Best Up close Bear/Boar Gun?

[V.Oller]

Well for a bit now I've been using and older straight stock Marlin .45-70 and I've had good luck with it. With practice (as with everything) you can get very fast with a lever gun.

I have to admit that lately I've used a Glock 23 loaded with 180 Gr. Gold Sabers as a hog stopper. One shot stops too.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Preacherman,
I've got a 26" cowboy gun that I just chopped to 22" in 45-70. I like it so much and it is so accurate that I sold off my guide gun imediatley. It is so much more pleasant to shoot with out the porting. And by the way it is actually lighter than a guide gun to start with. Even sawed off it holds 7 up and one in. Just an unbelievably cool little light wieght heavy hitter. Great Elk, Bear, Hog, Deer, gun. Chopped down it's a swell saddle gun as well.

Mine is shooting into 2" at a hundered with ghost ring sights.

 

[Preacherman]

Hi, H&H. (With all those H's floating around, I guess I could have been more original than to start with "Hi"!) You've helped make my mind up... after trying out my friend's gun, and hearing your feedback, come September, I'm buying one! I'll get Clark Custom Guns up near Shreveport to do the shortening and an action job (if you ever need a lever-action smoothing out, they do a great job!), and I'll have it in the woods come November. Here's anticipatin'!

 

[H&Hhunter]

Preacherman,
You won't be disapointed. The first thing I do when I get a Marlin lever gun is an action job, a cross block safety removal, a decelerator pad and a set of ghost ring sights.

A word for the wise my friend. If you want a Marlin that really shoots do your self this little favor. When you inspect the bore look for these two tell tale accuracy killers.

1. If you can see any deformation at the muzzel end due to a too deep a cut front sight dove tail, pass on that particular gun. Not all Marlins have this defect but some do. And it's a sign that the gun is going to be a "BLACK marble" as they say.

2. And this is more important for you as you will be shortening your gun and the and losing the old front dove tail anyway.
When looking down your barrel with a good light look at the place on the inside of the barrel opposite the area that all the lettering is stamped on the outside of the barrel. If you even think that you see any bulging inward from an over press on the lettering, pass on that particular rifle. Believe it or not you will occasionally find one with an inward bulged barrel especially on the octagonal barrels.

3. With all that being said, Marlin has cleaned up there act on the octagonal barrels with the 45-70 cowboy. These decfects were down right common on the 1895 carbine limited rifles.
If your rifle has a goog clean barrel it should shoot like the dickens. Good luck and keep us informed..