HuntingEnthusiast
AH member
Anyone who "devoured" all the Karl May books in their youth—or loved Westerns featuring *Bonanza* and John Wayne back then (and still does today)—eventually finds their way to a lever-action rifle. Just like me. Yes, I prefer hunting with modern, scope-equipped firearms these days, but the allure of the "cowboy" rifle never left me.
I simply wanted to know how people hunted "back in the day" (incidentally, Americans still do it that way). I wanted to see what could be achieved with a lever-action mechanism.
Okay, my rifle isn’t a Winchester; it’s a Marlin. Given my aging eyes, I fitted it with a Williams aperture sight (peep sight). I didn't want to mount a telescopic sight; it would simply ruin the aesthetics and spoil the nostalgic feel. It had to be a rifle with an octagonal barrel—classic and beautiful. The long barrel aids precision by providing a longer sight radius.
I chose the .30-30 Winchester caliber—a classic cartridge that remains the go-to round for deer hunting in U.S. forests.
It took quite a bit of experimentation to settle on my current (and now final) load: a 170-grain Sierra flat-nose soft-point bullet - manufactured specifically for the .30-30 Win. - backed by 30.7 grains of RS40 powder (Reload Swiss). The measured muzzle velocity is 2133 fps (650 m/s), and the energy at 109 yards (E-100) is 1.216 ft.-lbs. . That should be sufficient not only for roe deer but also for yearling wild boar and calves.
I am now satisfied with the precision at 109 yards. Group sizes range from 1 inch to 1,98 inch (2.5 cm to 5 cm), depending on how focused the shooter is. I consider that a solid grouping for shooting with iron sights. The rifle has a rather thick bead front sight and is zeroed for a dead-on hold. It is clear, then, that this is not a match configuration but a setup designed for hunting. For the target showing the large white circle, I used a dead-on hold (aiming slightly too high at first, then precisely in the center). For the target with the black area, I aimed right at the black line. I zeroed the rifle at 50 yards with a 0.87 inch high impact. According to Quickload, this results in a dead-on impact at 109 yards. My range session confirmed the Quickload calculation.
And the result? You feel transported back 130 years — just like John Wayne.
I simply wanted to know how people hunted "back in the day" (incidentally, Americans still do it that way). I wanted to see what could be achieved with a lever-action mechanism.
Okay, my rifle isn’t a Winchester; it’s a Marlin. Given my aging eyes, I fitted it with a Williams aperture sight (peep sight). I didn't want to mount a telescopic sight; it would simply ruin the aesthetics and spoil the nostalgic feel. It had to be a rifle with an octagonal barrel—classic and beautiful. The long barrel aids precision by providing a longer sight radius.
I chose the .30-30 Winchester caliber—a classic cartridge that remains the go-to round for deer hunting in U.S. forests.
It took quite a bit of experimentation to settle on my current (and now final) load: a 170-grain Sierra flat-nose soft-point bullet - manufactured specifically for the .30-30 Win. - backed by 30.7 grains of RS40 powder (Reload Swiss). The measured muzzle velocity is 2133 fps (650 m/s), and the energy at 109 yards (E-100) is 1.216 ft.-lbs. . That should be sufficient not only for roe deer but also for yearling wild boar and calves.
I am now satisfied with the precision at 109 yards. Group sizes range from 1 inch to 1,98 inch (2.5 cm to 5 cm), depending on how focused the shooter is. I consider that a solid grouping for shooting with iron sights. The rifle has a rather thick bead front sight and is zeroed for a dead-on hold. It is clear, then, that this is not a match configuration but a setup designed for hunting. For the target showing the large white circle, I used a dead-on hold (aiming slightly too high at first, then precisely in the center). For the target with the black area, I aimed right at the black line. I zeroed the rifle at 50 yards with a 0.87 inch high impact. According to Quickload, this results in a dead-on impact at 109 yards. My range session confirmed the Quickload calculation.
And the result? You feel transported back 130 years — just like John Wayne.
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