Lever action
- Thread starter SimpleSimon
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Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Hm! Time for me to scope up my .35 Rem Contender 14 incher to try out, it had a pistol scope on it years ago when I took a pronghorn now it is without any optics mounted and is just cabinet queening.
LeftHandGuy
Well-Known Member
That deserves a picture or two! If I had to guess, a Win94. What type of open sights are you using?
LeftHandGuy
Well-Known Member
Nice... Do you know how old it is?
TheEngineer
Well-Known Member
The Browning BLR appears on the Browning North America site but not the Europe site. Have they stopped marketing/ selling them here?
Spear Chucker
Well-Known Member
I had the same itch. Winchester model 94 take down in .450 marlin. Love it. You need the leverevolution rounds to get you over the ME hurdle, but what a walloping rifle. Beautifully made. If you run out of ammo in the zombie apocalypse, you could club them to death.
Seriously, straight out of the box, zeiss 2-8x52 sight and I am getting 1"groups at 100yds. In my woodland it is rare for me to shoot at more than 80 yds but I am happy to shoot out to 150yds. The rounds are pricey but I don't use that many. I tend to use it in working hours so the roar isn't a problem. Weekends and early am I use a moderated rifle.
I also have a ruger m77 stutzen in .308. Love them both. I would be pushed to choose between them and love having a really good bit of characterful craftsmanship to use.
European mfrs have the edge for bolt action I am sure, but the Americans build a great rifle and have great calibres. If your circumstances, land and field craft allow it, you won't regret it.
How did I do?
Spear Chucker
Well-Known Member
Interesting to see how you get on. I did exactly the same with my winchester 94. Chuffed to bits with the Skinner sights. I practised and practised in an effort to be consistent in terms of shot placement. While I became reasonably proficient, I felt I was denying myself 50% of the gun's utility. I also was concerned about the ability to place a round on live quarry reliably at 80 yards in woodland light. I ended up putting a 2-8 x 32 scope on and haven't looked back. Having converted, I was astounded (and delighted) by the accuracy of the rifle. At 100 yards i will consistently get groups of an inch or less. Just great fun to use.
drone
Well-Known Member
I have a win 94 30/30, 1958 version. I've fitted it out with a weaver side mount base and mounted a cheap chinese 1x4 IR scope on it. I did it as my eyesight isn't as good as it once was. It's accurate enough for me and I used it for everything, 100 grain speer plinkers up to 190 grain hardcast boolits but then I bought a rossi R92 in 357 for a fun gun it beats the 94 hands down, just as accurate, currently using 158 TC boolits and 158 Lee TL swc I'm not quite sure which one it likes best, doesn't matter though, I bought a BLR 81.
This old gun (1982) in 308 will do everything the other two will, 120 grain 32 cal pistol boolits with a pinch of universal, 150 grain lee 312 2r cast, 165 grain speer btsp, 150 grn fmjs and 178 grain hardcast FP gc boolits, like all the cast boolits I size them 309 and they are so accurate. I also used Hornady 110grn CX which shoot like a laser but the noise out of a 20" barrel even through earmuffs and plugs and me deaf as a post is intolerable, the jacketed bullets also tend to be too noisy but the cast at around 1800 - 2000 fps are the Goldilocks solution.
I see several forumites have denigrated both the Rossi for falling to bits and the BLR for going out of time. BS of the first water probably picked up from a US forum or from someone who shouldn't have owned the gun in the first place. My browning is hard used but the barrel looks new inside, if I have a criticism it's the leade is too short and cast bullets heavier than 178 grn foul the rifling making closing of the lever sticky but not unacceptable.
Another criticism I have is that since I've bought it and developed loads for it I don't use the other two.
First pic shows the win94 with the weaver mounts and chinese scope fitted, then next I tried it with a vortex reddot but astigmatism saw that off but the stainless one is my Rossi and finally the BLR with a Zeiss diavari 1.5x6 fastened to it with Talley single piece mounts.
This old gun (1982) in 308 will do everything the other two will, 120 grain 32 cal pistol boolits with a pinch of universal, 150 grain lee 312 2r cast, 165 grain speer btsp, 150 grn fmjs and 178 grain hardcast FP gc boolits, like all the cast boolits I size them 309 and they are so accurate. I also used Hornady 110grn CX which shoot like a laser but the noise out of a 20" barrel even through earmuffs and plugs and me deaf as a post is intolerable, the jacketed bullets also tend to be too noisy but the cast at around 1800 - 2000 fps are the Goldilocks solution.
I see several forumites have denigrated both the Rossi for falling to bits and the BLR for going out of time. BS of the first water probably picked up from a US forum or from someone who shouldn't have owned the gun in the first place. My browning is hard used but the barrel looks new inside, if I have a criticism it's the leade is too short and cast bullets heavier than 178 grn foul the rifling making closing of the lever sticky but not unacceptable.
Another criticism I have is that since I've bought it and developed loads for it I don't use the other two.
First pic shows the win94 with the weaver mounts and chinese scope fitted, then next I tried it with a vortex reddot but astigmatism saw that off but the stainless one is my Rossi and finally the BLR with a Zeiss diavari 1.5x6 fastened to it with Talley single piece mounts.
Well gentlemen, since I started this thread it's only fair that I give an update.
