I'm starting to feel all alone

[NM35rem]

Is it just me or have all of your buddies gone to toting these 800 yard elk mangling canons, that leave them in need of a neurosurgeon and everyone else in 50 yards in need of audiogram. 4 of us go elk hunting every year in the Gila Natl forest here in NM, over the last 3 years my 3 co-conspirators have bought 5 new rifles and scopes. I would imagine one will showup with a laser guided bomb this year. I take alot of razzing over the fact I'm still using my grandpappy's hand me down 336 Marlin in 35 rem. I have noticed that I seem to be the only one in the state of NM still totin' a levergun, is it the same all over? Have we carriers of the torch been reduced to a candle in the hurricane?
Don't let the fire go out,
Shane
ps- Iwill have to take something new this year, fresh box of ammo. I only have 3 left in the 5 year old box I have. :cannon:

[surbat6]

I hear you! Best thing to do is simply continue to harvest the game with the good old rifle while the modern, up-to-date nimrods and their wonder guns get skunked.

[gossman]

I own an elk mangler :lol: I have had it for 10 years and love it. I am thinking about buying a lever in .45-70 for when I don't go east for elk and hunt the rain forest on the coast. Looked at a .450 marlin but heard too much bad against it. It's not a .35 rem ( I got one in a contender) but it would be a levergun. :D

[magnomark]

:o I got a "few" elk manglers and a "few" leverguns,like them all-just use the leverguns when huntin off horses and the manglers when hunting the more open areas of the west.45-70 is still hard to beat for close range knockdown out to 300 yds,but I also have an old trapdoor springfield long rifle (45-70)that has sight graduations for ranges out to 1200 yds! :sniper: :cool:

[DoniphanRedneck]

If it make you feel anybetter... I'm 17 and I love the lever action rifle. I have a winchester 1894 25-35
winchester 94 25-30
winchester 94 .30 W.C.F

All of them were my gradfathers before he died and now they are my dads and then hopfully one day he will hand them down to me.

DoniphanRedneck

[Deputy Al]

Lever guns are a real passion of mine--don't much care for the overbore magnums. Don't feel all alone--more deer have fallen to lever guns than any other rifle type, I would bet.

Doniphan--DO NOT let that 94 in 25-35 get away. That is one hell of a cartridge, very accurate in the lever guns and a lot more deer-capable than its paper ballistics would indicate. Those long 117 grain SP's really take game. The 30-30 is no slouch either.

Unspectacular DOES NOT mean ineffective.

[DoniphanRedneck]

Al the thing is.. It aint going to slip through my fingers :ar15: . The 25-25 is very nice and I love the gun alot. All three guns are not for colection perpuses they have been used and show it but the are still as nice a gun as when they were bought. B)
Got one day buy a hammer or hammer cocking slide for the .30-30 on day. It's worndown so bad now that it only cocks it to safty.

DoniphanRedneck :D

[Byrd Man]

I'm 15, and besides the bold action .22, the lever action 30-30 is more than likely, the best gun for thick brush deer hunting in good old Louisiana. I don't have one, but my dad has a pre 1960 Wincheseter 94 in 30-30. The cheap, nonbonded bulldet work really nicely on deer. :sniper:

[gossman]

" Ned Pepper, I aimed to see you dead or hanged at Judge Parker's convenience"

That's lever action talk! :lol:

[STANMAN]

I hunt deer in WI with my Marlin Guide gun 45/70 Stainless that's been Birdsong Black-T finished. Talk about the ultimate in rust prevention! It also wears a Leupold LPS 2.5x10. It's an updated old style gun and I LOVE it!!! The Black T makes it slick to cycle, and had the trigger pull reduced to about 4 lbs. Also had a Decelerator pad put on it, because with hot loads, the 45/70 can KICK, lol!

[Yanqui]

I'm starting to feel all alone, The only levergun in camp.

When you have a lever action in your hands you have something the bolt action does not have, CLASSIC MYSTIQUE. When you are sitting at your campfire you have many other's sitting around you. You may not see them but they are there. There are ol' cowboys, miners, farmers, trappers, and adventures from long ago sitting with you. Just look into the action of you lever action, feel the wood, and smell the oil then look up real quick ( It doesn't matter if it was made 100 years ago or recent manufacture). If you are quick enough and really concentrate on the history of your lever action you can almost catch a glimpse of them. You will never feel alone again. ;)

[Krazyhorse]

gossman

That was great :lol:!
I loved that movie, and I live about one hours drive from Judge Parkers court house. It's in the same town that I work in :D

[Felton]

Yeah my baby is model 94 made in 1896. 30-30 its killed more deer than I have seen. Its been handed down generation after generation. My uncle handed it down to me when I was 12 just as ever first male in the family recieved it. Its been about 8 years now and I'm almost thinking I shouldn't hunt with it any more. On the other hand thats what it was made for and thats what it wants to do. It doesn't want to just sit in the closet. Maybe hand on the wall. I don't know?

[Ivanimal]

I still dear hunt California with a marlin 336 in 30-30 I also use my 1895 in 45-70 for pigs. I will admit that given the chance fro elk my model 700 in 300 win mag would be my first choice, but hey its why I bought it. Last year there were 3 lever guns in our camp out of 9 hunters. We are not alone. I have seen a trend to the ultramags though, sorry I am not inta pain the first thing I did with my 300 win mag was send it off to magnaport then add a decelerator pad. My 30-06 kicks harder!

[cooter]

crazy horse are you from arkansas?
also nm35rem your not the only one left using your granpaws old levergun. I go every year to deer camp with my winchester 30-30.

[Krazyhorse]

Yes sir Cooter, not originally from Arkansas, but I live here now and I work in Ft.Smith.

[MIK911]

im looking to buy a marlin 336cc and i was wondering if any yall had any recommendations on other guns or tips or something, its gonna be for deer hunting :sniper:

[Old Judge Creek]

Mikp11,
the 336 Marlin is a superb choice.

My personal preferances; however, lean toward the Marlin 1894 series in either 44 magnum, 45 Colt or 357. All 3 will take deer quite handily and the 44 is - in my person opinion - every bit the equal of the 30-30. My 30-30s have sat unused, in the back of the safe, for 20 years now.

[MIK911]

thanks old creek, ill take those other guns into opinion :)

[MAJORMINUS]

I have a Marlin 336 chambered in .35 Rem and I am ashamed to admit that I don't shoot it very much, but I hope to remedy that very soon. I have owned it for....mmm.... 22 years.