357 vs 44 mag lever action opinion

C

christcorp

New member
Ok; just looking for opinions. Let me clarify a couple of things.

I don't NEED any more guns. There isn't target inanimate or alive that I couldn't take, at any distance, with one of the guns I have. I really do have that many. So my desire for "another" lever action is simply because....... Well; no reason at all. Just because I can.

I also no longer do any real reloading, so that's not an issue. I still have all my reloading equipment, but it's only to reload about 100 rounds of 7mm remington mag per year for sighting in and hunting season.

But I like lever action guns. I have 3 currently. Marlin 336 30-30, Winchester 94AE 307, (Pretty wasteful caliber), and Winchester 1886 45-70. My desire is to get a Marlin 1894 in either 357 mag or 44 mag. I am leaning towards the 357 mag, because I already have a couple of 357 magnum revolvers. This rifle would allow me to shoot ammo 357mag/38spl which I already have and would buy anyway. Buying the gun in 44mag would provide a caliber I don't already have, but I really can't find any use for such a caliber. Not for me. I definitely don't want a 44mag/44spl revolver. Either caliber would be a decent deer rifle/caliber, but here in Wyoming, such a "Short Distance" gun is not really practical for deer hunting. Here; you plan on a 200-300 yard shot. Closer means God is looking down on you. But it's not the norm.

If I used the lever action for deer, it would strictly be a backup gun. (Was preparing for an elk hunt once and dropped my 7mm mag on a rock and shattered my scope. I kept my Marlin 30-30 with home-made 165-170 grain nosler partitions and other pointed soft points. (Back before LeverEvolution - I only put 2 rounds in. One in the chamber and one in the tube). Anyway; I always have a backup. But for deer, a 357mag lever action should be good. A 30-30 is normally good out to about 150 yards. (200 yards with my bullets/loads). I would think the 357 magnum should be good to at least 100-125 yards. Again; specifically a backup to my primary deer rifle. A 44 mag would do well too, but again, I'd be adding another caliber for no other reason. Plus; 44 mag/spl ammo is quite a bit more expensive than 357 mag.

Also; the 357/38 is a fun plinking round. And it's not as expensive as loading a lever action with 30-30 or 45-70. The 357 mag seems like it's be a lot more practical for coyote and varmint. The 44 magnum will do all these things, but I'm just not sure if it necessarily would be "Better" once you factor in the ammo. Dead is dead. I can't imagine a deer (If used for that) or Coyote, being "MORE DEAD" because it was a 44 mag instead of a 357 magnum.

Anyway; is there anything here I might be missing in my logic. No one is perfect and neither is their thinking. Especially me. So getting other's viewpoints on things such as this is how I learn more. Any opinions are appreciated.

TWO RULES:
1. Don't Mention or suggest ANY OTHER caliber other than the 357 or 44 magnum. I don't want this thread going into left field.
2. Don't suggest neither; and instead choose a different weapon.

If I buy; it WILL BE a Marlin 1894, and it WILL be either 357 or 44 magnum. Thanks.....
 
Were I you I would choose the 357 due to ammo cost and fact you have firearms chambered already.
But you mentioned needing a back up rifle on an elk hunt. The 44 would do well on even large game, whereas the 357 wouldn't cut it.
 
Remember: In my post, I said there is NOTHING that I need. I don't NEED a backup. I said I used my Marlin 336 30-30 as a backup on an Elk Hunt when I broke my scope. I used heavy 160-170 pointed bullets that I reloaded. Good out to 200 yards. (Only put 2 in the rifle so you don't detonate the primer in front).

The 357 mag lever would possibly be a backup; if it happened to be in the truck; for a deer rifle. (I could just as easily have my marlin 30-30 in the truck). So no; I'm not looking for a backup. Just looking at it's possible uses. (I don't buy a gun to LOOK AT. It has to have a practical use).

As you noticed, I am leaning towards the 357 magnum because I already shoot that caliber and I wouldn't really be adding much in the cost of ammo. Just wondering if there's something that would be special about the 44 magnum that I might be overlooking.
 
