Stan in SC,
I own a Deerfield. It is more accurate and dependable than the two 44 Carbines I owned in the late 60s and early 1970s. It is a true 2 MOA rifle with a scope and capable of 3-4 MOA at 100 yards with its peep and my eyes. A hunting partner has owned a 96/44 since the year they came out. It is not as accurate as my Deerfield, but its accuracy is fine for the heavy PA woods (no semi autos in PA) he uses it in. He has been hunting the area for over thirty years; thus his shots are planned and the paths clear of brush, and the maximum range is about 50 yards. He uses the same load I do, the Speer Gold Dot 270 grain bullet factory offering. I have not hunted with him for over twenty years, but he gets a deer almost every year and they are usually one shot kills. I have shot four deer with my Deerfield, all within 50 yards, all one shot kills. I have not found the .44 Mag a good brush penetrating cartridge as the bullets have low sectiona densities. On the other hand, the 220 grain high sectional density bullet in the .30-06 is a decent brush penetrator in my experience. I use the .44 Mag for still hunting the cleared hardwood lots here in MN. A decent hit with the 270 grain Speer puts the deer down, much more efficiently than the Ft. Lbs energy would indicate.
