firearmnut
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- Jan 23, 2011
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I have been looking for a nice 44 mag lever gun but i am wondering if there current production 44 with a faster turn rate than 1 in 38 in.
Thank for your time.
Thank for your time.
44 mag rifles???
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Cop Bob
Member
I have a Marlin Lever in 44Mag, it is a real game getter! I love it.. several one shot stops on deer..
I picked it up in a trade and the previous owner had it cut down to 16". Heck before they changed the Carbine rules in my department, I carried it on Patrol. Once we were processing some prisoners on a Burglary, and one of them said to another, "Man that Cop pulled a gun on me what had three barrels!" (there was a 1.5 Leopold on top)
However I have never checked the rate of twist, It hit what I was shooting at, so I never looked into it. I know that It handles Hot 180 hand loads without a whimper, and it shoots pretty tight. It handles 240 gr factory ammo with equal results.
44Mag Rifle/carbine for a truck gun, brush hunter, farm gun, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!! Great choice....
I picked it up in a trade and the previous owner had it cut down to 16". Heck before they changed the Carbine rules in my department, I carried it on Patrol. Once we were processing some prisoners on a Burglary, and one of them said to another, "Man that Cop pulled a gun on me what had three barrels!" (there was a 1.5 Leopold on top)
However I have never checked the rate of twist, It hit what I was shooting at, so I never looked into it. I know that It handles Hot 180 hand loads without a whimper, and it shoots pretty tight. It handles 240 gr factory ammo with equal results.
44Mag Rifle/carbine for a truck gun, brush hunter, farm gun, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!! Great choice....
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
It is stupid beyond words that new Marlins are still equipped with 1-38" twist barrels. Which makes them no good for anything above 300gr. They even went to a 1-20" in the .444's but the slow twist remains in the .44's. It's unfortunate that the only rifle capable of stabilizing the heavyweight 330's and 355's, the Ruger 77/44, has a magazine too short to feed them. I'd love to see a new Marlin or 1892 replica with a 1-20" twist. With a peep sight and some tuning to feed the long 330's and 355's, you'd have a 150yd sledgehammer capable of taking anything that walks or crawls.
The Marlin 1894 rifles in .44 mag are very good rifles, I love mine. IMO folks make way to much out of the 1-38" twist. The most common .44 mag load are the various 240gr/250gr loads which is why the 1-38" twist is still being used. I know some folks would like to use bullets heavier than 300gr in their .44 carbines. However don't short change the 240gr loading from these carbines as they are more capable than most give it credit for. Case in point is a member over at Marlinowners who uses that load in his Marlin .44 carbine to get his elk every year. When I posed the question how it performs for him he said that he has only recoverd but a couple bullets, the majority being complete pass throughs.
I see no need for bullets over 300gr from the carbines. As the muzzle velocity will be rather slow and the corresponding trajectory will be even more pronounced. A top end 300gr loading from the carbine is only going to get you around 1550fps as it is. Even with the 1-38" twist more than a couple of folks get good accuracy @ 100 yards from the 300 gr loads. A lot of game has fallen to the .44mag 240gr loading from a revolver. so I don't see much of anything in the lower 48 that will withsatnd a well placed 300gr WFN/ WLNGC within 100 yards, which is really the practical limit for these carbines with any loading. If you do get a .44 mag carbine you will have to let the rifle decide what ammo it likes the same as any other firearm. Some Marlins shoot the 300gr ammo fine and some don't. Just like some 30-06 rifles shoot well with one bullet weight and style while another may completly loath the very same load.
Not only would the heavier loadings be slower but it would require a lot work (expensive) to the reciever/action just to get the bigger/longer bullets to feed and chamber properly. If one requires more bullet weight and range from the .44 mag then one needs to be looking for a .444 or a 45-70. However when used within it's range limitations (<100yards) and with proper ammo and bullet selection the little .44 mag carbines won't let you down.
I see no need for bullets over 300gr from the carbines. As the muzzle velocity will be rather slow and the corresponding trajectory will be even more pronounced. A top end 300gr loading from the carbine is only going to get you around 1550fps as it is. Even with the 1-38" twist more than a couple of folks get good accuracy @ 100 yards from the 300 gr loads. A lot of game has fallen to the .44mag 240gr loading from a revolver. so I don't see much of anything in the lower 48 that will withsatnd a well placed 300gr WFN/ WLNGC within 100 yards, which is really the practical limit for these carbines with any loading. If you do get a .44 mag carbine you will have to let the rifle decide what ammo it likes the same as any other firearm. Some Marlins shoot the 300gr ammo fine and some don't. Just like some 30-06 rifles shoot well with one bullet weight and style while another may completly loath the very same load.
Not only would the heavier loadings be slower but it would require a lot work (expensive) to the reciever/action just to get the bigger/longer bullets to feed and chamber properly. If one requires more bullet weight and range from the .44 mag then one needs to be looking for a .444 or a 45-70. However when used within it's range limitations (<100yards) and with proper ammo and bullet selection the little .44 mag carbines won't let you down.
wnycollector
Member
IIRC rossi/puma .44 mags also have fast twist rates for the 300+ grain .44 mag bullets.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The 270gr Gold Dot is a great game bullet and definitely suitable for game as large as elk and moose. However, those are not the biggest critters to be hunted and if you want to hunt bigger game, you need a heavier bullet.
I would have to strongly disagree about the viability of the heavyweight cast bullets. The heavyweight cast bullets are just as viable in rifles as they are revolvers. No, it does not take a lot of modifications and it is not expensive. Usually no more than $250 and can be coupled with an action job/trigger tune. What IS expensive is installing a new barrel with a faster twist. There's absolutely no reason to go to a .444 or .45-70 is a properly loaded .44Mag or .45Colt will do the job. If you don't need the range, you don't need the velocity those cartridges offer.
Far as I know the Rossi's have a 1-30" twist in all standard chamberings. Surely the .454's and .480's have faster twists.
I would have to strongly disagree about the viability of the heavyweight cast bullets. The heavyweight cast bullets are just as viable in rifles as they are revolvers. No, it does not take a lot of modifications and it is not expensive. Usually no more than $250 and can be coupled with an action job/trigger tune. What IS expensive is installing a new barrel with a faster twist. There's absolutely no reason to go to a .444 or .45-70 is a properly loaded .44Mag or .45Colt will do the job. If you don't need the range, you don't need the velocity those cartridges offer.
Far as I know the Rossi's have a 1-30" twist in all standard chamberings. Surely the .454's and .480's have faster twists.
I never said that the heavy weights aren't as viable form rifles as they are in revolvers. However a 300gr WFN/WLNGC will do anything that needs being done when working within the confines of a stock Marlin with a 1-38" twist or any .44 mag rifle. I'm only speaking for myself here but with todays economy the way it is I don't view $250 as cheap or a drop in the bucket. Adding a new barrel is modifying a rifle from it's factory configuration, which does make it a modification and is expensive as you stated. This just further reenforces what I stated above.
By the time all is said and done one could use the money spent on upgrades for a rifle chambered for a cartridge which does even better with heavy bullets and no upgrades. There is no sense in trying to make a rifle and cartridge into something it's not. Hence my .444 .45-70 statement.
By the time all is said and done one could use the money spent on upgrades for a rifle chambered for a cartridge which does even better with heavy bullets and no upgrades. There is no sense in trying to make a rifle and cartridge into something it's not. Hence my .444 .45-70 statement.
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