.44 Mag Lever Action: Felt Recoil

WrongHanded said:

I'm hoping someone can give me some recoil comparisions for a .44 Mag lever carbine, to help me figure out if my wife could comfortable handle one. I can always use reduced loads I suppose, but I'm interested.

Comparisions with a 12ga pump shotgun, Mini 14 (or other 5.56 semi-auto), .30-06 bolt action, or .45-70 lever action would be the most helpful as those are guns I own/have owned.

Click to expand...

Hardest kicking gun I ever fired was a Marlin carbine in .44 Mag. They just do not fit me.

@WrongHanded - food for thought, as all folks have different tolerances - has your wife tried the 1895 .45-70? Does it really kick her too hard? Does it fit her poorly?

My wife picked a .45-70 Guide Gun as her go-to deer rifle about 10yrs ago right after we started dating. She asked if she could hunt with me that season, and said she’d need a rifle - I told her to open the safe on the far left, anything inside she could use. She picked the Marlin 1895. I chuckled and said - sure, let’s go try that thing out for you... all the while planning in my head the .243win Rem 700 I would expect to buy for her when she realized the Marlin was too much for her. Fast-forward those ~10yrs and she’s still shooting it, with a smile on her face, and has since picked up a second 1895, but in SBL trim.

She’s 5’3” and a well muscled 125lbs. She shoots a .338wm, 7rm, 416ruger, and those .45-70’s. Her deer hunting revolver is a 7.5” Super Redhawk 44mag.

I built a 7rm 700 for my sister 4 or 5 yrs ago. She’s 5’9” and 135 on her driver’s license, but I’d reckon she’s more like 140 on the hoof. The stock fit and balance made the difference for her. She’s been shooting a 44mag 5.5” Super Blackhawk since she was in 5th grade. Her husband had stuck her with a poorly sporterized Mosin, she complained it kicked like a mule and was too heavy for hunting. Her 7RM is a pound heavier, an inch shorter in pull with a higher comb, but better balanced, and recoils about the same - one she hates, one she loves.

Check weld with a comb pad, a proper stock fit, and recoil pad, with sufficient rifle weight AND balance to keep things Kosher, from there on out, it’s a matter of mental fortitude to get through the acclimation process.

here is my marlin 44 mag with hot loads from the bench she kicks but the little factory loads i shot they were very mild.

I would recommend a good recoil pad on whatever rifle you decide on, and leverguns don't generally have them. A 44 mag can kick pretty bad with a steel buttplate. With a good pad it can be a pussycat. Mine was fine with the steel pad in standard loads. Just make sure the stock lop fits her.

I think for what you plan to use it for get the 44 magnum, put a limbsaver pad on it, and work up in steps. Start with a 240 grain with like 10 grains of unique. That should do about 1200 fps and will be about 5 ft lbs of recoil in a 7 lb gun, so about the same as a 223. Work up a half grain each shooting session. A hot 44 magnum load with H110 will be about twice that much recoil energy so you have a wide range to find a comfortable load.

Just as food for thought, I load my 45-70 guide gun with a 350 grain hardcast with trailboss to 1250 FPS. I also modified the stock recoil pad a bit to make it more compliant. Everybody loves to shoot that gun, even the girls.

A lighter woman often rolls more with recoil than a man. I’m not ashamed to admit my wife manages greater recoil than I can, for more shots.

How about a Ruger semi-auto .44 mag carbine? Does the action absorb enough to make it palatable?

Perhaps I should consider a .357 mag.

Click to expand...

I have both a 357 lever action and a 44 lever. I'm pretty sure based on what you describe that she would really like the 357... You might get the 357 for her but take your 45-70 when in Grizzly country... Or you could get the 44 and have her practice with 44 Special level reloads, and just load the mag loads when camping.. My 1895 marlin 45-70 doesn't seem to kick too much with light factory loads

I tend to be sensitive to recoil and could not handle the 44 mag Marlin. That is said in past tense because after a session my gun dealer offered to "adjust" the rifle for me. He shortened the stock, put a better recoil pad on and did a couple of other minor repairs. While not my machine of choice it is now no worse than my Enfield with the somewhat reduced loads a certain unnamed idiot that shall remain my brother makes for me.

