Marlin 357 mag for young deer hunter

[brainwake]

I am considering picking up a Marlin 1894c in 357 mag. I reload for this for my GP100 already, and was thinking I would like a lever rifle so I could share ammo and do some plinking and whatnot. But I also have 3 children, one of whom is about ready to start deer hunting. I was thinking that this might double duty as a fun gun and a beginner deer hunting rifle. Most of our shots will be within 100 yards...maybe a little more...maybe a little less.

I was hoping for opinions on 357 mag for deer hunting.....yes I know I should probably buy a 243.....and may yet....but what do you guys think?

 

[buck460XVR]

I suggest a Ruger 77/357 iffin you wanna go .357. Can be easily scoped, and is easier and safer for young hands to load and unload(rotary mag instead of stuffin' shells in and jackin' them out) and has a standard 3 position safety as opposed to having to let the hammer down to half cock. Lightweight and easy to handle. Saw way to many accidents and close calls growin' up with Kids startin' out with lever action 30-30s and .32 specials(I was one of 'em) to think they are the cat's meow for youngin's. IMHO.....Lever actions and cold small hands are not a good combo. Bought my boys bolt action rifles when they were old enough to hunt deer and gave they the levers that dad and grandpa left me when they got older. I have a 77/44 that my granddaughter will use when she gets big enough. It's a tack driver @ 100 yards with the right loads and I can load it down if need be. It's a lot of fun to shoot at the range also. Price of the 77/357 is about the same as a standard Marlin lever and comes stainless with a synthetic stock and includes the rings for the scope.

 

[jmr40]

I'd say a 243, even 223 is a much better choice for 1/2 the cost, especially for the kids, But the 357 would make a fun gun for you to use as well.

 

[wugglyump]

I have a 1894c in 357 and hope to use it for deer, but from what I hear it's best to keep it under 100 yards. Since I refuse to put a scope on it my eyes pretty much limit me to around 75 anyway. I love the gun first because it's fun to shoot and second because you can work up a huge range of plinking and hunting rounds.

I've never seen one of those Ruger 77/44 rifles before, but I can buy the argument about the safety/manual of arms being easier for a young guy unfamiliar with lever guns.

<ducking in anticipation of another debate on the 357 as a deer cartridge...>

 

[R.W.Dale]

I cannot in good conscience recommend a lever action for a beginner as a function of their afterthought safety.

With marlins you have two safety options depending on vintage.

One is the halfcock notch. This has you relying a child to pull the trigger ON A LIVE CHAMBER and simultaneously manipulate the hammer. (What could possibly go wrong?)

The other is simple sloppy design that is the hammer block cross bolt. These are simple to manipulate but they have the flaw that you can pull the trigger and it will allow the hammer to partially fall. So you can bet money that at some point that kid will loose an animal due to the gun actually decocking when they pull the trigger before disengaging the safety (we've all done it)

IMO a lever action is an experts rifle and not something to throw the uniniated into.

The ruger is good and has a modern three position safety that's a no brainer for children.

But my favorite is the transfer bar equipped single shot such as the h&r or tc. With these all that needs be taught is to keep the fingers off the hammer till just before they're ready to shoot.

 

[brainwake]

One point that I was considering was that since I am reloading and plinking with it, then my kids would get a lot more trigger time on it. I imaging that we would be shooting this every time we go shooting....currently they shoot a lot of .22. But I also let them have a few rounds on the GP100 and SR9c...just for fun. I basically start with the air soft, then BB, then 22.....but haven't made the next step yet.

I may also be a little conservative, my oldest is 15 and he still isn't hunting deer yet....but he also hasn't pushed for it himself yet either. He is content with 22 for the moment.

I very rarely break out the deer hunting rifles for any sort of recreational shooting. In fact, they just about only get fired to check the zero before deer season and then when there is meat in the scope.

But I hadn't really considered the nuances of this model, or lever actions in general.....Is the Browning 92 one any safer?

 

[Fred in Wisc]

I let my niece choose any rifle she wanted for deer season last year and she LOVES the 1894. It's well balanced, light and easy to carry. We agreed to limit her to about 40 yard shots (where she can put all the bullets on target offhand) and we spent some extra time going over the safety issues of using a lever gun, but she has no problems operating it safely. She is quite happy with the "cowgirl gun".

