.44 mag rifle

[zeke]

Have levers in 44 mag, 45 LC and 357 mag. Also handload and the 16 in Marlin cp 44 mag. is my favorite of the 3 calibers. Can load extremely effective personal protection rounds that offer very low recoil up to hunting rounds easily. And yes, there is an effective recoil pad on it and kept the buckhorn sights.

 

[ThomasT]

I have levers in 22, 357, 44, 30-30 and 35 remington. The 357 is my favorite one of the bunch. I had a 32 mag and 45-70 but sold those. The 32 mag was nice but didn't do it for me. I got to loading the 45-70 down with a 300gr bullet at 1600fps and decided the 44 mag would do the same work so I sold the 45-70.

I like the 44 mag. I killed one deer with it and it does kill just fine. My bud has used his to kill around 8 deer. One he shot high in the spine and blew off the top of its back. It looked like a Velociraptor had taken a bite out of it. Pretty good meat loss.

I like 44 loaded with pop gun lead bullet loads. Its fun to shoot but still a little pricey compared to shooting the 357 with 38 loads in it. The 44 mag with low midrange loads would be a good SD gun but I am ot sure for use in the house. A 200gr bullet going 1200fps will most likely shoot through any human that has ever lived. Maybe a Gold Dot loaded to 900fps would be a better house gun choice.

 

[stagpanther]

I have 44 mag brass that has been reloaded countless times over many years--sometimes I don't even bother cleaning it before reloading--just slap it in the carbide die with no lubing and it's ready to go--the loads I do don't seem to care or are affected within the effective range of the cartridge. It's my top favorite for reloading--and I reload for all of my many weapons (except the 17 hmr).

 

[FrankenMauser]

I agree with RC. Loaded 44 magnum has gone silly expensive lately, especially so for us living behind enemy line.

I'm sorry to hear that.
Just yesterday, I was browsing the ammunition aisles of the local chain store.
Prices had actually come down a bit. Most of the "average" .44 Mag 50-round boxes were priced at less than $30, with about half of them under $25.
50 rounds of .44 Mag is, generally, cheaper than 20 rounds of .30-30...

(PPU .30-30 ammo doesn't count. It sticks in the majority of chambers in which it's fired.)

 

[rickyrick]

I’ve found myself having a real hankering for a lever action lately, but they seem rather expensive. Not sure why I want one, maybe impending semi bans or something. Never owned one, so don’t even know where to start. Maybe a pump rifle instead , I don’t know lol.

 

[stagpanther]

Do it Ricky and get one, you won't regret it. It's some of the most fun you can have shooting freehand IMO. If you absolutely must--you can get levers that fire efficient centerfire cartridges (I have one in 7mm-08 and the Uber-classic 30-30) but there's just something about "the heart and soul" of shooting a pistol cartridge lever gun (plus, in general, you can get about twice as many cartridges into a magazine as you can with a centerfire cartridge). everyone has their favorite and they're all good, my personal favorite is the 44 mag because it's so versatile and easy to reload for. Although not necessarily the best made lever--the 16" Rossi 44mag (I have two of em) is without a doubt my favorite "walk-about" freehand shooter--and it can drop game when you need it too at closer ranges.