44 carbine or Winchester 92 clone for deer?

[WZRoberts]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a fast-handling, lightweight, and relatively quiet/low recoil rifle for stalking whitetails and hunting thickets. I have rifles ideal for long shots out of box stands, but my favorite hunting involves slipping through the woods, looking for deer and signs, and shooting offhand or while sitting on the ground. I would like to use a ghost ring or similar sights, and would like to be accurate to 120 yards or so.

I'm seriously considering the old-style Ruger .44 carbine and the Winchester 1892 clones in .44 mag or .45 (Long) Colt. In particular, I like the looks of the 1892 Miroku 24" takedown rifle in .45LC. I'm not a big handloader, but I have an old Lyman 310 tong tool and would like to start using it to load for whichever rifle I choose.

Which would you choose, and where do you see the advantages of either rifle?

 

[CraigC]

The .44Mag has taken every head of big game on the planet and contrary to the opinion of 'some', it is not the stunt they make it out to be. It would be a fine choice for any big game hunting when shots are kept inside 150yds.

The .45Colt is also a good choice. The 1892 is the strongest pistol cartridge action available and can be pushed well beyond "Ruger only" levels. However, you have to handload to take advantage of it. I would suggest the .44Mag for you with a good peep sight on it. Not necessarily a ghost ring.

The Miroku guns are the finest leverguns made today.

I love Rugers and have a passel of them but the .44 carbine would not be my first choice. This for the simple fact that its gas system would preclude the use of cast bullets.

 

[Float Pilot]

If you can find one of the older Browning B-92 carbines, you will be very happy.
Having owned several M-92 clones and a couple of the old originals, I too would stick with a 44 magnum chambering.
My hand-loads for a 300 grain hard-cast Keith style bullet chronograph at around 1,675 fps for a Rossi M-92 clone. About what the original 45-90 express loads were doing 100 years ago.