Open sights lever on a budget

[KenLee]

I'd find a used Browning BLR in 308 or 358 for the hunting you describe. A pound lighter than Marlin 336.
I also enjoy my Marlin 1885gbl in 45-70, but it'll be hard to find one these days in good shape for $800.

 

[OXN939]

Mindlessly surfing gunbroker for cool lever guns has become a semi-serious passtime of mine.

THAT'S who's been outbidding me!

Seriously though, I rarely hunt whitetail with anything but levers anymore. Just the perfect tool for the places OP describes, and kind of represent the opposite of all the unnecessary junk influencers and their ilk spend so much effort peddling these days. Sight in for 100, apply woodsmanship, hold center.

They have gotten a lot more expensive lately, but every once in a while there's a diamond in the rough. Found a water damaged Marlin last year in a pawn shop for cheap. Ugly exterior but bore like a mirror. Took it home, broke it down, reblued the metal and refinished the stock with tung oil, and she's ready to rock!

A 20" will generally be a couple hundy cheaper than a 16" Trapper model though.

Crazy what trappers these days go for. Those new NC Marlins are sharp as a tack, though... got a loving home for the first one I can find under a grand

 

[Robobiss]

It doesn’t have to be a lever gun, no. In my wandering through possible purchases I’ve spent some time obsessing over Ruger American Gen II, Howa Superlite, Tikka T3, maybe putting a red dot on one of those models since they don’t tend to have sights….

Just happen to have settled most firmly on lever guns recently, but open to any advice!

What you really want is a 7600. But you best be ready to spend some money.

 

[KenLee]

What you really want is a 7600. But you best be ready to spend some money.

7600 isn't very heavy, but like BAR, BPR, 742, and 7400, they feel like carrying a cinder block after an hour or so. To me anyway.

The synthetic stocked 7600s can still be found fairly reasonable. I have one of those in 308 and a gorgeous wood stocked 270 with factory detailed engraved scenes on receiver.

Edit: I forgot about the fairly rare and more expensive carbine model 7600 with shorter barrel. They may carry much better. I've never owned one.

 

[pacoalcracker]

If you can wait a bit, I have 2 Rossi 92 leverguns in 480 Ruger, one brand new in stainless and one with 3 shots out of it in blue. I had the metal on the stainless one vapor honed and nicely engraved with deer scenes on the side plates. The blued one with factory hornady ammo shot those 3 shots into an inch at 50 yards with the open sights. They are quite accurate and carry like the winchester 92. Both are extremely rare (less than 50 in total) so I do not know what they will auction for when they hit gunbroker on a consignment. I sold more than 40 leverguns from 357mag to 45/70 and 405 Winchester and everything in between over the past 4 months. Mostly Winchesters and Marlins in all versions. I had quite the collection of the hard to find versions that sold...in addition to 60 handguns and 50 bolt rifles....and perhaps 50 guns to sell yet. The 480 Ruger in a 92 is an awesome levergun for sure. You won't see another person with one and only Rossi had that very short run of them. One of the rifles I sold was a 7600 35 Whelen Carbine. I hate myself as I used that one for bear in Cameron and Potter County for many years and shot the biggest 10pt buck in my life with that rifle in Cameron.

 

[Wolfshead]

That is all great stuff, thanks guys. Had not heard that the 94 carries lighter than the 336. That might make the difference for me. If I’m going to walk all day and see no deer, I’d like to be carrying a light, well balanced rifle!

I bought a Tikka T3x compact which is about an inch longer than my model 94 carbine. (20” barrel).
It is about a pound, maybe a little less, than the 94, but there is such a noticeable difference in carrying them all day. Very noticeable!
I won’t put a scope on it as I think it ruins the aesthetics of the rifle, and I have the Tikka if I need a scope.

I will say Marlins are Tanks and again, I grew up on one, but I really, really prefer the 94. I know I may be in the minority on this, but that is my opinion, I just like it better.

 

[Adirondack]

Is that to say the 94 carries better than the Tikka?

I bought a Tikka T3x compact which is about an inch longer than my model 94 carbine. (20” barrel).
It is about a pound, maybe a little less, than the 94, but there is such a noticeable difference in carrying them all day. Very noticeable!
I won’t put a scope on it as I think it ruins the aesthetics of the rifle, and I have the Tikka if I need a scope.

I will say Marlins are Tanks and again, I grew up on one, but I really, really prefer the 94. I know I may be in the minority on this, but that is my opinion, I just like it better.

 

[wytx]

A 41 mag rifle you say? Id be all over that.

It pairs well with my S&W .41 mag.

 

[pacoalcracker]

Only the Marlin 336 feels like a club vs the Winchester 94. The Marlin 1894 carries just as nice as the Winchesters. Look for any of the Marlin 1894 carbines in 44mag with the 16" barrel, like the 1894P(ported bbl). A 44mag is better than the 30-30 and is very effective on deer out to 150 yards. Even the 357mag in a rifle is very effective. The Winchester 16" Trappers are very nice as well in the pistol cartridges..and Winchester did make the Trapper in a 30-30 in both the pre and post transfer bar safety. I like them w/o that ugly transfer bar safety, but they are much harder to find. Ive had them all so I know what im talking about.

 

[plebe]

Looking at the spec weight of recommendations:

BLR lightweight 6.5lbs
94 Carbine 6.5lbs
Henry Big Boy Steel Carbine 6.59 lbs
7600 Carbine 7.25-7.5 lbs
Marlin 336 Trapper 7.1lbs
T3X Superlite 5.9lbs
Rossi R92 Tripple Black 16 5.6lbs
How’s Superlite 4.5lbs

With open sites, none of them are heavy per se. But there’s a 3lb weight range.

I’ve had a 7600 for tracking for years but it’s no lightweight. It’s fast cycling. Tended to grab a scoped Model Seven if I planned to still hunt and do some sitting, which all in weighed about the same but felt great in hand and gave me an optical advantage. The Tikka Superlite is slightly lighter yet and carries well enough imo, even though the mag is slightly proud. Neither cycles quite as quick as a pump, but still fast enough for nearly every shooter/situation. One of the most successful ADK hunters I know uses lightweight bolt rifles. No experience with lever guns but always thought the BLR takedown was a neat rifle.

When you get to the real lightweights, pick a caliber that doesn’t overpower the gun. But since carrying is mainly what you do, a slender design seems most suitable. If you can try them in hand, that’d be ideal.

 

[Sandhills]

It pairs well with my S&W .41 mag.

View attachment 918865

Grandpa has a 41 Smith, stainless steel version of that gun in the picture. Be really neat to get a rifle. I'm a single action guy but any pistol and a lever gun in the same caliber is great

 

[OXN939]

Is that to say the 94 carries better than the Tikka?

Funny the opinions you see on here. "Carries great," "carries like a club." I own all of the aforementioned firearms- Tikka, a Win '94 and several Marlin 336s- and can't tell any real difference between the levers. They are all significantly shorter and handier than most bolt actions, and provide quicker follow up shots in calibers that are well suited to hunting in thick cover. Beyond that, it's a lot of debate about whether moose tastes better than elk.