The 10 Best Lever-Action Cartridges of All Time

Above, the Winchester .30-30 cartridge
made the list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lever-action rifles have made a big resurgence over the past several years. Sometimes I think people are looking at my blog posts about my Winchester 94 pre-1964 rifle in .30-30 caliber I bought six years ago and decided to jump on my bandwagon. Before buying it, I was on the lookout for one for several years.

It was a good thing I bought mine when I did. The price on them has doubled since.

Field & Stream has posted an article on the 10 best lever-action cartridges of all time.

They begin it with:

There’s no rifle that’s more American than the lever-action. From the Civil War forward, it has represented a pioneering and cowboy spirit, and it is recognized around the globe as an iconic American firearm. Though largely viewed today as an old-timer’s rifle, with limited reach and power, lever guns remain the choice of many discerning hunters who understand the importance of an easy-carrying, fast-handling, fast-shooting rifle.

Since the mid-1800s, there have been dozens of rifle and revolver cartridges chambered for lever-action rifles. Most have come and gone without much fanfare, but a handful changed the game. Some of the oldest, like the nearly 150-year-old .45/70, are still widely used today, while some of the most recent and effective are now all but forgotten.

Here’s a look at the 10 best lever-gun rifle cartridges of all time. We’re not talking about cartridges suitable for drop-box or rotary-magazine lever guns like the Savage 99 and Browning BLR. These are the best cartridges compatible with traditionally styled, tube-fed, lever-action rifles.

To see more, go here.