What Small Cartridge Do You Like Best in a Rifle ?

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sat May 24, 2008 3:59 am

Amongst these smaller/shorter centerfire cartridges (.35 & under), generally chambered in the more compact lever rifles/carbines, which is your preference ?

[AW, Shucks ! My original poll post was for centerfires, but got modified when a moderator re-formatted it for voting. (Thanks for the re-formatting, BTW)
It's a "given" that the .22 rimfire, the most popular cartridge sold, would win over anything up against it.

tman · Post by **tman** » Sat May 24, 2008 4:23 am

.357; it can be loaded down to duuplicate the others. loaded up. it approaches 30wcf. at shotr range. cheap to shoot, can find ammo anywere. got to be one of the most useful cartridges ever.

gundownunder · Post by **gundownunder** » Sat May 24, 2008 4:40 am

duh
all of the above

Actually I love my .357, but would love to get my hands on a Marlin 218bee, theres a few around here in 92 but the 218 deserves a scope.

PJA · Post by **PJA** » Sat May 24, 2008 5:02 am

22 Hornet.
Pete

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat May 24, 2008 5:48 am

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sat May 24, 2008 5:55 am

If center fire small boreâ€™s were still legal to
use on small game in PA;

I would have a lever in either .22 hornet or the 218 bee.

AndyM · Post by **AndyM** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:18 am

32-20 WCF all the way - although it has to be fired in a Winchester 1892
The 22 hormet is also a great little gun...

brucew44guns · Post by **brucew44guns** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:39 am

I have a weakness for the 25-20.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:43 am

.357 Magnum. Flexibility...

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sat May 24, 2008 7:18 am

.357 Mag, .223

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Sat May 24, 2008 7:45 am

I have a 357 levergun, but I would really love to have a 218 Bee or a 25-20.

jdad · Post by **jdad** » Sat May 24, 2008 7:51 am

I love the 32-20. I consider it the "30 caliber 22 magnum".

airedaleman · Post by **airedaleman** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:09 am

The 218 Bee, the 25-20, and the 219 Zipper.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:12 am

If it weren't for strange bullet size and thin brass, I'd prefer the .32-20; I wish they'd thicken the brass and make the bullet diameter .308 and that be the new standard - they could call it .30-20 or something.

I like the .357 in a levergun, and the .25-20 I'd love in a Contender pistol.

donw · Post by **donw** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:35 am

.357 & .223

buckeyeshooter · Post by **buckeyeshooter** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:08 am

22 rimfire

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:17 am

32-20 Marlin 1894CL for silhouette.

.22 Hornet for prairie dogs, CZ527 and Savage 23d.

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:30 am

In the small calibers, I believe my favorite is my Winchester 94/22mag, however from there, I prefer my Browning 92 in 44mag, ever since I have gotten that little 92 I have just fallen in love with it.

I like the 357mag, but my only one is chambered in a model 94 angle eject trapper, and it is a good shooting and reliable gun, but still yet not as handy as my Browning 92, plus I find 44's eaiser to stuff through the King's Pattent loading gates, then the 357's.

I recently purchased an older very clean Browning BLR in 22-250, but for me it's a more specialized coyote and longer range varmit gun and probably will not be used as much as my 22mag or the 44 mag model 92.

I would sorta like to own a Browning BLR in 223/.556 to take advantage of the cheaper military ammo, but I don't know, maybe I am just as well off with a light weight AR-15 in that regard.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:32 am

I recently bought an old Savage Sportsman rifle. It's a svelt bolt action with stamped steel removable 5 round magazine. The wood is walnut and is dark with age - has a schnable forend. It's chambered in 25-20.

This is basically what people used early in the 1900's for general purpose farm use or shooting chucks, etc.

It has a long barrel and is really a lot of fun to shoot. Barely more recoil than a .22 but hits with a lot more authority.

I've read that people would even press these into service as a close-range deer rifle... head shots I guess. It would do that just fine.

I load Rem 86 grain flat points in it at around 1800 fps.

The rear sight that came on it was rather chewed up and was a simple notch with no adjustment other than drifting in the dovetail, so I took a Smith Enterprises carbine sight that I had on-hand and istalled that. It's a big buckhorn type with flip-up ladder sight - perfect really for this rifle. I'll sight the buckhorn to 50 yards and the flip up to 100.

I'll see if I can snap a couple of pics.

As far as modern little (centerfire) cartridges in carbines, I have a .357 Mag Marlin 94CS that I like a lot and that's probably the "ONE" gun of this type that I would have if limited to just one. But I also have a nifty Sub-2000 in 9mm that's the perfect "car carbine" and plinker. Takes Glock mags - 17 and 33 round. It's very cool but wouldn't knock down the Marlin. My other Marlin 94 chambers the 45 Colt, but that's a big bore.

Of course, the way ammo and component prices are going, we may all be voting "22 LR" before long.... and I do love my .22's...

