For me, a single shot in .44 mag makes no sense

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,
 
   I have been thinking about buying a nice single shot rifle, in .44 mag, to use for plinking, casual target work, and occassional deer hunting.   Primarily as a simple fun gun.
 
   Of course, I found out how really expensive such a rifle would be.  The bottom end starts at $300, and you could go all of the way up to $2,000.  And from the reports I see, a fair number of those $300 rifles won't shoot without lots of fix-up and tinkering.
 
   After thinking more about it, I realized that for me, it would make zero sense.  I already have a nice, wooden stocked, break-open, inline muzzle loader, with a three power scope, that shoots about 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards.  Using .44 mag bullets and sabots, plus 100 grains of 777, it hits with 300 foot pounds more energy than the .44 magnum at any given range.     Since I pre-load my powder charges and bullets in plastic tubes, it only takes me about thirty seconds between shots, to swab the barrel once, reload, and reprime with a disc.   This is about the same amount of time that I let a barrel cool in casual shooting with a regular rifle.
 
   So,  I guess I learned a lesson.  Before you go out and buy a new rifle, take a hard look at what you've already got.  You may already have it!
 
Best, Mannyrock

[BUGEYE]

It would make good sense if your sidearm was .44mag.
but if a smokepole is your preference, have at it.

[spruce]

For me ANY cartridge rifle is more desirable than a muzzleloader! 
 
I have a muzzleloader and use it to hunt with when the law/seasons require it, but it's not something I would enjoy taking out to plink with.  Just never been able to get enthused about messing around with all that stuff (powder, patched balls, sabots, caps, quickloaders, ball pullers, nipple wrenches, etc, etc, etc), not to mention the mess and cleanup!
 
I just much prefer to drop a cartridge in the chamber, close the action, and shoot.  My Handi .44 mag has plenty of energy to kill a whitetail out to 150 yards, and probably farther, but I limit my shots with it to that range or less.  Have to admit I can't shoot 1.5" groups with it, but so far it hasn't missed any deer.
It wouldn't be my first choice for plinking or target shooting either, so I guess in that sense I agree with what you're saying.

[mannyrock]

   For goodness sakes Spruce, you're talking about the stone age of muzzleloading.  :-)
 
  If you like your Handi in .44 mag, then try an H&R Huntsman, in line muzzleloader.  Ya don't have to use ball starters, cappers, hammers,  balls, bullet patches, pullers or any of that other stuff anymore.  You dump a charge down the barrel, thumb push (very very easy to do) a modern bullet in a plastic sabot into the muzzle, push it down with the ramrod in about 3 seconds, break open the action, insert a plastic disc which holds a 209 primer, shut the action, and you are ready to shoot.
 
   I guess my point was, its so darned easy to do this with a modern muzzleloader, that having a regular single shot (such as a Handi) in .44 mag just doesn't seem to make sense, at least to me.
 
  And, since I run a damp patch down the bore after every shot, the rifle stays very clean.  It only takes me about 10 minutes after the shooting session to clean the rifle.  About the same time it takes to clean a modern rifle.
 
  Oh well, its all just for fun.  Just my thoughts.
 
   Best Mannyrock

[Swampman]

You don't have to clean a .44 Magnum rifle.  That's huge!!!!!

[spruce]

Come on guys give me a break!  No matter if you use an inline or a traditional ML neither is as simple and convenient as a cartridge rifle.
As far as cleaning, all my guns are well cared for, BUT I don't have to swab the bore of my cartridge guns between shots.
I understand some people enjoy shooting ML's more than any other kind of firearm, and that's great.
Just saying it's not my first choice for a fun day at the range.

[cybin]

spruce--I don't blame you one bit for you having your opinion. Feel the same here.
cybin

[Flynmoose]

When I got interested in firearms again, I thought I wanted a muzzle loader. A co-worker took me out and let me fire his. I ordered a 45-70 Handi rifle the next day. This is a personal preference and is in no way intended to belittle or insult muzzle loader fans.
FM

[hillbill]

   For goodness sakes Spruce, you're talking about the stone age of muzzleloading.  :-)
 
  If you like your Handi in .44 mag, then try an H&R Huntsman, in line muzzleloader.  Ya don't have to use ball starters, cappers, hammers,  balls, bullet patches, pullers or any of that other stuff anymore.  You dump a charge down the barrel, thumb push (very very easy to do) a modern bullet in a plastic sabot into the muzzle, push it down with the ramrod in about 3 seconds, break open the action, insert a plastic disc which holds a 209 primer, shut the action, and you are ready to shoot.
 
   I guess my point was, its so darned easy to do this with a modern muzzleloader, that having a regular single shot (such as a Handi) in .44 mag just doesn't seem to make sense, at least to me.
 
  And, since I run a damp patch down the bore after every shot, the rifle stays very clean.  It only takes me about 10 minutes after the shooting session to clean the rifle.  About the same time it takes to clean a modern rifle.
 
  Oh well, its all just for fun.  Just my thoughts.
 
   Best Mannyrock

i can definitely see your point.i have 2 vintage inlines, a ruger 77/50 and a rem 700ml.i basically look at them as 44 or 45 super mags.i can shoot 44 or 45 cal bullets in them depending on what sabots i use.100 grns of black [i just got 15 lbs for 12 buks a lb] a sabot and a cast 44 or 45 bullet and a shotgun primer. kills like lightening under 150 yrds.which is what i limit my shots too.
 
only prob is i got to buy them sabots.i dont like buying stuff.especially plastic.i can shoot my muzzy guns very economically but i think i can shoot a 44 or 45 cartridge rifle cheaper.a bullet i cast for free, sum alox,a dab of shotgun powder and a primer.my brass seems to last forever with my loads.
 
either is good and i would be happy shooting either.[/i]

[PowPow]

it only takes me about thirty seconds between shots, to swab the barrel once, reload, and reprime with a disc.   This is about the same amount of time that I let a barrel cool in casual shooting with a regular rifle.

