Which Marlin Lever Gun Cartridge? I'm thinking about .44

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Macchina

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I am looking into getting a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum. I plan on using this rifle for Michigan whitetails under 100 yards, range shooting for the fun of it, and I will keep it under the bed (least of my concerns). This will also be the gun I grab in the event of a catastrophe. I am open to your opinions on your favorite cartridge that this gun comes in. I really like the .44 because of the 10 round capacity, lower recoil, and a tiny chance I may get a revolver some day. I don't think I want the 30-30 or .308 because I already have a 7mm-08 which covers the scoped rifle category. I plan on using the open sights.
 
Ive been thinking the same thing but in 357... Its plenty for dear up to 100 yards and will cost a lot less to shoot. (therefore you shoot more)

-Tsi
 
I have both plus a .32 mag version. The .357 is my favorite of all my rifles period. It would be the last of the last to be sold.

My shooting partner has the .44 mag version and he keeps it loaded by his back door. It is his "go to" gun. It replaced the Mini 14 that used to be there. He has killed between 8 & 10 deer with it. They go down as fast as deer shot with his 270. Sometimes they drop right there. He hit one deer a little high and took out the spine. I looked at it with the hide off. It looked like one of those Jurrasic Park Velocer Rapters had took a bite out of it. That was with a 240 gr ww soft point.

I plan on hunting this year with my .357 and a soft point Remington 158 grain bullet. If i get a deer with that the .32 mag is up next. I'm glad i bought one before Marlin dropped them from the line.

My buddie's son shot his first deer with a Marlin 9mm camp carbine. Went 40 yards and died. And yes, i have one of those also.
 
I've got one in .357 and one in .44. Mainly hunting use, I'd say .44. Mostly plinking with the occasional hunt, I'd go .357. Fully sufficient for deer to 100 yds, cheaper to shoot for plinking and the cans won't know the difference. I rarely shoot the .44. The .357 is my favorite centerfire rifle.
 
The .44 out of a carbine is very good for whitetails, so is the .357 for that matter. Either one would be a good choice in my humble opinion.
 
I'm deciding between the .44 and .357 for my first ever levergun that I want to purchase in the not so distant future.

I'm starting to lean towards .357 due to cheaper ammo prices, since this gun will be used pretty much solely for plinking. And .357 seems decent enough for SD if I ever needed it.
 
Oh, No! Now I'm back to .44 vs. .357!

Just how much does a box of .32 special cost vs. .44? I plan on handloading my hunting loads, but cheap practice ammo would not be bad.

Just how much better of a hunting cartridge is the .44? Would there be any other reasons to go with the .44 over the .357 aside from a more powerful bang?
 
My opinion is that the .44mag is far superior to the .357 for deer. In fact in many places the .357 would not be legal for deer. I think you have the right idea with the .44mag.
 
Just got a 1894s myself...Haven't hunted with it yet, but plan on it in the future.

.44 mag for deer and camping critters and .44 special for the range.
 
Oh, No! Now I'm back to .44 vs. .357!

Split the difference and get a Marlin 1894FG in .41 Magnum. Dare to be different!

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...lower recoil, and a tiny chance I may get a revolver some day.

Lower recoil than what? My Marlin .44 is one of the most painful rifles to shoot I have...my .45-70 Guide Gun is more pleasant (with trapdoor type loads :)). But I still like it...glutton for punishment I guess. .44 Spls work well for the range though. I also have a .41 like Dave's...very classy!...gotta get some of those XS sights for mine. Personally, I wouldn't use a .357 for deer.

And a matching caliber revolver is required for a pistol caliber lever gun!
 
I couldn't decide, so I got all the calibers first. Then got the short ported barrel versions! :D

Haven't shot any .44 MAG, just specials. Slightly more push than the .38sp but less than the 45-70 405 grainers. None hurt. My body must be younger than I thought!

Justin
 
The 357 is more fun to shoot. The 44 was a great rifle, but I wouldn't term the recoil as mild. At lest not with mag loads. I have a BLR in 308, and the 44 Marlin recoil was sharper than the 308.