My vote is to let the kids try a few appropriate guns and let them choose the one they like best.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I was thinking of taking my Marlin 1894C for Deer and did some testing with different weight bullets and powders.

I found part used boxes of those older Sierra bullets last year at a gun show. I got 180gr, 170gr, 150gr and 140gr bullets like that and some of the boxes were even marked for rifle use. I did some tests with all of them thinking I would use a good load in my .357 Magnum Marlin Carbine for Deer hunting.

Here is some of the data I have when shot from an 18.5" barrel:
140gr JHC
19.0gr H110 - CCI-550 primer - AV 1976 fps
16.5gr 2400 - Win WSP primer - AV 1930 fps

150gr JHC
17.0gr H110 - CCI-550 primer - AV 1826 fps
15.5gr 2400 - Win WSP primer - AV 1810 fps

170gr JHC
15.5gr H110 - CCI-550 primer - AV 1699 fps
17.0gr Lil'Gun - CCI-550 primer - AV 1793 fps

180gr JFP
13.6gr W296 - CCI-550 primer - AV 1547 fps
15.0gr Lil'Gun - CCI-550 primer - AV 1657 fps

I think those are respectable numbers across the bullet weight range but the 170gr bullets are probably the best compromise between bullet weight/velocity and energy delivered down range. I think my second choice with be the 140gr bullet.

 

[Texan Scott]

I'd hunt deer with a 357 levergun and a 75 yard zero on iron sights in a heartbeat, no qualms at all. Then again, I'm both an experienced hunter and levergun shooter.

My concern isn't the suitability of the gun or the caliber for small deer at near range ... only the safety and success of your fledgling hunter. If you're gonna use the Marlin, get several - SEVERAL- 50 rnd supervised range trips under their belt FIRST.

Then again, I suppose that wouldn't be a bad idea with a 243 bolt action, either.

Be safe - good luck!

 

[peacemaker45]

I think all the ruckus about levers being harder to use is just a little overblown. After all, shouldn't the kid know how to use *whichever* gun they use, pretty darn well before going afield?

Also, the dexterity issues might have more bearing on a ten year old than your fifteen year old.

All that aside, though, if you want your kid to enjoy shooting and hunting, it might help if he had a more active part in the decision making process, rather than you deciding what gun you want to buy, then using him as justification for it.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[peacemaker45]

Just looked over the earlier replies, and ought to add, yes if you're using the half cock or cross bolt, you have a danger factor, but I'm not sure it's an age dependent one. My family always considered levers to be Condition Three guns, which solved the safety problem at the expense of a noise problem. It can be a little involved to work the action without spooking the deer.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[shafter]

A 357 levergun would make a great first gun for a child but I would keep the range at 75 yards or less. My first deer rifle was a Marlin 336 and it worked great. It would be worth considering for sure.

 

[MCgunner]

Ah, hell, get him an AR and a 500 round magazine.

Yeah, I like .357 on deer to 100 yards. I've taken deer at 80 with mine, clean kill with a lung shot. Don't have to have fancy bullets, either, just a good old heavy cast SWC in the Elmer Keith tradition. Good short range hog gun, too. Anyone who thinks different has never used one.

 

[hoghunting]

Yeah, I like .357 on deer to 100 yards. I've taken deer at 80 with mine, clean kill with a lung shot. Don't have to have fancy bullets, either, just a good old heavy cast SWC in the Elmer Keith tradition. Good short range hog gun, too. Anyone who thinks different has never used one.

Completely agree with you MC as my 1894C has taken its share of deer and hogs - mainly hogs - and has done an outstanding job, otherwise I would have stopped using it. Let your son practice with it and he'll be ready for deer season. All I've ever used in it are 158 gr JFPs.

 

[Oceanbob]

Regardless of letting your son use a .357 lever for hunting; I would buy one ANYWAY just because they are a hoot to shoot and own. They are getting rare (the rifles made before the move). Just get it.

I have one with a scope; my teenagers love shooting it. We don't hunt here in Kalifornistan...

But we love the .357 cartridge.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Just to touch on Oceanbobs comments I agree wholeheartedly.

I've owned every 357 in question here as well as a few others. A or rather ANY 357 long gun is just pure fun.

 

[lastofthebreed]

Get the kid the rifle and then, practice, practice, and practice. The .357 with a cast bullet will do the job admirably as long as the range isn't much over 100 yds.

