Marlin 1894 44 Mag for Moose

Well ..... use the 44 from 50 yds. As for the 22 they usually shoot them in the ear at 3 ft from a boat while the moose is swimming ...... I've seen it !!!
 
Here is a link to a Chuck Hawks article on handgun cartridges (357 and 44 mag) used in lever action rifles.
With the old standards of using 1000 ft-lbs of energy for deer and black bear and 1500 ft-lbs of energy for moose, you can draw your own conclusions as to whether or not you want to use your 44 mag levergun for hunting moose.

https://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_rifle_cartridges.htm

I would think if it was shooting a heavier, well constructed hunting bullet (265 to 300 gr) in such a situation as short yardage, say less than 50 yards from a blind or treestand in a moose lick, at an unwary animal, with proper placement, then it may work fine. Haven't tried it myself. Look at what they used to harvest with the 44-40 in lever actions back in the day...
You may want another rifle in a suitable cartridge, or someone else to back you up, should things not go well.

Personally, as I have other calibers more suitable for moose, (30-30, 35 Rem, 356 and 358 Win and 375 Win) that I have used successfully on many moose over the years, within reasonable distances to the respective rifles, I will use them vs using my Marlin in 41 Rem Mag on moose. But that is just me...
 
44 Mag is terrible for moose... but a bow? That is fine.... significant double standards here. Like any other adult decision, use your tools responsibly and carry on. It’s the same as mocking a 1/2 ton pickup owner who hauls only a lawn mower. Not everyone needs all the options.
 
Within the limits of the cartridge and shooter it will work fine. The issue arises that it would be ideal for close range thick bush type hunting which gets the animal closer to you however it makes tracking harder and getting the recovered animal out more difficult. Hunting open cuts with a flat shooting rifle air mailing a more lethal dose of copper covered lead may result in a dead animal thats dead in its tracks and easy to get to. Then again its hunting and not everything goes to plan

As for the comments about a 3006 being better at 300 yards its no question its better if the shooter is capable. I see many guys sight in their moose guns 270 up thru big magnums and what some call good enough off a bench at 100 yards would scare you. Id rather hunt with the guy using an old 44mag that can shoot and know his limits than a know it all with his new 06 firing random shots at 300 yards when the best he can do is keep 4 shots on paper at 100

I have not shot a moose with a 44mag but have played around enough with one to know a proper built bullet will kill a moose ethically if placed thru the correct areas of that moose.
My current line up for moose hunting would be a 4570 double rifle for in close and a 458wm for 200 yards or less and a 300wm for covering more open cuts and marsh land. Ive never found it to difficult to sneak in on a moose if the wind is in your favour
 
emerson said:
44 Mag is terrible for moose... but a bow? That is fine.... significant double standards here. Like any other adult decision, use your tools responsibly and carry on. It’s the same as mocking a 1/2 ton pickup owner who hauls only a lawn mower. Not everyone needs all the options.
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But is it? The way a bow kills is quite different from the way a gun kills. Its like comparing cutting someone with a knife vs throwing a rock.

Bows put out very little in the way of kinetic energy, typically less than a 22lr.
 
I have kill a big buck 800 pounds + with my little ranch hand 44 mag with a full stock. 75 yards, base of the neck Speer gold DOT 270 GR, he went down fast 15 metres of the trail.

hybride44001.jpg
 
When I was a boy, seventy years ago or so.
Most of the old men of that time in the Quebec woods, usually had only one rifle, a Winchester 92 in .44-40,.44 WCF.
It was considered perfectly adequate for anything up to and including, black bear and moose.
Of course, shots were taken inside 100 yards.
No reason to think that a .44 Mag. Marlin 1894 could not do the same thing today!
 
Suther said:
But is it? The way a bow kills is quite different from the way a gun kills. Its like comparing cutting someone with a knife vs throwing a rock.

Bows put out very little in the way of kinetic energy, typically less than a 22lr.
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I think most people understand that,

They are short range weapons regardless of how they kill.
 
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???

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. :)
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You should have no worries on moose with a well placed shot on an unaware critter out to 100 yds with a good bullet. The Marlins still use the slow twist 1 in 38" which restricts accuracy on bullets above 270 grains generally.

