44 mag vs. 30-30

[mrrev]

I've been wanting a Winchester 94 Legacy long gun in 30-30. And now I realized that the win 94 Legacy also comes in 44. what are the major differences between the two rounds, for instance in power, accuracy and price. And what would you guys choose. thx again...

 

[PaulTX]

Out to 100 - 125 yards I prefer the .44 mag - there is a lot of power in a heavy bullet! Beyond 125 yards or so the bullet drop is going to get bad and I would use a .30-30.

 

[fisherman66]

I think the Win 94's action length would be the same for both. The 92 would have a more appropriate length for the 44.

Rossi and Marlin also offer a 44 carbine (and Cimeron I believe.)

The barrel length can also be shorter for the 44 as the powder is combusted in a much shorter space.

I feel that the 30/30 is more versitile, but I like the asthetics of the 44; especially as a combo to a revolver.

 

[rbernie]

Funny - I wanted a 44mag for my most recent levergun but wound up with (another) 30-30. I prefer a short-barrelled pistol grip levergun, and that's a lot harder to find in 44Mag than in 30-30. In other words, the rifle's ergonomics dictated the chamberings available to me.

30-30 is a versatile round that I've loaded for in the past, so it's not a hardship for me. Commercial availability of loaded ammo is equal, so that's a toss-up as well.

 

[Sunray]

The .44 mag becomes a short range cartridge that drops like a brick in a rifle. You can see a comparison between the two here. Mind you, there really is no comparison as you can't compare like bullets, but it'll give you an idea. http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/ballistics.htm
The one you choose depends on what you intend doing with the rifle.

 

[20cows]

They're making the "94 Ranger" in .38-55. This is the best of both worlds, if you reload. A 220gr bullet at 1850 fps t'ain't bad.

EDIT Oops. The current 94 in .38-55 is the "Hunter."

 

[Sulaco]

If you are only going to have one gun, make it a 30-30 levergun.

At least that's my opinion.

 

[Preacherman]

I'm with PaulTX - at shorter ranges, the .44 Magnum out of a carbine barrel hits like a lightning bolt on game of whitetail size. Very effective round in brush country. From (say) 125-175 yards, the .30-30 has rather less bullet drop, and is probably a better choice. Over 175 yards, I'd prefer a .308.

I think that the .30-30 is deserving of its reputation as an excellent all-round lever-gun round. The .44 Magnum is almost as good.