From the killing fields of the Civil War to the taming of the Wild West, the lever-action rifle holds an iconic place in American history. Originally chambered in .44 Henry and later 45-70 and 30-30, these old world rifles offered shooters the perfect blend of firepower, speed and accuracy. But time is a cruel mistress and 150 years later we have more efficient calibers. Rifles now shoot farther, faster and more accurately than ever before.  

Which begs the question: in this modern era is the Tactical lever-action gimmick or genius?

Tactical Lever-Action Rifle: Do We Need It?

Despite looking down their noses at gun owners, nobody has done more for the firearms industry than Hollywood. Especially when it comes to selling lever guns. Fifteen years ago, the AR-15 ruled the tactical roost, but that firm grip began to falter. First with Jurassic World and later Wind River. In these two movies audiences were introduced to Chris Pratt and Jeremy Renner—to chiseled actors—who looked so damn cool with their Marlin 45-70 SBL’s.  

I call this the seed of doubt.

Just like Eve taking that first bite of forbidden fruit, shooters began to question everything new and a lost subculture was born. Now for those of you who have never shot a 45-70, let me let you in on a little secret. They are NOT fun to shoot. In fact, they kick like a mule. Think a 30-06 on steroids. Oh, and that muzzle brake you will naturally add to mitigate the recoil, well that’s going to make you REALLY popular at the range.  

Or so I’ve heard.

While the 45-70 might be perfect for taking down a bear or a genetically modified T-Rex, I can’t think of a worse caliber for a tactical situation. Don’t believe me? Fine. Go see what caliber Major General George Armstrong Custer and his men were using at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

.30-30 Facts

Unlike its ‘roided out cousin, the 30-30 is fun to shoot, which is why I believe so many manufactures prefer this caliber. A stock lever-action 30-30 is accurate and forgiving—great for a truck gun. Or teaching a kid to shoot. But with a max effective range around 200 yards, do you actually need a red dot and magnifier to go on that heavy rail?

I mean, with every shooter I know paying top dollar to shed pounds and add range, what exactly does a lever gun bring to the table?

Thinking I was missing something, I turned to the internet and spent many an hour exercising my Google-fu. I was lost, left drifting while I searched for the answer to my quandary. Wondering why the hell some people risked public ridicule by shooting lever guns in public, while still others were dropping serious cash to instructors who claimed to school them in the way of the lever gun.

Prior to writing this article I assumed people were jumping onto the tactical lever-action bandwagon because ammo was cheaper. I mean, that makes sense; cheaper ammo means more range time. But a quick search on Lucky Gunner showed that 30-30 ammo was more expensive that 5.56. 

Well, it’s not. Not even close Then what?

The Great American Deer Rifle

My next thought was maybe it’s a hunting thing? Maybe despite all the articles I’ve written on calibers and ballistics. All the time I’ve spent on the range and in the stand, I’ve somehow missed it. Hey, it’s possible. I’m not infallible.

To test that theory, I turned to the handful of the old heads I hunt with. The ones with stacks of hunting magazines who could quote Ron Spoomer at the drop of the hat. Out of the those I polled, only one readily agreed that a 30-30 “was great for taking deer at 100 yards.” Another told me that the Winchester 1894 was “the perfect rifle for hunting in thick brush. However, I was quick to remind both that every time I saw them heading to a treestand, they were always carrying their trusty .308 and 7 Mag—never a 30-30.

“But would you ever carry this?” I asked.

Crickets.

That’s what I thought.

Now don’t get me wrong, the lever-action rifle and its accompanying calibers has earned its place in history. It has done its job and by its simple existence, blazed the trail for the modern tactical calibers we all know and love. It is an iconic rifle, with a rich heritage. One that checks all the boxes for what it was designed to do. But when it comes to a life or death situation or just another day at the range, I prefer Hollywood stay out of my business and my wallet. In other words, when the chips are down give me a shotgun or an AR-15 any day of the week.