Buffalo Bore makes some hot 158grn hardcast 357mag loads that have velocities of over 2,100fps in a carbine barrel and therefore, would be perfect for deer and small to medium size hogs out to 125yds or a bit more. 38spl loads are great plinking rounds and 38spl+P work well on small to medium sized varmints including coyotes. Also, 38spl/357mag ammo is cheaper than 44 mag ammo.

The 357mag ammo, even at full power, produces significantly less recoil than a 44mag. Comparing recoil energy, a full up 158grn 357mag produces 4.7lbs recoil energy at velocity of 6.6fps in a 7lb rifle while a 240grn 44mag produces over double the recoil energy, 11.2lbs at a much higher recoil velocity of 9.8fps in a 7.5lb rifle.

While recoil energy determines how hard the blow to the shoulder feels, recoil velocity determines how abrupt the blow to the shoulder feels. Many people's subjective impression is that, with a well designed stock, recoil velocity of 10 fps and higher feels more like a sharp rap on the shoulder than an abrupt push.

In addition a 158grn 357mag round produces 3,950psi of bolt thrust while a 240grn 44mag produces significantly more, 5,900psi of bolt thrust. Both calibers shot out of the same platform such as a Marlin levergun, would mean that the 44mag ammo would be harder on the action and under prolonged use, could shoot the action loose in anything short of the super strong Win. 92' style action available from Winchester, Rossi, etc.

Based on all of the above, I'd choose the 357mag over the 44mag for all the reasons above.

Come to think of it, I did ......................................... twice! :D

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The 44 magnum is about 50% more powerful than the 357 magnum.
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While true for everything but Buffalo Bore's hot 357mag loads, how much power do you need to punch holes in paper and plink? He hunts at longer ranges than either a 44mag or 357mag would be useful at so power for hunting is really not the issue as he's stated that he's talking about a 100yd backup.

Also, as a fun gun, one wants something comfortable to shoot. I can shoot 200rds of 357mag from my carbine in a session at the bench without any discomfort at all. Could you shoot more than 50rds of 44mag from the bench and make that claim? So, is the punishment to your shoulder plus the additional cost of 44mag ammo really worth it for a plinkin fun gun?

To some, yes, but to many, no.
 
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I don't NEED any more guns. There isn't target inanimate or alive that I couldn't take, at any distance, with one of the guns I have. I really do have that many. So my desire for "another" lever action is simply because....... Well; no reason at all. Just because I can.
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(I don't buy a gun to LOOK AT. It has to have a practical use).
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With that being said, you seem to be a little confused as to why you need the gun.

V/R
 
In general, deep down you know what you want.

If what you want is a hunting rifle for 100 yards or less-ish, then you need the heavier oomph of the .44. Since you already reload, then the price of ammo isn't really an issue.

If what you really want is a fun plinker that is also suitable for up to deer class hunting should the need comes about, then the .357 Mag is what you want.

The .44 will do nothing that your existing .30-30s already do. But the .357 Mag/.38 Spl will be a fun plinker.

I vote fun.
 
I have an 1894 in 44 mag. It's fairly light, no recoil, and not very loud. These traits make it one of my favorite guns to shoot. I imagine a 357 might be even better for your purposes. I originally bought mine in 44 because I wanted to hunt deer with it but it has become my go-to rabbit gun and second only to my 22s for plinking.
 
reconcoupe; your contribution to the thread is so insightful.... Not!... I'm not confused as to why I "WANT" the gun. (I Don't NEED anything). I simply said I'm not going to buy a gun to be a safe queen just to look at. Except for a couple of antiques and classics; which i still shoot sometimes; I find a purpose for every gun i have. Whether it's in my truck, hunting, along side of the bed, in the garage or boat, or whatever. Sometimes, just for fun. But even for fun has to have a practical use.

gb_in_ga: I specifically said that I no longer do any reloading except for maybe 100 rounds of 7mm mag per year for hunting.

Steve/Rob; some excellent points/info. Thanks.

I've already said that i'm leaning towards the 357 magnum. Mainly because i already shoot that caliber; and because i believe it would make a half way decent short distance backup deer gun at short distances. My main concern was if I was overlooking something significant by not choosing the 44 magnum. Thanks for the input.
 
