Lever gun opinions? .44 Magnum vs. .444 Marlin

[schlockinz]

I'd go with a 30-30 for overall price if it were up to me.

If you want a pistol and rifle in the same caliber, then I'd go with 44mag or 45 colt. I think that I'd ditch the .444 marlin unless you want a big bore rifle cartridge, and in that case I'd go with the 45/70

But 30-30 still first choice

 

[Maverick223]

I would go with the .357Mag., .30-30, or a .45-70Govt. depending upon use. The .357 is light and handy (and matches your pistol), while the .45-70 has a good bit more power, and the .30-30 falls somewhere in between. Ideally I would like to see a .460S&W/.454Casull/.45LC/.410 Scattergun in a double rifle/shotgun but I seriously doubt that will be coming out anytime soon.

 

[chas08]

I have an older Rossi 92 in .44 mag. that I am quite fond of. And I'm sure for your intent and purpose it would serve you well also. But there is nothing wrong with your reasoning that a .357 chambering wouldn't serve you just as well. Varmints or bad guys, at a 100 yds or less, the .357 is plenty adequate. And then there's the other advantage you already recognize, of only having one ammo for both pistol and rifle.

 

[hirundo82]

I just picked up a Marlin 1894 in .357 to complement my 4" GP100. There is very little in the southeast US, short of bad guys with body armor, that can't be handled with a .357 mag, especially with the energy that can be obtained out of a rifle.

 

[Fred Fuller]

If you're serious about keeping one common caliber with both sidearm and carbine, then the .44Mag is a good bet. Only one I ever tried though, I was disappointed in- it had a lot more 'rainbow' in the trajectory than I was used to. And I was shooting a .30-30 mostly, at the time, which is a long way from flat-shooting.

Given that you might run into some bruiser black bears where you are, if I wanted a 'real' rifle cartridge in a handy lever gun, I think I'd rather have a Marlin 336- but in .35 Remington and not .30-30. The old timers in western NC and the bear hunters in the swamps back east swear by 'em...

jmho,

lpl
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http://www.leverguns.com/articles/fryxell/35_remington.htm

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/35remington.htm

http://www.chuckhawks.com/cpr_35Remington.htm