Biggest Game You’ve Killed With A Marlin 1894 .44 mag?

[Squidly]

You guys are a bad influence on my wallet.

The best part is that 44 mag is so easy to reload. Very versatile.

 

[Aero Denezol]

I shot the rifle for the first time today, and really like it. Not much recoil at all with Winchester White Box 240 JSP's.

Also found a bear track this afternoon. Wish me luck.

Fascinating.

What part of Dallas are you in? Are you in town, or headed out in the direction of Falls City (or Grand Ronde)? I can't imagine there would be bears in the Monmouth/Independence/Salem area... but I'm admittedly not a very skilled outdoorsman.

 

[Howard1955]

Fascinating.

What part of Dallas are you in? Are you in town, or headed out in the direction of Falls City (or Grand Ronde)? I can't imagine there would be bears in the Monmouth/Independence/Salem area... but I'm admittedly not a very skilled outdoorsman.

We're closer to Monmouth than Dallas, but still have a Dallas address.

There are more beasties along the creeks than you would believe. Once logging operations are done for the year, we'll get a clearer look at what's staying here and what's passing through.

 

[Twodogs]

I sold my marlin and really missed not having .44 mag so I built this one it's a T/C encore with a 18" bergara barrel and a aimpoint sight.

 

[Howard1955]

Well? Well? Any luck? I hope you had some.

You do realize you're making it very difficult for me to not pick one if these up, right? I've been mulling a .44 mag lever action for a long time, then you go and get one, on top of that ...... you like it. I might just yield to peer pressure on this one.

Haven't spent much time out there today. But I'll definitely let you know if I get him.

Of course, now that I have this rifle I really neeeed a revolver to go with it. I should've bought a bigger gun safe.

I've been having an email conversation with Tim Sundles at Buffalo Bore. He recommends a jacketed soft-point 270 grain round for the 1894.

 

[Howard1955]

Something was eaten down by the creek. The colors of the fur are right for it to be raccoon, but it's very soft. Like a housecat.

Edit: This stuff is so soft, I think it must be rabbit. Don't know why I didn't think of that before.

 

[Argonaut]

Something was eaten down by the creek. The colors of the fur are right for it to be raccoon, but it's very soft. Like a housecat.

View attachment 396543

Have you read the recient story about feral cats in Australia? The millons of birds killed by them every day(?) The German hunters have always preached that.

 

[Howard1955]

Have you read the recient story about feral cats in Australia? The millons of birds killed by them every day(?) The German hunters have always preached that.

First I've heard of it.

 

[ikemay]

Haven't spent much time out there today. But I'll definitely let you know if I get him.

Of course, now that I have this rifle I really neeeed a revolver to go with it. I should've bought a bigger gun safe.

I've been having an email conversation with Tim Sundles at Buffalo Bore. He recommends a jacketed soft-point 270 grain round for the 1894.

I was keeping my fingers crossed for some success for you, maybe tomorrow.

If I neeeed a lever action to go with my revolvers, then you neeed a revolver in .44 magnum to go with your lever action.

I've had my Ruger Super Blackhawk 7 1/2 inch barrel since about 1979-1980, and just got a Redhawk 4.2 inch barrel. Been toying with the idea of a shorter barrel Super Blackhawk, maybe with the 4.62 inch barrel as it would be a little less cumbersome than my 7 1/2 inch SB, and a little lighter than my RH. But yes, a revolver would be an excellent companion piece to your lever action IMHO.

I have Buffalo Bore ammunition and really like it. Their standard velocity .38 special and .44 special seems more like +P. So, I bet their 270 .44 magnum is "warm" and effective.

I have a model 39A (.22lr), the little brother to your 1894 .44 magnum. I took the front sight hood cover off and put on a Skinner receiver rear peep sight on it. Makes a really nice sight picture now, the hood limited the light on the front sight and made the sight picture smaller then I liked. If you decide to experiment with that, the hood cover slides off the front. Just put a block of wood against the back end and tap it off toward the front (muzzle end) with a small hammer/mallet. Note how it goes on, there is a tab one side and corresponding notch on the sight.

 

[Argonaut]

I am a proponent of shorter barrels in general. A pistol is normally (there are some exceptions) designed to be carried and handy in use. My buddy is preparing for an extended Alaskan vacation next year visiting his son and doing Alaskan stuff. He recintly bought a performance center 629 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel. He was here at the ranch for our eclipse party. Most people were eating and shooting into my pistol range (off my back porch) after the event. Everyone......including my buddy, shot considerably better with my standard 4 inch than with his custom 6 1/2. He offered me 1000.00 and his gun for mine.......that is still sitting here as I scribble this. Longer barrels do give a longer sighting radius that can be an advantage but there are also downsides to portability and concelabilitey. Short barrel guns are not less accurate by nature and can be much handier, better balanced than similar long barrel variant. In a vented barrel (like a revolver) it also has less effect on velocities than with other types of guns.

 

[ikemay]

I am a proponent of shorter barrels in general. A pistol is normally (there are some exceptions) designed to be carried and handy in use. My buddy is preparing for an extended Alaskan vacation next year visiting his son and doing Alaskan stuff. He recintly bought a performance center 629 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel. He was here at the ranch for our eclipse party. Most people were eating and shooting into my pistol range (off my back porch) after the event. Everyone......including my buddy, shot considerably better with my standard 4 inch than with his custom 6 1/2. He offered me 1000.00 and his gun for mine.......that is still sitting here as I scribble this. Longer barrels do give a longer sighting radius that can be an advantage but there are also downsides to portability and concelabilitey. Short barrel guns are not less accurate by nature and can be much handier, better balanced than similar long barrel variant. In a vented barrel (like a revolver) it also has less effect on velocities than with other types of guns.

