30-30 or up to a 444 or 45-70?

[ghh3rd]

I own a .44 Ruger SBH, and am starting to think about rifles. It seems that most hunting in Florida is fairly short range, and a 30-30 or perhaps a 30-06 would do the trick.

I like the idea though of a larger caliber rifle though, such as the 444 Marlin or 45-70, and being able to reload straight walled cases. In addition, punching a larger hole without so much concern about expansion of a cast boolit would be a plus.

Would I be able to develop tamed down loads for a 444 or 45-70 Florida short range hunting, and retain accuracy? Perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree completely, and should stick with a 30-30...

Thanks for any input.

Randy

[Marine Sgt 2111]

Hells bells...that's easy. Get a .45-70 and some different molds. Short range shooting and no doubt brush hunting..any cast bullet from 300gr thru 400gr should do just fine. GC'd on the 300's for serious high speed loads, plain base boolits for easy on the shoulder loads. Round ball loads for small game and plinking the rest is just plain reloading fun. I got my first .45-70 when I was 16, am 54 now and have never been disappointed or bored with that cartridge. Oh and don't case the boolits too hard. Wheel weight alloy is fine or for positive expansion just mix your alloy 50% ww/50% pure lead. A somewhat soft plain base 400 gr bullets has lots of bump and thump.

[wiljen]

500gr Solids in the 45-70 should be good for those thick skulled gators down there, for that matter it should work on Alligators too. (Go Hokies! - VT grad)

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Have you thought of the 44 Mag to match your hogleg?

[btroj]

I would suggest getting all of the above so you can spend say ten years testing them against each other. Then buy a few other calibers to do further testing. This should keep yup busy for the rest of your life. Not a bad way to go.
Or just get the 45-70 and be boring. It will do it all.

[jh45gun]

45/70 in a Marlin is very nice but then so is a 30/30. I have a Marlin in 45/70 and a Winchester in 30/30 I like both.

[Canuck Bob]

444 all the way. You can load 44 Special to Lion loads.

I've owned one in Canada's best hunting country for decades. You couldn't give me a 45-70. Nothing personal but the 444 is more versatile. I can't imagine anything in Florida requiring a 500 grain bullet.

300-350 grains in a 444 would be devastating. The 444 will do anything the 405 WCF will do.

Just remeber if you want to go heavy on bullets pick a fater twist cut rifling rifle.

Edit- The 30-30 is a fine hunting rifle for your needs as well. Winchesters and Marlins are also available in 35 Remington. A real nice middle caliber.

[pmeisel]

Very easy to load a 444 to match a 44... with the same bullets..... then up to full potential loads....

[Suo Gan]

I had the same question a few months back and went for the 444 Marlin. So far I am pretty happy. All of the boolits that fit in the mag will work in it too! But if you can find a nice used 30-30 I would not pass it up either!

[Firebricker]

I'd go .444 but I like the 30/30 a lot too. One downside is .444 brass is'nt cheap. One big plus is you cant go wrong all three 30/30,444 and 45/70 all love cast. Good luck you have a rough choice buy all three LOL FB

[BoolitBill]

I would say 45-70. You can load it down to 1000 fps with a 405 gr boolit and plink all day or you can load it up until your shoulder begs you to stop shooting. I have done both and I have found an accurate load anywhere along the spectrum. The 45-70 just makes me feel well armed when I am out deer hunting and I walk up on a herd of feral hogs.

[smoked turkey]

As been said, you have a tough choice to make between the three. I shoot and really like all three. I have an old Marlin 444 that I have used successfully to take a couple of nice Missouri bucks in some dense timber. I shortened the barrel to 18" many years ago and I have never regreted it. I shoot shot loads in it as well and it patterns very good at short squirrel range. It is equivalent to a .410 load. My 45-70 is a single shot and consider it about as all round cartridge as you can get. I say make it easy on your self and at least buy the 444 and 45-70!

[45r]

I'd get a Marlin 45-70,I like my XLR,very accurate.

[jh45gun]

45/70 has more bullet choices and even round ball for plinking loads. To me it is a more useful cartridge not knocking the 444 I just think the 45/70 gives ya more choices.

[kawalekm]

Hi Randy
Yeah, I'd really like to get a 444, but since I already have a .44 revolver, I decided to get a .44 Marlin rifle. I'm sure glad it did, and I took this last season's deer with my new rifle. My only complaint with it was that I got 100% penetration and don't have a bullet to show off. It was a Remington 240 grain hollowpoint at 1800 fps. I assume it mushroomed but stayed intact because there was one single larger exit hole.

