Most powerful lever action cartridge

[Waynzee]

I've owned a Marlin Guide in 45-70 I ran Buffalobore Magnums in and a Winchester M71 in 50 Alaskan I felt "man enough" to shoot a couple dozen times during the time I owned it. I would agree there's no animal I wouldn't have felt complete confidence in defending myself against.
The recoil was too much for my enjoyment and I've since started carrying short, lightweight lever guns chambered for 44 Magnum and 45 Colt loaded to Magnum pressures for brush hunting and defense. These rifles, even at their light sub 5 lbs weight are fun to shoot, still pack plenty of thump for close encounters, and don't beat on my knuckles or rattle my teeth loose with each trigger pull.

I agree you really have to feel "man enough" to shoot that many rounds out of your Guide Gun. LOL, I shot a couple of deer with a Sierra 300 gr. bullet out of the Guide Gun and I don't use it anymore for meat hunting. Although it is a fun gun to shoot with reduced loads and really accurate.

 

[J E Custom]

I'm pretty sure the 475 Turnbull is the most powerful lever action round at 4200#lb. The 50 Alaskan seems to come next at 4100#lb.

Of course if you load other rounds beyond specs and individual may exceed those numbers. If you are at my range testing them please let me know so I can go to the other side of the brick wall.

I have two or several 45-70 Govt. One is a Winchester model 1886 built in 1888. Immensely strong action. Loads can be made that become extremely uncomfortable to shoot except from a standing position.

I don't know much about the 50 Alaskan or the 475 Turnbull, but was impressed with the 45/70, So I decided to look at the "Factory" loadings and this is what I found. This may not be all the loads you can buy from the factory, but it should be close. these were the highest muzzle energy's I was able to find.

444 = Muzzle energy 3180 ft/lbs
45/70 = (In modern rifles) Muzzle energy 3309 ft/lbs.
450 Marlin = muzzle energy 3572 ft/lbs
460 S&W = (fired in a 26"barreled rifle) Muzzle energy 3861 ft/lbs.
500 S&W = Could not find any data for loads fired in a rifle, but when both the 460 and 500 were fired in pistols with the same barrel lengths they were very close (10 to 15 ft/lbs because of the higher velocity of the 460).
50 Alaskan = 4406 ft/lbs of muzzle energy.

I couldn't find any of the other cartridges mentioned that factory ammo was available in so that's where my search ended.

Note: these are all very powerful cartridges and should be fired in modern rifles. there are lots of 45/70s that cant handle these loads and should be limited to the loads that will produce 1600 ft/lbs
of muzzle energy.

They are all good performers and will do everything ask of them within reason.

The figures above should give a good representation of there power and use. And availability, price of ammo and rifles will most likely determine which one is best for the shooter.

So to answer the OPs question, There is no good answer because of usability, rifle weight, velocity/trajectory, recoil, ammo cost and availability, bullet selection, ETC. The most powerful may not be the best performer.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I thought he wanted an off the shelf stock rifle and he's not a reloader... I would have mentioned these also but I didn't think he'd consider them for what his question was...still taking a blr in .338 wm over everything !

 

[wilkup]

I love leverguns for their lightweight and fast followup shots. I like chart you put together JECustoms, it's quite informative.
I'm not sure I'd be interested in a 26" barreled levergun, seems it would defeat the purpose of close quarters defense and heavy timber work. The longest barrel I run on mine is 20 inches. The reason for that is a loaded up full length mag tube throws off the balance of a rifle with barrel too much longer than that.
I'm in the process of building a takedown Marlin 1894 that will run the 480 Ruger in an 18.5 inch barrel and full length mag tube. That should become my favorite saddle/dark timber carbine running some 410gr hardcasts at 1450-1550fps =)

 

[308BLRLarry]

If you could find one but if my old forgetful mind is correct didn't Browning make their blr in .338 win mag at one time, that would work. Marlin offers the .45/70, 444, 450 cartridges in various versions of their levers...If your looking old school and could find one the model 88 & 99 I think came in .358 winmany moons ago...not a lot of choice on this question....

They still make them in 358 Win and 450 Mar.

BLR Lightweight with Pistol Grip

 

[Trickymissfit]

My vote would be for the model 90 from big horn armory. (if I could afford one) because the 460 and the 500, have almost the same muzzle energy but the 460 has a much better trajectory if 200 to 300 yard shots are required.

Big Horn Armory Gun Catalog | Model 89 Rifles &amp | Big Horn Armory

The marlin 450 is also a powerful cartridge if you can find one of there rifles in this cartridge. I looked for years for one and once marlin went out of business
they are almost nonexistent.

Just my Opinion

J E CUSTOM

I have one of the Marlin ported Guide Guns in .450. They also had a .444 just like it. Should have bought both of them!

gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

There's also a 450 Alaskan...
They both utilize a blown out 348 Winchester case.
That 460 would probably be my second choice if I needed any sort of range on what I was shooting ��
I also think the 45-70 Magnum loads from Buffalo Bore are more powerful than a 450 Marlin, I could be wrong though.

On paper your right about the 45-70, but also a little wrong. Most lever guns are 40K psi rated. The .450 by design will go a little higher than the 45-70 in chamber pressure. Been around both rounds, and the only thing the 45-70 has going for it is the rimmed case (better extraction on a dangerous game gun). Plus the .450 seems to be a little tighter grouping round (Now I'd really like to know how the determined this!!) Accuracy wise the .444 is way ahead.

gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

keep in mind the average Joe just buys a box of ammo in whatever he wants to shoot. Few people actually reload big bore stuff. I will reload it about once every 18 months. You just don't shoot them a lot.

