I was in a similar situation a few years ago. Wanting a discontinued model badly can be a recipe for financial disaster but I got lucky, came across a NIB 99/44 Deerfield that had been gathering dust at a gun store and bought it on the spot. It's a fantastic little carbine for hogs and deer, especially in thick bush. Accurate enough (2MOA w/ factory loads), lighweight, handles great, very reliable and hard-hitting .44 leaves a good entry/exit wound in case you need to track a blood trail later on. The trajectory is anything but flat, but point blank range extends to about 100yd which is plenty for its intended use.
On the other hand, a Mini 30 might be a bit more versatile in some situations. My Deerfield has a Zeiss 1.8-5.5x38 shotgun scope which would be ideal for 7.62x39, considering the limited range of .44Mag. Still, I love the combination and the idea of it sharing the caliber with my back up revolver.