I think you'll do just fine with the .44 for anything on 4 legs east of the Mississippi.
Good luck,
Michael

[357maximum]

Another vote for the 35 REMINGTON---- 38special, 357mag all the way to full rip snort knock em dead with a 225grainer performance possibilities. If you could find an early 50's pre-microgroove SC or RC depending on your tastes all the better but a microgroove will get er done also. The 35 remington is one of 'THE EASY ONES" to get j-word performance from cast with. I sold my 444 soon after getting my first 35 pre-micro marlin 336.......simply did not need the triple four no more. Finding a load the 35rem does not like is a bigger challenge than finding a good load. 36 - 38 grains of H335/w748 and a Brp 260-220 or an RCBS 35-200 will knock out anything that walks between where you are at and where I am at.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I hunt river bottoms/ swamps in Illinois and short range is the game. I have popped whitetails from 33 yards down to so close the fur was burned with the black powder from my 58. At those ranges a caliber .45 or .43 or .375 would all do about the same in a lever gun. But I woud prefer a .45 simple because I like big holes. Last deer I shot was with a .375 Supermag Revolver and it did as well as anything else would have at 20 yards. Sadly the state of ILL. thinks rifles are too dangerous to shoot deer.

[gon2shoot]

Did anyone mention a 45-70? :roll:

I you're wanting low pressure loads, then you not only have many loads to choose from, but different guns too.

[pmeisel]

I struggled with the same choice and went 444. But the other choices would have been good too.

[Tony65x55]

I struggled with the same choice and went 444. But the other choices would have been good too.

Me too! I load the .444 exclusively with cast bullets now ranging from a 200 gr at 1400 fps to a 350 loaded to the gills for 2000 fps. A real nice deer load is the Ranch Dog 265 or 300 at around 2000 fos. It doesn't kick too hard and absolutely flattens game.

I like the .35 rem a lot too and have loaded it from pistol bullets to the 250 gr Saeco. Very nice little cartridge.

[DLCTEX]

From what I've seen of Florida deer the 30-30 is plenty, but throw the feral hogs in the mix and I'd go with the 45-70. Since you have the .44 pistol the .444 will allow the use of your same bullets. The price difference of brass is not to much of a concern as 50 cases will last a long time if you don't hot rod your loads or over work your brass. So it boils down to - you can't go wrong, just pick what fills your wants/needs.

[Artful]

Well I don't have a 444 but I have a 30-30 and 45-70 and between those two I'd go 45-70 for cast bullet. But I also have a 44mag lever gun and used with with 44 mag revolver for a one ammo carry gun, so I'd have to say there is an advantage to have rifle and pistol in same chambering but failing that I'd say it does simplify to have only one caliber to cast bullets for.

I do have a 375 and have to say it it a better hunting round than the 30-30 in my experience.

But my favorite is a Savage 99 in 358 wcf - best killer and very easy carry rifle.

[Newtire]

The .444 was made for places like Florida. Like others above, I've loaded everything from sized round balls singly, three at a time and every cast boolit you could think of. Is one of the best cast boolit guns you could get I think. I have 1-38" with Micro-groove and shoots it all up to 280 grains and after that my shoulder says "No More". Knocks pigs right off their feet.

[Steel185]

I have shot the 444, 45-70, and 450, in lever action (uncle has a large collection and is a lever fan) and they are all great. I have a much lower budget than my uncle and I was looking for just one of those. I'm going with the 45-70 because the ballistic difference to us reloaders is very small, but you have tons of molds, and loads for the 45-70. Plus every ammo manufactuer has/does make a 45-70 round. For example you are traveling by air and your ammo is seperated from your other checked items, nearly every ammo, gun store will have 45-70, not every place will have 444 or 450. Also one of the reasons lever guns appeal to me is the connection to the past, the 45-70 dropped a few million buffalo and it still is a great round today. one last thing, i know people say everyone shoots a 45-70 but the last 2 gun shows i have gone to looking for one in 6 months, there have only been 3 total, and they were collector peices (gold trim) or blackpowder only. Every pawn shop around these parts and every 4 booth at a gun shows here in texas has a 30-30 lever action, a 357mag level, and a 44mag level, I even ran across a 444 yesterday, that looked nice and set up for the brush, but I stuck to my plan. That seems to me like "everyone" doesn't shoot a 45-70 or there would be more floating around. Maybe they don't even give them up, either way it points to 45-70 being well wanted=good.

my $.02

[uscra112]

I'm with 357Maximum - .35 Rem in a Marlin 336. For all the same reasons. And you can use the same bullets your .357 S&W uses. You do have a .357, don't you? If not, why not? And there's NOTHING wrong with microgroove, just keep yer boolits up to size - .3575 to .358, pick your lead hardness to match the load, and use pistol powders for the light loads.

