100 Yard Bush gun Shoot Out: 44mag vs 30-30

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Coolhand_Luke

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Let's say out to about 100 yards or so, which of these lever gun cartridges would you pick as a general purpose bush gun for the usual variety of deer, black bear and maybe the odd moose?

I'm specifically wondering about the 44 mag in lever action carbines. Out to 100-125 yards is it more effective, better 'knockdown power' quicker killing than the 30-30? Can it do so with regular 240 gr factory loads or does it need to be reloaded with specific loads to perform at its best?

I actually own guns in both calibers, Marlin and Winchester 30-30s and a Marlin 1894 in 44mag. I have taken game with the 30-30 and it's one of my favorite rifle/cartridge combos for hunting inside 200 yards which covers 95% of my hunting. I have had my marlin 44mag for years but never hunted it or taken any game with it. When I wanted a lever for some bush work i always I just grabbed a 30-30. I have debated whether to keep my 44 mag sell it or hunt it.

I guess I'm looking for excuses to keep it. The Marlin 44 mag is a delightful gun to carry and to just shoot but I always felt it really covered the same ground as my 30-30s... maybe the 44 mag can bring something more to the table??
 
I would go with the 30-30 for genera use. Once past 100 yards that big 44 bullet starts to slow down real quick. Personally if bigger game is possible to show up I would take my 94BB in 356 win. Same carry, more power. I could always take my 99F in 300 win. Lighter but a little longer and better reach.
 
iceman2 said:
I would go with the 30-30 for genera use. Once past 100 yards that big 44 bullet starts to slow down real quick. Personally if bigger game is possible to show up I would take my 94BB in 356 win. Same carry, more power. I could always take my 99F in 300 win. Lighter but a little longer and better reach.
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99F in 300win or 300Sav?
 
30-30 if Moose is your game. I took 3 deer with my 44 lever this year, close range like 15 yrds. 2 were bang flops that fell in their tracks, the 3rd covered some ground but didnt go far. All shots thru and thru Winny white box 240 jsp.
 
I believe the 30-30 is more versatile. It has better range and penetration after 100 yards. I would give a very slight "killing power" advantage to the .44 closer than 100 yards. But that's all theory on my part, book learning not personal experience with those exact cartridges. I also base my opinion on a fair bit of experience with a .308 and RN bullets at longer ranges that would duplicate 30-30 performance at close range, and use of a muzzle loader with bullets that could be shot out of a .44 mag at the same speed.
 
44. I have one. Loaded hot, it's not a lot of drop out to 200 (not that I'd hunt at that distance). It shares the same ammo as my wheel gun. I don't reload 30-30 but reloading 44 is easy, and the XTP bullet works well and isn't hard to find. I think I read somewhere that a 44 will deflect less if it hit a twig on it's way to the intended target.

There's also .454 to look at :p
 
Hornady kinda grabbed lever-guns by the horns a few years ago and breathed a little life into them with their LeverRevolution line of ammo.

A quick look and their 30-30 160 grain ammo is running 2150 fps packing 1643 foot pounds @ 100 yards - even out at 200 it's still making 1900 fps and 1300 foot pounds.

In comparison your 44 mag (225 grain) is moving 1629 fps packing 1325 foot pounds @ 50 YARDS and by the time it gets to 100 yards its down to 1400 fps/1000 foot pounds. So the 44 would really be a "max" 100 yard rifle. But to be fair, most eastern Whitetails are shot at distances "somewhat under 100 yards" - you would just have to be disciplined enough to pass up that 12 pointer standing 200 yards or so away unless you really practiced and knew what that 44 would do out that far "in your hands".

The 35 Rem would be similar to the 30-30.
 
I've owned both, well 32 Special in a Win 94 and 30-30 in a CIL, and both will do the job you want. I chose a 444 Marlin over my Ruger auto 44 Mag many years ago for large game advantages. The 30-30 is a dandy as you already know. If I was in the market for a 44 Mag I'd choose based on platform I wanted compared to my Marlins and Winchesters. Real legal shorty for bear defence and truck carry, another Ruger 44 auto, maybe a Ruger bolt.

The 44 Mag does bring something different. Based on 444 performance at longer range I would not hesitate to use a proper 44 Mag load for moose to about 100 paces. In final analysis it is not something that can be decided simply by such a process. For big game I consider the 444 as the ideal hunting rifle yet I do own other rifles. Having choices in the gun safe is never wrong!!!
 
Personally I'd go 3030 but the 44 mag can be used. I've often thought about a 44 mag lever gun jus because I have a desire to own a case colored lever with nice wood. I use a 45/70 or 25/06 instead for deer
 
Thanks for the responses. I really want to talk myself into keeping the 44 mag. I wonder if it would be better utilized as a 'mini thumper' with some hot cast hand loads? I am set up to reload and do for my 30-30s. My favorite is Nosler's great 170 gr partition at around 2275 fps. Definitely more than needed for deer but nice to have here in BC bear/moose/elk etc country.

Would it be worth reloading the 44 mag? Would something like 270 gr hard cast bullets make a noticeable difference?

I would love to get either a 444 or a 4570 someday but maybe the 44 could stand in as a mini thumper until then?
 
Coolhand_Luke said:
Thanks for the responses. I really want to talk myself into keeping the 44 mag. I wonder if it would be better utilized as a 'mini thumper' with some hot cast hand loads? I am set up to reload and do for my 30-30s. My favorite is Nosler's great 170 gr partition at around 2275 fps. Definitely more than needed for deer but nice to have here in BC bear/moose/elk etc country.

Would it be worth reloading the 44 mag? Would something like 270 gr hard cast bullets make a noticeable difference?

I would love to get either a 444 or a 4570 someday but maybe the 44 could stand in as a mini thumper until then?
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It's always worth reloading for something, I learned that fast...... Do you chase blacktails?, "Deer" is a relative term..... based on what I have read about those little blacktails and how they are hunted, a fast, manoueverable .44 mag would do quite well.....

Don't feel bad, I justify lots of rifle purchases for different sitruations, when my .308 or .30-06 can likely do them all.....
 
Although neither of the two in question would be my pick, I would go with the 30/30.
My choice would have been 35 rem. But like they say "to each there own".
 
Coolhand_Luke said:
Thanks for the responses. I really want to talk myself into keeping the 44 mag. I wonder if it would be better utilized as a 'mini thumper' with some hot cast hand loads? I am set up to reload and do for my 30-30s. My favorite is Nosler's great 170 gr partition at around 2275 fps. Definitely more than needed for deer but nice to have here in BC bear/moose/elk etc country.

Would it be worth reloading the 44 mag? Would something like 270 gr hard cast bullets make a noticeable difference?

I would love to get either a 444 or a 4570 someday but maybe the 44 could stand in as a mini thumper until then?
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I load the same 240gr jhp bullets for my 1894 .44 and my .444. The .444 moves them a lot faster, but they are not wasted on the .44. Like wise with the 240gr cast swc I load.

SuperCub said:
If lever it must be, the BLR in 308 is the best of the bunch, esp in the versatile dept.
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right up there with the Savage 99C in .308 :p
 
It's kinda an apples and oranges comparison. A pistol cartridge vs a rifle cartridge. I'll take the rifle cartridge any day of the week. The stats speak for themselves, the 30-30 has taken more game on the continent than any other cartridge ever produced. From whitetails to buffalo, mulies to moose. 30-30 has my vote.
 
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