What would be your list of the top five cartridges in tube magazine lever action rifles?

For me anyway, the top 5 would be as follows:
No.1 would be 45/70Gov't.
2 would be 348Win.*
3 would be 30-30Win.
4 would be 35 Rem.
5 would be 38-55Win.

* Reason for 348Win. being in 2nd spot is due to scarcity of ammunition versus 45/70. Have/had all of the above and find the 348Win. to be an excellent hunting round especially in the superb Mod.71 lever gun.

I cannot improve on that list. Sounds about right.

1. 50-110 Winchester in a Winchester 1886
2. 44-40 in a Winchester 73
3. 44 Magnum in a marlin 1894
4. 338 Marlin Express in a marlin mxlr
5. 348 Winchester in a Winchester 71

45/70
30-40 krag
357 magnum
25-20
I really, really wanna put the 30-30 in here but the 30-40 walks all over it.
so i'll have to go with the 44 mag.

375 Winchester I would put on the list.
And how did 22 Long Rifle get missed. It may not bring down big guys but is a lot of fun.
Mark

33 WCF
45-70
.22LR
348 WCF
30-30

quote:

Originally posted by Instructor:
For me anyway, the top 5 would be as follows:
No.1 would be 45/70Gov't.
2 would be 348Win.*
3 would be 30-30Win.
4 would be 35 Rem.
5 would be 38-55Win.

* Reason for 348Win. being in 2nd spot is due to scarcity of ammunition versus 45/70. Have/had all of the above and find the 348Win. to be an excellent hunting round especially in the superb Mod.71 lever gun.

No 1 .45-70
2 .348 Win
3 .38-55
4 .30-30
5 .32-20 HV

I have enough factory ammo and reloading supplies for the 348 to ward off the next 10 zombie apocalypes. Only reason I put it second is there are only 3 common bullet weights. I have bullets for the .45-70 ranging from 285 to 535gr.
I really like my 32 Special, but the .30 WCF is so versatile that it wins the top five spot

I am surprised that the 444 Marlin has not been mentioned at all.

1--Winchester 1886- 45-70
2 Winchester 95 - 405
3 Winchester 95- 30-06
4 Winchester 1892 (Rossi) 45 Colt
5 Winchester 95 375-06

That should do it.

Jim

Thanks for the input Jim. Although the Winchester 95 is a very pretty rifle, it is not a tube magazine and it will digest ammo for regular bolt action rifles.

My list is more for the rifles rather than the cartridges:

Winchester 1876 rifle with pistol grip stock, half magazine, and octagon barrel in .45-60.
Marlin Model 1889 with half magazine and half round/half octagon barrel in .44-40.
Winchester 1886 lightweight rifle in .45-70 or Winchester Model 71 deluxe in .348
Winchester 65, .218 Bee
Winchester 1873 standard rifle in .22 LR

The .348 in a Winchester or Browning Model 71.

Not sure how anybody can come up with four alternatives to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerard:
Thanks for the input Jim. Although the Winchester 95 is a very pretty rifle, it is not a tube magazine and it will digest ammo for regular bolt action rifles.

And that rule is why my #1 was not my 1895 in .35 Whelen

My top 5 would be any caliber Marlin makes.Marlin is a way better design and stronger.

vlwTx348,
See that you are a fan of the 348 round and it is a shame few choices of bullet weights but that aside, it is a superb hunting cartridge and in the Mod. 71 it is about as natural pointing rifle I have shot. Lucked out a few years ago and ended up with lifetime supply of ammunition, brass, bullets and good thing for probably going to be scarce and more expensive in the future. Can't scope the 71(or at least without some great effort) but Turnbull Restorations offers a base that uses the peep sight screw holes for attachment and permits using the Burris Fast Fire red dot sight and that combo makes for a very nice sight set up(very compact and does not detract from the handling.)
Shots out to the 200yd line on a five gallon bucket are easy to do or even smaller targets as well. 10's and X's on the 200yd NRA Serv. Repair Center target are easy to do with this combo. Not match rifle accuracy, but find the Browning 71 to be quite a bit more accurate than the original Win. Mod. 71. Don't know who in the Winchester firm thought of necking down the 50-110 case to 348 and designing the 71 to do that should have been given a large bonus and surely was someone who was a very practical, knowledgeable hunter.
Lived in Alaska for some years and the old timers out in the "bush" hold their 71's in very high esteem for the 71/348 simply gets the job done.

1. 475 Turnbull
2. 45/70
3. 348 Winchester
4. 45 colt
5. The rest don't matter...

my choice:
1. Win. 94 SRC in 25-35
2. Win 71 in 348 Win
3. Win mod. 95, 30-06 SRC Win.
4. Win. mod 94 SRC in 30 WCF
5. Marlin 336, straight lever carbine 25-36 or 30-30 and don't forget the 38-55.

Corrected from first pole as I listed mod. 99 Savages which don't have tube magazine, thanks Gerard for calling that to my attention, I over looked the tube magazine part of your post.

Lets think about it a little differently.
1. Marlin model 39 in 22 l.r.
2. Marlin model 94 in 44 Rem. Mag.
3. Winchester 94 in 25-35
4. Marlin 336 in 30-30 and lastly,
5. Marlin 1895 in 45-70
I don't think I need anything bigger than the 45-70 where I go. The 25-35 and or the 30-30 would be fine for deer, antelope, or any other medium not too dangerous game. The 45-70 would have to do the heavy work for elk or moose. The 44 mag can fit in there just about anywhere you want to put it and the 22 l.r. for all small game for the pot. Squirrels, rabbits, various sniping duties at game birds and other pests vermin and targets of opportunity.

M1886 in 50-110
same rifle in the Turnbull 475
same rifle in 45-90
1894 in 25-35
Marlin in 45-70

45-70
30 W.C.F.
348 Win
50 Alaskan
307 Win
Matt

Gerard,

the exceedingly slow twist, 1:38" iirc, of the 444 limits it to lighter weight bullets, so it pales in comparison to the 45-70...

My picks, which I own, are:

Browning Model 71 High Grade Carbine in 348 Win

Browning Stainless BLR Carbine in 358 Win (Not a tube magazine, but I likey)

Win 1894-1994 Commemorative 26" 30-30

Marlin Cowboy 26" 45-70

Win 1886 26" 45-70

I'll second the first list except I will substitute the .218 Bee for the 38-55. The Bee is great fun in a Marlin 94CL or Browning 65 and the list needs a low recoil varmint/pest rifle.
Funny about the .218 Bee. Factory ammo lists for $87.xx for 50. With components I bought long ago, I can reload 50 for about $8.00

Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45/70 or 458GNR
Marlin 1894P in 44mag
Browning 71 carbine in 348
Win 1894 carbine in 38-55
Marlin 1894CL in 32-20

I will second adding the Win 1895 TD in 405 Win

1-Model71 in 348 IA
2-Wild West Marlin in 50 Alasken
3- Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70
4-Winchester 63 in 218 Bee
5-Wnchester 94 in 375 Win

How come no one mentions the model 1876 and .50-95?
Cal

#1 30-30 Winchester; #2 35 Remington, #3 22 LR. That's it! Anything larger is bolt action country, IMHO.