Have you considered a 45 Colt lever? You can get factory loads mild to wild.

Speedo66 said:

How about a Ruger semi-auto .44 mag carbine? Does the action absorb enough to make it palatable?

Click to expand...

The action doesn’t absorb recoil, it just changes the impulse duration. Some folks feel reduced recoil because the impulse is spread over a longer time, some folks feel increased recoil because the reciprocating mass is substantial.

FWIW, I've had women shoot mine, and it didn't bother them at all. You will have to see if she likes it, or not.

As noted above, the ladies are built a bit differently than the men, and the stock fit makes all the difference in the world. On paper, and on MY shoulder, my 44 Mag Marlin 1894 feels about like my 30-30 Winchester 94 Trapper. Both wear a Williams rear sight. The apparent recoil to me is about like a 270, not a 30-06. If stock fits your lady, the recoil should be quite manageable. Also, I would point out, that a Limbsaver recoil pad is quite useful. But it must be installed so that the stock pull is right for the lady.

Have a Marlin 44 mag with the 16 in ported barrel. Had the stock cut down and put on good recoil pad for a 12.5 in lop (short arms). Loaded with 180 Rem jhp over 11.0 gns unique gets about 1550 fps, and extremely mild recoil/report. Years ago took 80 plus mother to range, and she had no trouble with learning it quickly/well enough to be sufficient at close range.

Standard 240 gn hunting loads with long stock and poor recoil pad will kick, especially so if the lop is too long.

Dad had a mid sixties Winchester 94 44 mag. I wound up with it when he passed. Under six pounds, steel buttplate. It was darn nasty with some Norma full power loads he had. I'd been shooting 30-06, 58 cal muzzle loader, 45-70, and a ton of trap, all in shirtsleeves and this was way worse. I made a mag follower of copper tube filled with lead, put a few oz of lead in the stock and added a recoil pad. Still about seven pounds but now a big pussycat. My '94 Marlin is better but it is heavier.

I tend to agree with the previous comments about a recoil pad.

Limbsaver makes some slip on pads... that are very , very good.

I suggest buying a slip on one for one of your currently owned firearms...( Cabelas sells them ) and see if the lessened recoil impulse is amicable to your wife.

Then consider the .44 Mag in context to the results.

I've had a bit of experience with 44 mag lever-guns having owned both Browning B92 and Marlin 1894---first of all, the Browning B92 is a lighter gun and kicks more than the Marlin (The same goes for the Rossi B92 copy)---so if recoil is your main concern, the heavier Marlin is best---we're talking' full-power ammo here. A modern recoil pad makes a noticeable difference! Most of my shooting these days in 44 mag uses what I call a 44 Special "+P" reload---a 240 grain hard-cast lead SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique powder---about 950 FPS out of a revolver (very pleasant to shoot) and about 1100-1150 FPS out of a rifle---been using this load for about 30+ years... A 357 lever-gun is better for recoil sensitive folk---just not as potent...

I’ve got the Rossi 92 copies with 16” barrels in .45 Colt and .357. Both are very easy on the shoulder.

The .44 is a Win 94 trapper. Full power loads are noticeable but not awful... much less than my guide gun in .45/70 with stout loads. The gg is the only one I have with a recoil pad, but that “pad” is about as hard as the buttplates on the others so it’s of no real help. Moderate .45/70 loads kick like the .44s do; they get your attention but they’re not punishing.

The .35 Rem Marlin is another one with mild recoil, it hits me less in the cheek than my 1894 Win .30/30 ‘s do. It may be the straight stock on the 1894s that brings recoil up to my cheek rather than the pistol grip of the 336, but whatever the reason the 336 kicks less to me than the 1892/1894s do.

