Marlin 1894 44 Mag for Moose

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hawk-i

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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???

In the USA you see guys taking pretty much any kind of game with their 44 pistols.

Yes I have better and bigger choices ....any first hand experiences that you can share would be appreciated. :)
 
This should prove to be an interesting thread!
Many a moose has been dumped by a 38-55... Some at longer distance. So it will be interesting to see what the 'experts' have to say!

R.
 
Just because the Yanks use a .44 Mag on moose does not mean it is ideal or ethical. You would have to be close I would think.. Neck shot will put them down every time. I would have to recommend a 7MM Mag ..lol
 
44 Mag, especially out a rifle, is definitely suitable for moose.

There is a great website called ballistics 101 (http://www.ballistics101.com/) that shows you what all of the different calibres get for energy.

Most 44 Mag rounds are getting 900-1100 ft/lbs just out of a handgun barrel, but those numbers will be bumped up several hundred FPS out of a rifle barrel, and with energy growing exponentially with velocity, you're good to go.

The one thing I would offer is to maybe go with a non-expanding bullet so it really goes deep and transfers all of that energy throughout the entire animal. A hollow point may be good on a person to make sure it doesn't punch through, but don't take the chance on a moose that it's not going to go deep enough (especially if you get it on an oblique angle or something).

I did a lot of Google searching on this before posting, and the web is full of other forums coming to the conclusion that you're good to go.
 
Luckybeer said:
Just because the Yanks use a .44 Mag on moose does not mean it is ideal or ethical. You would have to be close I would think.. Neck shot will put them down every time. I would have to recommend a 7MM Mag ..lol
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Exactly, the difference between could you, and should you. If one was hungry, and it was the only firearm available, i suppose you could. Being that we are gunnutz two things, something to talk about, and unlikely its your only firearm.

Use the best tool.
 
On one hand, I want to say get a bigger gun. Lots of more capable options.

On the other hand, if you were asking about a 45-70 with trap door level loads, plenty of people would be extolling the killing power of that, and its not much different from a 44mag rifle load.

So, at close enough ranges, I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I wouldn't want to have to worry about getting that close so I would go with a real rifle caliber personally.
 
Whether it is a "moose cartridge" or not , aside... I would not choose a .44 Mag specifically for moose, even with heavy bullets at close range... not unless I had no other options... an uncommon scenario.
 
A max load with the 265 Hornady or a hard cast 300 the 44 is a moose hammer, but I would keep within 75 yards. There are better choices.
 
hoytcanon said:
Whether it is a "moose cartridge" or not , aside... I would not choose a .44 Mag specifically for moose, even with heavy bullets at close range... not unless I had no other options... an uncommon scenario.
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Right ..... One would feel pretty stoopid looking at a moose 300yds across a clear cut holding a 44mag.

A 30-06 would be a better choice for a list of reasons.
 
SuperCub said:
Right ..... One would feel pretty stoopid looking at a moose 300yds across a clear cut holding a 44mag.

A 30-06 would be a better choice for a list of reasons.
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And thats exactly why I wouldn't pick one. With my luck, if I was carrying a 44mag I would see a moose at 300yds across on open field with no way of closing the gap. Meanwhile, if I had a 30-06 it would show up 50yds away. lol
 
I would, but I'd limit my range to under 50 yards and only take an easy shot on a broadside target. Do I have experience to back that up? No, only shot moose with faster smaller bullets, it seems reasonable though.

If you are willing to limit yourself in such a way than I don't see why not. People handicap themselves with other rifle cartridge combos in the name of sport and style all the time and there is nothing wrong with it, so long as they shoot within those limitations.
 
Interesting responses.

While I love the 44 Magnum and carry one for deer, I think I would bump up to a 444 or .308 or larger round for moose.

Not because they are wearing armour according to some peoples opinion of the required level of firepower, but because I want the one shot kill.

Poachers and some first nations people claim to have used a 22 LR to kill a moose. I think that is unnecessarily light and not something a good hunter would do.


But if it is all you have, get close and use multiple shots. Jacketed solid points would be my recommendation for a projectile.
 
SuperCub said:
Right ..... One would feel pretty stoopid looking at a moose 300yds across a clear cut holding a 44mag.
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Not this guy...

dirtyharry1_1215529112_crop_478x295.jpg


Although, tragically he says in one of the movies that he only loads them with 44 Special because it's less recoil (lame).
 
SuperCub said:
Right ..... One would feel pretty stoopid looking at a moose 300yds across a clear cut holding a 44mag.

A 30-06 would be a better choice for a list of reasons.
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Yes the 44 mag wouldn't be a 300 yard moose gun....it would be a different type of hunt, not dissimilar to holding a bow in hand and seeing a moose at 300 yards. At that range the hunt would just begin! :)
 
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I recently picked up a 44 mag single-shot and plan on using it for deer when I'm hunting the thick stuff in the fall. While I think the 44 mag has plenty of energy for close range deer when I get my next moose draw I will leave it in the gun safe and take the 7 mag instead.
 
Hunting anything from mice to moose with the 44 mag is all about bullet choice, a 300 or heavier hard cast will kill almost anything reliably, but go after the big stuff with a 180 Hollow point and results will be undesirable.
 
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