Ive decided im going to buy 270 winchester in some flavor of rifle and maby a .338 winmag or a .375 H&H. However Ive always been a "Lever lover" Ive always like single shot rifles also so i might get the said rifles above in a ruger or thompson of some kind. Ive got a Marlin 1895G which i absolutely love but it starts to hurt worse than my dads shoulder launched cannons after a few loads anyware hotter than trapdoor. Nature of the beast i guess with that extreamly straight stock and brick like recoil pad. Anyway I also recently purchased a Puma M92 in 44 mag. Still trying to get the sights straightend out on it, however it is supprizingly consistance and tight groups. Ive decided to start a Lever Gun collection. I sway more twords the marlins I bought the Puma M92 because I wantted a 16 inch trapper and I also do not like the slower twist of the marlin .44 mag. 1:38 vs 1:20. So Ive got a lever gun in .45-70 and one in .44 mag. My grandfather is going to finaly give me his Marlin 336C in .35 remington. I just got to take the 2000mile trip to get it. So what would you add next to this collection? Im thinking .357 magnum, .45 colt, .30-30 or saveing up a little and trying to find one in .32 special or 44-40. Probably gonna be the .30-30 or the .357 mag. Just figgured what would a Lever gun collection be with out a .30-30? Anyway what ya think?

JMO, but you'll be selling yourself short, and missing out on a lot of fun, if you don't get your mitts on a rimfire levergun.

The Marlins you like are a bit spendy, the standard Henry's like a Winchester, and the Browning still different yet - but any of them VERY usable for hunting, plinking, or plonking targets. Whatever floats your boat. :)

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I LOVE my Henry Golden Boy. 20" Octagon barrel.

Also fun is my Remington Model 12 .22lr pump rifle.

If you are sold on big-er bore stuff, 32 special is cool, 357 if you can find one, but, you're right, its fundementally wrong to call yourself a lever-guy if you don;t have a 30-30.

Wish I had this problem, as my gun collection has shrunk rather than grown over the years. I would lean toward the 30-30 or 357. 30-30 has low recoil, history, versatility and ammo is relatively cheap. The .357 has all of these except the history.

My .02, God Bless

IMHO, a Savage 99 in 358 Win...premil. That's be the ultimate. However, in 308 or 300 Savage is more affordable. They even come in 30-30 for less $$.

Never though about a savage? I might have to look into em

Go get a henry .22.

Never though about a savage? I might have to look into em

Strong, slick action. Points like a great shotgun. Feeds pointy bullets. They have gotten a bit expensive, but for less than the price of a BLR, you can find a great Savage 99 in 308 or 300 Savage.

Check out the Savage forum on the 24 hour campfire.

.338 Marlin Express

My .444 Marlin was looking a little lonely in the safe.... I might have to rectify that...

I've had an 1894c since 1982 or so, and I must say that the 357mag is one of the most fun leverguns to shoot. Even with the heavy bullet loads that it prefers, recoil is light. A box of 50 357s takes up less space than 20 30-30s or 35 Remingtons.

Used to shoot a marlin in .41 that was a lot of fun and a great deer hunting rifle as well. I've seen deer taken at 125yds with it.

Two things:
1) get a Pachmayr recoil pad for that 1895G and enjoy your gun again.
2) get an 1894C (.357 mag) levergun and don't look back. It is the best shooting, lightest recoiling, most versatile, light, fast, cheap, accruate, gun I own. It can hunt deer to 100 yds, and function as an cowboy assult rifle for home defense. Then again it's a fun plinker too.

My $0.02

Zapzoo

Have you ever concidered the Winchester model 95 ??

I hadn't.. upon till I got one that is.

In 30/06 you can't go wrong, but should a 30/40 Kraig show it's face snap it up. You won't regrett it.

I have one of those slip on decelarator pads I switch back and forth with all my kickers. So I let 'em kick if they have to, as I could care less.

It's all Good !!!

Winchester 1895 in .30-40 Krag is an uncommon one, and probably my favorite piece in my collection.

EDIT: I hadn't even noticed the previous poster!