[ArmedBear]

I'm trying to decide between a Marlin .44 and a Marlin .30-30 for a brush deer/pig rifle.

I'm leaning .44, but have one more dumb question.

I reload shotgun shells, and I shoot black powder, but I have never reloaded brass cartridges. I keep hearing that "it's easier to load straight-wall shells."

What are people talking about?

What's different/easier?

Thanks for any replies.:)

[Stinger]

With straight walled cartridges, no lube.
With necked cartridges lube is necessary.

Lube must be applied and then removed, which adds a couple of steps. I also weigh ALL charges for rifle loading, which further slows things down. It's not always necessary, but I do it nontheless.

[1911user]

Straight-wall cases can generally be sized using a carbide sizing die (no case lube required). Bottle-neck cases require case lube to be applied then removed after sizing. After that, they pretty much loaed the same. Add primer, powder, bullet, and crimp (if needed).

[SASS#23149]

bottle necked cases are more prone to stretching,requiring more attention to overall case length and more trimming/deburring/chamfering than straight wall cases.
If I had to choose,it would be straight wall.

[Grumulkin]

In a cartridge the length of a 444 Marlin, a little lube may be needed even with carbide dies. Imperial Sizing Wax is an excellent lube (only a small amount is needed), isn't nearly as messy as other lubes and is easily removed from the cases with an old wash cloth.

There is an extra step in processing a straight walled case; that would be belling the case mouth after sizing. But then, you should never have to trim a straight walled case which is actually a more time consuming procedure than belling the case mouth.

As far as the 30/30 Winchester vs 444 Marlin question is concerned; I would definitely go with the 444 Marlin. The range for each is about the same, the 444 Marlin will have much more knockdown power and the 444 Marlin case is significantly stronger than the 30/30 Winchester case. Of course you did say "Marlin .44" so you could have meant a Marlin in 44 Remington Magnum. For deer and pigs, I would consider the 44 Remington Magnum equivalent to the 30/30 Winchester.

[ArmedBear]

I did mean a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum, as opposed to a Marlin 1895 in .444 Marlin.:)

I just specified the rifle because I'm not looking at a T/C or H&R single shot, a .44 revolver, etc., at the moment. If I have a .44 reloading setup put together, that may of course influence a future purchase, particularly of a revolver.

If there were some reason that a repeater vs. a manually-fed chamber like a revolver or single shot would make a difference, I figured people here would know. It matters for shotshell reloading. Some shells can be reloaded without resizing, with a break-action gun, but I don't do that if I'll be using them in a semiauto.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Vern Humphrey]

No worry -- if you can reload straight cases, you can reload bottle necks. The technique is a little different, lubing and de-lubing, plus neck versus full-length resizing, but it's no big deal.

The .30-30 has it all over the .44 Mag in potential, especially with the new LeveRevolution ammo.

[ArmedBear]

True, perhaps, Vern, but unlike now-defunct Winchester, Marlin offers guns that fit the cartridges they shoot.

The .44 comes in a lighter, quicker true pistol-caliber carbine with a shorter receiver and shorter OAL for the same barrel length.

For what I want, that offers something, too.

In the old Winchester 94, it was a no-brainer. Same gun, different cartridge. Just get the "better" round.

But in this case, there are tradeoffs either way.

[Vern Humphrey]

True, perhaps, Vern, but unlike now-defunct Winchester, Marlin offers guns that fit the cartridges they shoot.

The .44 comes in a lighter, quicker true pistol-caliber carbine with a shorter receiver and shorter OAL for the same barrel length.
I'm not sure I understand you -- I never had a problem with cartridges not fitting in any Winchester I've owned.

Yes, a smaller package is possible -- like the old '92 Winchester, or the small-frame Marlins. I'm not sure what that does for you, though, since I never saw any disadvantage to the size of the Marlin 336 or Winchester '94.

[ArmedBear]

What I'm saying is that, at least in recent times, Winchester made the 94. Same gun, no matter what round it was chambered for. When did they last sell a 92?

In the case of the Marlin, I'm choosing between two different rifles, not just two different cartridges.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Images/photo_336SS.jpg
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Images/photo_1894SS.jpg

I'm looking for a gun in stainless that will be easiest to carry through our thick brush, for hunting on foot. I don't want to scope it.

I already have an accurate long-range bolt gun with a nice scope. The bummer is that it's long and heavy. It's hardly ideal for the sort of hunting I found myself doing. I thought it would be, but found out otherwise. What looks like open country isn't so open at ground level.

In my limited experience here, I seem more likely to jump deer than anything. Quick and easy to carry trump long-range accuracy.

That said, you're right that .30-30 LEVER in a 336 offers a good dose of both.

[Vern Humphrey]

Hereabouts we have a 3-point rule -- a legal buck must have 3 or more points on one side. That can make jumpshooting a little tricky, since you've got to have a clear look at the antlers before shooting.

So a lot of stalking or stand hunting is the rule.

Be that as it may, I don't really see an advantage to a ..44, even in a smaller framed rifle. I can use a .30-30 to do anything a .44 Mag carbine can do, but not the other way 'round.

[Walkalong]

Don't let the perceived difficulty of reloading the 30-30 vs the straight walled .44 Mag enter into your decision. It's no big deal either way to reload. The 30-30 is a *****cat in the world of bottlenecked cartridges. Choose the cartridge/gun you want and go from there. :)


Interesting - the forum did the asterisks' for me. Cool. Nice filter. Lets just say it's a "tame kitty". :)

[ArmedBear]

Hereabouts we have a 3-point rule -- a legal buck must have 3 or more points on one side.

You mean you have to check for antlers BEFORE you shoot it?;)

Here, it has to have a single fork on at least one side. A lot easier than 3-point rule.

Didn't even see a fork last year, though. Saw a bunch of antlerless, but didn't make the drawing for a doe tag.

[Vern Humphrey]

You should go elk hunting with me. Colorado has a four-point rule. After a long dry spell, I jumped a bull when I wasn't expecting it.

"Wha . . Wha. . Wha! A bull! And I let him get away!"

And a little voice said, "What's this in the crosshairs?"

"Count the tines! Count the tines! W-w-w-wun! T-t-t-two!" Bang!

"But, but, but I wasn't finished counting!"

And the little voice said, "At least three on this side and the other side was bigger. And that was the only shot you were gonna get."

He was a nice 5X4.

[243winxb]

there is no such thing as a "brush gun", unless your refering to barrel length, then shorter is better. Buy a 30-06.

[ArmedBear]

I have a .30-06, and it sucks in the brush. 24" barrel, scope, hefty weight, a royal PITA in the field, where it's brushy, steep and rough.

Yes, I was referring to length, portability, compact design, quick pointing, weight, etc. that makes a gun appropriate in the brush. Added bonus is something like stainless steel, so it doesn't get a scratch every time I look at it or rust from the sweat of a hard hike.