underlevers

Spoony

Well-Known Member
Always wanted one even if just for the range anyone recommend one and a good calibre, also would one be OK for fox, (woodland) if so which Cal, tia
 
I have a Browning BLR 81 in .308win with a 4 round box mag under lever that i use for deer , fox, wildboar and also a .444 marlin which i use for deer, fox and wildboar and the odd rabbit.:lol:
Both are great guns for gods chosen men ( left handers)
Bob
 
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dodgyrog do you have good results with cast bullets in marlin as i read that they do not like the mico/rifling that is used in their barrels have shot a winchester but like the marlin because of the scope mounting receiver.thanks ps 30/30:D
 
Levers are far more common in Europe than here, and it is (in many ways) strange to understand since they can do some roles very well.

I have to confess that the first time I was given one in France to shoot, I was slightly embarassed because all the westerns I had loved as a kid had led me to think of lever guns as not really serious and I do take shooting very seriously. However, I found it to be a very good gun and have happily used them with some success since. They are particularly good in woodland with a shortish barrel.

For choice, I would go for a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem with 200gr for boar and accept that it was a bit OTT for fox. The 35 Rem seems to have a good thump that really slows things down whilst still having a controllable recoil for a follow up shot (and looks nostalgic in this world of big case little bullet cartridges) - however, I'm not sure how easy it is to get in the UK. 30-30 is OK and I think you can go down to 125gr if you wanted.

The Browning BLR's are good too and I have been told that because of how the bolt locks, they are supposed to be (at least theoretically) more accurate.
 
discovery, the microgroove rifling in Marlins actually works very well with cast bullets, possibly better than the ballard rifling which is supposed to be better.
With regard to a suitable calibre for fox, I know a couple of guys who use a .357 for fox to very good effect.
 
discovery, the microgroove rifling in Marlins actually works very well with cast bullets, possibly better than the ballard rifling which is supposed to be better.
With regard to a suitable calibre for fox, I know a couple of guys who use a .357 for fox to very good effect.

I have had very good luck with hard bullets and microgroove rifling, but less so with the softer alloys. This has never presented a problem as I shoot hard bullets at almost everything when launched over smokeless powder. That said, in my experiences the Ballard rifling is generally superior for all alloy types.~Muir
 
Muir it's hard cast bullets that we use. I can only speak with regard to two older Marlin rifles that I or my club have owned. I was very sceptical of the microgroove rifling but actually both rifles turned out to be very accurate, in fact giving better results than the more modern Marlins with ballard rifling. It must be born in mind though that there are a number of variables and that we only shoot these substitute pistols at short range (up to 50m). It could just be that the loads that we were using are better suited to this type of rifling. At longer ranges the deep cut ballard may come into it's own. I certainly wouldn't avoid microgroove rifling though I wouldn't go out of my way to obtain it either.
 
dodgyrog do you have good results with cast bullets in marlin as i read that they do not like the mico/rifling that is used in their barrels have shot a winchester but like the marlin because of the scope mounting receiver.thanks ps 30/30:D
The Marlin's I own all shoot well with cast boolits. The right boolit fit makes for an accurate round.
Interestingly, I bought an NOE mould only yesterday for the 170gr flat nose to go in the 30-30 and my 30-06. The size (diameter) is a better fit than the Lyman version.
The Marlin leading problem and accuracy issue doesn't affect my 3 Marlins.
 
Muir it's hard cast bullets that we use. I can only speak with regard to two older Marlin rifles that I or my club have owned. I was very sceptical of the microgroove rifling but actually both rifles turned out to be very accurate, in fact giving better results than the more modern Marlins with ballard rifling. It must be born in mind though that there are a number of variables and that we only shoot these substitute pistols at short range (up to 50m). It could just be that the loads that we were using are better suited to this type of rifling. At longer ranges the deep cut ballard may come into it's own. I certainly wouldn't avoid microgroove rifling though I wouldn't go out of my way to obtain it either.

My experiences with the Micro Groove have been in 30-30, 32 WInchester Special, and believe it or not, 243. (The latter was a wash even with jacketed bullets so I didn't bother with cast.) The former two worked well with hard bullets (heat treated) weighing 160 - 170 grains at full power but performed less well with softer alloys used in my 32-40 and 30-30 bench gun. Since "Ballard Cut" simply means "standard land and groove rifling", and I have had no problems with guns rifled this way that I can attribute to rifling form, I assumed that the microgroove rifling was the culprit. For that reason alone, I tend to avoid microgroove barrels.

I was in The Big City this past weekend and in a pawn shop there was a beautiful, Model 36/336 transitional model on the shelf. This rifle was a 30-30, had a 24" barrel and a half magazine (no barrel bands) and 6 groove rifling. It was old enough to have the tang factory drilled for a tang sight as well as a receiver sight. Unfortunately, the butt stock has the toe smashed off. The price was $375 US and I was sorely tempted. I have the same gun in 32 Winchester and it is elegant, accurate, and a pleasure to shoot. I wanted this one but had just dropped my mad money on a .270. Pity.~Muir
 
During the last foot and mouth epidemic two local stalkers were recruited to cull cattle. They both used lever action 30-30's. They dropped cattle on the spot!

But I prefer Finn's idea ;)

Simon
 
Not that I'm aware of. I handled one in a shop some years ago. It was a .243, so it would have been a good fox and deer rifle.
 
Argh, temptation! I shot one years ago and always thought I'd get my own some day. Unfortunately, Mrs Knottaclu has some unreasonable idea about a conservatory at the moment.
 
I have a marlin 30-30 I use for woodland stalking with a 1-4 power scope. It will group 1" at 100 yrds with the new Hornady leverevolution ammo and works a treat on muntjac and fallow!!

Cheers
OT
 
cheers for the info, the two calibres I have narrowed it down to are the 30/30 and. 357 although swaying towards the. 357
 
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