Haven't shot the 44mag out of a marlin, but I have shot it out of a 16" 1892 with a steel buttplate. Uncomfortable. .44 specials were fun. Magnums were not. Also if you're not going to reload then .44 special is really expensive especially compared the .38s.
 
I'm looking at the same gun and for me the clear choice is the .357 Mag so that I can shoot both .357's and the cheaper .38 spl. I just want it for fun and plinking so the .38 is what I would shoot the most. I know if I get this gun in the .357 version I will shoot it a lot more than if I got it in the .44Mag.
 
I've had both. I still have the .357. I found it more fun to shoot and cheaper as well. When I go into the woods with it, it's loaded with Buffalo Bore 180gr. LFN-GC rated at 2153 fps out of a 20" barrel. At short range, with proper shot placement, it will handle most creatures.
 
I don't NEED any more guns.
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NEVER EVER admit that.

Back to topic, depends what you want to do, Hunting I would go to the 44, but I don't hunt with a lever actions. I shoot them for fun and plinking so my Marlin 94 is in 38/357.

Whether you reload or not, the 38/357 is cheaper to shoot then the 44 mags. Cheaper means more shooting.
 
Bought my first Henry rifle last year in a .44 cal and it shoots great!
 

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.357 magnum.

For fun, plinking type stuff, I've heard from numerous folks that it just cannot be beat.
The .44 mag is a nice gun, I had one of those for a short period of time about 2 years ago. I don't quite echo the comment about "no recoil". It's not punishing, but for rapid fire repelling of zombie tin-can hordes, the recoil would be a little disconcerting. The .357 should be almost like shooting a .22, I imagine.
It also has enough power to use for taking small game all the way up to the smaller whitetails.
Ammo is probably a little cheaper for the .357 vs the .44. You can even find mil-surp stuff, if you are so inclined.
Interchangeability with .38 special, which is probably one of the cheapest calibers to buy for (handgun-wise). I know they make .44 special, but it's more difficult to find, and more expensive. They just don't make that much of it.. similar to buying .410 ammo vs 12 gauge.
Those are just my somewhat scattered thoughts about it..
 
I think it comes down to what you'll use it for when you take a fancy. I know you have a 30-30 already, so we're not breaking new ground here, but it depends on what you'd use it as a backup gun for. If it's just playing second-fiddle to your 7mm for whitetail-sized deer, I would get the 357 and some hot loads for it. If you're considering it a backup for anything thicker-skinned, the 44 is worth a looksee. Keep in mind that a lot of the 357 ammo out there is loaded to lower pressures than it used to be because of all the small revolvers. You'll have to seek out high power loads specifically to get optimum performance out of your carbine, which may mean buying additional ammo regardless of whether or not you already have some 357 wheelguns. The Leverevolution ammo for the 44 looks much more convincing than for the 357, for instance. That being said... 2k fps with a 357 carbine is enough to put anything down a appropriate range short of a tyrannosaur.

If I were in yourr position (and assumed financial standing) I would get the 44. There's something enchanting about big-bore lever guns, and it will definitely do the job. If you find some hot 44 loads, it's the only rifle you'd need.

For me, I would get the 357 and either add high power loads to my reloading schedule or pick up some buffalo bore and never look back.
 
If it is what you want, and you don't have any problem getting it why not get a .357 Marlin for a behind the truck seat gun, hang over the door gun etc. etc. I would love to have one, shot one in .44 Mag a few years ago and I just didn't like it. You already have your .30-30 for a back-up and why not a .357 Mag. ?? If you don't like it make a good deal and I'll buy it from ya! Every gun I own has a "purpose" or "use" often they don't get used for that exact purpose/use but who cares. I personally love the way the Marlin 1894's carry and handle short, light and quick. It wouldn't be much of a choice to deer hunt in your country, but say you had a long blood trail or a neighbor asked you to help trail one, I could think of a lot less fun or handy rifles to carry along. Feed it some good ammo it likes and .357's out of a rifle have quite a bit more oomph than out of a pistol and are easier to shoot accurately. (I'm not much of a pistol guy). So again Why Not a .357 lever gun.:)
 
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