[HeavyMetal]

I'd go hunt up a Ruger 44 mag carbine and call it a day!

If you need more power than that for close range deer you need to figure out what they are eating!

[NickSS]

I shoot both the 30-30 and the 45-70. I have thought of getting a 444 as well but always come to the conclusion that as I have a 45-70 that does everything a 444 will do and does it better why bother. I like the 30-30 for flexibility and lightness and use mine for mostly a camp gun these days for small game to deer size animals. However, where I live you can run into bear and elk as well as deer so the 45-70 has become my brush gun of choice since the early 80s. I generally load 350 to 400 gr bullets at around 1400- 1500 fps. this is not too hard on the body and will knock down anything I can shoot around here. I have also loaded my Marlin up with some real thumper loads when I went to Alaska for salmon fishing in bear country. They have bears up there that really need a stopping load but then my Marlin loaded with 400 gr soft points at 1850 fps is more than adequate. By the way I shot an elk with that load and the animal went down so fast I did not see it fall due recoil upsetting my vision of a few instances. It was on the found and it never move out of its foot prints just dropped right there. I got to say that I was impressed.

[ghh3rd]

Interesting reading -- I think I'll forgoe the 30-30 (unless someone wants to practically give me one :-) ) and decide between the 45-70 and 444. They both have a good following... just a matter of seeing which one makes the most sens for me.

In any case, I am looking forward to the day...

[gon2shoot]

Did I mention that I really liked the 35 Rem.? and the 44, and the 45 and the 307, and the 30-30, and, and ..............:p

[RP]

Not even going to read what everyone else said Just going to put it like this get a 44 to match all pistol rule of thumb if a pistol has a big brother then need to hangout together. Then you got to have a 30/30 just because you got to have one dude. And then you need either the 444 or old faithful 45/70. All that being said think of all the reasons you now have to buy new toys. And you hit a bump everything you own matches you have to go with it was such a great deal you had to get it then its brother hunting time. After you get a few then you now are a collector another reason to buy more guns. My favorite one is I have two boys and dont want them to fight over my **** when iam dead so I try to keep the split even. Oh BTW I taken deer with a 44 mag at 220 yards and was not a great feat or luck.

[giz189]

No doubt 45-70. It will put a thumpin' on a hog like you ain't ever seen. Got 3 two single shots and a marlin Cowboy. Just think, ifn you want to, you can load nine YES 9 rounds in that bugger. Ifn you are quick enough, you can get several of them hogs shot when you come up on a group of 'em. He!! Yeah!!!!

[Four Fingers of Death]

If you don't need real heavy boolits then theres not much between them. The 444 will make you punch drunk just as good as the 45/70.

I don't know about the States, but here the 45/70 is a lot easier (and cheaper) to get brass and ammo for.

I own both and they are both great. My 444 is a dedicated hunting rifle with a 2.5X Old Weaver scope. The 45/70 lever is a cowboy model and does double duty as a Pat Garret rifle in cowboy shoots (I also have a trapdoor and a Browning BPCR, so you could say I'm reasonably fond of the 45/70). If you are buying new you will have to decide, but if used, I'd be buying the first good one that came up. Which ever way you go you will have a great rifle and will enjoy it immensely.

Why have I not mentioned the 30/30? Man, you gotta have one of these no matter which way you go and at the price of used rifles get one of these as well.

[Snapping Twig]

Here's my two cents into the mix.

I didn't get a 30-30 because I have a Mini 30 and I reload, so I shoot a 150g 7.62x39 at the same velocity with a SP bullet, so it carries its energy further and is virtually the same.

What I did was buy an 1894 in .44 and I couldn't be happier with it. This is my go-to rifle for fun and hunting the close brush. 265g cast bullets leaving the barrel @ 1700fps is no joke.