Barrel cooling is time for visiting with the other guys at the range. I let my barrel cool for 5 or 10 minutes if the conversation is good.

[joeinwv]

I load for my Redhawk and shoot the same bullets in my inline muzzleloader with sabots. But I still want a 44 mag lever gun. And a 45-70 single. And an AR. And a M1. And....

[BruceP]

Ok Mannyrock. I had no problem with anything you said until that last line.

So,  I guess I learned a lesson.  Before you go out and buy a new rifle, take a hard look at what you've already got.  You may already have it!

Lets not start being practical here. What would the gun industry be If we all did that. 

Bruce

[Ladobe]

I hunted big game with 44MAG handguns with great success... but never wanted a carbine/rifle chambered for them.   Just personal preference is all.   Maybe a little strange as I did grow up on a ranch where we had some old Winchesters that shot the same cartridge as some of the Colt SAA's did.
 
Muzzies: I came full circle in a way when it comes to muzzleloaders (traditional, never wanted nor had an in-line).   As an already died in the wool handgun hunter who seldom shot rifles anymore by then, I started shooting and hunting with the traditional muzzies when TC first came out with their Hawken, bought a bunch of traditional rifle and pistol, did the reenactment gig for many years, but also continued to hunt with modern handguns.   Eventually I faded away from the reenacting scene and muzzies, went back to the short and long laser guided missile launchers for many years fro all my hunting.   It got boring.    I happened into a new reenacting group so got back in, bought a bunch of traditional's again and started using them for predator and varmint hunting again (I no longer hunted big game).    Still shot the short tube but shelved all the long tube laser guided missile launchers, never went back to them again.   So as it turned out, all my last shooting and P&V hunting was with the traditional's, and I was quite happy it ended that way.   
 
If I had to guess, I was probably stricken with the traditional's because I was also stricken with handguns and traditional archery for hunting from a fairly young age.  Just liked the extra challenges of them when modern rifles became too easy for any hunting.   They fit my favored spot and stalk approach to hunting when I still hunted big game same as the handguns/archery, I never wore camo for any hunting, so another fit and an excuse to wear my MM persona attire for hunting, and they carried over into a lot of my other hunting.  The fly in the soup... I was also stricken with long/extreme range varmint hunting from an early age too, so never could get away from the short or long laser guided missile launchers completely until the second time around with the traditional's.   I got one traditional with two of the three barrels set up for long range that was the ticket for P&V - not extreme ranges, but much longer than any of the others I ever had and very challenging.
 
Cleaning them never bothered me at all, didn't take any longer really... and I had been a single-shot hunter since a kid and long before TC came out with the Contender (that I was also stricken by).   I just liked the mentality of evening up the playing field when hunting, having to acquire the skills to pit them against those of the game.    Don't take that wrong... shooting varmints in the next county was a lot of fun and a challenge too, being able to take big game in the wide open spaces of the west at range as well, but up close and personal just had more appeal to me with big game and predators called in with my home made mouth calls.
 

[ironglow]

Three questions here..      A) .44 mag    B) single shot    C) cartridge vs muzzle loader
A) I doubt anyone here holds suspect the killing power of the .44 mag (in reasonable range)  on deer or black bear, especially with a rifle.
 
B) I once had an H&R Shikari .44 mag with which I harvested 3 whitetails.  I gave it to my grandson, who has  harvested 4 more with it. all were 1 shot kills DRT, except for one  where I tried to reach too far (300 yds) and did not place the shot in the boiler room.  Single shot is fine, since almost all of my big game kills have been 1 shot.  Those not DRT were stopped enough to easily reload.
 
C) Muzzle loader vs cartridge..   Here is where the rubber meets the road for me!  The wood stock for instance, is not a plus for me, since I prefer the new synthetic, all-weather stocks.  Why/... Well, because I am often out in inclement weather.  Now, I understand that some folks enjoy muzzle loaders and that is great.  I just can't see myself out in heavy rain or snow and trying to pour powder assemble a sabot, load a cap etc...when i can simply slip a .44 mag cartridge into the chamber....and if needed, reload almost as fast as a lever.
   Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy reloading...but at my reloading bench, rather than in the snow & rain.  I have other centerfire big game rifles, including a new Ruger American .308..which I got a buck with this past season..but I missed that .44 mag so much for brush work..that I bought a new CVA Scout...a bit under $300 ($279) and that Bergara barrel shoots true..
  See below, a photo of a CVA Scout  just like mine;

[SHOOTALL]

well , hummmm I also considered a single shot rifle and 44 mag was in the running. For just fun I would go 44 mag. one the cost to shoot might be less if you shop around sabots are one time use where brass is many loadings if you keep to light loads. SMOKE it's a pain , at the range it can annoy others . Cleaning was mentioned and it is a biggie for me as I might shoot a few times each day and would not like to clean every day. As for power , my son told me he shot a deer with his 44 mag. rifle and it did not go thru. Of course he shot it in the chest and it lodged in the right ham almot going thru.  A stright wall revolver cart. in a rifle is proably one of the most safe combos around.
 In the end if I get one it will be a 7744mag.