.44 magnum rifle quest

[redgreenrider]

lever action swing

A lever gun is just so much fun to shoot. So either the Marlin or the Win. would be good.

I do agree that a lever could be more fun. I like fun. The Marlins look nice, but I keep reading bad things about the newer ones.
How common are the Marlins that are at least 10 yes old to come by?

 

[vwoodrum11]

Henry Big Boy. I bought one 2 weeks ago and shot it over the weekend and love it. Not much recoil at all and accurate, alot of fun to shoot.

 

[Slawburger]

^^^ This ^^^

 

[silverspoon]

I owned a Marlin and it was accurate enough to deer hunt with. You could put 5 inside a small saucer at 100 yds with a rest using factory Hornady XTP or FTP ammo. You could probably tighten that up with reloads but I don't reload. Shoot the same ammo out of the Ruger 77/44 and those groups are less than 2" with a slight edge given to the XTPs, or at least out of mine. Just about the same results using the H&R, not much difference in accuracy between the two that I own anyway. Lever guns are really, really fun to shoot but sometimes you lose a little accuracy, or that's been my experience.

 

[Barry in IN]

I have all three. Well, my Winchester 1892 isn't a .44, but a .357 Mag (converted from a .25-20 or .32-20 some time before I owned it).

The Winchester is the smoothest, and in my opinion, the best looking. It looks all western movie. Accuracy is really good for open sights and my eyes.

The Marlin is, like all Marlins, solid, reliable, and simple. I love how I can gut a Marlin of its major internals in a minute or two by pulling the lever pivot screw. I joke that Winchesters have more screws than Marlins have total parts. Being able to pull the bolt easily to clean from the breech is a plus, IMO. If you ever want to scope a Marlin, its easier than with a Winchester.
One potentially big negative is I don't hear much good about Marlin since they starting being made in the Remington facility.

The Ruger 77/44 has two main things over the other two. It's lighter, and it feeds anything that fits in the magazine. It really is lighter than either by a noticeable amount. My stainless/synthetic one weighs 5.25 lbs. For comparison, that is the same as my Browning takedown .22 auto, which is almost tiny. I compared it to the Marlin .41 I had, and it was 1 lb, 10 ounces lighter. That is a lot when talking about rifles this light to start with.
If you ask around, you will find people having feeding trouble in lever actions with some bullet shapes or with cartridges a little too short or a little too long. They can usually get it tuned to take most ammo, but maybe not all. My 77/44 has fed everything I've loaded in it, from 113 wadcutters to 340 TC. I cast bullets and have a variety of shapes and styles, and they all feed just fine.
Other things: The factory Ruger rings may be a plus to you, unless you don't like being limited to them, then they are a definite negative. The trigger is usually heavy as they come, but can be helped. I got a Spec-Tech trigger for my 77/22, which should work on the 44, and its wonderful. Don't expect any great accuracy gains from it being a bolt gun. It shoots as well as a lever or maybe better, but don't expect regular one-hole groups at 100 just because its a bolt action. From what I've seen, the wood stocked ones shoot better than my synthetic (it's not a very rigid stock).
Don't think that because its a bolt action, it will be a lot slower to shoot than a lever. It's a short throw bolt that's easy to run, so it might not be as much slower as you think.

If I wanted the nostalgic look and a really smooth action, I'd get a Winchester 1892.
If I wanted a lever that was the simplest and easiest to maintain, I'd get a Marlin.
If I wanted the lightest that would handle the biggest variety of ammo, I'd get the Ruger.

As it is, I have them all and would give up the Ruger last. It's the most useful and versatile for me. But if buying another .44 carbine, I don't think I'd need another Ruger. I'd buy a Winchester 1892 just to have another fun variation of it.

 

[fastwally]

Henry Big Boy's are the smoothest.

 

[LordTio3]

I have ALWAYS been a fan of the Winchester lever actions; but Marlin makes a darned good gun too.

Personally I'd go with the Winchester '92. And as a lefty, learn to flip-cock and you'll never be hit in the face...

See?
~LT

 

[LordTio3]

Now THAT's a beauty that you sweet talk and rub with a diaper. I think taking her bushwhacking is probably in the lawbooks somewhere...
~LT

Henry Big Boy's are the smoothest.

 

[mwagner]

I know it's not a blot action or lever,but I got a single shot CVA Scout with a fluted barrel and It looks sweet and ya dont have to worry about shells hitting you.

 

[rhart]

I have a Ruger and a Marlin. I bought my SIL a Handi rifle. As much as it pains me to say it, the Handi rifle is more accurate than the others. I really want my Ruger to perform, but the accuracy SUCKS. At 100 yards, the best the Ruger or Marlin will do is about 4-5" groups. The handi rifle with factory rounds about 1.5 inches. In deer hunting, accuracy is everything TO ME. Shoot straight and you shouldnt need a second shot.

 

[gunrunner0]

I've got a 77/44 stainless that I really like, mine doesnt like the hornady stuff much but does pretty well with WWB. A friend of mine who reloads gave me some custom loads that he uses in his 77/44 and they are incrediby accurate.

If I were to do it again though, I think I'd get one of the old ruger semi-auto deerfields. Alot less recoil and still pretty accurate.

 

[Hookeye]

FWIW I got 3" groups iron sighted at 85 yards with my dad's heavy trigger old non barrel band sporter Ruger auto.

And that with ginormous front bead sight (factory peep setup).

Have never tried to tweak it or anything, runs bone stock. Maybe with other ammo it'd do better. Certainly needs help with the trigger. In current form it's a 75 yardish gun IMHO.

My TC carbine shoots under 1" @100 and is in something with more zip. So the .44 auto can kinda sorta stay in that "slot".

 

[Hookeye]

A #3 in #1 wood looks pretty nice IMHO (found this pic on the web)

 

[Mgderf]

I have a H&R HandiRifle, but if you need more than one shot... j/k

Well, since you mentioned it.

Th past season, I took two doe in about 5 or 6 seconds with a Puma '92 in .454 Casull

There were three deer there and I got two clean shots/kills, and I really thought I had a good shot on the third, but I couldn't find a blood-trail for #3 and she took off like she was not hit.

I had enough work ahead of me with two down. Yes, sometimes it IS nice to have those quick follow-up shots.

 

[SSGSAD]

Check your Wal Mart, the one in Greenfield, has a .45 LC, and a .44 Mag., on the shelf. (unless they have been sold.)

 

[ru44mag]

I bought a Marlin 44mag Cowboy in time for the second deer season that it was legal to use. I've shot at least 2 deer every season since. Man it is great.I hunt in the woods and I shoot open sights. My average shot is only about 40 yards. I did get one in December at 80 yards. 240 grain Winchester soft points really do the trick. I recently added the Rossi 92(Braz Tech) in 44mag to my collection. I've only put 10 rounds through it, but I think I might like it better. Big fan of anything that uses a design that originally came from John Moses Browning. Cowboy is cool. Same caliber has my single action Rugers too.

 

[shadow65]

I like my pre safety Rossi .44 mag.

 

[ru44mag]

I like my pre safety Rossi .44 mag.

I saw a pic of a new Rossi. The guy removed the safety and replaced it with a peep sight. The safety is an eye sore and not needed. The Rossi is also very light weight. About 5 lbs. I was afraid it might kick with 44mags. Ha. No kick. All are great to start a kid deer hunting. I looked at the CVA single shot at Big R this past fall and was really impressed with the quality.

 

[Hoosier8]

I have had a Marlin in 44 and traded it. Nice gun. I have a Winchester and a Rossi 44 trapper. Nice and light. This is the Rossi.

 

[randygun]

go with winchester or older marlin