Talk me out of a 44 mag levergun...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

So, I've had a lot of fun with my 44 mag revolver a purchased a few months ago, and have been infected with the desire to have a rifle that shares ammo with my revolver, despite the fact I already own a .223, a 30-06 and a 7.62x54R, plus a 30-30 levergun that I can borrow from my dad at any time if I really feel the need to work a lever.

One of the biggest problems I see is that I know I will want to shoot higher velocity loads (I already load the 30-06 down for light loads) and don't currently have time to cast and GC my own bullets (between work, farm, and family) so I reload commercial cast for my revolver, which is fine for it, but I know that they will probably lead at rifle velocities, and I am too cheap to buy commercial GCs or jacketed bullets.

So talk me out of buying the levergun, seriously...

[1Shirt]

I suggest you buy what you can afford and enjoy same. They are a good investment!
Recommend you consider a Marlin!
1Shirt!

[Sasquatch-1]

I had a Marlin 1894 in 44. Sorry I ever got rid of it. It was an older model with the microgrove rifling. So I quess I can't talk you out of it. You may just have to give up a days shooting every once in a while to do your additional reloading chores.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I should have know asking here is kinda of like walking into a bar and asking them to talk me out of buying a drink! Does it change anything if I said I was looking at a Puma to go with my Taurus?

[bradh]

I have a Puma 1892 in 45 colt and love it along with Colt SSA.

[Wally]

I owned three different makes....Marlin, Browning, & now a USRA...all have oversized barrels and require oversized bullets to shoot accurately...a Royal PITA. What shoots well in my Ruger Superblackhawk and Model 29 will not do so in the lever gun. Jacketed bullets work well as do factory jacketed loaded ammo...but if you load cast you need to have oversized bullets. If you are a Hickock45 fan on YouTube, he mentions this on his .44 Magnum carbine videos. I have found it best to use GC bullets with mine and heavier work better than lighter when I do.

[Char-Gar]

I can only speak to the Marlin levergun in 44 Magnum. If you are bound and determined to stick to your parameters (store bought plain base bullets) then don't buy one! You will not be happy.

I will resist giving a little lecture on why, so you are just getting the bottom line.

I have such a rifle and I love it, and it turns in great results for me, but not within your parameters.

[mdi]

OK, don't buy a ,44 Puma. There, I've said as much against it as I'm gonna! Higher velocities are a given in a longer barrel and properly sized bullets can be driven pretty fast. I've read here that some fellers shoot lead bullets well over 2,000 fps regularily. You must slug your Puma's barrel, 'cause some have been sold with oversize bores (mine slugs at 431"-432" so I shoot .432"+ bullets). Properly fitted plain based bullets with decient lube will not lead yer barrel.

My Puma doesn't feed SWC bullets so I use a RNFP (Ranch Dog 240 and 265 grain gas check bullets are a favorite of mine, but I cast and install gas checks). If you buy commercial cast bullets, compare prices between plain based and gas checked bullets, some won't be much difference. Also if you buy cast, make sure you can get them sized properly (same size as the cylinder throats of your revolver and .002" larger than groove diameter for your Puma).

I've just got back to working on my Puma's loads and am having a ball. At first I just used the same loads I used in my Ruger SBH, or my S&W 629 (RNFPs), but I've been tailoring loads just for my Puma lately. I can shoot medium to upper (but not max.) loads in my Puma with very little or no leading with plain based lead bullets all day long, or 'till my ammo runs out...

[HDS]

I shoot 44 mag plain base bullets through my Puma at both special and magnum levels and I have no leading problems, the revolver leads more. Vihtavuori N110 is a good magnum level powder.

[6pt-sika]

I have a circa 1967 Marlin 336-44 that truely loves the Ranch Dog 432-240GC , 432-265GC and 432-265GC . And is okay with my MM/RD 432-325GC .

All are sized at .432" or .433" and pushed HARD with H110 .

I've owned a pair of the Marlin 336-44's and a couple Marlin 1894's in 44 MAG and they ALL shot cast well provided I had large enough diameter bullets .

Now on the other hand "I had" a Puma in 480 Ruger that I thought was truely a *** . Only Puma/Rossi I ever owned and only one I ever will own .

[Larry Gibson]

I can only speak to the Marlin levergun in 44 Magnum. If you are bound and determined to stick to your parameters (store bought plain base bullets) then don't buy one! You will not be happy.

I will resist giving a little lecture on why, so you are just getting the bottom line.

I have such a rifle and I love it, and it turns in great results for me, but not within your parameters.

Char-Gar is absolutely correct. Note the few posts that do push cast bullet hard out of pistol caliber lever guns use GC'd bullets. I do too. Store bought PB'd cast bullets will not do at your intended velocities well as stated.

Larry Gibson

[jabo52521]

I should have know asking here is kinda of like walking into a bar and asking them to talk me out of buying a drink! Does it change anything if I said I was looking at a Puma to go with my Taurus?

Nope. Not a thing. Put up a picture when you get them.

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 on everything that's been said...'specially 'bout the oversize throats/bores on the 1894 Marlins. While I'm very fond of my early 70's vintage .44 Marlin carbine, it just plain doesn't like ANY cast boolit under .4325 so I doubt you're gonna find much success with commercial cast boolits.