 

[brainwake]

Thanks everyone. I feel good about it so far.

I have found that the Marlin is way over priced at the moment and very hard to find. I will probably have to hunt the gun shows to get one.

Does anyone have any experience with the Rossi R92? It seems like it will be a bit cheaper and easier to find. The one concern I have is that it is a top ejection. Although I don't think I will scope it.

 

[Schwing]

I just bought a rossi 92 a few weeks ago and love it. It wasn't my first choice either but I have had my eyes on several .357 leverguns for a long time and just could not find one in my area. This one came in and I jumped on it. Keep in mind that it would be a chore to mount a scope on it unlike the Marlin. It also has a top eject making it even more difficult. The open sights work just fine up to about 50 yards for me and I have terrible eyesight.

I have had a GP100 for awhile now and finally bought dies to reload .357. The natural next step was to get a rifle to go with it. I find myself taking the rossi just about every time I go out. I would have no problem deer hunting with it. I understand all of the arguments there but IMHO .357 is more than sufficient for deer. It is fun to shoot! I find myself burning through several hundred rounds and end up with bruises... 200-300 rounds will still do that from a .357.

My little girls (15 and 9) have no problem with it. The only issue I have really had with it is that the feed tube spring is so stiff that they have a hard time loading it. Cutting about 6 inches off of the spring resolved this problem. It will shoot .38s but you may have to screw around with your oal to get them to feed properly. .357s feed with no issues at all. I also had some minor wandering with the feed tube. It is not a very good design and tends to move out away from the stock over time. I ended up JB welding it to the front barrel ring and haven't had an issue yet.

It is about the best $500 I have ever spent.

 

[T.R.]

Short range, deadly shot placement, and a well constructed bullet will get the job done. This photo is courtesy of Paco Kelly's trip to South Africa. The animal pictured is an impala which is very similar to whitetail in size.

357 MAG has very limited distance because after all, it is a revolver cartridge.

TR

 

[brainwake]

I spend last night looking/obsessing over the Henry big boy. It sure is nice looking, I like the side ejection.

Now I am starting to wonder if I were to get one of these babies, how likely would I be to scope it. Certainly not at first. But would I regret paying for the Rossi, then wishing I would have just spend a little more and got the Marlin or Henry because of the side ejection?

Another question, How much does the 44 mag version kick compared to the .357? I want to stay in the pistol ammo....mainly because of the cost. My research tells me that the 44 mag might be a little more versatile. I could always pick up another die and load that too. But would the 44 kick too much for the kids?

 

[Schwing]

IMO, if you think you are going to scope it, I would wait for the Marlin. The reviews I have read are pretty similar to the Rossi. Both don't seem to be as good as they were in years past but, for the price, they compare pretty well. The other thing you will want to do for sure is actually hold a couple before you decide. I was set on the Henry and one actually came in stock before I bought my Rossie but I just didn't like the feel of it. These are really short carbines so they don't have a full length stock. I can't really explain it but, to me, the balance just didn't feel right on the Henry.

I can't speak to the kick of a 44 vs .357 in the rifles because I have never fired a 44 mag version. Like I said above, the .357 does kick enough to leave bruises if you shoot it enough. For hunting, there really isn't much comparison. For deer, the .357 is fine.... The 44 is going to be better though and give you a little more of an excuse to put that scope on it. I had some reservations about the Rossi because of the scope issue but don't feel like I am missing a scope seeing as how I am limited to an effective range of about 100 yards anyway.

I don't mean to pontificate... just my 2 cents.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'd put a peep-sight on it. They also say that a .357 out of a carbine, loaded hot, will approach the 30-30 in power, out of a carbine.
As for the "safety" issue of a hammer gun, they are what they are. When the hammer is back, it will/can fire. simple times

 

[Fred in Wisc]

My niece is a pretty petite 13 year old. She has no problem with the recoil. We usually shoot 240 grain cast loads that go 1070 fps in a revolver for practice. Hornady xtp at about 1370 for hunting. Both are probably 200 fps faster in the rifle.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well you have your personal opinion and it's pretty good, I agree with you.. But I like to use a revolver during the hunt and I have my new revolver. The Ruger New Model Blackhawk is the most advanced single action revolver ever made.

Is that the new model with the side/frame button safety? lolz