in .45-70 Gov’t

Like Us, Guest Author Scott Severson Loves Hunting with Lever Guns

By Scott Severson, HuntTested.com
Lever-action rifles are more popular than ever and it’s with good reason. Some designs simply cannot be improved on with time. Hunters of course have known this for over 150 years. Lever guns are fast handling, easy to carry, accurate, and aesthetically the nicest-looking rifle you can own. If you’re considering hunting with a lever-action rifle, the question is, what caliber do you choose? For your consideration, here are my top three choices for lever-action calibers for hunting.

First things first. I am well aware that any discussion of which caliber is “best” is an invitation for passionate debate. Before you tell me my recommendations are crazy, understand that I had some very simple criteria that each round had to meet. First, it had to be commonly available. You may argue the .50-110 Winchester is the best lever gun caliber of all time, while it’s an amazing round and super popular with hand loaders, you’re going to have a heck of a time finding it in any sporting goods store. My second criteria is versatility. If you only have one lever gun that you hunt with, it should serve you for a variety of game. With that out of the way, let’s look at my top three recommendations.

.44 Magnum

The .44 Magnum is my first choice for a lever gun hunting round. Original lever guns like the first Henry rifles and the 1873 Winchester were chambered in pistol calibers like the .44-40. It made a lot of sense at the time as you only had to carry one type of ammo in your cartridge belt for your revolver and your rifle. Firing a pistol round through a longer rifle barrel significantly aided the round in velocity and hunting effectiveness.

My hunting partner, Al, hunts deer on our hunting lease in Iowa with a .44-magnum caliber rifle. It is a great little gun to carry through the thick woods and ravines of southern Iowa where our shot opportunities are mostly within 75 yards and it’s certainly “enough gun” for whitetails.

Lever guns chambered for the .44 Magnum, (and other pistol calibers for that matter) typically offer higher magazine capacity than traditional rifle cartridges. So if you want a fast-handling deer rifle that can hold 10 rounds, you might consider a .44 Magnum lever gun.

Benefits of the .44 Magnum in a Lever Gun for Hunters

• Low recoil – this is a great round for a young or recoil-sensitive hunter
• Greater magazine capacity
• Ammo is typically less expensive than traditional rifle calibers
• You can also shoot even less expensive .44 Special ammo for target practice
• A bonus if you already have a .44 magnum revolver

.44 Magnum Lever-Action Applications

• Close-range deer-sized game and hogs

Favorite Lever-Action Rifles to Consider in .44 Magnum

• Marlin 1894
• Winchester 1892
• Henry Big Boy

Marlin vs Winchester

I’m a Winchester fan and have several Winchesters in the gun safe. But when it comes to lever guns, I will take the Marlin design every time.

For me, the Winchester wins on sheer aesthetics, but the easy takedown design for cleaning and the flat top receiver that allows for easy scope mounting make the Marlin rifle design the clear choice for me.

Related video: “Four Reasons I Love to Hunt with Lever Action Rifles“

What’s your favorite lever-action rifle for hunting? Feel free to comment below.

.45-70 Government

Here’s where things get interesting. The .45-70 Gov’t is the oldest cartridge of the bunch being introduced in 1873. But despite being long in the tooth, it’s wildly popular today, and a personal favorite.

One of the reasons for the current popularity is some states are now allowing straight-walled rifle cartridges like the .45-70 in deer hunting zones that are currently shotgun only. That’s the case where I hunt in Iowa. It makes sense as the .45-70 ballistics are only marginally better than a modern 12 gauge sabot slug fired through a rifled slug barrel. However, given the choice, I’ll take the .45-70 every time for its fast handling and ease of carry in the field.

Benefits of the .45-70 for Hunters

• An effective round for deer-sized and larger game
• A variety of ammo choices for different applications and it’s readily available
• Ability to use in shotgun-only zones in some states

.45-70 Applications

• Deer, Bear, Elk, Buffalo, T-Rex?

Favorite Rifle for the .45-70

• The Winchester 1886 is the quintessential rifle to own in .45-70
• A close second choice is the Marlin 1895

Historical Favorite Lever Gun Cartridges

Here are two bonus picks for your consideration. These did not make my list because ammo is not readily available. But if you’re willing to special order ammo, or reload, I would also consider the .348 Winchester and the .38-55 Winchester. These are two classic lever gun cartridges that used to be wildly popular but have largely fallen out of favor.

The .348 is interesting as only one gun was made for it. The Winchester Model 71. The 71 was made to replace the 1886 and has very similar lines. It was a very high-quality gun and expensive to manufacture. It ultimately lost the popularity contest to bolt guns and was discontinued in 1958. The .348 remains a powerful and versatile big game load.

The .38-55 Winchester is an interesting load as it was a precursor to the .30-.30. Technically, the .30-30 is a necked-down .38-55 cartridge. The .38-55 started as a black powder cartridge and later went on to be a smokeless round. It was very popular in the late 1800s with guns like the Marlin 1881. It was also an original chambering for the Winchester 94.

Lever Action Rounds for Hunting Final Thoughts

I may be partial, but I wholeheartedly believe that a high-quality lever action rifle is the ultimate choice for the majority of hunters. When it comes to hunting, you simply cannot go wrong with a lever gun chambered in any of these preferred rounds. Now, I’m curious, what’s your personal favorite lever action round for hunting?

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