Choosing a pistol caliber deer rifle

[CraigC]

The .44 is a better hunting cartridge and with the right bullet, is capable of taking just about anything that walks or crawls. Personally, I don't see why more people don't choose pistol cartridge levers for hunting. I guess they're afraid of losing that 300yd shot they've never had. I've been hunting with pistol cartridge levers and blackpowder guns for 20yrs and have yet to need more range. Why use a high velocity bottlenecked rifle cartridge if it isn't necessary? I prefer a .44 or .45 lever that I can plink and practice with economically u sing the same handloads I load for my revolvers, by the thousands. Sorry but I don't look at PCC's with the "glass half empty" mentality.

The problem is that the perfect rifle does't exist. Marlin had the perfect opportunity to correct that with their new .44 offerings but they persist with the stupid slow 1-38" twist. IMHO, their quality issues are now a thing of the past but myths die hard and many folks don't seem to really know what they're looking at. Marlin was never the pinnacle of fit & finish. The 1892 is a stronger, more refined action but the Marlin's biggest advantage is side ejection and the ease of scope mounting. The current Chiappa 92's from Taylor's and Cimarron have the standard 1-20" twist and that is a huge advantage if you're interested in hunting more than deer. It will stabilize anything up to 400gr but 300-355gr bullets are the most effective. The Taylor's Alaskan does have a scout rail.

The Henry's are really overweight. While a Marlin octagon barrel is lighter and tapered, the Henry is a straight taper and way too large in diameter. They handle like crap.

 

[adcoch1]

The .44 is a better hunting cartridge and with the right bullet, is capable of taking just about anything that walks or crawls. Personally, I don't see why more people don't choose pistol cartridge levers for hunting. I guess they're afraid of losing that 300yd shot they've never had. I've been hunting with pistol cartridge levers and blackpowder guns for 20yrs and have yet to need more range. Why use a high velocity bottlenecked rifle cartridge if it isn't necessary? I prefer a .44 or .45 lever that I can plink and practice with economically u sing the same handloads I load for my revolvers, by the thousands. Sorry but I don't look at PCC's with the "glass half empty" mentality.

The problem is that the perfect rifle does't exist. Marlin had the perfect opportunity to correct that with their new .44 offerings but they persist with the stupid slow 1-38" twist. IMHO, their quality issues are now a thing of the past but myths die hard and many folks don't seem to really know what they're looking at. Marlin was never the pinnacle of fit & finish. The 1892 is a stronger, more refined action but the Marlin's biggest advantage is side ejection and the ease of scope mounting. The current Chiappa 92's from Taylor's and Cimarron have the standard 1-20" twist and that is a huge advantage if you're interested in hunting more than deer. It will stabilize anything up to 400gr but 300-355gr bullets are the most effective. The Taylor's Alaskan does have a scout rail.

The Henry's are really overweight. While a Marlin octagon barrel is lighter and tapered, the Henry is a straight taper and way too large in diameter. They handle like crap.

It was my opinion that the Henry was way overweight for a 44 mag too.
I went with the 44 mag in a Rossi 92 20" stainless for my pistol cal deer gun. It needed some smoothing out, and it had a few minor hiccups starting out, but now she runs smooth and shoots good for close range. Here in Western Washington we either get really close shots, or we see deer across a canyon. So if you get sneaky( like a bowhunter) you don't need a long range rifle here. Also, it is a blast(pun) to blow up water jugs with that levergun at the range.

 

[Reloadron]

That list is no longer accurate. There is no longer a list of legal cartridges. As of the 2017 season Ohio's legal deer hunting rifles are defined as: "Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: New this year! All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50." -quoted from ODNR website.

Now that you mention it I recall reading something about that. My bad on that note then. Since I no longer hunt I really haven't kept abreast of the new and changing hunting laws. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and again my bad on that calling out the cartridges.

Ron

 

[mcb]

Now that you mention it I recall reading something about that. My bad on that note then. Since I no longer hunt I really haven't kept abreast of the new and changing hunting laws. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and again my bad on that calling out the cartridges.

Ron

No problem that was the correct list for the first three years they allowed rifles. I spent decades hunting deer in Ohio hoping they would do something like that and the year I move out they allow rifles... What can you do? I get to hunt them with bottle neck cartridge here in Alabama and Tennessee now.