- Location
- Steel Town
For me, I prefer 357 and there's plenty of reloading options. Once you go up to 44, you might as well keep going and get 45-70. Loaded soft or hot, 45-70 covers all territory.
What's the main argument to go .44 over .357 in a Lever Rifle?
- Thread starter Northern Shooter
- Start date
Something not mentioned and may not be of issue to some is the size of the loading gate vs the size of thumb. 44 wins on that issue. Personally I like the 44 mag over the 357 just for the heavier bullets. Growing up hunting with muzzleloaders has taught me a heavy bullet at modest velocity just works well for deer sized game
Agreed. I found 357 / 38spl was great for CAS and reloading for both rifle and revolver and the heavier bullets in the .44 are excellent for short range deer hunting in my area.
I own and hunt with both a 357 and 44. I started off with the 357 and it to this day is my favourite rifle I own. It’s with me just about every day, I have taken gophers, beavers, coyotes, rabbits, a few mag pies with that rifle. It’s my walking in the woods gun and farm gun, it’s with me on the atv/snowmobile, tractor or truck. I stepped up to the 44 for deer and bear. I feel like it offers more with the heavier bullets for that size game. My 45-70 hasn’t came out of the safe in over 8 years. And the only time I don’t use my 44 for deer hunting is when I stop hunting the timber and oil field roads and move in to my hay fields, then I use my 25-06.
For what you are looking for, and by the sounds of your post your main hunting rifle is a 45-70 I wouldn’t be looking at the 44. I know rifles in 357 are hard to come by but my 2 cents is to wait. You will be happy you did.
For what you are looking for, and by the sounds of your post your main hunting rifle is a 45-70 I wouldn’t be looking at the 44. I know rifles in 357 are hard to come by but my 2 cents is to wait. You will be happy you did.
The wait continues. Which .357 did you go with? Have you ever considered taking a deer with the .357, if so which load would you reccomend?
Both my 357 and 44 are ruger m77. And I would definitely consider take deer with the 357. I would use the hms cast lead 180 bullets.
' Merica...even he was surprised that he got it. Kinda a Dyck trick IMO
I believe the shoots can be made... I own 'Sixguns' by Keith. 357 is gonna be bleeding power much more than a 44 Mag... hit but no drop, not cool.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Ageed. Elmer's boolit design is decent at closer ranges inside 80 yds but he designed it as a revolver boolit. The Keith type boolits ain't the best for function in lever rifles. Ye want a weight forward, truncated cone type with a bore riding fore section to help center the projectile whist chambering. The Keith design with it's sharp edged shoulder ahead of the crimping groove can make for jamming issues in rifles not modified to handle them. Round nose flat points work fine fer most lever guns using cast or jacketed bullets.
Poly tipped bullets work ok as well for feeding, but hardcast boolits of proper design of 158-200 gr in the 357 work best for penetration at speeds around 1500 fps
and the 44 mag with 300+ gr boolits has taken the heaviest game worldwide from handguns at similar velocities inside 75 yds.
JD Jones came up with an ideal cast boolit design back in the 70's for the .44 mag. NEI made the molds and later on, after NEI shut down folks like Accurate Molds
still make molds of similar layout.
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On a weirdly related topic...just shot a gopher with my 45 LC RH. Starline brass, 8.5 grains Unique over Jethunter 250 grainers. At about 12 paces it pulled him forward out of the hole and flung him about 4' behind where he started.
I know that has to be a death kick, but it didn't look like it...damnedest thing I've seen in a while. Took a picture to show my kids.
I know that has to be a death kick, but it didn't look like it...damnedest thing I've seen in a while. Took a picture to show my kids.