My understanding is that if you reload, the 45-70 is the way to go. Both the .450 and the .444 were introduced for modern firearms capable of modern high pressure loads, whereas factory 45-70 has to be able to go through old trapdoor rifles for liability reasons and is therefore downloaded.

If you reload, the 45-70 can be loaded up to its potential, and what an awesome potential that is!

The SD of the .444 is better than the .45-70, so it has a marginal advantage for long distance, but again, when talking lever guns we're talking flat nose bullets, so the advantage is minimal.

I recently found a Marlin 1895 GBL and did the paperwork, I'll have it by the end of the week, so you can see where I put my $$.

In any event, you can't get hurt with any of your selections.

Do look up and hold a Marlin 336 BL, it's the twin of my 1895 GBL with caliber being the only difference. If you want a 30-30, that would be my advice.

[jh45gun]

That mini rusky cartridge may be close to the 30/30 but it is not as powerful and it cannot take heavier bullets like the 30/30 can. Heavier bullets carry energy farther so therefor your comments on the russian round having more energy than a 30/30 is off base in my opinion. All things being equal the pointed bullets of the russian round may have better trajectory than the flat nose 30/30 but a person could load the same bullets and get better performance shooting single shot or one in the tube with a lever gun. I am sure like in a Savage or some other gun that does not use a tubular magazine the 30/30 with spitzer bullets would outshine the 762x39 hands down. Not saying its not a bad round in its own right but folks keep trying to justify it by saying its more powerful than the 30/30 which it is not. In fact I got rid of my two guns that shot that cartridge a Maddi AK clone and a SKS and bought a Winchester 30/30.

[Snapping Twig]

You make a good series of points.

I load my own, so I do better than factory and I use a 150g load mostly, sometimes 160g. I realize that 150g @ 2100fps isn't equal to a 150g 30-30 @ 2300fps.

I do believe the ruskie catches it after the first 100 yards and exceeds it sometime thereafter due to the SP design.

So, in my mind, it's a wash.

In a bolt gun, all else being equal and both rounds using a SP bullet - the 30-30 wins hands down, no argument.

Put it this way, the hog I hit at a measured 460 yards with the ruskie round couldn't tell the difference - cartwheeled it.

[Mk42gunner]

I'll be the contrary one, get the .30-30. It will handle 95% of all hunting chores. those that it won't handle are mostly longer range that your other choices won't handle very well either.

You can find ammo at any place that sells ammuntion, not so with a .45-70, and even less with the .444. you will use less components when reloading, powder and lead. and if you buy those gilding metal covered pretend boolits, they're cheaper too.

The .30-30 has less recoil, if that matters. There is a reason the .30-30 pretty much sigle handedly killed off all of the big blackpowder rounds: less recoil, and flatter trajectory.

Robert

[Ken TN]

I'm the wrong guy to answer this one...

Ok I have a Ruger Redhawk with the Rings for a scope set up...
I also shot a T/C Contender that I had the 44 Mag 14" ported Barrell rechambered to 444...

OK I bought a 444 XLR due to my fondness of the T/C set up.

I traded a high dollar air rifle for a 336 30-30.

I started shooting Cowboy and got 45 Colts, then a 45 Colt rifle.

Now what lead me to a 45/70? Coyote hunting with a 204 Ruger and seeing a 4" snout print in the mud! I felt unprotected knowing there was a very large nosed hog in the same area. I came home and bought a guide gun ASAP.

They are all great and should do fine in the Sunshine state. 45/70 is easy to find on store shelves. 444 is limited but it is still one of my all time favoites.

Knowing what the brush is like down there I would opt for the shorter barreled 1895 guide gun in Stainless as those Florida showers pop up every afternoon like clockwork.

I found my used 1895 GS on Gunbroker with a scope for under 600.
Seems that the original owner had the scope mounted to far back and you had to hold your head back and up to see thru it and I'm sure it slapped the snot out of him in that set up... His loss my gain.

Ken TN

[mustanggt]

Well, I like the 45/70 as it is real fun to shoot, cast and reload for. You can load from 3 round ball gallery loads to 500+gr howitzers. That's alot of versatility. Since you say you are shooting fairly short range it will do anything you want against anything you want. I have 2 Marlins and 2 Sharps rifles and love them. I also have a Marlin 1894 in 44 magnum and like that alot as well. It has a 20" barrel which is very handy and would work real well in your short range situation. If having a true companion rifle to go with your revolver like back in the old west then the Marlin or Winchester in 44 magnum is your obvious choice. But if you just want to have fun and load and shoot for as many guns as you can afford then add a 45/70 to your collection.:lol:

[45r]

I wonder why so many like the 45-70 and Marlin sells so many of them.

