Levers?

[Wojo14]

There is tons of info out there and on here about bolt rifles for elk hunting.
Not too many talk about levers.
I am a trad bow hunter at heart, but if I don't get it done, then the rifle comes out. I am in it for the experiance and meat.
Anyway, being a bow hunter at heart, I like to still get close with rifle. I would say that I personally would not shoot at game over 200 yards. Just me, I am not saying it is unethical to shoot over that.
In saying this, would you guys use a 30-30 for elk within that range? 170 gr bullets? I know the 30-30 would work on mule, hog, black bear, white tail and such. But is it good on Elk? They hit pretty hard.
Curious. ...not too much on here on levers.
Oh ya, I do own a 45-70 as well. But I would reach for the trusty 30-30 first....
~Wojo

 

[huntsman22]

so would I......

 

[Wojo14]

You use a scope?
If so, which one?
~Wojo

 

[elkduds]

Love the levers. Currently my only one is Marlin 57m levermatic (22 WRM). Most potent was a Marlin 444, which I scoped w a Widefield 2.5X on see-through rings to maintain the open sights. Ferocious brush gun, that. For elk I'd want a cartridge in the 708/308/300 Savage range minimum. The 308- and 338mx Marlins would be good choices as well for tougher game than deer.

 

[Bearlodge10]

If a levergun is what you have and you want to hunt that way, then I say do it. In the woods nothing is quite as handy and its a good feeling to make a clean kill with a nostalgic rifle. I hunt with a Marlin 336 in 30-30 for deer and elk in the Black Hills of Wyoming. This gun performs well on Whitetails and I have killed one cow elk (about 170 yard shot, I did have to take a follow up but the first kept her where she was) with it. I can't speak to the 45-70 as I have only shot one and never have hunted with it. However, In either case you could have the option of shooting the hornady Leverevolution to get some extended range. However, I haven't been impressed with that ammo both in terms of accuracy and terminal performance. The difference in powder, velocity etc. make it difficult to hunt with any other ammoas it changes point of impact greatly (understandably). For me my handloads with 150 grain round nose seem to shoot way better. I haven't shot 170's for a while now, but they worked well when I did. That being said I would look at it this way. If you will be hunting an area where most of your encounters or hunting style will BE inside that 200 yd mark then I would go with the 30-30 as it gives you a little edge at the longer distances trajectory wise. If you wanted to try something new and add a true elk levergun to the stable then I agree with Elkduds and look at a 7mm-08 or 308 in a Savage model 99 or Winchester 88 or of course a Browning BLR. I don't think you gain that much with a 300 Savage (just my .02)
A good light weight scope either with shoot through bases or a 2-7 variable would be my scope recommendation. Mine has an older Redfield wide angle with shoot through bases for reference. Good Hunting!

 

[Joee]

I have an older model 300 savage that I have taken deer with. I would use it for elk and not think twice. I would use a 30-30 too if I had one.

 

[mod700]

If I had the choice between the 45-70 and a 30-30 for elk, I'd opt for the 45-70, your pushing a 300 grain bullet, at the about the same velocity if not faster than a 170 grain out of the 30-30. There was a lot of elk killed years back with the old 30wcf., (30-30), but the 45-70 is going to have the edge on anchoring a elk, they can be tough to put down on occasions. Just my .02$
Mike

 

[hodgeman]

I've hunted a lot in years gone by with a lever. If you're willing to close the distance- they'll do the trick!

 

[Deertick]

I shot my bull in 2016 with an 1895 Winchester in .30-06 ... open sights ... 175 yards or so.

I'm not sure really why I took it. Maybe I thought that the woods were really thick there, so why take a scope? Or maybe I thought I wouldn't find an elk anyway, so why not take a light, easy to carry rifle?

Well, it worked out. 8:30 on opening day, I shot a nice raghorn bull. I'm sure a .30-30 would've done the trick as well.

The nice thing is that I felt I had shot a bull with a special rifle. Like the good friend I had with me, that rifle was just a nice thing to have there. The photo of the bull, the rifle, and my friend and I is my "wallpaper" now on my computer.

I shot my pronghorn doe with the same open-sighted rifle this year at 200 yards. I'm starting to think it might be just fine for, like, 90% of my hunting!

 

[Wojo14]

I shot my bull in 2016 with an 1895 Winchester in .30-06 ... open sights ... 175 yards or so.

I'm not sure really why I took it. Maybe I thought that the woods were really thick there, so why take a scope? Or maybe I thought I wouldn't find an elk anyway, so why not take a light, easy to carry rifle?

Well, it worked out. 8:30 on opening day, I shot a nice raghorn bull. I'm sure a .30-30 would've done the trick as well.

The nice thing is that I felt I had shot a bull with a special rifle. Like the good friend I had with me, that rifle was just a nice thing to have there. The photo of the bull, the rifle, and my friend and I is my "wallpaper" now on my computer.

I shot my pronghorn doe with the same open-sighted rifle this year at 200 yards. I'm starting to think it might be just fine for, like, 90% of my hunting!

That's cool. Congrats!
~Wojo

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have had levers on and off for years. They hold a special place in my heart too.

While I think they hold an edge in the nostalgia department and for fast follow up shots, there are bolt rigs that are just as "handy" and potentially more inherently accurate. I admit at 200 yards or less a sub MOA group is a lot less necessary but With modern powder loads a short barreled rifle with a 20, 18 or even 16 inch barrel will perform just fine at the range you describe.

I carried a 30/30 lever for a few seasons. Now I tote around a 308 bolt gun with a 20 inch barrel that has a small red dot on top of the scope for north eastern white tails. The 308 would be effective well beyond the 300-400 yards I would take a shot and For about 6 oz I get the ability to shoot fast and eyes open inside of 100 yards with the confidence of a red dot.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I used a 45-70 and a 444 marlin for lots of different hunts when I was younger. We still have those guns and you dad still uses them quite often.

 

[teflonhunter]

Own a few , love my 77 444 S Marlin . Sub moa rifle that puts anything down in the timber. 265 gr. Hornady FP freakin hammers.

 

[theleo91386]

I'd pack a 30-30 if I had no other choice. There's nothing wrong with it, I just have access to other lever guns I'd rather kill an elk with. The next rifle tag I draw I'll be packing one.

 

[pwsINC]

Model 99, 300 savage, 180 grain nosler etip.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Shooter19802003]

Imo the biggest mistake folks make is being over gunned. If you like and shoot a 30-30 the best.....shoot it. 30-30s have been killing elk and all other manner of critter just fine, long before anybody here was even born. I don't know when critters became bullet proof and everybody needing a magnum came about....but they aren't and you don't. I would rather a clean hit with a 30-30 than a cripple or miss with a mag. You can also load down your 45/70 if you like. I shot a wayyyyy uploaded 45/70 for awhile. Then I just bought more gun. Not because I needed it....I just liked it.... at the time....lol. now I am on the 6.5 bandwagon. It kills everything I want and it doesn't beat you up and it is light. Know your limitations, shot placement and pick a good bullet. My vote is for partitions or the like. I had a 2-7 scout scope setup on mine and loved it. However I really have been liking red dots. I have a aimpoint mounted now. Within 300 meters with the aimpoint I am good and don't feel handicapped at all. The red dot is the goto in Europe. Not that means anything....just saying it works and is widely used there. Because of the hunt tests and all.

Good luck