Been really wanting a new Marlin 44 rem mag lever gun since they have become available again but never owned one. I've watched videos about the cartridge but wanted advice on performance for deer hunting at less than 100 yards. Heck I might even be willing to sell my Henry 30-30 to get it.

Surprisingly my local Academy has an 1894 in stock and I am so tempted.

Me and my boys have killed several with a Rossi lever and hornady hps. The youngest dropped a 200 lb axis in his tracks last year in tx. Excellent deer rifle at less than 100 yds in my opinion

It has been debated before that the lever action 44 may be the best 100 yard deer/hog rifle in existence. I've seen what it does a time or two and was impressed. The slow moving hunk of bullet delivers power with little wasted energy.

welll , i figure itll do better than a 357mag and i know thell kill deer .

A 44 carbine will knock the stuffing out of anything you care to shoot with it. Right now I have two, a Ruger Deerfield and a Winchester 94. Both have been effective hunting guns.

I’m over experienced with the 44 and the 30-30. I’ve owned every 44 rifle they make several times over and used every factory load they make on animals. I’m not a fan of the 1894 because of the inherent flaw that ruger still hasn’t fixed and the sharp edges on the bolt. I’d go with the new S&W or Henry. The Rossi is ok but could stand some work if you are up for it.

Ammo - Interchangeably is not very good, they all shoot many different POA. Also, no specialized flavor of the week outperforms Magtech (44A) on game animals, its all you need. If you have a need for speed, the Rem 180 is fast as heck and works great on game. If you get good groups with either of these, stick like at the BlackJack table. Even on the reloading table, I’ve never found a load that does any better than those two 44 factory loads in actual performance.

I will tell you first hand from about a thousand different sized & weight and species of animals with 44 and 30-30, at the range you suggest, they are both fairly equal.

Haha Me too...love both of them, longest shot with the lever iron sight was 105 yrds.

I've got a Henry Big Boy Steel that I really like. Its accurate and has thumped what I've shot with it. I know looks are very subjective, but I think its a good looking rifle as well.

Been wanting to find a .44 lever gun for a long time to keep in my truck....problem is I don't need (and can't afford) a "safe queen" and most people want "safe queen" money even if theirs isn't. May end up picking up a Rossi one day just because they're inexpensive and I won't care if it gets scratched/scuffed.

I looked for one for years after missing out on a deal on one more than 25 years ago. I finally found what I was looking for at a local pawn shop a few months ago. It's a pre-safety Marlin 1894 in really good shape except for a couple small chips in the stock at the wrist. He also had an older stag handled Case trapper still new in the box. I gave him $500 out the door for both. One of the better pawn shop deals I've made.

I love my Henry 44, but ended up snagging an old Marlin for purty cheap last year too. Think i sent ya Pic Gomer? 😄 I've got a Rossi 454 casull put up on layaway (son already has one in 357) and depending on the model, they ain't much cheaper than a Henry. But i like the R92.

I got a Rossi and I am a complete gun snob! Got it off gunbroker NIB for cheap. Shoots great. Trigger is a little stiff but does the job.

One vote for the Henry Big Boy X. Picked one up on a whim last year and it is an extremely compact, handy, and accurate firearm. Hornady 240 JHPs over H110 cut one hole at 50 yards. No doubt it'll go further if need be. Slapped a picatinny on top and run either open sights, holosun red dot, or 1-6X24 scope. The holosun and scope are quick disconnect, so choose which ever suits the purpose for that day. Add three tube speedloaders in the case and it is one versatile little firearm.

my problem with any of the 44 rifles is that they play way down second (or third) fiddle to a 308/30-06 carbine. Both are deadly at sub 100 yard ranges but, big BUT the 308/30-06 guns will kill way more effectively at 200+ yards.

I have a Rossi 92 stainless in 454Casull. iron sights. It kills the snot out of deer with a 300 gr slug. Hell on pigs also.

Dang it, did you see the S&W blue and walnut version on their site?

That's a good point, but the 44 does have its advantages. It is easy, fast and cheap to reload compared to bottleneck rifle rounds and makes a great carbine for the walking woods hunter. They are also great camp rifles. If a fellow wanted to shoot suppressed, a 300+ grain 44 slug would be better than any smaller bore subsonic round.

I have plenty of rifles that will reach out over 200 yards. I wanted a 44 lever gun, well, because I ain't got one. For all you Bass fisherman out there you know we have a different rod&reel for different baits. Same goes for a rifle.

I think I will start looking for the Henry X model. I like the pistol grip on that one. I have two other Henry rifles and I love them.

I have the range point precision RHINO 5" Picatinny Rail Scope Mount, and Quick Takedown Screw, on mine. Sight channel down the middle of the scope mount allows use of the stock open sights. Installed a leather wrap on the lever and it was all good to go. Trigger pull was decent out of the box. Price tag is noticeably less than either the Marlin or new S&W lever.

I take 125 yard 44 mag shots with Magtech 44(A) all the time. For kicking around and hunting under 125 yards, its about a do everything rifle without a doubt. The 44 mag hits hard and will kill anything at close range. It leaves a big hole with blood and bone fragments. I just think if you are on a budget and already have a 30-30 there is no reason to go to the 44 mag. One reason is there is more 30-30 ammo around than the particular 44 mag flavor you and the rifle decide on.

With a lifetime of playing around, I’ve come to the conclusion that handgun cartridges are best for handguns and on rare occasions a very short carbine. The Big Boy Steel 16” with the big loop lever replaced with a regular lever is a hard to beat combo. Also, if it doesn’t have the power of a 44 on up in a handgun caliber, its about pointless in a carbine.