If you get a .44, as was suggested go ahead and start with .44 special level loads. They’re very easy on the shoulder, simple to reload and it seems to me the 200 to 240 grain bullets pack more oomph when they strike their targets than similar speed .357 caliber 125-180 gr bullets do.

As a bonus, you can incrementally increase the horsepower of your .44 loads to a level that you both can tolerate as the other posters have noted. Then it can do double duty as an effective black bear/deer caliber camp gun as well as an awesome plinker.

Good luck with your quest and stay safe!

For a lightweight rifle like the 16" Rossi (4.8 lbs) she would probably like a .357 better. My wife LOVES our Rossi and shoots it extremely well. She knows she can handle (and even enjoys the recoil of) full-power .357 magnums. I would rather have her face down a bear with this rifle than with a .44 mag she is scared of or doesn't shoot well.

Over the years the question of recoil comes up quite often. I started running the numbers for people and saved data in a file on my computer. Many of these loads are from my own personal rifles and loads as well. I've listed the cartridge, bullet weight/velocity, rifle weight, and the last number is recoil in ft lbs. When I cut and pasted it the numbers run together some and it is hard to read. In many cases I've shown recoil with different rifle weights, for example 44 mag with both a 6 and a 7 lb rifle and it does make a difference. In reality 44 mag recoils in about the same class as 30-30 or 243. But because of the shape of most lever action stocks and the fact that most 44's are lighter the recoil just feels a lot worse than it should.

300WSM 180@2950 8lb 26

300WSM 150@3300 8lb 23.3

300WSM 180@3080 8lb 28.3

300WM 180@3100 8lb 33

300WBY 180@3200 8lb 34

300RUM 180@3250 8lb 37.2

12 SLUG 1oz@1500 7lb 29

12 3.5” 2oz@1150 7lb 72

308 165@2760 7lb 17.2

308 150@2880 7lb 15.2

308 150@2880 6lb 20.3

308 180@2660 7 lb 18.7

308 200@2550 7lb 21.3

338FED 200@2550 7lb 22.3

358W 225@2450 7lb 25.3

30-06 150@3000 8lb 18.9

30-06 180@2800 8lb 22.6

30-06 165@2900 8lb 21.4

30-06 200@2700 8lb 23.7

338-06 225@2750 8lb 31.3

35WHLN 250@2550 8lb 32.3

9.3X62 286@2300 8lb 32

444 265@2320 7lb 28.3

4570 400@2100 7lb 49.3

375 WM 270@2700 8lb 43.3

375WM 270@2700 9lb 38.5

338WM 250@2700 8lb 39.5

7mmRM 160@3000 8lb 21.7

30/30 170@2300 7lb 12.6

243 105@3000 7lb 11.6

223 62@3000 7lb 3.7

7-08 140@2900 7lb 16.6

260 140@2750 7lb 14.9

270 130@3200 8lb 17.0

270 150@3000 8lb 18.4

416RM 400@2450 9lb 62

458WM 500@2200 9lb 68

460WBY 500@2600 9lb 102



44 mag 240@1650 6 lb 13

44mag 240@1650 7lb 11

Click to expand...

Just load 44 specials if you are worried about recoil. I don't know what rifle you intend to shoot but I think you could shoot specials in it. That's one of the great things about 44 magnums if you reload you can tailor your loads to your liking.

Jack B. said:

Just load 44 specials if you are worried about recoil. I don't know what rifle you intend to shoot but I think you could shoot specials in it. That's one of the great things about 44 magnums if you reload you can tailor your loads to your liking.

Click to expand...

One thing I found out about my Browning 1892 in .44 mag when using .44 special was lack of accuracy. With full magnums it was very accurate, but with special it just was not as good. No failure to feed, no jams , just less accurate.
Any other .44 mag lever might be different, of course. You might have luck experimenting with handloading different bullets and powder loads to make up for this as suggested.
Just something to keep in mind.