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Q:
I am debating whether to buy a .357 or a .44mag
lever action. The 44 ammo is very high though and I would like something to possibly use in cowboy shooting and a little hunting...even deer. Would a lever action .357 be suitable for deer.....I know it would be a lot cheaper to shoot.
Thanks
Question by dab140. Uploaded on March 14, 2010
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Answers (10)
The .357 Magnum will take deer with a well-placed shot, preferably at 100 yards or less. You'll see increased velocity with a carbine's barrel length (compared to a handgun). If you handload, you can craft some accurate and effective loads that will provide you with the penetration you'll need.
The .44 Magnum will provide you with better performance on deer, and the recoil in a light carbine like a Marlin Model 1894 would be much the same as a 20 gauge shotgun.
You're correct; .44 Magnum is noticeably more expensive than the .357 Magnum but, remember, you give for what you get.
Edward J. Palumbo a +1 for you Sir!
But may I add, you give for what you get?
357 Mag or 44 Mag in a rifle, your still limited on range and penetration. You will be better served with using a 30-30 instead, you give for what you get and you spent allot of money and hard effort to get that one shot in a lifetime and you missed your chance at that big buck! Going to do it, do it right it's a one time buy and getting setup right will benefit you the rest of your life!
By the way, that Young Man in the picture is 10 now and the season before last shot a real nice buck at 250 yards and minutes later shot a nice doe at 150 with a 25-06. If he was using a 357 Mag or 44 Mag, he would have passed up the shot on both. This last season, he got one buck and 2 does with the 25-06, again out of the range and capability of a 357 Mag or 44 Mag.
Mr. Cooper,
You've made a very good point; as long as a light carbine is under consideration, the .30-30 would provide better performance at greater distances than the .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum.
Either the .357 or .44 Mag would be a good companion piece to a sidearm, but I wouldn't choose either of them in preference to my .30-30.
Most of the guys here who shoot cowboy action shoot 38 special through the 357 mag rifles. With the volume they shoot it is much cheaper. As far as a deer hunting rifle the 44 mag. is far superior. Neither is a long range rifle. I agree with ED and CLAY that the 30-30 is vastly better for deer than these two rounds.
I had a Marlin carbine in .44 mag for a number of years. As a woods gun with 240 grain flat nose rounds it did quite well on deer and feral hogs. Shots in the woods were seldom more than 50 yards and I usually had complete penetration. The deer fell and all was good.
The .44 mag would be my choice of the two rounds for a deer/cowboy gun. Reloading would certainly reduce the cost of shooting high volume events. I also agree with the other gentlemen that the 30/30 would be a better option for deer. You could also use the 30/30 with reduced loads in cowboy format. Trail Boss powder is quite a good one for suh apps.
I used to work with a fellow who swore by his .357 magnum lever gun and what a great kill he made on a buck at a dead run. He broke from his strut a bit when he admitted that he hit it in the neck and I said a .22 magnum would have done the same thing. The .357 just does not have the necessary 1000# of energy at any distance. The .44 is indeed better but agreed, the .30-30, or even the .35 Remington, is far better. Leave the pistol calibers in the pistols when it comes to hunting big game.
I am not in favor of pistols for Hunting, they should only be used at very close range backup AFTER you have exhausted reliable rifle ammo and only in very large calibers.
I reload .44s and they aren't much more cost than .357s but they definitely have much more impact on game. I agree wholeheartedly that a 30-30 would be a far better deer rifle though in a lever action. .44s don't have the range or the knock down power of a 30-30 and above. They punch a hole through big game like a paper punch but they don't have the shocking power of a faster rifle bullet. Hunting with a .44 is a little bit like hunting with a bow and arrow... you have to be close.
Before I retired back in 95, I'd go thru a coffee can a month of .430 250 grain cast bullets a month if not in two months and did so for a solid 22 years and I'm a bet leery of using a 44 Mag on deer as my primary choice of cartridge.
My load is 250 grain Kieth Style cast made from straight wheel weights with 21.0 grains of 2400.
Post an Answer
The .357 Magnum will take deer with a well-placed shot, preferably at 100 yards or less. You'll see increased velocity with a carbine's barrel length (compared to a handgun). If you handload, you can craft some accurate and effective loads that will provide you with the penetration you'll need.
The .44 Magnum will provide you with better performance on deer, and the recoil in a light carbine like a Marlin Model 1894 would be much the same as a 20 gauge shotgun.
You're correct; .44 Magnum is noticeably more expensive than the .357 Magnum but, remember, you give for what you get.
Most of the guys here who shoot cowboy action shoot 38 special through the 357 mag rifles. With the volume they shoot it is much cheaper. As far as a deer hunting rifle the 44 mag. is far superior. Neither is a long range rifle. I agree with ED and CLAY that the 30-30 is vastly better for deer than these two rounds.
Mr. Cooper,
You've made a very good point; as long as a light carbine is under consideration, the .30-30 would provide better performance at greater distances than the .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum.
Either the .357 or .44 Mag would be a good companion piece to a sidearm, but I wouldn't choose either of them in preference to my .30-30.
Edward J. Palumbo a +1 for you Sir!
But may I add, you give for what you get?
357 Mag or 44 Mag in a rifle, your still limited on range and penetration. You will be better served with using a 30-30 instead, you give for what you get and you spent allot of money and hard effort to get that one shot in a lifetime and you missed your chance at that big buck! Going to do it, do it right it's a one time buy and getting setup right will benefit you the rest of your life!
I used to work with a fellow who swore by his .357 magnum lever gun and what a great kill he made on a buck at a dead run. He broke from his strut a bit when he admitted that he hit it in the neck and I said a .22 magnum would have done the same thing. The .357 just does not have the necessary 1000# of energy at any distance. The .44 is indeed better but agreed, the .30-30, or even the .35 Remington, is far better. Leave the pistol calibers in the pistols when it comes to hunting big game.
I reload .44s and they aren't much more cost than .357s but they definitely have much more impact on game. I agree wholeheartedly that a 30-30 would be a far better deer rifle though in a lever action. .44s don't have the range or the knock down power of a 30-30 and above. They punch a hole through big game like a paper punch but they don't have the shocking power of a faster rifle bullet. Hunting with a .44 is a little bit like hunting with a bow and arrow... you have to be close.
By the way, that Young Man in the picture is 10 now and the season before last shot a real nice buck at 250 yards and minutes later shot a nice doe at 150 with a 25-06. If he was using a 357 Mag or 44 Mag, he would have passed up the shot on both. This last season, he got one buck and 2 does with the 25-06, again out of the range and capability of a 357 Mag or 44 Mag.
I had a Marlin carbine in .44 mag for a number of years. As a woods gun with 240 grain flat nose rounds it did quite well on deer and feral hogs. Shots in the woods were seldom more than 50 yards and I usually had complete penetration. The deer fell and all was good.
The .44 mag would be my choice of the two rounds for a deer/cowboy gun. Reloading would certainly reduce the cost of shooting high volume events. I also agree with the other gentlemen that the 30/30 would be a better option for deer. You could also use the 30/30 with reduced loads in cowboy format. Trail Boss powder is quite a good one for suh apps.
I am not in favor of pistols for Hunting, they should only be used at very close range backup AFTER you have exhausted reliable rifle ammo and only in very large calibers.
Before I retired back in 95, I'd go thru a coffee can a month of .430 250 grain cast bullets a month if not in two months and did so for a solid 22 years and I'm a bet leery of using a 44 Mag on deer as my primary choice of cartridge.
My load is 250 grain Kieth Style cast made from straight wheel weights with 21.0 grains of 2400.
Post an Answer