Pity Marlin don't make the 1894 with a 1 in 20 twist tube like they do for their 444. Fookin' dumb.
Folks can't go wrong on really big critters with a .44 mag using cast boolits of good design at 300-330 gr pushed along at around 1500 fps. Keep inside of 80 yds for best results.;)
 
mbogo3 said:
I'm wanting to shoot one with my 1892 44-40 cause I can.
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A friend shot a moose with a 44-40 and it was a calf .. Shot it in the neck and the bullet did not even pass through the neck .. Now low and behold he may have been useing cowboy rounds or something but that moose would have not died if he not hit it in the neck .. Just because moose were killed years ago with 44-40 does not mean they are a good choice .. An Old guy told a story of a moose he shot with a 44-40 and it charged him ,, he went into a bunch of trees and kept shooting it till he finally killed it .. So I would think he was close
 
emerson said:
44 Mag is terrible for moose... but a bow? That is fine.... significant double standards here. Like any other adult decision, use your tools responsibly and carry on. It’s the same as mocking a 1/2 ton pickup owner who hauls only a lawn mower. Not everyone needs all the options.
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You are showing your lack of knowledge regarding how archery equipment causes lethal wounding... a typical hunting bow with razor sharp broadhead tipped arrow, is a significantly more lethal tool than a .44 Mag within their respective ranges. Bullets and arrows have little in common in the way they function on living tissue.
 
mike Crawford said:
A friend shot a moose with a 44-40 and it was a calf .. Shot it in the neck and the bullet did not even pass through the neck .. Now low and behold he may have been useing cowboy rounds or something but that moose would have not died if he not hit it in the neck .. Just because moose were killed years ago with 44-40 does not mean they are a good choice .. An Old guy told a story of a moose he shot with a 44-40 and it charged him ,, he went into a bunch of trees and kept shooting it till he finally killed it .. So I would think he was close
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Quite a few years ago, I was visiting my parents in Penticton. Dad informed me a relative close by was :( in poor health and wanted to see me. Long story short, he asked me, as the only other 'gun nut' in the family, if I was interested in anything he had. What I chose, was an old well used and showing it, Marlin 1894 in 44-40. He was curious as to why I would pick that out of all that was available;), but that's another long winded story for another time:). I was somewhat surprised when he told my, how many Moose, and basically shot, without incident, the old Marlin had to it's credit. Most were taken using the old Dominion/CIL 200gr soft point loads, ;) a couple of boxes of which I've since acquired at local gun shows:d. Agreed, it wouldn't be my 'pick of the crop' choice for Moose. However, if the 'need' arose to use it on one and if range and conditions were 'acceptable', I wouldn't hesitate.
 
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mbogo3 said:
I'll be using 220cast GC at 1300fps+
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For reloads, in mine I use a 200gr cast I get from a friend locally, that's hot & heavy into casting and some reloading for the cowboy action crowd primarily. The reason behind my acquisition of the old Marlin was primarily for the nostalgia and memory of 'days past'.
 
An old friend used a Ruger Deerfield Carbine for moose, He hunted in thick brush in northern Ontario. Not sure what area, but two guys always got an adult tag, so up there a ways. He always got his moose.
Me, I've used the 30-30 with no issues in close quarters to 85 Yards.
I prefer the 308 or 303Br and up as a general use rifle cartridge for moose.
 
My load as 210 gr Sierra hollow cavity over max IMR 4227 100 yrd one moose dropped in tracks other went 100 yrd both had lungs gone both shot just behind shoulder bullets found in off shoulder
 
220 said:
My load as 210 gr Sierra hollow cavity over max IMR 4227 100 yrd one moose dropped in tracks other went 100 yrd both had lungs gone both shot just behind shoulder bullets found in off shoulder
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I picked up a box of 100 Sierra 240gr JHC bullets and a pound of H110, going to give them a go at around the 24.5 - 25 gr charge. Also bought a box of factory loads in Federal 240 gr hollow points and Remington 180 gr hollow points. :)
 
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