Marlin 1894 44 Mag for Moose
- Thread starter hawk-i
- Start date
AMEN nothing more to say.
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Yep.
Read old books about polar explorers, people living in the north, and you hear a LOT about old '92s in .44-40. They used them for everything.
There would not have been a lot of those, as ammo was too expensive to waste. For some guys, a box of bullets would last a lifetime - 1 or 2 shots a couple of times a year. Most of the old guys I remember would take a shot, and give the animal plenty of time to lay down and bleed out.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
My great great grand-dad was the one that taught my old man how to hunt in north-central Sask. in the late 30's early 40's. When it became time to kill a deer for the family & their neighbors he was given two .22 longs ( LR were more expensive) and sent out to kill one. If my old man came home with no live ammo left and only one dead deer he said there would be hell to pay from the od guy.
- Location
- kingston Ontario
I have done a lot of moose hunting .. I think the stories from years ago were true // They used 22's ==44-40/ 30-30 etc and my grandfather used a 56-50 spencer rim fire too hunt with .. But in them days ammo was expensive for sure and many families only had one rifle and a shot gun .. And maybe only one of the two .. SO they used what they had .. And yes they did get game or they would have starved too death .. Stories about digging bears out their den and shooting them with a mussel loader that took 3 minutes too reload .. So In my humble opinion .. A 44-40 or 44 mag will in fact kill a moose if you are close enough.. But the question is why .. today most people have more than one gun for sure and I believe there is much
better choices ... If that is the only gun you own then I guess go for it .. But I am sure if all else fails some one would be willing too lend you a gun versus seeing some one hunting moose with a 44 mag .. Years ago the fields were small and today with the equipment they have a 40 acre field is nothing .. That is half the size of an entire farm in my area .. Logging years ago was not cut offs as far as you can see either .. I have spotted moose at a 1000 yards and got close enough too harvest one .. If I had a 44 mag I doubt I would have been successful... I believe a lot of it has too do with the old stories .. Grandad used this old 44-40 too shoot moose and I want too do it too in honor of him // even though I have a much better gun for moose hunting ... Like posted earlier // Just because you can Fuxx you cousin does not mean it is a good idea ... But again if that is all you got /// go for it
better choices ... If that is the only gun you own then I guess go for it .. But I am sure if all else fails some one would be willing too lend you a gun versus seeing some one hunting moose with a 44 mag .. Years ago the fields were small and today with the equipment they have a 40 acre field is nothing .. That is half the size of an entire farm in my area .. Logging years ago was not cut offs as far as you can see either .. I have spotted moose at a 1000 yards and got close enough too harvest one .. If I had a 44 mag I doubt I would have been successful... I believe a lot of it has too do with the old stories .. Grandad used this old 44-40 too shoot moose and I want too do it too in honor of him // even though I have a much better gun for moose hunting ... Like posted earlier // Just because you can Fuxx you cousin does not mean it is a good idea ... But again if that is all you got /// go for it
That is not my experience... most old timers, never practiced with their rifles, and their accuracy was notably horrendous... they worked hard and long and did not see the sense in "wasting ammo" when there were lots of animals. The old birds in our camps over the past half century have demonstrated some terrible shooting. Case in point, one year I set up a stove box in the sand pit next to the deer camp and we convinced the guys in camp to come out and check their rifles at 75 yards. A couple MISSED the box, one classic line from an 80 year old hunter shooting a Marlin .35 Rem after he hit the top corner of the box, "That is a head shot, dead deer..." His lifetime hunting partner said; "Not if he's facing West."
Don't tell me that wounding loss was low "in the old days."
That is a short lifetime...
Back to 44 Mag on moose: it works well with good bullet and short range!
In the 90s, I did a bit of handgun hunting in the US and the rule is keep range short.
For deer, it meant 25 yards with a 357 Mag and maybe 50 yards with a 44 Mag.
Even on medium gun, handgun cartridges are not that impressive compared to a lowly 30-30 Win!
My old and trusty No 4 303 rifle was a death stick compared to them.
In a rifle, you might get an extra 50-75 yards of effective range but it’s still a short range proposition.
Alex
In the 90s, I did a bit of handgun hunting in the US and the rule is keep range short.
For deer, it meant 25 yards with a 357 Mag and maybe 50 yards with a 44 Mag.
Even on medium gun, handgun cartridges are not that impressive compared to a lowly 30-30 Win!
My old and trusty No 4 303 rifle was a death stick compared to them.
In a rifle, you might get an extra 50-75 yards of effective range but it’s still a short range proposition.
Alex
Good more personal experience not opinion your post is smack on . The 44 will kill a moose cleanly within limits.
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Sure it will, my dad shot an elk in about 1920 with a Savage high power. It’s what he had in his hands at the time. 22lr and 22 Hornet were use during the depression for deer. They worked but we are no longer restricted by what is available. Use a good bullet in a medium + cartridge.
