[rjgnwdc]

My brother in-law is wanting to sell me his Marlin lever action in .44mag I wouldn't mind having a rifle to go with my S&W 629 .44mag but how practical is a .44mag rifle for hunting. How much do you think its worth, he has only shot it 2 or 3 times, the2x7 Leupold is included

 

[hardluk1]

If the rifle is from marlin before it was bought out it a good one and should be able to place rounds well out to 125 yards maybe a bit longer. Atleast with some of the hotter loads like DT 240gr sp at 1800fps+ from a rifle.

Price?? From a brother-in-law. It looks very nice, $ 450 to 500 with scope 400 to 450 sounds better, but only if pre-cerebus caplital management or after a very good look over. Some real junk has come out over the last couple years.??

 

[Werminator]

I think it's a fairly pretty rifle... Classic style with a punch.. Good round for a number of applications, especially given the added length of the barrel... more time for expansion of the gases leading to increased velocity and therefore energy on target? Win...

 

[towboater]

Just my opinion

I'd guess value of just the gun at around $400.
Then add the value of the scope.

Hunting:
Not for squirrels.
A darned good deer gun.
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php?topic=217752.0

 

[locutus]

For short range hunting, it's acceptable for smaller game like deer.

Personally, I would much prefer a .30-30 to a .44 for any hunting.

 

[Shoobee]

It is a beautiful rifle. With the scope it looks worth $500.

Question is what do you plan to hunt with it? A 44 rem mag round is barely good enough for close-in hunting of small deer. And it does not have very good knock-down power, so you will be tracking all of them that you shoot.

A 243 is as small as I would recommend for hunting. Although the 223 works fine on varmints like coyotes, ground squirrels, and raccoons.

This rifle may also double as a varmint gun as well. I am guessing that is why they put the scope on it to begin with.

For a quick response saddle gun you don't need a scope. And for close-in hunting of small deer you don't need a scope either. Iron sights are fine for all that.

 

[kycol]

For some reason I could not get picture to enlarge, but looks nice. Not sure about prices, but I think it would make a great addition to your collection. I also think you would have no problem taking down deer a least up to 100-125 yards. I have taken a large number of deer in my life, most have been from 25 to 50 yards. The closest ever was about 6yards the farthest about 150. 44mag has a hell of a lot knock down power than a arrow. No caliper can guarantee you won't have to track it, but I have tracked very few.

 

[ineverFTF]

Shoobee i have to disagree. My grandpa has shot 200lb deer at 125 yards and dropped them with his 44mag. Get the gun checked out if it looks good buy it 400-500

 

[HockaLouis]

Last two guns I offered my Brother-in-Law were a Ruger All-Weather in either .22 or .22 Mag and all he had to do was name the price -- woulda been his for a buck. Wasn't interested. Then, like a fool, as he was in the market for a decent dedicated Trap Shotgun I found an old NIB premium Charles Daly/Miroku single barrel and bought it for him. He said he wasn't interested and it was mine. But then when he saw it and I wouldn't sell it to him (it had since become part of a matched pair w/an O/U) he denied saying he didn't want it and stopped talking to me it was so beautiful and relatively inexpensive.

If yours is like me, buy it. If yours is like him, tell him to eff off.

.44 Mag is nice in a shorter gun and effective. No, it would not be my only gun but, as u say, u would have a set there now with your handgun. Very good gun and scope.

 

[Rick1967]

I think if I ran into a lever gun in any of my pistol calibers I would buy it just to have a pair. I would love to have one in 45 colt.

 

[orangello]

I think if I ran into a lever gun in any of my pistol calibers I would buy it just to have a pair. I would love to have one in 45 colt.

That is what i am thinking. I would love to pick one up in .357 to go with my GP100, but they are far from cheap when new.

 

[therewolf]

The scope seems a little over the top.

In effective range, for the average shooter,

you're looking at what ? 200 yards with a

.44. I put a Holo sight on my Marlin, it's

lighter, quicker on target, and sights to the

ability of the gun.

I paid 500$, NIB, for a Marlin a lot like the one

in the OP, without any scope. So if it's as nice up

close as it is in the picture, and the barrel is clean,

it looks like a great deal.

But your max range hunting would probably be

200 yards, tops.

 

[rjgnwdc]

Thanks for all the feed back, it is from the old Marlin Co. and the idea of having the .44mag combo pistol and rifle sold me plus I thought the price was right at $500 with a 1,000 rounds of reloads (I supplied the brass) I should get in a week or 2 he's out of state.

 

[Hunterdan]

For short range hunting, it's acceptable for smaller game like deer.

Personally, I would much prefer a .30-30 to a .44 for any hunting.

A good load in 44 mag out of an 18 or 20" barrel will hit harder than any 30-30. Compare the ballistics:
44 Mag - http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=232
30-30 - http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=286
Compare the 2000 FPS velocity in 44 mag to the 2300 FPS velocity in 30-30.
The 44 mag has more kinetic energy. It also has a larger surface area to impart all of its energy. I would limit my shots to 150 yards or less with either gun, while realistically I wouldn't want to shoot past 100 yards with either. Past that they start to bleed off energy rather quickly.
Dan

 

[HockaLouis]

That's a fair deal for family you can both live with. Let him shoot it with you first time out.
Very good gun in excellent condition, great scope (especially for that arm tho I'm not a scope guy for such), and 1,000 loaded rounds.
Fun and safe shooting (warning: watch for scope-eye there -- .44 Mag levers kick like a mule, at least light ones do)!

 

[therewolf]

Hockalouis is right about the recoil.

A good recoil pad may be in order, especially if you

need to stretch your LOP.