what PCR for deer?

[Axis II]

this questions for a buddy of mine.

Ohio recently allowed deer hunting with strait walled rifle calibers.

I hunt with a single shot 45-70 but my buddy who mostly bow hunts and ML mentioned he would like to get a PCR for deer hunting last night.

he says 357 and I say 44mag. he's a smaller guy 5ft5-5ft6 160lbs so the 45-70 is out of the question.

he said he wants a single shot but H&R isn't making guns anymore. I mentioned something about the judge rifle in 45colt but the 45colt seems a but underpowered IMO.

who else makes single shots in 44mag, etc?

what caliber do you guys think for 100yard and under ohio deer shots?

 

[RugerNo]

CVA Scout, Contender, Rossi to name 3. Used gun market is wide open.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

TC Encore for a single shot. And I know it's a little different but Ruger makes a bolt action rifle in 44mag and 357magnum. That may be an option also.

But I'm a 44mag person you could even reload it on the low side and be more like a 41 special

 

[Steve S.]

I am not sure that your friend's size is an issue for the use of a 45-70 unless it is simply his choice. I do not (personally) know of any .44 mag single shot manufacture; I will be deer hunting with a Winchester '73 in .45 Colt this coming season - I agree that 100 yards "may" be iffy with the Colt caliber in the lower pressure (ie 1873) rounds but I am very confident at the 50 (even 75) yard mark for deer. I do also hunt with a Shiloh Sharps (1874) single shot in 45-70; I us the mild BP equivalent (1,200 fps) 405 lead rounds and they will kill anything I can hit (big, slow, lots of inertia) - recoil is insignificant - size of adult shooter not an issue. Good luck.

 

[Robert]

Why is 45-70 out of the question? There are some easy to shoot loads out there. Heck I have seen a 65 year old grandmother shoot a 470NE loaded with normal hunting loads with no issues. 45-70 is a kitten compared to that.

For white tail the 357 or the 44 would do just fine.

 

[Axis II]

Robert

his arms are very short and he doesn't like to get kicked. my cvs single shot he cant should it cause its super long and heavy.

I told him get a 45-70 and he said Hellllll noo are you crazy! that things an elephant gun. ive never been kicked so hard by a gun. I think its more mental than anything.

 

[Axis II]

I never seen a rossi in that caliber but ill look into it thanks.

 

[gotboostvr]

I hunt here in Ohio, and I've been very well served by my Rossi 92.
I went with a 16" stainless steel 44mag. If I could go back and order a different one, I wouldn't. The 92 is a great little carbine. It has a pretty short length of pull, and may be a good option for your friend. Recoil is not too stout, but the metal butt plate doesn't do it any favors.

For longer shots however I've just started a TC Encore project, I'm still trying to decide what cartridge though.
I'm thinking 375 Winchester or 357 Maximum

 

[Furncliff]

You say he's a bow hunter, so he's probably capable of getting up close to take a shot, .357 mag with an XTP Hornady 158 grain will work just fine in my experience. Check out Buffalo Bore heavy ,357 loads (vel. over 2100fps) here...
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=102

I reload to about 1900fps with the 158 XTP and it's stout but my daughter has no problem with it.

 

[Axis II]

You say he's a bow hunter, so he's probably capable of getting up close to take a shot, .357 mag with an XTP Hornady 158 grain will work just fine in my experience. Check out Buffalo Bore heavy ,357 loads (vel. over 2100fps) here...
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=102

I reload to about 1900fps with the 158 XTP and it's stout but my daughter has no problem with it.

We hunt Wayne national forest which has some long 100yard shots and mostly flat fields around home. he can get some close shots but sometimes in the fields they hang up too far.

 

[Crosswire3]

Look into the Ruger 77/44 and 77/357.

 

[jeepnik]

First, size doesn't matter. On a tall day I'm about 5' 7". Used to be 5' 9" but age has taken it's toll. Handling the 45-70 isn't about size it's about technique.

That said, the bigger hole you start with, the bigger hole you'll end up with. So, the .44 mag in a PCR would be the way to go.

If he doesn't like the recoil of the 45-70, the .444 Marlin is a bit less. And, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I believe you can shoot .44 S&W mag in the .444 Marlin.

 

[GBExpat]

So, PCR = Pistol Caliber Rifle?

 

[Axis II]

So, PCR = Pistol Caliber Rifle?

yes

 

[GBExpat]

Huh. Never heard of that before. PBR, yes, but not PCR.

Reminds me of the time I wandered into a Thread with everyone yacking about "AFG"s. That one was not nearly as easy to figure out from the content/context of the responses.

 

[BigBore44]

GBExpat,
Just had to google that one myself. The Ruger 77/44 and 77/357 are good guns. But they're $700. No farther than he'll be shooting, I'd recommend a good lever gun in 44 mag or 357. And my caliber choice would be 44 mag. Nothing wrong with a single shot rifle. But I like having a backup shot just a flip of the wrist away. Plus lever guns are just plain fun. My JM 1894 holds 10, 44 mag rounds. Perfectly capable of 100-150 yard shots.