A box of 45-70 is loaded at a low chamber pressure to keep you out of the trauma ward. Been many rifle blown up with hot loads in a lever gun. We've all seen photos.
First lever gun I saw blown up was a Winchester shooting reloads in it. The guy figured that the Ruger/1885 data was also a lever gun. He spent the weekend in the hospital.

The .450 Marlin (note I didn't say Winchester or somebody else) is not the same as the others, and will handle some more chamber pressure. How much is debatable. I've always heard 43K psi for the .450, and 40K for the 45-70 Marlin. The .450 shooting Hornaday bullets (325 or 350 grain factory loads) will clock at a solid 2100fps in the guide gun (if you can stand to shoot it off a bench). Seems like I've seen 2180fps in a 24" barrel, but also been awhile. Now I can get 2000fps using the Speer 405 grain bullet, and there's some more left in it. I'm just not fond of pain in my old age. Power wise (on paper) you don't gain anything over the 350 grain bullet. I'm after bullet mass in a center hit on a big bear.

The .444 is the round the 45 guys love to hate. It's a better round! Shoots flatter, and groups way tighter. The factory Corbon 300 grain bullets are fantastic. There is also a 330 grain load, and I may have shot them as well. Don't remember. I'm perfectly happy with the Hornaday or Speer 300 grain solid point at 2150fps. Bullets hold up well in wet phone books, and that's critical. I can shoot a full magazine and one in the chamber off hand as fast as I can work the lever. Try that with the .450!
gary

 

[okie man]

i have a winchester 94 bigbore in 444 mrlin, short barrel, stright stock. loaded with 300 grain swift bullets its a very handy powerful weapon, 1x3 weaver classic scope set on 1x you can shoot it with both eyes open for close range action or set it on x and takejust about any game out to 150-200 yards

 

[WeiserBucks]

430 grain hard cast bullets at 1975 fps out of my 45/70 Are brutally effective. I have used them on hogs and bear with impressive results. They shoot sub MOA with a 2-8x Leupold aboard.

This load is not for the faint of heart, my significant other still wears an awesome scar from her 1st bear hunt .

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

keep in mind the average Joe just buys a box of ammo in whatever he wants to shoot. Few people actually reload big bore stuff. I will reload it about once every 18 months. You just don't shoot them a lot.

A box of 45-70 is loaded at a low chamber pressure to keep you out of the trauma ward. Been many rifle blown up with hot loads in a lever gun. We've all seen photos.
First lever gun I saw blown up was a Winchester shooting reloads in it. The guy figured that the Ruger/1885 data was also a lever gun. He spent the weekend in the hospital.

The .450 Marlin (note I didn't say Winchester or somebody else) is not the same as the others, and will handle some more chamber pressure. How much is debatable. I've always heard 43K psi for the .450, and 40K for the 45-70 Marlin. The .450 shooting Hornaday bullets (325 or 350 grain factory loads) will clock at a solid 2100fps in the guide gun (if you can stand to shoot it off a bench). Seems like I've seen 2180fps in a 24" barrel, but also been awhile. Now I can get 2000fps using the Speer 405 grain bullet, and there's some more left in it. I'm just not fond of pain in my old age. Power wise (on paper) you don't gain anything over the 350 grain bullet. I'm after bullet mass in a center hit on a big bear.

The .444 is the round the 45 guys love to hate. It's a better round! Shoots flatter, and groups way tighter. The factory Corbon 300 grain bullets are fantastic. There is also a 330 grain load, and I may have shot them as well. Don't remember. I'm perfectly happy with the Hornaday or Speer 300 grain solid point at 2150fps. Bullets hold up well in wet phone books, and that's critical. I can shoot a full magazine and one in the chamber off hand as fast as I can work the lever. Try that with the .450!
gary

my 405 winchester specs at a 300 grain slug at 2250 fps with factories and you can easily pass that safely by 100 fps or so with handloads...
I do like the idea of a 444 and my Pops did have one for a spell, but the 405 is my choice for shooting something that may bite back...

 

[Antonio m]

I feel very comfortable with leverguns and have several and they are used fairly hard and I am always horseback. I have a Marlin gel 45/70 and a takedown .270 win BLR
. both are great and well used. The Bighorn Armory product interests me also. I elk,sheep and mule deer hunt with my leverguns.I carry the 45/70 all summer season as we have Grizzly problems from time to time.I seldom ever use a bolt action rifle anymore

 

[brentc]

That Marlin guide gun I have with a short 18.5 ported barrel and 405 gr. Magnum Buffalo Bore ammo gets your attention when you touch of a round, it will spin a fella in about half a circle and just about bust your knuckles. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that bullet even if I was 1500 pounds and 20 feet tall. It gets my vote for the most powerful combo that I have shot for close range, don't know about any others mentioned here.

I had one of these a few years ago and I killed a couple black bears and a grizz with the first few Buffalo Bore 405s I fired through it. I never noticed the recoil when shooting the first few at bears, but when I went to the range and fired a few off for fun, I found out they aren't really all that much fun. That little rifle comes back with a surprisingly quick hard snap.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I've witnessed the .444 and the .450 in action...my son in law and his buddy use them for whitetails and black bear. And they use standard bullets and level everything they hit with them. Most shots are under 100 on whitetails and the black bears are usually are driven bears at fairly close range in Laurel thickets... I can only imagine with great hard bullets in the 300 grain + range they'd handle anything you'd care to whack with one, within reasonable ranges... That .444 loaded with 240 grain bullets just floors big whitetails like a sledge hammer...