I'm taking a slightly different course now, much as my heart still wants a new Marlin SBL in 45-70, my head has suggested that probably isn't as good an idea as I'd like. For starters, factory 45-70 ammo isn't easily come by around here, and it's costly. Reloading could be an option, but then components aren't that easy to get hold of either. Not to mention the issue of "overkill" on the average munty or roe doe. I obtained a variation last year for both 45-70 and 44 mag. The 44 mag is obviously a less suitable deer round, at least according to the law, but it would still be a fun gun to have for plinking. I've had a few goes with a marlin firing 38 special and that's incredibly addictive fun, so I would very much still like to get a 44 lever gun for playing with at the range and possibly taking the odd munty, fox, etc.
BUT!!!!
I haven't given up on my desire for a small, nice-to-carry, easy handling rifle for the woods. As such, I've now got my eye on a Bergara BA13 takedown single shot. It has the advantage of coming in nice common calibres and can be more easily moderated (I'm looking at the Freyr and Devic lightweight mods, adding very little to the weight and still coming shorter than most rifles with no mod...)
So, sorry for leaving the big bore club before I'd even joined it. But I'm still in the slightly quirky club
I'm taking a slightly different course now, much as my heart still wants a new Marlin SBL in 45-70, my head has suggested that probably isn't as good an idea as I'd like. For starters, factory 45-70 ammo isn't easily come by around here, and it's costly. Reloading could be an option, but then components aren't that easy to get hold of either. Not to mention the issue of "overkill" on the average munty or roe doe. I obtained a variation last year for both 45-70 and 44 mag. The 44 mag is obviously a less suitable deer round, at least according to the law, but it would still be a fun gun to have for plinking. I've had a few goes with a marlin firing 38 special and that's incredibly addictive fun, so I would very much still like to get a 44 lever gun for playing with at the range and possibly taking the odd munty, fox, etc.
BUT!!!!
I haven't given up on my desire for a small, nice-to-carry, easy handling rifle for the woods. As such, I've now got my eye on a Bergara BA13 takedown single shot. It has the advantage of coming in nice common calibres and can be more easily moderated (I'm looking at the Freyr and Devic lightweight mods, adding very little to the weight and still coming shorter than most rifles with no mod...)
So, sorry for leaving the big bore club before I'd even joined it. But I'm still in the slightly quirky club
Subconsciously I've also talked myself into two new rifles instead of just one. Couldn't really have justified two lever actions, but now I can get a 44 lever action, a BA13, and keep my bolt action Tikka. Three totally different rifles
I've just seen the new Marlin lineup now includes the 1894 SBL. I'd better pick up some overtime...
drone
Well-Known Member
If you want quirk, try one of these Ruger no.3s. Mine's in 223 which is muntjacable nice and accurate, not a lot of recoil and short and handy. Take the scope off and it's still easy and capable of shooting the dsc competence test. Ammo is cheap and plentiful. If you want larger it's available in 45/70 but they are all second hand nowadays and folks tend to hang onto them.
HistoricBore
Well-Known Member
clever photo...
Morkai
Well-Known Member
Well gentlemen, since I started this thread it's only fair that I give an update.
I'm taking a slightly different course now, much as my heart still wants a new Marlin SBL in 45-70, my head has suggested that probably isn't as good an idea as I'd like. For starters, factory 45-70 ammo isn't easily come by around here, and it's costly. Reloading could be an option, but then components aren't that easy to get hold of either. Not to mention the issue of "overkill" on the average munty or roe doe. I obtained a variation last year for both 45-70 and 44 mag. The 44 mag is obviously a less suitable deer round, at least according to the law, but it would still be a fun gun to have for plinking. I've had a few goes with a marlin firing 38 special and that's incredibly addictive fun, so I would very much still like to get a 44 lever gun for playing with at the range and possibly taking the odd munty, fox, etc.
BUT!!!!
I haven't given up on my desire for a small, nice-to-carry, easy handling rifle for the woods. As such, I've now got my eye on a Bergara BA13 takedown single shot. It has the advantage of coming in nice common calibres and can be more easily moderated (I'm looking at the Freyr and Devic lightweight mods, adding very little to the weight and still coming shorter than most rifles with no mod...)
So, sorry for leaving the big bore club before I'd even joined it. But I'm still in the slightly quirky club
Get the 45-70, bang some S&B ammo through it, cheap enough off the shelf, under £2 a pop.
alberta boy
Well-Known Member
I've heard the same things here about the BLR and the Rossi . I've owned and used both a lot over the years , including one BLR in 358W that had a few thousand full house loads run through it . I can honestly say , I've never had a problem with any of them , very reliable rifles . There's a lot of them kicking around these parts and I've never heard of a problem from a large number of owners either . Nice selection of levers brother .
AB
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I think the none issue with BLR comes from internet lore, false lore.
On taking the BLR apart and rebuild, timing the rack and pinion system is important as it won't work if a tooth out either way.
To some this simple task is beyond them and they lose patience and blame the rifle on line.
This then turns , over time, into something like BLR rifles can go out of time!!
Nonsense. They can not do it by themselves, an idiot is involved somewhere!
On taking the BLR apart and rebuild, timing the rack and pinion system is important as it won't work if a tooth out either way.
To some this simple task is beyond them and they lose patience and blame the rifle on line.
This then turns , over time, into something like BLR rifles can go out of time!!
Nonsense. They can not do it by themselves, an idiot is involved somewhere!
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