The other thing I feel you should be warned about is that the darn things are downright addictive!! Once you've got your rifle and a load that really works, be prepared to spend bunch of extra time at your reloading bench. My little Marlin only holds 10 rounds but, I swear, it can eat ammo faster than any long gun I own...including my Garand.

Bill

[EDK]

My name is Ed and I have owned a lever gun (or two or three at a time!) in 44 Magnum for the last 40 years+....about a month or less after I acquired my first SUPER BLACK HAWK. So I won't be of much help advising you not to buy one. I'd look for a pre-Remington MARLIN; preferrably a 24 inch Cowboy rifle IF I had the funds. BUT there ain't no flies on the basic 20 inch round barrel 1894 in 44 magnum.

I have DILLON 550B models permanently set up for 357 and 44...am starting on 30/30, 308 and 223 with them. I'll probably get the conversion kit for 45/70 this fall. The pistol calibers are a lot cheaper and easier to reload for, so they get the most time outside of the safe. BESIDES the fact the little lever guns are so d*** handy to carry or use in the brush.

IF you don't push too hard, you can use plain base boolits with little or no leading problems. You will find that you make GENERIC ammo that works in both pistol and rifle for the most part. You can acquire gas checked boolits or...heaven forbid; J-words!...for rifle specific loadings, but you'll use the generic loads about 90-to-1. Do a little looking for vendors who sell the boolit you want to use...they're out there. (there used to be a lot of complaints about commercial cast bullets being too hard. IIRC, LASERCAST ran close to 20 Brinnel hardness.)

[leftiye]

Simple, get a .454.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have both an 1894 Marlin and a Rossi 92 in 44Mag. I like them both and they both work well. I have never slugged them, and never really developed loads, etc apart fromTrailboss Cowby loads. I just feed them commercially available cast boolits (usually polymer coated) or plain ol' cast boolits. I got a lot off afriend who had given up shooting his 44s. I never miked them . They always seem to hit the small bonus targets (usually about 6" big,sometimes smaller) at 50yards fired offhand. I prefer the feel of the Rossi,but mine has a weird brass bead front sight and a very shallow narrow rear groove with thise awful buckhorns and the sights are hard to acquire quickly. I have had the odd hickup feeding 44Specials in the 92, never jammed, just a hickup every now and then. I think the problem was mainly me as I usually use a short stroked 73 Uberti, I tend to have the same trouble with most levers, the muscle memory is set to the rifle I shoot the most. I have not really used the Marlin much in the five years I have had it.

The wood, etc on the Marlins is a lot better, but think about it, the rifle is virtually double the price. The wood on the recent ones is nothing to write home to Mum about though.

If it is just going to be a saddle gun and never is going to have a scope mounted on it,I'd say go with the Rossi and spend some of the money saved on upgrading the sights. You can easily tune these yourself,just get the DVD off Steve's Guns along with the replacement spring and mag follower.

If you generally prefer (or need) telescopic sights mounted, the Marlin is the obvious choice.

My Marlins (1894x44Mag, 336x30/30 and 444) will end up wearing a 2-7 Leupold Vari X11 as I have two of these spare and another on a Savage combo 222/20Ga which I will replace with an old 2.5x Weaver I have. That way the Marlins will all have the same scope setup. My eyes are good for a 64year old, but have lost some of their ability to see targets in poor light.

Talk you out of a 44? No way, old Elmer Keith would be turning in his grave over that! One thing I have found is that the rifles are usually more fussy than the handguns, so unless I want to load separate for carbine and pistol, I develop a load for the carbeen and that is usually good to go with the handgun. On the idd occasion that I have developed different loads for different guns which are to be used at the same time, I load the handgun in Nickle cases,or a different brand at least.

44s are like a cookie jar to a kid, you just keep going back!

[TXGunNut]

Don't buy the rifle, buy boolit casting gear and make the time to use them to cast for the guns you have. Then buy the rifle, and another in 45 Colt, another in 45-70, then another in 44-40.......

[45-70 Chevroner]

Don't buy one!!!!! and if you don't you will never be satisfied until you do. I know because I have been there. When I finally did I have never looked back. I have a 45 Colt Rossi ( not a puma) it shoots great. I had a Rossi in 38/357 but had to sell it to get another Ruger Vaquero in 45 Colt so I could shoot in the Cowboy shoots. I wish I still had it, it actually shot better than the Rossi 45 Colt. I also wish I had a Rossi in 44 Mag. The Rossi's are 92's I also had a 94 in 44 Mag but gave it to my grand son, say la v. Good luck but remember don't buy one!!!!!

[PacMan]

Would never talk you out of such a thing.
If you want to shoot heavier bullets 300+ grains go with the Rossi for sure.It has a faster twist than the Marlin. The Rossi is a little rough by comparsion to a Marlin and the sight are less than ideal but i think they are stronger and handle better than the Marlin.I have a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag and a Puma in 454. I always grab the Puma becaus of the way it feels.

PB for lighter loads but GC for the serious stuff. 16 to 20 inche barrels full of lead is no fun.Take it from someone who knows.

Pac

[No_1]

I cannot convince you not to get a 44 mag, 41 mag, 357 or a 45 Colt.