Need advise

[Shiner]

I posted yesterday that I am planning to get a Marlin 1894 44 mag tomorrow. I have been thinking, the gun shop where I am looking at this rifle also has a guide gun in 45-70 for just a little more......help me decide please...I am not very experienced in lever guns. This rifle will be used for less than 100 yards for deer and hogs. I don't reload so I will be using factory ammo...

[mannyrock]

    Absolutely no question whatsoever that you should get the .44 Mag.  The factory ammo is much much cheaper than 45-70, and it will easily handly any deer or hog out to 100 yards.  It has much lighter recoil,  much less noise, and is a pleasure to shoot.  Ammo can be found anywhere, and it comes in an extremely wide variety, from self-defense loads to big game loads.

    Don't spend extra money to buy something you don't really want or need, that will end up costing you alot more money in factory ammo.

    In other words, your instincts are correct here.

Regards,

Mannyrock

 

[DEACONLLB]

I Have both and as stated the 45-70 is nice and I own a 1895 ss in blue,, never have found what the ss stands for, some say stainless barrel that has been blued, others say selective stock. I also Have the 1894 in 44mag and another feature of that gun is that you can also shoot 44 special. 44 special or 44mag is much cheaper to shoot and will kill about any thing you may come across and not beat you to death.The old 45-70 has been around for many years and still remains very popular with gun owners but in the long run the choice is yours to make.
Deaconllb

[Old Grizz]

I'm a huge fan of the 45-70 but everyone is correct when they say the .44 mag is less expensive. If your hunting deer and hogs the .44 will do the trick.

[SHOOTALL]

i have seen more problems with the 44 mag if that helps . Standard loads will serve in the 44 mag range and reloads can get powerful.

[Lloyd Smale]

id go this way. If you handload get the 4570 and if you dont buy the 44 mag. Either will take about any game animal in the world with the right loads but the 4570 is a bit more versitile.

[Shiner]

I ended up getting the 44 mag!! I really like the way this gun feels and handles. I will shoot it this afternoon and see how it goes. Thanks everybody for the advise!!

[Coyote Hunter]

If you handload, go back and get the .45-70.

The .45-70 can be downlaoded to push 300-350g bullets about 1100-1165fps with around 13.5g HS-6.  Reloading a box with hardcast (purchased) bullets runs about $2.50.   These make for great plinking and skunk loads.  On the other end, I load my 22" 1895 to 2183fps with a 350g North Fork bullets and about the same with Hornady and Speer 350g bullets.  These are potent elk medicine at well over 200 yards (I'd go 250 without any qualms).  For backyard rhino I load 460g hardcast to 1812fps and would hunt anything that walks with those loads.

[Shiner]

Well I don't reload now, but that may soon change. As far as the 44 mag I got today goes, I shot it this afternoon and was very impressed!! I zeroed it using 225 grain Hornady Leverevolution, and it will group 2'' easily at 100 yards off of sandbags. I left it 1'' high at 100, but wont take any shots past 120, and where I will be using it I doubt I will ever shoot it past 75. As far as the 45-70 goes, I saw a Handi rifle in 45-70 today that I am putting on lay away it it's still there on payday!!

[Waldo Pepper]

I am a reloader and just the cost of reloading the 45-70 stops me from buying the gun. I passed one up for $500 OTD couple of months ago because of ammo cost. I think I figured about a $1.00 to $1.50 per shot at the time, but depending on life of brass it could go higher.

Then I got to thinking I am not in an area where Brown or Griz has been seen in the last couple of thousand years, so why bother unless it is just for bragging rights. I am not that stupid or wasteful and will put the money to better use.