WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING THROUGH YOUR LEVER ACTION?

[jtull01]

Hi Folks,
I'm not sure I should post this here, so if it gets moved, I'll understand.

So I finally got my Marlin .357 1894C lever rifle.

I wish I had done a tad more homework, or read the owners manual on-line.
I read the ammunition requirements last night (the whole manual) and gaped at the no aluminum case / no Blazer ammunition in red type!
And to think, the gun shop salesman said, oh that will shoot fine out of your rifle!!!
OK, I'll deal with that later.

So the question:

What are you folks shooting out of your lever actions? Especially .357 Marlins?

For now my purpose is plinking. I'm more interested in tried and true than for a specific purpose.

Factory Ammo??

Hand Loads??

Thanks LOADS

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I've known plenty of people who shot blazer through an 1894 in both .357 and .38 Special.

Handloading .357 is cheap. Do it.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Note: I don't own a lever-action rifle in any flavor...

But I've read plenty of reports that the Leverevolution ammo is FANTASTIC for hunting.

if you shoot .38Special, be aware that wadcutters will probably not feed very well.

-J-

 

[bamthetrashman]

I shoot 90% reloads in my 1894C. I can make a box of ammo for half the cost of factory and I can regularly hit clay pigeons at 100 yds with my reloads.

My favorite load for the rifle is a 158gr RNFP over 5.6gr of Unique. I have shot a few hundred of these through the rifle and they work very well for a plinking load. The recoil is very soft and the reloads are very accurate.

I haven't gone hunting with this rifle yet, but when I do I have a box of Buffalo Bore Heavy 357 mag 180gr Hardcast loads. Buffalo Bore says they are getting 1851 fps muzzle velocity with these loads.

 

[Bapak2ja]

I use WWB .38 SPL in my 1894c. Of course, I am just plinking with it at this point.

 

[ViperJock]

I have Hornaday Lever Revolution to hunt with. I also just shot 8 rounds of the cheapest box (.44) -- turned out to be WWB-- through my Marlin that I could find. I was zeroing the scope at 25 yds and after 4 rounds moving onto the x, 4 more rounds all touching through a 1" x. So... yeah I think you could probably shoot just about anything you want through it with decent results. I was initially planning to get the 38/357 but decided for the .44 instead to have a bit more power vs. our antlered food supply. However, I plan to get a .357 down the road and I still plan to load my own 38s to plink with, but still buy the stuff I will use to hunt. Hope you find this useful, GL.

 

[dbd870]

I reload and use 240JSP's in the 44 and 210JSP's in the 41.

 

[Grizhicks]

1866 Winchester (Uberti clone) in 45 Colt: 38 grains FFFg (BP) toped with 250 gr lead (RNFP)

 

[jodus]

230 gr hornady xtp over 10 grains of 231, feels like a bb gun and drops deer in its tracks

 

[jtull01]

Blazer / Aluminum case

Hi Folks,
So I called Marlin/Remington. I questioned the support tech on the use of Blazer and aluminum case bullets.
Basically he said in their testing Blazer/aluminum cased ammunition was problematic enough to warrant a caution in the manual.
Enough casings jammed in the receiver after firing to cause concern.
Evidently Blazer's quality control at times can be questionable! If they load them a little hot, the aluminum case expands to much and sticks in the chamber. Most owners would need a trip to the gunsmith to dislodge the casing.
It is also a safety issue to Marlin; you could get caught with a partially full magazine. Then clear the guns chamber and accidentally load and discharge a live round.
So basically, shoot Blazer or aluminum cased rounds at your own risk.
I understand now, and I'll ponder that one a while.
Otherwise looks like it will eat most any other flat nosed ammunition.
Thanks!!!

 

[youngda9]

I have a 44 mag lever gun. Use 240gr XTP over 23.5gr H110 for deer. Shoot plenty of 240gr LSWC over 10.5gr Unique at the range. Soon I'll be shooting all cast through her once I get a mold with a big meplat.

 

[Skip]

I have one in 44Mag and 357Mag

Don't freak out about the Blazer thing. The possibility that you will have problems with that ammo are minimal. Feeding may be the ONLY problem you have with it anyway and you can run it single action if that occurs.

The 357Mag 1894 that the wife has is much more forgiving when it comes to ammo over it's big brother that I have in 44Mag. Although, mine still feeds the Elmer Keith bullet just fine.

I handload and nothing goes through any of my firearms that doesn't come from "Skip's Ammo Company"!

I have a 357Mag load with a 158gr XTP that turns in an amazing 2000fps and is minute of hedge apple accurate @ 100 yards. It makes them babies splatter really well!
Look!
(Click to watch)

Here is a picture of the group she shot at 100 yards with it too!
(Group in the center of the target.)

The 44Mag gets the same load as mentioned above but just a tad more powder!

It will shoot pretty well out of the Marlin although it now gets fed a steady diet of a cast bullet, 434640 and turns that 250gr LRNFPHP loose at 1800fps into groups like this:

Here is the bullet:

Hope this helps. If you don't reload, you are going to be hard pressed to get the most out of either caliber though. Invest in some equipment today!

 

[MAJB Retired]

Henry 22, shoots anything on the market

 

[miles2253]

Hi Folks,
I'm not sure I should post this here, so if it gets moved, I'll understand.

So I finally got my Marlin .357 1894C lever rifle.

I wish I had done a tad more homework, or read the owners manual on-line.
I read the ammunition requirements last night (the whole manual) and gaped at the no aluminum case / no Blazer ammunition in red type!
And to think, the gun shop salesman said, oh that will shoot fine out of your rifle!!!
OK, I'll deal with that later.

So the question:

What are you folks shooting out of your lever actions? Especially .357 Marlins?

For now my purpose is plinking. I'm more interested in tried and true than for a specific purpose.

Factory Ammo??

Hand Loads??

Thanks LOADS

You have to just see what your rifle likes. My 1894 in .44 shot Blazer aluminum case the BEST out of all of the factory ammo I tried. It way out-shot the Hornady LeveRevolution. Your rifle my be different. Like I said, try different loads and see.

 

[1911Shooter]

I shoot any brass cased rounds for plinking and I hunt with Leverevolutions. Do Not Use blazers! I have tried blazers and they with stick in your feed tube. I had this problem and its a pain to get them out. Brass cases are not to expensive to shoot and if you try blazers and have a problem it will cost you everything you have saved and more to fix it. Its not worth the trouble. Trust Me.

 

[gabrigger]

I use a Hornady 158 gr. XTP over 16.7 gr. W296 with a CCI magnum primer in a Federal case for hunting in my Win. 94. I have shot everything from 38 plinkers to heavy cast loads through it. It seems to feed everything well.

 

[Drail]

I run 180 grainers over about 14.5 gr 2400 in .357 and 300 grainers over 17 gr. 2400 in .44 Mag. (going from memory on the .44, haven't loaded any in a long time so don't try that without verifying from a load manual). The 300 gr. .44 is a real thumper. I think the problem with the aluminum Blazer is that the rims appear to be crimped with a very sharp corner on the rim. I have only used them in revolvers so they're not a problem in that app. (unless you're shooting up a stairwell and then the rims will catch on the breechface of some revolvers) But trying to slide down a tube could cause some snagging.