I bought my M44 sometime during the fall (of 2011) at a gun show here in Lexington for $150. I didn't know much about them yet, and the bore turned out to be a bit dark in this one with some minor pitting. Interestingly enough, it seems as though you can literally "shoot the crap" out of them, and that rifle now looks far better than it did when I purchased it. Shoot, clean, oil. Shoot, clean, oil. Every time, they look a little better. And the accuracy of most will astound you.
Don't expect the M44 to be lighter than the 91/30. It isn't. In fact, I believe they're slightly heavier. And their accuracy is enhanced by having the bayonet extended.
The rifling is usually pretty deep and the pitting is seldom serious. I have bought one other Mosin with a questionably dark bore, but I've managed to clean it up very nicely.
Still, I don't believe I'd go $295 on an M44. I gave $340 for an exquisite Finnish M39, and $175 for an M91/59 (which is really just a 91/30 trimmed down to look like the M38). All of these purchases have been since last fall. Of course, I'm in Kentucky, and that might impact prices as well. If I were going to pay over $200 for any Mosin, I'd expect a pretty decent looking gun, including the bore. But that's me.