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:52 am

I voted .22, but I do really like 32-20 level loads in the 30-30. 100 to 120 gr cast bullets @ 1200 fps make good small game and grouse loads, and you have 30-30 range and power by cycling the lever (I single load the light loads and leave the magazine loaed with regular loads).

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:58 am

i voted for the .22lr even though its not a centerfire cartridge. Other wise, I would choose the .357/38 (as I have done recently in my collection)

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Sat May 24, 2008 10:50 am

OK, I went back to shoot a couple picks of my rifle - its a "sporter" not a sportsman BTW. And the loads that I assembled should be at 1500 fps, not 1800 - man, my memory is going...

Here's a couple pics:

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat May 24, 2008 11:02 am

Well,

I almost voted for the .357 Mag. I had one and it was a lot of fun. But it's just too common. Too ordinary. Too boring.

So I thought about it; .001 seconds worth and voted for the 32-20. Years ago I had an original Winchester 1873 in that caliber and it was a hoot to shoot. I really liked it.

I do wish when these polls were made you'd give us multiple choice options. It's not fair when you put in comments like Don't have one and want one badly, then I can't select it. Not fair at all.

Joe

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Sat May 24, 2008 2:03 pm

My Marlin CL 32-20.

.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sat May 24, 2008 2:37 pm

Was just getting ready to jump on the .22 lr being rimfire. It took an entire page before someone pointed it out. In fact, several selected the .22 lr. But with what has been given, I'd pick the .357 S&W. I'd like to see a nice little pump (sort of a smaller Remington 7600). With a 16" barrel.

Grizzly Adams · Post by **Grizzly Adams** » Sun May 25, 2008 12:07 am

Well, I voted for the 357/38spl as that is what I use a bunch. That said, the clear winner is the 22LR.

bogus bill · Post by **bogus bill** » Sun May 25, 2008 12:56 am

I voted .256 mag, as I once had one built in a martini and really miss it! I have this winchester model 70 built the 1st year, a #8xxx. It was 22 hornet and I bought it thinking that, shot it and found it was .22 K hornet!
Bought it many years ago for $145 and decided to keep it as it shoots great. Kind of heavy for such a puny cartridge though.

Slick · Post by **Slick** » Sun May 25, 2008 2:28 am

I voted for the .357 / .38 because in experimenting with the cartridge, there's SO much that can be done with it. I also feel like it tends to gain more in the way of performance when fired in a long-gun (but I really can't prove that due to not owning anything other than a .44mag levergun).

PPpastordon · Post by **PPpastordon** » Sun May 25, 2008 5:47 am

Voted for the .357 because of the capabilities of that round in a good carbine. It is a fine shooter and fun for plinking. It is excellent for home defense and for hunting. It gives great performance with little recoil so it can be used by almost any shooter.

While I never would expect the .30 Carbine to be "the" favorite, I have shot and enjoyed it for many (over 40) years. In the opinion of quite a few, it is also a good home defense and small pest carbine. It was a Korean war vet who first described it to me that way. I later discovered he was awarded several medals for defending a post and this was the only arm he had.

Grace and Peace

BAGTIC · Post by **BAGTIC** » Sun May 25, 2008 11:36 am

"Amongst these smaller/shorter centerfire cartridges (.35 & under), generally chambered in the more compact lever rifles/carbines, which is your preference ?"

If the question was specifically about centerfire cartridges why did you throw in the .22 LR?

Gihon · Post by **Gihon** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:31 pm

For centerfire, .357 for Rifle and Handgun. But I'll never be without a couple of 22 lr.

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Sun May 25, 2008 3:08 pm

Model 1892 24 inch 32-20 !!! I do like my old Rossi '92 .357 too.

morgan in nm · Post by **morgan in nm** » Sun May 25, 2008 3:17 pm

Voted for the 25-20 because I really like the round but was hoping to see 25-35 as an option.

86er · Post by **86er** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:30 pm

221 Fireball is not on the list - and not offered in any leverguns, unfortunately.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:48 pm

I like the .357, and have no experience with any of the others except the .22lr. I wish there were leverguns in production with box magazines, because a 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel or something similar would really be useful in a short, handy levergun. You can get these cartridges in AR-15 type rifles, but I was soured on those by an old M-16A1 I was assigned by Uncle Sam.

Gryphon Black · Post by **Gryphon Black** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:36 am

I voted .357 because it really is the most useful and practical, wide-range cartridge, but I had to debate with myself for a bit. Honorable mention has to go to my friend Axel's Grandpa gun, a Win 92 25-20. Before I shot that little rifle, I didn't know how much fun a levergun could be. I give it credit for getting me interested enough to seek them out in pistol calibers.
Milady's .357 came to our house first, followed by my .45 colt, and that little 25-20 is still the sweetheart of the ball when we get together at the range.

Gryphon