we are changing in Indiana to allow 44 and I am thinking lever action Marlin. I load 44 so I am wondering how far with a 24o xtp or do i go 330 or 200 grain?

My first deer rifle was a Ruger Deerstlker in 44 Mag.
I killed quite a few deer with 240 gr HP and SP bullets, both factory and reloads.

They worked perfect.
My longest shot was around 125 yards.

That 44 killed deer as good as ANY gun I have ever used.

I also took my first deer with a 44Mag lever gun, but it was only a 35 yard shot.

I've killed quite a few deer with the 240gr.bullets .As sabots from a muzzleloader and as 44mag handgun loads.I dont own a 44 rifle but I see no reason why you would need a larger bullet for deer. unless naturaly you just want to.the deer will be just as dead. All of my shots were inside 150yds.none of the deer have gone over 50 or 60 yds. if they went anywhere at all.



"If winning isn't important?WHY keep score..."

I used a 44 last year to take a buck at about 40yds. It killed it dead but I wasn't real impressed by its performance. Maybe its because I'm use to 45-70's and 405gr hard cast

My wife killed her first big mule deer in 1963 with a Winchester Model '73 carbine in .44-40 shooting a 240 gr. cast bullet. It was easily & fully adequate. A .44 Mag with jacketed 240's would just be more of the same, only better.

Sounds like you had your priorities in line, my friend! Try the 270gr Speer Gold-Dot and thank me later-----2MG

I have never killed anyhthing witha .44 mag but did shoot a Browning B92 (replica Winchester 92) I used 23 grains of H110 under a 240 grain XTP Hornady. At 200 yards i still had 800 ftlbs of remaining energy. A 170 grain .30-.30 has 980 ftlbs at 200 yards. Considering the size of a .44mag bullet, 800 ftlbs at 200 yards is very respectable.

Don't forget the Hornady 265 grain bullet.

How far? 75 yards is ethical. 100 yards is sporting. 150 yards is pushing it, unless I really knew how my gun shot, and I knew I could put in the neck. 150 is the EXTREME limit I would put on a 44 mag in a rifle for deer. I'd target 100-125 yards as max range.

As it is said, hunting isn't shooting. Get close, then start hunting. THEN you can shoot.

Remington 240 HP out of a rifle is very effective on South texas deer.

While I've never been a big fan of Sierra bullets for big game in a rifle, the 240 JHP is a great bullet for the .44. It has always been very accurate for me and opens up well.

Mine is a W M94, and I hear Marlins are good - but their twist rate has issues with bullets heavier than 260 grs...

And the 240s seem to have worked pretty well for a long time...



EDITED: Another thread has someone answering up & posting their Marlin does well with heavier bullets. Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not an authority on Marlins, nor on the .44 Mag cartridge, so all I know about it is the little from my own experience.

I am currently using my fourth Marlin .44 in the last 30 years and all have performed beautifully with the Hornady 265 gr. jacketed HP bullet, which is my standard projectile for the .44 in both rifles and pistols these days.

240's work very well, but I have found no problems of any sort with the 265's either.

Three top factory loads for 44mag carbines 1. Nosler/Winchester 250gr partition gold 2. 225gr Barnes/Federal X bullet and the 3. 270gr Speer gold-dot.

Im sure others will do the job well but these loads could be used on elk within 100yds. If you handload and your deer arent that big the 200gr Barnes X looks real good, will retain all its weight and you can really push it to flatten the trajectory.