Marlin 1894 vs CZ 527 for deer

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Mattj4867

New member
Hi everyone. I am thinking of getting a new rifle for this next deer season coming up. I will be hunting very thick brush (farthest shot would be no more than 50 yards) and am considering a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and a marlin 1894 in 44 mag. I already have a 30-30 but ammo is expensive (a little over a dollar a round for winchester soft points in my area), so i cant practice as much as i would like to. My main goal is to find a caliber that is relatively inexpensive to shoot and can effectively kill deer at close range. I think the 7.62x39 and 44 mag would be good choices. How do you think these two calibers compare and do you have something else in mind?
 
Where are you? 30-30 is only $12-16 here in Wisconsin. Reloading also saves a lot more money depending on what you load. Cast can get really cheap.

Pretty sure 7.62x39 hunting ammo is going to be close to $1 per round.
 
Blindstitch i live in VA, i wish i did reload for rifles as there are many benefits to it. Im not exaggerating on the price of the 30-30 though. It cost $21 plus tax for a box of 20 rounds where i live.
 
The .44 mag is approaching $1/rd bought at the store. You can still get cheap ammo for practice with the CZ in 7.62.

Unless your set on buying a new rifle, you could get a reloading setup for less than a new rifle.
 
X2 with Mesabi, I like the idea of the CZ 527 simply for the low cost of plinking away with the cheap steel cased stuff when not hunting. The 1894 is'nt a bad idea but .44mag and special aren't the most cost efficient rounds to be plinking with either.
 
Targa said:
X2 with Mesabi, I like the idea of the CZ 527 simply for the low cost of plinking away with the cheap steel cased stuff when not hunting. The 1894 is'nt a bad idea but .44mag and special aren't the most cost efficient rounds to be plinking with either.
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Buy an SKS & a Reloading setup: anything good enough to kill a deer with repeatably is going to be around the same cost as the other 2 calibers mentioned.

If you're trying to get a new gun, then don't let us stop you, but if your truly going at it for hunting purposes, I'd stick with something like a .308, 30-30, or .44, as those loads are easier to find in a deer hunting type application.
 
For what a new rifle in either caliber you mentioned cost you can buy a heck of a lot of factory 30-30 ammo. Or for less than the cost of either gun you can buy a simple reloading kit from Lee. Hopefully you have been saving your 30-30 brass. But if not you can buy once fired off GB for cheap prices. I bought 500 pieces for $50. A life time supply.

I am all for getting a new gun. But your reasoning is faulty. The 30-30 you already own is one of the best for the job. Start reloading and you can plink and hunt and do it at low cost. I love to reload. I would be lost without it.
 
I like the idea of a 44 mag for brush hunting. I recently bought a Big Boy 44 mag and love shooting it. Too pretty to take to the woods for me though. Ive had a SKS rifle for nearly 25yrs and I have deer hunted with it. There is something to be said for the cheap ammo route of the 7.62x39 CZ but I dont mind buying 44 mag ammo since I bought my Henry. I imagine a 44 mag inside 50yrds would DRT just about anything.
 
Not knocking the SKS but ive never seen one do a 1/2" group at 100 yds with factory ammo. CZ turns heads everytime i go. Something about a 36" gun being louder than their 270 or 7mm mag that annoys people
 
My USAF buddy lives in Manassas, Virginia and buys his 30-30 ammo at WalMart for less than your quoted price. Both the CZ and Marlin are very good choices, too. But I'd likely warm up to the CZ because its so handsome, short, and light. This carbine has a unique trigger feature as well.

Good hunting to you.

Jack
 
Sounds to me like the real issue is whether you wanna hunt with a bolt action or lever gun. Both should have adequate power for the job. The CZ has a much better reputation for accuracy; your chances of finding a half MOA load from a lever gun are much slimmer. But that may not really be a factor at the ranges you're talking about.

Check Ammo Seek for deals on ordering ammo. Reloading will save a bunch of money of course, but the .44 still has a significant advantage there since you can shoot hard cast bullets for pennies, vs. jacketed bullets. Then again, when steel 7.62x39 costs like 18 cents per round, you can do a lot of cheap plinking & practice without the extra work of reloading.
 
If you want another rifle than by all means pick one up. My vote to the 44 mag.

But it would seem pennywise and pound foolish to purchase a rifle simply because ammo in your area is pricey. You could order ammo online for much cheaper than a new rifle and if you really want to practice grab a 22 lever. Practical and a lot of fun.
 
I appreciate all of the comments. i have decided on the CZ because of the very inexpensive ammo and comparative ballistics to the 30-30. What ammo would be best for the 7.62x39? I was thinking about the 154gr tula SP for this rifle since the bore diameter is not designed to american standards. Im also concerned of the amount of expansion of these rounds. What are your thoughts?
 
Unless you sell 30-30, math is awful on cost savings. Even then 1894 is more than 336.


Most people don't do math. They spend $$$$$ on a car, to save a little on mpg.


Long haul reloading helps, but that is long term investment.
 
If you are set on the x39 I would recommend the SST ammo for hunting. For practice try out different steel case to see what your gun likes and go from there.
 
Long haul reloading helps, but that is long term investment.
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Depends on the caliber, type of rounds you want, and how fancy of a reloading setup ya want. My whole setup paid for itself on the second box of ammo I made.

I think you're gonna like that CZ. I can't stop playing with mine. It's so petite and light. I've read plenty of reports from guys who get their best accuracy with .308 diameter bullets, so don't rule them out without tryin' 'em. Keep an eye out for GECO ammo to become available again. I bought a case of it last fall for about 33 cents per round for practice and plinking. It's brass cased and copper jacketed, so ya don't have to worry about wear on your bore with steel.
I'm also planning to make up some cat sneeze loads using .32 pistol bullets for small game. Will report back if I get any squirrels with 'em.
 
I have both of those guns. If I could only keep one... it would be the CZ 527. It's such a great little gun.

With that said, the 44 mag is like Thor's hammer on deer out of a rifle. It will put them down a bit quicker, but I've never lost a deer with the 527 either.
 
You know here you don't need to "sell us" on you wanting to get a new rifle.;) Around here the hunting ammo for either the 44 or X39 runs about $1 a round so your not breaking through with any ammo savings. The CZ your getting is a fine little rifle and I have looked for a nice used one myself but I have not found one yet. I do have a Marlin 44 lever and it is a tank, but if I did not reload I would not shoot anywhere near as much as I do. Give some though to reloading in the future if you want to shoot more, on rifles it seems to pay off more.
 
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