Quote:
Originally Posted by HardDrive
Other than nostalgia, I have never see the appeal of a lever action.
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To me (outside of an admitted penchant for firearms nostalgia), they are very application specific. In the afore mentioned coastal Alaskan hunt, we were after some rather large critters, in some very thick coastal cover. I alluded to this earlier in this thread - where a "long" shot is 30 yards. And, oh - these particular critters, as some guides like to say "hunt back". Especially when shot...
In other locales, I hunted these guys with my pet .375 H&H bolt gun, leaving my beloved single shots out of this particular equation - I want repeat shots on critters that "hunt back". With its 1.5-4X scope, 300 grain boat tailed spitzers, I had the ability to take one at some distance if the opportunity presented itself. And, hopefully, time to cycle the bolt if he didn't get the message the first time. That was much further inland, and they were a good deal smaller to boot.
Back to the coast - heavy cover, constant rain. Fogged up scopes, with no real need for one at 30 yards anyway. My "ghost ring" peep was ideal. And time to cycle the action, in the event that he didn't go down on the first shot - things happen a lot faster at 30 yards than at 200 yards. And finally, true big bore "stopping power". Having killed with heavy .45-70 loads and the .375 H&H, I can tell you which one I prefer up close. The .375 certainly has power, and range when needed, but right off the muzzle, give me 400 grain .45 caliber bullets every time.
I had a guide tell me one time of a close encounter of the grumpy kind with one of these critters. It stood up in front of him from behind a pile of driftwood at what he described as "conversational" distance. It was clearly displeased to see him. He claimed he had the third round in its chest before the first piece of brass even hit the ground. Try
that with any other action type capable of being chambered in a round suitable for this duty. Nothing nostalgic at all about that, except for maybe the warm spot in his heart that rifle just earned...