[Starrbow]

Interesting reading -- I think I'll forgoe the 30-30 (unless someone wants to practically give me one :-) ) and decide between the 45-70 and 444. They both have a good following... just a matter of seeing which one makes the most sens for me.

In any case, I am looking forward to the day...

It's really a no brainer, you already shoot a 44mag and the 444 can use the same bullets as the 44mag, now you may not reload yet, but when and if you do it's very nice to know that your rifle and pistal can share some of the same bullets.

The 444 can do anything the 45-70 can, it's real simple, the 444 can do it with:
Less powder
Less bullet weight
Less recoil
Les bullet diameter

What does all that mean, it means the 444Marlin is a more efficient cartridge, because it is of a modern design, not some Black Powder throwback, in todays world of high cost of reloading componets it means "Less is More" either more money in your wallet or more shooting!

[MakeMineA10mm]

Have you thought of the 44 Mag to match your hogleg?


Hi Randy
Yeah, I'd really like to get a 444, but since I already have a .44 revolver, I decided to get a .44 Marlin rifle. I'm sure glad it did, and I took this last season's deer with my new rifle. My only complaint with it was that I got 100% penetration and don't have a bullet to show off. It was a Remington 240 grain hollowpoint at 1800 fps. I assume it mushroomed but stayed intact because there was one single larger exit hole.

I think you'll do just fine with the .44 for anything on 4 legs east of the Mississippi.
Good luck,
Michael


But I also have a 44mag lever gun and used with with 44 mag revolver for a one ammo carry gun, so I'd have to say there is an advantage to have rifle and pistol in same chambering but failing that I'd say it does simplify to have only one caliber to cast bullets for.



I'd go hunt up a Ruger 44 mag carbine and call it a day!

If you need more power than that for close range deer you need to figure out what they are eating!


Not even going to read what everyone else said Just going to put it like this get a 44 to match all pistol rule of thumb if a pistol has a big brother then need to hangout together. Oh BTW I taken deer with a 44 mag at 220 yards and was not a great feat or luck.


What I did was buy an 1894 in .44 and I couldn't be happier with it. This is my go-to rifle for fun and hunting the close brush. 265g cast bullets leaving the barrel @ 1700fps is no joke.

I am a 444 Marlin nut. Had one for almost 30 years (before they became popular... :-) ), BUT, my advice to you is to forego the 444 and 45-70 route. I won't sell my 444 for anything (accept maybe another 444), but for true practicality, you need to RUN (not walk, not get distracted with the 45-70 or 444 Marlin) and get yourself a Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum. Try to get one now, before they move production to a different plant. (Just recently announced, they're closing the 140-yr-old plant in Conn. and moving it to TN.)

You already own the brass and dies to reload for it, and your current moulds will "make due" while you look for a couple new moulds that are more ideal for lever-feeding (if you don't already have one or more of those). So, another side benefit is very minimal additional cost to begin shooting it. Not to mention how fun it is to load a couple hundred rounds and be able to shoot them in your handgun and carbine, whichever strikes your fancy.

The one weapon I ALWAYS take to the range with me, and my GO TO rifle for anything other than all-out fall of society / zombies coming is that rifle. It's incredibly accurate, powerful, don't kick, and has a decent magazine capacity for anything - hunting, self-defense, or plinking. You will regret not getting one RIGHT AWAY.

You can always get a 444 or 45-70 later on the used market, but I warn you -- you won't shoot it anywhere near as much as the 44 Mag 1894. And, I swear - I love the 444 Marlin...

[pls1911]

Simple... Both.
Your reloading dollars will buy a LOT more 30-30 rounds, but like the 30-30, the fun factor of the 45-70 is vitually limitless and the thump is incredible.

[Mk42gunner]

Simple... Both.
Your reloading dollars will buy a LOT more 30-30 rounds, but like the 30-30, the fun factor of the 45-70 is vitually limitless and the thump is incredible.

And this may just be the best answer yet.