So now that you have that info...
How hard is it to get a moose tag where you hunt?
How far do you have to travel?
How much time do you have to take off work to make the trip?
How much will the trip cost you in gear, gas, food, lodging etc...?
Are you really going to leave the .30/06 at home and bring the .44?
Range is not an issue if you hunt in the rut, as you can call the bull in... I think my longest shot on a bull is around 40 yards, but most have been inside 20 yards and a couple at "step-on" distance, but this is archery hunting during the rut.
Just some thoughts... if you choose it, you have to be committed to the limitations and more power to you and good luck... post some pics.
1st ? Open General Season
2nd ? Moose live all around my area, shot many moose within 5 miles of the house.
3rd ? I normally hunt between jobs...(equipment contractor, book less work during hunting season)
4th ? Depends on where I decide to hunt but I'm pretty well set up with gear and hunt toys!
5th ? No, I'll bring a 30 Nosler too (or if the 300 PRC Traverse gets here before hunting season that will come as well)
I've shot moose, deer, bear and elk with a bow as well, so I know the limitations of short range weapons.
The post was to get 1st hand info. from those that have used a 44 mag on moose and see what they had to say....its always interesting to hear what has worked and learn from others experiences.
Anyways there is a lot of time before moose opens up...I'll use it (the 44 mag) on a black bear soon enough and see how that goes 1st!
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1st ? Open General Season
2nd ? Moose live all around my area, shot many moose within 5 miles of the house.
3rd ? I normally hunt between jobs...(equipment contractor, book less work during hunting season)
4th ? Depends on where I decide to hunt but I'm pretty well set up with gear and hunt toys!
5th ? No, I'll bring a 30 Nosler too (or if the 300 PRC Traverse gets here before hunting season that will come as well)
I've shot moose, deer, bear and elk with a bow as well, so I know the limitations of short range weapons.
The post was to get 1st hand info. from those that have used a 44 mag on moose and see what they had to say....its always interesting to hear what has worked and learn from others experiences.
Anyways there is a lot of time before moose opens up...I'll use it (the 44 mag) on a black bear soon enough and see how that goes 1st!
Given all of that info, I can see you considering the .44 Mag in tight woods hunting.
We have to apply for tags, get them every 3 years or so, drive 12 hours to our hunting area, set up for 8 - 10 days, book off vacation, replace worn out gear regularly, try out new and interesting gear, and the gun season is after the rut... no way under those circumstance would I carry the .44 Mag. Having said that, I do carry my bow during the rut and do not feel handicapped in the least.
Good luck on your moose hunt.
I apologize about the old thread, however it just about sums things up...
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-So-who-thinks-the-44-mag-is-p***y-in-a-rifle
People that poo-poo large diameter hardcast bullets have never hunted with them. Brian Pearce writes that he feels a 44 mag with good hardcast slugs is about as effective as a 30-06 out to 150 yards. My experiences parallel this.
Other than the range handicap, the 44 in a rifle offers several advantages.
Low cost per round, small powder charges, ease of reloading(carbide dies, no extensive brass cleaning) low report(20 inch bbl), complete penetration on BULL MOOSE, fast follow up shots(lever/semi). The guy hunting with my father and I on the day this moose in the above thread was shot said "I was right beside you and all I heard was pop pop, and then he went down".
People can wax on about ballistics and numbers all they want. 22 years ago I was promoting the use of 6.5x55 and the .260. All I got was flak on this and other forums over the years. And guess what? the latest, newest hunting cartridge sensation is the 6.5 Creedmoor, a matched cartridge to the other 2.
44mag has never had any issues for me on bear, deer or moose. Between it and my 308(open country hunting), the 44 mag has accounted for most of my big game kills. Use it with confidence, and use the right ammo for the job.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-So-who-thinks-the-44-mag-is-p***y-in-a-rifle
People that poo-poo large diameter hardcast bullets have never hunted with them. Brian Pearce writes that he feels a 44 mag with good hardcast slugs is about as effective as a 30-06 out to 150 yards. My experiences parallel this.
Other than the range handicap, the 44 in a rifle offers several advantages.
Low cost per round, small powder charges, ease of reloading(carbide dies, no extensive brass cleaning) low report(20 inch bbl), complete penetration on BULL MOOSE, fast follow up shots(lever/semi). The guy hunting with my father and I on the day this moose in the above thread was shot said "I was right beside you and all I heard was pop pop, and then he went down".
People can wax on about ballistics and numbers all they want. 22 years ago I was promoting the use of 6.5x55 and the .260. All I got was flak on this and other forums over the years. And guess what? the latest, newest hunting cartridge sensation is the 6.5 Creedmoor, a matched cartridge to the other 2.
44mag has never had any issues for me on bear, deer or moose. Between it and my 308(open country hunting), the 44 mag has accounted for most of my big game kills. Use it with confidence, and use the right ammo for the job.
