Lever gun suggestions

I have glass bedded numerous bolt action rifles and free floated the barrels not only to improve accuracy but to improve consistency. If you have for end tip contact and use a bipod, it will often shoot in a different place. Ruger M77s, Model 70s and Remington 700s.

I do a minimal amount of glass bedding, usually the recoil lug and the fist inch of the barrel before it starts to taper.
 
When I started Highpower I had a M1 Garand and followed the directions in the NRA book about the Garand to accurize the rifle. There is a lot of black magic done to make these shoot and I got lucky and it was about a 1 1/2 min rifle for 10 shots after working on it. I went to my first 600 yd match and I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn so after the match I tested it at 200 yds and it was about 12 inch groups so I went to an old gunsmith, a young one would not have the experience with these, and he said the front handguard is loose and you need a business card under the trigger group to tighten it up and I said you don't understand, it is shooting about 6 min. So I went home and fixed the front handguard and it went back to 1 1/2 min.
 
I used to have a good friend who did high power shoots (I did one, at Camp Smith NY). He had an M1 rechambered to 308. He would go into prone position at 100 yds and put every shot within a dime! Few people could do that with a bolt action. This was many decades ago.
 
I can't believe that I haven't stuck my "2 cents" into this conversation!

I'm just not into pretty….just functionality and strength! Of couse, I think that a Marlin (Ruger) GG in SS Laminate with a large loop lever ……is a thing of beauty!

With that out of the way and my bias toward somewhat larger bore cartridges…..the 45-70 is the obvious pick!

I considered this as acceptable from my GG with a 4X scope, using my cast 430 gr. bullets @ just shy of 1800 mv. memtb

1779839807603.jpeg
 
MustangMike said:
I have glass bedded numerous bolt action rifles and free floated the barrels not only to improve accuracy but to improve consistency
Click to expand...

Mike, I have a bit of a different view on free-floating……which should surprise no one! However, with a qualifier…….synthetic stocks!

I want my barrel full-length bedded! This may be because of my world class paranoia!

I fear that when "floated", it gives the opportunity for debris or perhaps worse yet water to get into the barrel channel and then freeze, creating a pressure or contact point …..eliminating any benefits of a "floated" barrel. Not only the possibility of enlarging groups…..but altering the zero!

With a "fully bedded" barrel, debris or water can't enter the channel….especially if a little paste wax or grease is applied at the barrel to stock junction!

I think that in most circumstances, a good load can be developed with a fully bedded barrel. If in fact, you can't…..worse case scenario, now try floating the barrel! JMO. memtb
 
memtb said:
Mike, I have a bit of a different view on free-floating……which should surprise no one! However, with a qualifier…….synthetic stocks!

I want my barrel full-length bedded! This may be because of my world class paranoia!

I fear that when "floated", it gives the opportunity for debris or perhaps worse yet water to get into the barrel channel and then freeze, creating a pressure or contact point …..eliminating any benefits of a "floated" barrel. Not only the possibility of enlarging groups…..but altering the zero!

With a "fully bedded" barrel, debris or water can't enter the channel….especially if a little paste wax or grease is applied at the barrel to stock junction!

I think that in most circumstances, a good load can be developed with a fully bedded barrel. If in fact, you can't…..worse case scenario, now try floating the barrel! JMO. memtb
Click to expand...
memtb, I have / had (passed it on to my son) a late 60s Ruger M-77 in 30-06 that still had the felt bedding up at the end of the stock. Old British idea, the felt acted as a harmonic dampener, if you will. Firmly bed the barrel in a squishy substance. Probably would not have worked with a wet then frozen felt. I did shoot the heart out of a whitetail buck at 450 with it off a bipod one autumn Texas day near Fredericksburg, TX. But I think it was a lucky shot.

That said, I officially declare this thread HIJACKED! ;))
 
DDB TX said:
memtb, I have / had (passed it on to my son) a late 60s Ruger M-77 in 30-06 that still had the felt bedding up at the end of the stock. Old British idea, the felt acted as a harmonic dampener, if you will. Firmly bed the barrel in a squishy substance. Probably would not have worked with a wet then frozen felt. I did shoot the heart out of a whitetail buck at 450 with it off a bipod one autumn Texas day near Fredericksburg, TX. But I think it was a lucky shot.

That said, I officially declare this thread HIJACKED! ;))
Click to expand...

I can pretty consistently get 3/4" +/-, 3 shot groups @ 100 with a relatively lightweight, moderately heavy recoiling rifle, using a scope well suited for my maximum (perfect conditions) game shooting distance of 600 yards with my "fully bedded" barrel……I can live with that! 😉 memtb
 
I'd like to see targets from long(er) ranges shot from a lever gun. Even better if shot using a vernier or tang peep sight rather than optics. I've mentioned it before, but at one time the shop that I worked in had a print of the trajectory plot for .45-70-500 and .45-70-510 (?) at a mile. The angle of target entry was .... illuminating to say the least. No idea where that poster went, wish that I had it now.
 
Before I started doing it myself, they fully bedded the barrel of my Ruger M77 in 220 Swift. It is not that the gun did not shoot well, but the point of impact changed a lot when you used a bipod, so I floated the barrel from where the taper starts forward, and all is well. It now shoots to the same point of aim regardless of if I'm shooting off sandbags at the range or a bipod in the field.

I also bedded the recoil lug, which they had neglected to do!
 
If you're going to hunt for deer and
Antelope, the Marlin 336C (in 30.30) is a wonderful lever action. With most lever action rifles you'll need to be a little closer. The 30.30 loaded with the Hornady Lever Revolution ammo is good out to (at least) 200 yards.
The heavier cartridges such as the 45-70 can take on bigger game. I'm not sure of the effective range of the other calibers, as I have never fired any cartridge other than the 30.30 in a lever action rifle. Good luck…
 

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