long range lever gun?

[mrbigtexan]

sorry if this has been posted already, i'm considering getting a long range lever action. looking at a savage 99 in 308, 308 marlin express, blr in '06 or 300 mag, or a win 88. what and why would you consider one over the other. thank you

[mrbigtexan]

i read that ya'll posted the win 88 has a terrible trigger. can you not get an aftermarket trigger for it?

[wreckhog]

Marlin advertises their 338MX as a 400 yard gun

[deernhog]

The BLR in 30-06 would be my chioce for longer range gun. A long range gun go with a bolt gun and set it up for long range.  The 45-70 has been used for 1000 yard shots for over 125 years, " if "you know how to used it for that.

[Rangr44]

In new rifles, a BLR would be the most accurate, and better at longer ranges - especially with a flatter-shooting chambering like -06 or .300 Mag; while a Marlin 338MX somewhat more a better value (less expensive).

I would look around for a discontinued .356 Winchester, either a Marlin 336ER or a Win BigBore94AE - both of which are easily scopeable centrally overbore.
The .356BB94 I had was very decently accurate out to 300 yds.

And, no, I'm afraid that there's nobody making aftermarket Win Mod 88 triggers, AFAIK - and reworking the issue trigger isn't worth either the $$$ or the aggrivation, in my experience.

.

[Swampman]

For me it would have to be the Marlin....I guess the 308MX.

[pastorp]

The brownings in 308 winchester always shot far enough for me. Regards,

[Swampman]

Too heavy

[Hopalong7]

     My dream lever gun for long range has for years been a 99 in .284Win....if I could just afford and find one at the same time.  I did find one at a show about 5yr back that looked NIB.  I offered the guy my house, my wife and a couple of my best dogs....didn't work.  Maybe if I'd left off the wife and trown in my pick-up truck .  Walt

[NickSS]

The 88 Winchester is hard to find in good shape and they have terrible triggers in them.  If it were me looking I would go with a Browning BLR in 30-06 as every browning I ever owned was a shooter.  If you can find one a Savage 99 in 308 or 284 win would also be a good choice.  Personally I would go with a more likely go with either a Ruger #1 or a bolt gun in probably 30-06 as I have no use what so ever for magnums.  I have had several magnums and they all ruined too much meat and cost too much per round even when hand loaded.  I have killed deer, elk, caribou, moose, and antilope at ranges varying from 10 feet to nearly 500 yards with a 30-06 and all but one of them were dead with one shot (I missed my first shot at a running caribou once)   

[Blackhawk44]

Considering a .308 Marlin versus a .300 mag !?  You may want to reconsider your needs so you can focus a little more closely.

If elk were an occasional item, the BLR in 7-08 or .308 should fill the bill nicely.  With bullets lighter than 200gr, the difference between .308/.30-06 is mostly in your mind, and I shoot both.  A BLR .300 or .325 WSM  is available if you really need a heavy.  Avoid the BLR long action; handles like an 8ft  2"x6". 

88 parts, and gunsmiths who can work on them, are becoming scarce.  Triggers s***.  99's are coming near collector status. 

The .308 Marlin is tied to its factory ammo, loaded by exactly one company and available in every rural convenience store?  Handloads won't come close to duplicating velocity, at factory pressures.  With a case capacity less than a .307 and factory blended powder unavailable, it can't happen. 

After all of that, we're back to the BLR! 

[Lloyd Smale]

What about the greatest long range round ever made. the 4570! It was about resposible for wiping out the bufflao in the US.

[mcwoodduck]

I was going to ask about a single shot falling block and see if that was a Lever.  If so I would say one of the Ruger No 1's or a copy of a sharps in 45-70.  the Tang sights really add to the range.  My old 1884 trapdoor cadet with 405 coyboy loads would shoot right to the 225 yard mark on my rifle.  When shooting at the 200 yard gong in the morning I could see the round sail over the gong.  If I held the 225 sight 6" under the 12" gong I had a dead center hit.  And with enough energy to move the gong all over the place.  More than enough juice to put down a deer.  When you move up to faster projectiles (different rifle) the hold over angle is not the rainbow you may think the 45-70 is said to have.
I think out of the rifles you named.  the 99 has the best look and the actions are smooth and fast. 308 or 300 Savage would be a great choice.  300 Savage is just a 308 Special.  Same case just a little shorter and shoots the same
the BLR are great rifles but just look goofy. 
A Win 95 in 30-06 or 30-40 would be neat but not sure about mounting a scope.
With the new Hornady lever ammo more is possible with an old angle eject in 30-30.

[pastorp]

Swampy, whats too heavy?  Can't anyone have a different opinion than your without you finding fault. We are each just stating our preference, and no one pointed out any fault with your choice.

I bough the first new Browning to be put out for sale in my hometown in 1971. It was Belgium made, of course. I hunted with that gun as my primary hunting rifle for 25 years. I carried it all over the united states and killed a lot of game with it. It was not too heavy for me. If I remember right you were not a marlin fan until remington bought them. You like them now, thats great. I'm glad for you. But guit putting others choices down. JMO 

Regards,

[pastorp]

Woodduck, Scope mounting is always difficult with any opentop action. Possible but not easy. The 95 winchesters look and shoot good. I had one in 30/40kraig for a short time. Balistics about like the 308.

For a guy that can shoot open sights ( I can't anymore ) the sharps and their clones are nice guns, especially in 45/70. A friend owned a sharps repo in the carbine form in 45-70. I really liked that gun.

Regards,

[SHOOTALL]

I had a 356 win nothing speical there and mine had a stock made for scope use At 46 bucks a box of 20 its expensive to shoot . BTW if you need reloading stuff for it let me know as i traded mine  . Had a 307 win and it was a nice shooter heavy but nice . Had a mod 95 win in 3006 , don't expect much there either .
 The browning in 300WM would seem the best choice really .
 

[Winter Hawk]

I LIKE my Winchester 88 in .308.  The trigger is spongy, true, but it still shoots minute of angle, not bad for a 50+ year old rifle!  My other rifle is a Marlin 336 in .30-30, which I had the factory put a 24" barrel on (their "cowboy conversion").  It should do everything I need out to 200 yards, if I ever get to rifle country again instead of Ohio....  Put side by side, the Marlin is just as long as the Winny which has a 22" barrel.

-WH-