Marshall,I`m going to get a Marlin lever action the only problem is the cal. As I stated in an early post I hunt in midstate N.Y. for whitetails. Mostly in grown up pasture lands and woods.The deer around here aren`t that large, so would the .44mag do the job? I reload and hunt with a .44 super-bisley, haven`t gotten the oppertunity to harvest a deer yet. Keep on reading all the good things about the .444 and it gets me thinking. I realize the .44mag in a rifle is a 100yrd.gun, most cases still hunting the game will be lot closer than that. I`m just I working guy on a bugget, I don`t what to be under gun or be way over gun. I`m all set up to load for the .44 mag, thats one of the reason I`m leaning towards the .44mag I figure you set me straight on the marlin over the winchester, so I`m looking foward to your reply.
God Bless and *Happy Year!

Hippie,

I don't want to tell you what to buy!  What I will do though is share some thoughts with you.

Although I do like the .444, and the versatility of the cartridge, I will say this.   The .44 Mag is plenty of gun for 100 yard whitetails, and blackbears with the right bullet.  Also, the fact that you already have a .44 handgun, as well as the reloading necessities makes the .44 a natural choice.

The .44 can be loaded to fun plinking levels, and at the same time stoked for bear!  In your neck of the woods the .444 really isn't a necessity.   I doubt that you'll be shooting too many griz, moose or elk up there, and you'll have to get all the goodies for another caliber, and downloading the triple four for plinking isn't as convenient as using your .44 mag ammo in your .44 mag carbine.

If it were me, and on a budget, I'd probably get the Marlin 1894 or the 1894P.

My biased opinion!

God Bless,

Marshall

Thanks Marshall; I was thinking the same thing but, I wanted to make sure. I respect your opinion on this subject.
*Thank You

Hippie,

I've got a Marlin 1894 to partner up with a Ruger Bisley Vaquero. My reasoning was that I'd be able to load for both, carry only one type of ammo, and I really wanted a matching caliber combo. I'm still *playing with both so I don't have any hard information for you, but it sure is fun. The 44 carbine is plenty of gun as long as you do your part.

Enjoy your new rifle

Hippie,
You were asking if a .44 was enough for whitetails. I'm sure others have shot many more deer than me but let me tell you about one experience. I was hunting with my brother in the Vermont woods. He jumped a nice buck and shot at it with his 30.06, it went down and jumped back up and disappeared behind brush. When it came out the other side I shot it with my .44 super blackhawk in the front shoulder area. He went down and didn't get up. I paced it at just over 70 paces. There was an exit wound the size of my fist. My brother's 06 had hit low on the neck in front of the shoulders and just drilled through with no real damage. That convinced me of the power of the .44! I was shooting a 240gr jacketed flat point bullet over 22 gr of 2400. I'm sure Marshalls hard cast would have been just as effective. I carried a ruger .44 carbine for a while and enjoyed it. Any light carbine in .44 would be a terriffic deer gun.

Hi Hippie,

I've killed a litlte over two dozen with the .44 mag in barrel lengths form 4 5/8" to 8 3/8".  All have been handguns, but I'm gonna agree with everyone else.  A carbine in .44 should be just the trick.  I shoot 21.0 grains of 2400 or 24.0 of 296 behind a 240 grain bullet.  I also have carried some of the 325 grain WFNGC and have loaded them to 1300 fps out of my Stalker.  I've found very few loads that my revolvers did not shoot well.   My two cwnts worth, but hope it helps.