I'm going to assume neither of you reload. Because if you did, the 45-70 is capable of being loaded down to less than 44 mag recoil even with a 405gr boolit as opposed to the 44 with 240gr bullets.

If you're shooting a light(er) rifle in 45-70 and shooting LeverEvolution, I can see why your friend would complain. It's still fairly anemic by 45/70 standards, but it has some thump to it. I agree, technique is the key to handling heavy 45-70 recoil.

So....a lever gun in 44mag. He'll thank you for it.

 

[Speedo66]

If he's a .357 fan, a Rossi 92 in that caliber shooting 180g. hard cast Buffalo Bore bullets at 2000 fps would be excellent deer medicine.

A scout scope mounted on it would be icing on the cake.

 

[danez71]

I'm only 5'7 and I'll agree somewhat with jeepnik.

Too long of LOP makes a much bigger difference/hindrance than barrel length. And just an inch or so is very noticeable when it gets too long.

As an example, my shotgun had a 14.25" LOP and it was not comfortable at all when shouldered. At about 13" it made a huge difference in comfort of my support arm.

I'd also 2nd a lever gun if it's in his price range.

 

[CraigC]

I'd get me a 20" Rossi 92 carbine in .44Mag and call it a day. Install a tang or receiver sight and you're in business.

 

[Llama Bob]

I'd get me a 20" Rossi 92 carbine in .44Mag and call it a day. Install a tang or receiver sight and you're in business.

Something in the Winchester 92 family in .44 makes sense given the application. It's definitely a more appropriate gun than a single shot. Rossi vs. Winchester vs. Browning just depends on how much you want to spend.

If you don't want to mess with tang or reciever sights, the Skinner peep rear that goes in the dovetail is a winner IMO. They even make a version for the non-standard .390 Rossi dovetail.

I'd still get in a bigger cartridge, but that's just me.

 

[redneck2]

Until last year we had to use pistol caliber here. My friend took a 183 class deer on our family farm with a Ruger semi auto in .44 mag. Almost zero recoil. He also has a couple lever .44's.

I think the Ruger was a Deerfield IIRC. They were discontinued maybe 20 years ago, but you can still find used ones quite reasonable.

I'm of the "bigger is better" camp. I've seen deer get hit well with a 12 gauge 1,800 fps sabot and still run 80-100 yards. I'm gonna use all I can get.

 

[Llama Bob]

Given that .45-70 is now an option, the hornady flex tip loads seem like a readily available, no-reloading solution for which there's a million guns. Of course he'd have to get over the idea it's going to kick him to death which it won't with a reasonable recoil pad.

 

[Axis II]

GBExpat,
Just had to google that one myself. The Ruger 77/44 and 77/357 are good guns. But they're $700. No farther than he'll be shooting, I'd recommend a good lever gun in 44 mag or 357. And my caliber choice would be 44 mag. Nothing wrong with a single shot rifle. But I like having a backup shot just a flip of the wrist away. Plus lever guns are just plain fun. My JM 1894 holds 10, 44 mag rounds. Perfectly capable of 100-150 yard shots.

I'm going to assume neither of you reload. Because if you did, the 45-70 is capable of being loaded down to less than 44 mag recoil even with a 405gr boolit as opposed to the 44 with 240gr bullets.

If you're shooting a light(er) rifle in 45-70 and shooting LeverEvolution, I can see why your friend would complain. It's still fairly anemic by 45/70 standards, but it has some thump to it. I agree, technique is the key to handling heavy 45-70 recoil.

So....a lever gun in 44mag. He'll thank you for it.

I reload but wont for other people as I'm new to reloading.

I'm with the other guy on the more is better. I shot a small 6pt southern ohio buck at about 70yards with a 12ga hornady sst and sent it through both lungs and he still ran over 100yards. Shot one last year with the 45-70 at the same range and never moved after that.

I use the single shot now with synthetic stock which im sure helps kick the snot out of us. I told him he would be better suited with something larger than 357. we shall see what he comes up with. I wasn't sure on 44mag performance in a rifle. I know pistol I limit to 50yards and under.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I would look real hard at a Marlin 1894 in .45 LC. You can load it to almost standard factory .45-70 levels. As far as being small and handling recoil. As it's been said above it's more about technique than body size. There was a whole generation or two of 5'5" 140 LB'ish Colonial African Brits that hunted the biggest and baddest with all sorts of gynormous heavy rifles from 4 Bore down.

But back to the OP. It would be pretty tough to beat a marlin 1894 in .45Lc or .44 mag with the right ammo for PCR hunting rifle for deer or elk at close range.

 

[Dr.Rob]

The 1894 Marlin in 44 mag is a serious piece in a light weight package, and as such, it kicks harder than you think. It's still less than a rifle cartridge like the 30-30.

Avoid the 'cowboy' model as it has features you might not want in a hunting rifle.