Marlin 1894 44 Mag for Moose

hawk-i said:
So had my new 1894 Marlin out the other day and surprisingly enough my old eyes can still shoot with the open sights. Just a fun little gun to carry and shoot and I'm thinking ....will it work on moose???
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44 mag 240 gr cast running ~1580 took a cow elk cleanly. For moose? just don't take the golf shot, the mag tube holds more than one for a reason )
 
My grandfather went from a Snyder to a 44-40 to a 303 to keep his family fed with moose meat. Now, I have no experience using light (weak) guns on moose, but I have shot plenty of deer, black bear and moose. Of the 3, moose are the easiest to knock down, deer the hardest. Now, they may not be in order of killability, but deer are always so strung out on adrenaline, the minute you hit them, they jump and in 3 or 4 jumps, they cover a lot of ground. Bears tend to run a little less, but the moose I've shot and seen shot don't so much run as trot away, and lie down to die not far away.
 
pastway said:
I learned something last fall when hunting moose in the northern part of NB, where the majority of people are of French background, that is that it is common for the folks there to refer to bull moose as bucks.
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That's all I've ever heard bull moose called in French. Even a lot of anglo's call them bucks in NE Ontario.
 
I have owned a few 1894 44 Mags, nice handy little rifles to carry. I wouldn't hunt one specifically for moose, not because it won't work, but I have better tools available. I shot my moose last fall at 120 yards, and was there for another bull shot at 275 yards. In both cases, there was no getting closer. Moose meat is too damn good to risk not getting some on a hunt because of a stunt rifle choice. I'll hunt my 44 Mag 1894SBL for deer and black bear, when I already have a freezer filled with moose or elk. If I don't get the right shot because I was packing the 44, no problem.
 
todbartell said:
I have owned a few 1894 44 Mags, nice handy little rifles to carry. I wouldn't hunt one specifically for moose, not because it won't work, but I have better tools available. I shot my moose last fall at 120 yards, and was there for another bull shot at 275 yards. In both cases, there was no getting closer. Moose meat is too damn good to risk not getting some on a hunt because of a stunt rifle choice. I'll hunt my 44 Mag 1894SBL for deer and black bear, when I already have a freezer filled with moose or elk. If I don't get the right shot because I was packing the 44, no problem.
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The .44 mag ain't no "stunt rifle" or handgun choice for any critter in NA or most any place on earth. Crap loads of cape buff have fallen to 'er from handguns over the years and for swamp donkey plopping, it will easily do the job at sensible ranges with cast boolits of good design & weight. The JDJ design boolits in weights of 315-330 gr. are well proven to give full penetration on shoulder shots on both buff, moose and so many other critters of lesser size than African elephant.

Here be the boolit. Toss 'er out at around 1400-1500 fps and keep the distance inside 100 yds or so and ye'll have meat in the freezer with a well placed shot.
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Note:Not to confuse folks using the Marlin or Model 92 lever rifles, but for reliable cycling of the action the OAL of the cartridge should not exceed 1.645"
unless ye use the rifle as a single shot with bullets of weights over 280 gr. (Like I do.)
 

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todbartell said:
I have owned a few 1894 44 Mags, nice handy little rifles to carry. I wouldn't hunt one specifically for moose, not because it won't work, but I have better tools available. I shot my moose last fall at 120 yards, and was there for another bull shot at 275 yards. In both cases, there was no getting closer. Moose meat is too damn good to risk not getting some on a hunt because of a stunt rifle choice. I'll hunt my 44 Mag 1894SBL for deer and black bear, when I already have a freezer filled with moose or elk. If I don't get the right shot because I was packing the 44, no problem.
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I'm not worried about getting the right shot...I know where they live! :)
 
With the first crew I hunted with, we always had one or two "dogging rifles" for anyone who went traipsing through the thick stuff to try to get them moving. One of the main things a person would have to ask himself is "Where do I hunt?" In close quarters, a 44 mag is, without a doubt, capable of consistently and humanely dropping moose. Now, if you hunt cuts, lakes, etc., I would say you are picking the wrong gun. Some guys like to carry a gun capable of making any shot they "might" come across, others prefer the gun that will work 90% of the time, passing up a long shot if it ever comes up. I'm more of the latter school of thought. I'd much rather have something light and fast shooting if I'm in the bush, and pass up anything further than 75-100 yards if it wanders by.
 
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