Can you/do you hunt with your leverguns?

[runfiverun]

we usually have both types in the truck during deer and elk season.
we watch far but usually hunt the thick stuff and a rifle either bolt or lever is just too big.
so it is either the handgun or the carbine.
the last deer shot was with a revolver the one before that was the 45 carbine and the one before that was the bolt gun.
ironically the bolt gun was the closest shot of the three,
and the revolver the longest.

[Dave]

I love levers and they are ideal for my application. I hunt in woods or broken terrain and my shots range from 10 yards to 150 yards with a very occasional 200 yard long shot. The lever gun and the cartridges they use are a perfected system and very hard to beat for a hunting rifle. Here a few pics along with a gratuitous pic of my lovely bride of 14 years.

[505stevec]

I voted the first one, however I did not draw out for anything this year I might buy a private land Cow Elk permit for around $200 (maybe I can mount the ears ) I had intended to use one of my newly bought 45-70s. All gunned up and no where to go, bummer

[Griff]

For the last three years I've hunted exclusively with my levers. Prior to that they were always along as a back-up. Although they did get carried on occasion. Interestingly, a 94 Winchester .30-30 has always been my primary coyote gun since I first started hunting them in '74.

Now, I enjoy my all-too-infrequent forary out to the pre-dawn back-porch and a wounded-rabbit call.

[WCF3030]

Mostly, because of my hunting style and location. I'm not attached to levers , they just work for 99.9% of my hunting. I'm more attached to caliber.

[Old Savage]

Pretty woman! Very nice!

[99savage308]

Hunt with leverguns

Yes, I hunt with leverguns. I can go from 22lr, 250-3000 sav,30-30ww,300sav,308ww. The only other type action rifles I have are: M1 carbine semi-auto and Lee-Enfield 303 brit jungle carbine bolt action. Now, if I could get a lever action shotgun. Make it up as a turkey gun, hmmmmmmm that would be the ticket. Just a thought.
.

[6pt-sika]

For the last 3 or 4 years I'd say 90% of the deer I've killed have been taken with levers !

And out of the other 10% they were mostly popped with ML's .

I like hunting with bolt actions also . I just usually have a bunch of stuff I want to try every year and the old favorite bolt actions get pushed to the back so to speak !

[jerry b]

The Marlin .45 Colt CB will do everything I need in these woods. If the range is longer for some reason, this is where the "hunting" begins.
I have no real use for bolt rifles and such. Time to sell my last one.

[ceb]

Since most of us think of deer or larger game when we speak of hunting, being from Illinois I voted I can't hunt with a rifle. When it comes to the firearm deer season I must use shotguns, muzzleloaders or handgun. I haven't used a shotgun since '94 and that was for a special reason. I used the TC Renegade .54 I've owned since the 70s. More recently, since it became legal, a handgun. I'm also a longbow shooter and if I travel out of state, its always a bowhunt.

I can and do use my leverguns on small game and varmit. There is no caliber restrictions, so I can use anything from my .22s to .444 on anything from squirells to coyotes.

[41bear]

I have Marlins in 45/70 (2), 35 Rem., 41 Magnum, and 32/20. Won't hunt with anything else for the rest of my God given time. As for as reaching out there: "Practice, practice, practice."

[Tennessee Hayre]

I hunt with a 30-30 model 336, 45-70 1895G, bolt action 308, as well as a bolt action .300 Win Mag. I like um all....

[FWiedner]

When I hunt, I use a levergun.

Everything else is just shooting.

[mulegunner]

I have hunted over the years with a variety of bolts, pumps, shotguns, muzzleloaders....however for the past decade I have exclusively hunted using leverguns. With the exeption of a couple of "special bolt actions" I have traded off the rest and retained a levergun or two for hunting purposes. Range matters not to me....If I cant see it ...I sneek closer!

[243dave]

I was a bolt-snob for most of my life. A few years ago I had 45colt contender pistol, loved the cartridge, not the gun, just didn't seem like a pistol. Well, right after winchester announced they were going out of business I run across a 45 trapper used, it appeared unfired in the box, since I already had dies and bullets I gave the man $300 took it home and have been hooked since. Now I need a 30-30 and a 45-70. I don't hunt exclusively with that trapper but its leaning way more in its favor then my beloved 243 bolt. Matter of fact, I've only hunted with a bolt only once in the last 2 yrs. Maybe I'll end up being a lever-snob !!!

[t.r.]

Long range is not a problem with this .308 rifle. It helps when the buck is large - bigger target!

TR

[Nath]

Whats with the range thing? I don't mind how far I have to walk, crawl or drag my bellie to get the shot

Nath.

[Old Ironsights]

I was a bolt-snob for most of my life. A few years ago I had 45colt contender pistol, loved the cartridge, not the gun, just didn't seem like a pistol. Well, right after winchester announced they were going out of business I run across a 45 trapper used, it appeared unfired in the box, since I already had dies and bullets I gave the man $300 took it home and have been hooked since. Now I need a 30-30 and a 45-70. I don't hunt exclusively with that trapper but its leaning way more in its favor then my beloved 243 bolt. Matter of fact, I've only hunted with a bolt only once in the last 2 yrs. Maybe I'll end up being a lever-snob !!!

Get the .45-70 first. There's not much the .30-30 can do that the .45 Colt can't, and there's a LOT the .30-30 can't do that the .45-70 CAN.

[BigSky56]

Hobie
Ive used a 30 win since 65 for deer and elk and always have one under my leg when riding, the last few years the grizzlies are getting rear end deep but a 30/30 will geterdone for that too. Dark timber elk. danny

[PaulB]

I don't. My hunting is pretty utilitarian, just deer lately. When it comes time to select which of my (too) many guns to take, it almost always boils down to my .308 Win Remington Model 7 (stainless, fiberglass stock) with a scout scope mounted. Scopes are good for hunting, but I don't have any on my lever guns. Stainless is good for hunting, but all my levers are blued. Fiberglass is great for hunting, but all my levers are wood.

Maybe if I were after elk, up in the mountains where grizzlies come running at the sound of a shot, I might take my 1895CB with appropriate hard cast bullets. But more likely I'd take my .338 Win Mag, scoped, stainless, with plastic stock.

I do admire others who use their lever guns in hunting, but it's not for me - yet.

<correction> Actually my Marlin 39M gets lots of exercise on starlings and bunnies and such. Is that "hunting"?