Youth Deer Hunters and the Lever Action Rifle

After putting in weeks of scouting just to get one crack at the antlered monster that lurks on the back forty, it is hard to imagine an outdoor experience more sensational than actually harvesting your targeted trophy. However, watching a child that you have mentored take their first game animal, whether it is a squirrel, rabbit, or whitetail doe, is a treasure unsurpassed by any other activities undertaken while participating in Nature’s Economy. This year your opportunity to mentor a child while deer hunting occurs the weekend of October 31 - November 1, the dates of the Missouri Youth Deer Season. A youth hunter may take either an antlered or antlerless deer while being accompanied by a Missouri hunter safety certified adult. It is an opportunity for mentor and youth hunter alike to experience an event that creates a memory for life.

Just prior to youth deer season every fall I assist the Missouri Department of Conservation teach hunter safety to dozens of eager young and adult hunters alike. Every year I hear several anxious young hunters brag about their lever action .30-30 deer rifle. This year was no exception and every year those comments lead the classroom instruction into a very important lesson for them and all lever action shooters.

First, I am in total agreement with those proud lever action .30-30 users about the effectiveness of their firearm of choice. The 170 grain .30-30 is a potent deer cartridge, particularly in the Ozarks, where long shots (greater than 150 yards) are the exception. Over the course of the last 115 years (1894 -2009) the .30-30 cartridge has arguably provided more wild meat to hungry families than any other. Winchester Model 94 lever actions were produced from 1894-2006 with over 7.5 million total rifles produced in various calibers. That number does not even take into consideration the Marlin Model 336 which began production in 1946 and is still in production today. Needless to say, there are a huge number of lever action .30-30s out there, which leads to the second and, without doubt, most important, point of the lesson. The new cross bolt safety system only became available on the Marlin 336 and the Winchester 94 in 1984 and 1992, respectively. In the older rifles there are no repetitive safety systems protecting the lackadaisical or unobservant person who fails to properly familiarize themselves with or properly operate the hammer safety system (this should NEVER be the case when responsibly handling a firearm). Therefore, all the millions of lever action .30-30s produced prior to those years were hammer safety-only variants. This does not mean that the safety did not work. Quite to the contrary, it is actually a very good safety. However, the hammer safety-only variants require extra, extra vigilance and responsibility on the part of the mentor teaching use of the firearm and the hunter using it.

It is vitally important for mentor and youth hunter alike to learn the three position hammer safety of a lever action gun. Position one - the half-cock, or carry position, is located in the middle of the hammer’s travel path. Position two - the cocked or ready-to-fire position, achieved by fully pulling back the hammer, is located at the point furthest back from the bolt in the hammer’s travel path. The only time the hunter or shooter puts the hammer in the cocked, or safety-off position is when a target has been acquired and the shooter intends to immediately fire the gun down range. Finally, position three - the fire position, is located furthest forward in the hammer’s travel path against the bolt where the hammer engages the firing pin. The hammer should only rest in this position after pulling the trigger from the cocked position after you fire the rifle. After firing the gun and then operating the action, thus, chambering another round, the rifle should either be fired again or the hammer immediately put into the safe position. While traversing the woods with a loaded lever action the hunter must take great caution to ensure the hammer is in the half-cock or carry position and not the fire position. The novice or beginning hunter should practice, under the critical and watchful eye of a trained adult, with an UNLOADED lever gun (preferably a newer cross bolt safety model with the safety engaged) to learn how to comfortably attain the safe position. While practicing always employ the paramount rule of firearms handling - keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

In closing, I hope you get the opportunity to experience a youth hunter harvesting their first deer this year. The smile on their face and the twinkle in their eye as they repeat their story to the entire repertoire of family, friends, and complete strangers…over and over again,… is something you and the young hunter will forever remember. It has been my experience that a child successfully participating in Nature’s Economy and learning the lessons of nature’s circle of life makes for an individual who is more able to cope with and function in man’s economy as an adult. This Halloween I hope that candy is the second choice for dinner behind fresh venison for all those with a youth hunter in the family. Be safe, good luck and get a big one!