I agree with everything you just stated. I do like my Super Redhawk with 7 1/2 inch barrel, but to do it all over again, I would have gotten the shorter barrel. But now I have a Redhawk with a shorter barrel, so all is good.

 

[Howard1955]

I was keeping my fingers crossed for some success for you, maybe tomorrow.

If I neeeed a lever action to go with my revolvers, then you neeed a revolver in .44 magnum to go with your lever action.

I've had my Ruger Super Blackhawk 7 1/2 inch barrel since about 1979-1980, and just got a Redhawk 4.2 inch barrel. Been toying with the idea of a shorter barrel Super Blackhawk, maybe with the 4.62 inch barrel as it would be a little less cumbersome than my 7 1/2 inch SB, and a little lighter than my RH. But yes, a revolver would be an excellent companion piece to your lever action IMHO.

I have Buffalo Bore ammunition and really like it. Their standard velocity .38 special and .44 special seems more like +P. So, I bet their 270 .44 magnum is "warm" and effective.

I have a model 39A (.22lr), the little brother to your 1894 .44 magnum. I took the front sight hood cover off and put on a Skinner receiver rear peep sight on it. Makes a really nice sight picture now, the hood limited the light on the front sight and made the sight picture smaller then I liked. If you decide to experiment with that, the hood cover slides off the front. Just put a block of wood against the back end and tap it off toward the front (muzzle end) with a small hammer/mallet. Note how it goes on, there is a tab one side and corresponding notch on the sight.

View attachment 396550

Thanks Mike. I was thinking of taking that hood off, but hadn't decided.

So you like the peep sight better than the original?

 

[ikemay]

Thanks Mike. I was thinking of taking that hood off, but hadn't decided.

So you like the peep sight better than the original?

Yeah, that hood cover made it too dark and really restricted the sight picture. I like to see the areas around the front sight and that hood just blocks too much of it.

For open sights, I do like the peep sights much better then the buckhorn sights. I put some XS Ghost Ring Sights on my Winchester 94 Trapper, and it was a real improvement over the stock buckhorns. The Skinner receiver peep sights are very nice, nicer than the XS ones and has more aperture options. I have all the Skinner rear apertures and like the medium (.070) the best. I also got the dovetail blank that goes into where the buckhorn was, this one holds an extra aperture, in my case it's the .096. I lucked out, I did not have to replace the front sight, it was the correct height.

 

[Argonaut]

Yeah, that hood cover made it too dark and really restricted the sight picture. I like to see the areas around the front sight and that hood just blocks too much of it.

For open sights, I do like the peep sights much better then the buckhorn sights. I put some XS Ghost Ring Sights on my Winchester 94 Trapper, and it was a real improvement over the stock buckhorns. The Skinner receiver peep sights are very nice, nicer than the XS ones and has more aperture options. I have all the Skinner rear apertures and like the medium (.070) the best. I also got the dovetail blank that goes into where the buckhorn was, this one holds an extra aperture, in my case it's the .096. I lucked out, I did not have to replace the front sight, it was the correct height.

The largest advantage to a peep sight is it frequently doubles the sighting radius.......makes a huge difference.

 

[ikemay]

The largest advantage to a peep sight is it frequently doubles the sighting radius.......makes a huge difference.

Excellent point, on my Marlin 39A .22lr with 24 inch barrel I went from 18 inch to 24 1/2 inch sight radius. On my Winchester 30-30 with 16 inch barrel I went from 14 inches to 22 inch sight radius. Big improvements, in both sight radius and sight picture acquisition.

Note: I just measured these sight radius distances out curiosity.

 

[Howard1955]

Yeah, that hood cover made it too dark and really restricted the sight picture. I like to see the areas around the front sight and that hood just blocks too much of it.

For open sights, I do like the peep sights much better then the buckhorn sights. I put some XS Ghost Ring Sights on my Winchester 94 Trapper, and it was a real improvement over the stock buckhorns. The Skinner receiver peep sights are very nice, nicer than the XS ones and has more aperture options. I have all the Skinner rear apertures and like the medium (.070) the best. I also got the dovetail blank that goes into where the buckhorn was, this one holds an extra aperture, in my case it's the .096. I lucked out, I did not have to replace the front sight, it was the correct height.

Is the installation something that needs a gunsmith?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Fascinating.

What part of Dallas are you in? Are you in town, or headed out in the direction of Falls City (or Grand Ronde)? I can't imagine there would be bears in the Monmouth/Independence/Salem area... but I'm admittedly not a very skilled outdoorsman.

a bear track? I think bears are in all states.. not really fascinating at all.

 

[Argonaut]

Is the installation something that needs a gunsmith?

I don't know what designs are on the market these days but a traditional Lyman or Williams requires some drilling and taping also some sight alignment measurements. probably best done by a smith.

 

[Aero Denezol]

a bear track? I think bears are in all states.. not really fascinating at all.

I know there are bears in Oregon, I just never heard of Bears in Dallas, Oregon.

I have lived in Dallas for years.

 

[Argonaut]

Bear are crafty critters. Here is a photo of some of my back acreage. Not a unplanted conifer within 10 miles. My neighbor had a bear in his bee hives last year and one killed another neighbors calf near the creek 2 years ago. They are very nocturnal. It is amazing to learn where they really are.