.44 mag for Moose?

What is the general use lever gun cartidge of choice, for deer, bear and moose?

  • .45-70

    Votes: 135 61.1%

  • .45 LC

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • .44 magnum

    Votes: 22 10.0%

  • .454 Casull

    Votes: 5 2.3%

  • .30-30

    Votes: 55 24.9%

  • .444

    Votes: 32 14.5%
  • Total voters
    221
S

skokie

CGN Regular
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Location
Windsor, Ontario
I am currently looking to buy a lever action rifle suitable for deer, moose and possibly bear. Living in muskoka we have tons of bush and don't usually make shots over a hundred yards on game. I am wondering if the new Leverevolution ammo in .44 mag (225gr FTX bullet at around 1800 fps in a 20" barrel for a total of 1700 ft/lbs) will do, or should I move to a .45-70 for extra insurance. Later I plan to handload for which ever cartridge I choose. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.
 
Has anyone used the Hornady leverevolution bullets? All I've heard is from hornady themselves or from magazines. Everybody I know either shoots cast or milsurp in bolt or semi, thanks again.
 
I am a DEDICATED 44 mag hunter....and I would not hesitate to make a close/clear shot on a moose with the cartridge......and hands-down I would take the 44 over a 30-30. I would not however, use the leverevolution on moose sized game. Deer/bear, no problem, but I would much rather have a 240-260 JSP. Put it in the boiler room and bullwinkle will go down.... .44 dia holes tend to have that effect :)
 
Move over 44 mag, 45-70 reaches 3000ft-lbs energy!

Load 45-70 in a modern firearm and get awesome short range power (and insane recoil ;) ) It is used legally as an elephant gun in many countries in Africa.
Even archaic 45-70 loads have incredible short range effectiveness and 458 SOCOM is just a respin of this cartridge in AR-15 compatible format.

Massive power, insane recoil (in Marlin rifle)
Alex
 
As much as I have always wanted a Marlin 1895 cowboy in .45-70, I'm am wondering if maybe Wrong Way is right and I could get by with a .44Mag, in a lever you always have 9 or 10 of his little buddies in case thing go south, right? Not that I really like ground moose...
 
Post #8 nails it...

I would not hesitate to make a close/clear shot on a moose
I would much rather have a 240-260 JSP
Put it in the boiler room
 
I have to agree with Wrong Way and guntech, heavier bullets are better in the .44 Mag. 225gr seems light to me, regardless of what Hornady says about it. You don't need much expansion with a .44 sized hole, but you do need enough weight to get the penetration up.

My Hornady reloading manual shows 240gr loads up to 1800fps and 265gr loads up to 1700fps using jacketed bullets and an 18" barrel. Personally, I would load a 260-280gr medium hard cast bullet as hot as I could for what you want to do. The cast bullet will run faster than jacketed with the same load and penetrate fantastically well.


Mark
 
If you had a 44 mag and wanted to you it on a moose at close range with a nice broad side shot, it would work well. If you want to buy a new rifle for short to moderate range I would skip the 44 mag and jump to the 45/70 in a lever, or a short light bolt action. the lever revolution bullets would work great at those velocities,I have played with the 325 gr 458's and they are good up to about 2200fps, past that they are to fragile
 
I go along with Wrong Way, only I probably would go with a 240, app., weight cast in the 44 mag Marlin.
People seem to forget that the 44 mag is a much different cartridge, when fired in a rifle, as compared to a revolver.
As far as I'm concerned, Leverevelution is a gimmick, in each of 44 mag or 45-70. In both calibres a heavy bullet is far superior.
 
skokie said:
A .30-30 for moose, how would you load that? i have no experience with .30-30's, thanks.
Click to expand...

Thousands of moose have been shot with .30-30 and still more every year. Although it doesn't paint the whole picture, look at the balistic for both cartridges to compare. Quick look at the Federal web site.

.30-30 170gr at 100 yds: Velocity: 1894fps Energy: 1354 fp

.44 Mag 240gr at 100 yds: Velocity: 1387fps Energy: 1025fp
 
Wrong Way said:
I am a DEDICATED 44 mag hunter....and I would not hesitate to make a close/clear shot on a moose with the cartridge......and hands-down I would take the 44 over a 30-30. I would not however, use the leverevolution on moose sized game. Deer/bear, no problem, but I would much rather have a 240-260 JSP. Put it in the boiler room and bullwinkle will go down.... .44 dia holes tend to have that effect :)
Click to expand...

I agree. I have a 30-30 and a .44 mag (that I recently acquired from St Bartell) and I REALLY like the .44! If I was starting out again I'd skip the 30-30 and go straight to the .44 (though I have no interest in parting with the 30-30 now). I have a 45/70 as well, which I would probably take first for a moose hunt, but the .44 is definitely coming along too.
 
Try the 444 Marlin. Factory loads are more than enough for moose, recoils less than a 45-70 and is a very good cartridge to reload. You can load it down to 44 mag velocities and use any .429 bullets or try your hand at cast bullets that weigh 340 grains and more. The leverevolution 444 round has a better trajectory than the 45-70 and is actually a good all around deer, bear and moose round.
Hornady has out a new load that spits out a 265g bullet at 2400fps for almost 3400 ft/lbs of energy, sounds like moose medicine to me!
 
bcsteve said:
Thousands of moose have been shot with .30-30 and still more every year. Although it doesn't paint the whole picture, look at the balistic for both cartridges to compare. Quick look at the Federal web site.

.30-30 170gr at 100 yds: Velocity: 1894fps Energy: 1354 fp

.44 Mag 240gr at 100 yds: Velocity: 1387fps Energy: 1025fp
Click to expand...

It's an old argument but muzzle energy doesn't tell the whole story of killing power especially on moose which tend to be kind of "shockproof". Mass x velocity squared gives undue importance to velocity while diminishing the value of a heavy projectile.
 
AlexF said:
Load 45-70 in a modern firearm and get awesome short range power (and insane recoil ;) ) It is used legally as an elephant gun in many countries in Africa.
Even archaic 45-70 loads have incredible short range effectiveness and 458 SOCOM is just a respin of this cartridge in AR-15 compatible format.

Massive power, insane recoil (in Marlin rifle)
Alex
Click to expand...

All complete BS.............
While the 45-70 meets the diameter requirements for elephant, it is not used in Africa like you suggest.
It also does not have insane recoil, unless of course your other big bore is a 223.

To the OP, I'd get a 45-70, way more fun in a lever rifle. The 44mag is for handguns. :)
 
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