Best Lever Guns for Elk and Big Game

What big game asks of a lever gun

Elk and moose are large, tough animals, and they are often shot in country where a follow-up shot is hard to get. That raises the bar. A deer rifle that is perfectly adequate at 100 yards may not give you the bullet weight and penetration you want on a bull elk quartering away.

Lever guns meet that bar in two ways. The first is the traditional route: a big, heavy, wide bullet at moderate speed, which is what the .45-70 and .444 Marlin deliver. The second is the modern route: a lever action built to handle high-pressure, pointed-bullet cartridges from a box magazine, which is what the Browning BLR does.

This guide covers hunting. If your concern is defense against bears, our bear country guide deals with that separately.

The picks

1. Marlin 1895: the reference

The modern Marlin 1895 was introduced in 1972 in .45-70, built on the Model 336 receiver and action. It has been the default big-bore lever gun for half a century, and Ruger now builds it after buying Marlin in September 2020. Variants include short Guide Gun-style rifles such as the SBL, and classic walnut rifles.

Its side-ejecting, solid-top receiver takes a scope cleanly, which matters on an elk rifle. A low-power variable scope lets you place shots precisely at the distances the .45-70 is built for, and in poor light at the edge of timber.

Ammunition Depot does not stock Marlin rifles, so check Marlin's site and your local dealer. For a direct comparison, see our Ruger-era Marlin guide.

Best for: a hunter who wants the classic big-bore lever with a scope. Skip if: you hunt open country where shots regularly stretch past 200 yards.

2. Henry .45-70 rifles: gate and tube

Henry builds its .45-70 lever guns on the same action in different dress. The Side Gate .45-70 is the traditional-looking version, and the X Model is the modern, synthetic-stocked version. Both load through a receiver gate and through the removable inner tube, and both unload through the tube, which is a genuinely useful feature at the end of a cold day.

Henry's centerfire lever guns use a transfer-bar safety with no crossbolt. Carry with the hammer down and cock it when you are ready to shoot. Our X Model .45-70 review has more detail.

Best for: hunters who like Henry's action and tube unloading. Skip if: capacity matters; the .45-70 Henrys hold four in the tube.

3. Rossi R95: big-bore on a budget

Rossi's R95 follows the Marlin pattern and offers big-bore chamberings at a lower price class. It is one of the few current rifles chambered for the .444 Marlin, a cartridge Marlin and Remington designed in 1964 as a longer, more powerful .44 that fires .429-inch bullets. Marlin, under Ruger, no longer offers it.

For the .444 Marlin, look at the R95 Trapper in .444 Marlin. Factory .444 ammunition is less common than .45-70, so confirm you can buy hunting loads before committing.

Best for: a hunter who wants big-bore capability without Marlin or Henry pricing. Skip if: you want the best finish and the smoothest action out of the box.

4. Browning BLR: the long-range lever

The Browning BLR, built by Miroku in Japan, uses a geared, rack-and-pinion lever-and-bolt system built to handle high-pressure loads, and it feeds from a detachable box magazine. That box magazine is the key: it lets you use pointed, high-ballistic-coefficient bullets that would be unsafe in a tube magazine. The trigger also moves with the lever, so it does not pinch your finger when the lever closes.

The BLR is chambered for a long list of cartridges, including .308 Winchester, .30-06, .300 WSM and .300 Winchester Magnum, as well as the .450 Marlin. For elk in open country, a .30-06-class or .300 chambering in a BLR is a lever gun that can reach as far as most hunters should shoot.

We could not verify a BLR listing at our affiliate retailer, so check Browning's site and your dealer. If you want a box-fed lever with an affiliate link, the Henry Long Ranger is the closest alternative, offered in cartridges such as .308 Winchester.

Best for: western hunters who want a lever action for open country. Skip if: you want a traditional, tube-fed rifle; the BLR looks and handles more like a modern bolt gun.

Loads matter more than the rifle

With the .45-70, the box you buy changes what the rifle can do. The cartridge dates to 1873 and the Springfield trapdoor, and factory ammunition is made in different pressure tiers: standard loads that are safe in older rifles, and heavier loads that some makers specify only for modern, strong lever actions. Always read the box and follow the rifle maker's guidance.

For elk-sized game, hunters generally choose bullets built to hold together and penetrate:

• Bonded soft points such as Federal Fusion 300-grain or Federal Premium HammerDown 300-grain.
• Heavy traditional soft points such as Remington Core-Lokt 405-grain, which mirrors the original weight at modest speed.
• Heavy hard-cast and bonded flat points from makers such as Grizzly Cartridge, often marked for modern rifles only.

Browse the full .45-70 aisle and read our .45-70 modern loads piece before you buy.

Range, shot placement and ethics

A .45-70 or .444 Marlin is a short-to-moderate range cartridge. Their heavy bullets drop quickly past a couple of hundred yards, so the hunter's job is to get close and know the trajectory of the load being used. Before the season:

1. Zero with your hunting load, not a cheaper practice load.
2. Shoot at the longest distance you might realistically take a shot, and learn the holdover.
3. Practice from field positions: sitting, kneeling, off sticks.
4. Set a personal maximum range and keep to it.

Elk and moose regulations, including legal cartridges, hunting units and seasons, vary by state and province. Check your wildlife agency's current rules before you hunt.

The call

Pick a Marlin 1895 if you want the classic big-bore lever and plan to scope it.

Pick a Henry X Model or Side Gate .45-70 if you value gate loading, tube unloading and Henry's action.

Pick a Rossi R95 if you want .45-70 or .444 at a lower price class.

Pick a Browning BLR if your elk country is open and you want a lever gun with a bolt gun's reach.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.