Robert

[Just Duke]

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/MARLIN/DSC_0237.jpg

[Just Duke]

I've never seen a target crown on a levergun. :o Nice job Velocity Plus Gunsmithing! 8-)

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/MARLIN%20GUIDE%20GUN/200.jpg


Looks to be shooting OK too!
Here is a target using Lead 485 Grainers and 28 grains of Hodgden 4198 at 30 yards.
Not bad shootin for a half blind guy. ;)


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/MARLIN%20GUIDE%20GUN/BARBIESMARLIN.jpg

[Just Duke]

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/MARLIN/C1.jpg

[Just Duke]

I am a 444 Marlin nut. Had one for almost 30 years (before they became popular... :-) ), BUT, my advice to you is to forego the 444 and 45-70 route. I won't sell my 444 for anything (accept maybe another 444), but for true practicality, you need to RUN (not walk, not get distracted with the 45-70 or 444 Marlin) and get yourself a Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum. Try to get one now, before they move production to a different plant. (Just recently announced, they're closing the 140-yr-old plant in Conn. and moving it to TN.)

You already own the brass and dies to reload for it, and your current moulds will "make due" while you look for a couple new moulds that are more ideal for lever-feeding (if you don't already have one or more of those). So, another side benefit is very minimal additional cost to begin shooting it. Not to mention how fun it is to load a couple hundred rounds and be able to shoot them in your handgun and carbine, whichever strikes your fancy.

The one weapon I ALWAYS take to the range with me, and my GO TO rifle for anything other than all-out fall of society / zombies coming is that rifle. It's incredibly accurate, powerful, don't kick, and has a decent magazine capacity for anything - hunting, self-defense, or plinking. You will regret not getting one RIGHT AWAY.

You can always get a 444 or 45-70 later on the used market, but I warn you -- you won't shoot it anywhere near as much as the 44 Mag 1894. And, I swear - I love the 444 Marlin...


Your link in your signature didn't work sir. "45x230 Gov't Profile" Where can I find it?
PM me and I'll show you how to do signature links. :cbpour:

[MakeMineA10mm]

Yout link in your signature didn't work sir. "45x230 Gov't Profile" Where can I find it?
PM me and I'll show you how to do signature links. :cbpour:



They don't work, cause they ain't links.... :bigsmyl2:

I DO have a link and an active e-mail address in my sig line....

(Oops, just realized the url changed and I still have the old one here... I'll fix that right away. Thanks for making me check that, Duke.)

Were you wanting one of those moulds? I might still have a spare one left from the group buy. Have to go check.

.

[Just Duke]

They don't work, cause they ain't links.... :bigsmyl2:

I DO have a link and an active e-mail address in my sig line....

(Oops, just realized the url changed and I still have the old one here... I'll fix that right away. Thanks for making me check that, Duke.)

Were you wanting one of those moulds? I might still have a spare one left from the group buy. Have to go check.

.

PM Sent

[44 flattop]

you need to RUN (not walk, not get distracted with the 45-70 or 444 Marlin) and get yourself a Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum.
+1 on that one.

I have two 45-70's. I have one .444. Both caliber do just about everything I could ever need them to do, mostly deer, bear and elk.

But I have 1/2 dozen .44 Marlins [smilie=w: This may be the most fun gun in .44 mag as I have ever shot. And will it get the job done? In the past dozen years .44's have taken for me 2 bear, 4 elk and 18 deer (in 3 States) with exactly 26 shots (1 bear was obstinate), all but one being cast. The shortest shot being 40 yards, the longest being 'about' 175 yards.

I am a strong vote for the .44!

44

[Just Duke]

I have a 44 Magnum Marlin and it's real persnickety. Only take the 200 Grain SAECO truncated.

[shdwlkr]

Time for my .03 cents
First everyone needs a 30-30 if for no other reason than to play with.
As to .444 or 45-70 in your case if you already have a 44 mag than I would go with the .444 just because you already have bullets.
I have the 45-70 and have been very happy with it. You can load from light weight loads up to 500 grain grizzly stoppers. I can't think of many things that can stand up to being hit with one of those even if it is moving at the leisurely pace of 1300-1400 per second. Also a selling point for the 45-70 is the 100 plus years it has been in use and still there doing its thing.

[thx997303]

Chevy - Ford - Dodge

30-30 - 444 - 45-70

Sounds like a similar debate to me.

Of course you have to have the Toyota guys jumping in too (44 mag)

This makes me laugh.