Lever / Bolt

[Chaparral]

Seems you either like the lever or the bolt better. And whichever it is you are perfectly correct. And perfectly wrong.

We tried two old ones out this weekend. Both 70s, both major well regarded manufacturers. We both wanted to love the lever. I truly wanted to love the lever. We both leaned into the bolt, it was just easier and smoother.

Three scopes. Leupold, Nikon, Redfield. All similar price ranges when new twenty plus years ago. We liked the Nikon hands down. Redfield and Leupold neck and neck.

Hitting without issues with both to 100 yards. Many rounds in same holes.

But truly, I wanted to love the lever, I will pick up that specific bolt over that lever ten out of ten times.

How about y’all?

 

[Snattlerake]

Lever Henry 22 lever action 15 yards off hand rapid fire.

 

[Catt57]

Seems you either like the lever or the bolt better. And whichever it is you are perfectly correct. And perfectly wrong.

We tried two old ones out this weekend. Both 70s, both major well regarded manufacturers. We both wanted to love the lever. I truly wanted to love the lever. We both leaned into the bolt, it was just easier and smoother.

Three scopes. Leupold, Nikon, Redfield. All similar price ranges when new twenty plus years ago. We liked the Nikon hands down. Redfield and Leupold neck and neck.

Hitting without issues with both to 100 yards. Many rounds in same holes.

But truly, I wanted to love the lever, I will pick up that specific bolt over that lever ten out of ten times.

How about y’all?

Neither. Slide action.

 

[Cat City Slim]

In my opinion, the Savage 99 lever action is the best deer rifle ever designed. The rotary magazine allows for use of pointed bullets, so the 99 loses no range to a bolt action. The lever action allows for very fast operation without needing to move one’s head away from the stock. They are not heavy, shoulder very well, and carry easy. I wish Savage would put them back in production.

 

[dennishoddy]

I don't have a preference. I take each platform as a learning experience of its own.
Own everything from single shots to levers, bolts, pumps, and semi-auto's.
Each has its purpose.

 

[Catt57]

I don't have a preference. I take each platform as a learning experience of its own.
Own everything from single shots to levers, bolts, pumps, and semi-auto's.
Each has its purpose.

Every action can be fun. Maybe it's just the novelty, or maybe to change things up, or it could just be the mental image of grandiose it conveys.

 

[dennishoddy]

Every action can be fun. L Maybe it's just the novelty, or maybe to change things up, or it could just be the mental image of grandiose it conveys.

Exactly. Occasionally at our steel challenge matches at the Ponca range, lever guns in .22 are allowed.
It's an interesting challenge to work that lever vs the semi auto rifles that most shoot. One can work that lever pretty danged quick.

 

[swampratt]

I like my bolt guns.

 

[KurtM]

Big long straight wall cases??? Lever every time!!
Bottle neck cases, Semi automatic.

 

[retrieverman]

I like lever guns and have killed a bunch of stuff with them, and I like bolt guns and have killed a bunch of stuff with them. If I were going to hunt up a pig right now, I would grab my TC Encore 308.