That said, if this was for serious hunting I would go with the 44.
 
The .44 magnum 1894 is more of a hunting tool and less of a plinker than the .357 in .44 Magnum it is slightly longer and heavier but is a much more capable rifle.

Young shooters and females I take shooting tend to like the lighter weight and shorter 1894 in .357 its a great plinking rifle but would not be my first choice for deer boar or bear hunting.

One can always download a .44 but a .357 can only be hot loaded safely only up to a certain point.

If you ever get bored go to the Remington website and compare a .44 Magnum a .223 and a .30-30 the energy figures out to 200 yards may surprise you! ;)

Out of the carbine the .357 is no slouch its just that with the .44 one can load 180 240 or even heavier bullets it already is .429 caliber and if a .44 Magnum Vaquero or Blackhawk were to one day follow you home the Marlin would not get lonely.:D

I vote .44 Magnum:D
 
1894 Marlin

I bought my 1894 Marlin in .44 Rem.mag back in 1972. It proved more than capable on large bodied Whitetails. My particular rifle was a little picky when it came to cycling the action. You had to work it with a quick snap or it would jam. That was the only fault I found and I owned it for 25 years(I gave it to a nephew for a birthday present). Marlin 1894 in .44 Rem.mag. gets my vote,FWIW.
 
I too would vote for the 44 Mag, if I could find one in CB variations thats the one I would grab. Already shoot marlins in 44-40, 45 colt, 45/70. I've taken bull caribou with the 44-40 which is close to the 44 mag, dropped as fast and just as dead as the one taken with the 45/70. Take up reloading and the 44 mag will be just about as cheap to shoot as the 357.
 
What ever you do, find an older Lyman peep sight and get that on there, makes scopes irrelevant.
 
I vote for the .44 Magnum.

Ammo compatibility with the .44 Magnum revolver, which to me is more useful than a .357 Magnum, because the .44 Special is better than the .38 Special for personal defense, and the .44 Magnum is better than the .357 Magnum for predator protection.

My standard setup for backcountry travel is the Marlin 1894SS paired with a S&W 629. There's not a whole lot you can't face down with that combo.
 
A Marlin 1894 .44 mag is a solid choice. In fact, if I could own only one firearm, it would be my Marlin .44.
 
I meant the capability to load it light for the range. I really like it that you can vary the recoil/power so much on the carbines. I think I'm going to go for the 1894 in .44. Thanks guys.
 
Don't forget they also had a 336 44mag

Yup, but it had functioning problems with the pistol length cartridges. That's why Marlin resurrected the 1894.

To the OP, the .44 Mag 1894 is a great gun, but my choice for your stated usage would be one in .357, due to lower ammo cost and lighter recoil. Consider adding a receiver peep sight and a fiber optic front sight. Williams sells Firesight sets specifically for the 1894, making for an inexpensive improvement to the gun's shootability, without the loss of handiness that a scope entails.
 
Compared to say a .270 Bolt rifle or a 336 30/30, what kind of recoil are we talking about...I've never fired one, but assumed it would be pretty light...showing what assumptions get you.
 
.44 Carbine Recoil

For some reason, the .44 rifles I've ever fired have some of the most uncomfortable recoil with full-power loads. I tend to find it sharp and concentrated, not overwhelmingly heavy, but not as light as might be assumed. Compared to a typical .30-30, I'd say my Marlin .44 Magnum kicks as bad or worse. Even a .45-70 Guide Gun doesn't feel as bad to shoot, though it has much more authority.

Maybe it's the stock design, as the Marlin and the Ruger 96/44 I had both have narrow buttplates, short LOPs and lots of drop at the comb.

Either way, if picking between my .45-70 and the .44 Magnum as a can-carry-only-one gun, I'd take the .44. Much more versatile and useful IMO, and stoked with .44 Specials, a fun plinker or even a useful small game gun.
 
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