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Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 03 May 2019 20:16
by mr surveyor
My opinion? .... sell 'em both and buy re-loading equipment and devote attention to the .357 mag. Then, in a really short while, you'll wish you had the .44 mag and 30-30 Win back.

It's just one of those things - once you're infected, there ain't no known cure :)


jd

Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 04 May 2019 10:15
by Wakefieldad
I took them both to the range yesterday to shoot off the ammo I had remaining for them. The difference this time is that I cut a piece off of a thick exercise mat and attached it to the butt of the 44 Mag, and I borrowed the slip on Hi-Viz butt pad from my .357 Rossi to put on the Marlin 336. Both guns no longer hurt my shoulder with that amount of padding on their butts. Imagine that. LOL. Anyway it was a pretty enjoyable session. I had more 44 magnums than I thought I did (150 rounds), so I only shot off 50, while I shot off the rest of the 25 rounds of 30-30 for the Marlin.

But now that I have fixes for the hard recoil, the guns are fun to shoot. I think with a bit of further work on them, like installing peep sights instead of the semi buckhorns, and slicking up the Rossi like I did its .357 version, I could enjoy having either. I still won't keep both but I'm having second thoughts about selling both. Maybe I'll let the market decide by putting both up for sale at the same time and letting go of the one that sells first while reeling back the other. That way I can use the proceeds of the sale from the one to pay for improvements in the other.

Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 05 May 2019 06:52
by Ranch Dog
Wakefieldad wrote:That way I can use the proceeds of the sale from the one to pay for improvements in the other.
... and reloading equipment. It seems to me that reloading would be a must for a recreational shooter, much more necessary than a hunter, given the volume typically shot.

Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 05 May 2019 08:46
by Strawdawg
And, the easiest to reload will be the .44s and the .38/.357 as they have straight wall cases that are simple to reload.

Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 05 May 2019 11:58
by Arroyoshark
I hunted for years with Win .30-30, but not so much anymore, and this thread not really about hunting with a lever. Hands down I prefer hand loading and shooting the .44 lever more than the .30-30, except for one .30-30 loading. In past 30 years I've had immense fun using 110 gr. M1 carbine bullets (the ones with exposed soft lead noses) in the .30-30 both for hunting black tailed jackrabbits and for general plinking at range (load data in almost any reloading book). I also discovered that the 110 gr. load will knock over the 200 yd. silhouette rams with almost no drama (they teeter and fall slowly). It is very easy on the shoulder to shoot, compared with standard 150 gr round,

Hand loading the .44 mag for a lever with 240 gr. cast and 12 gr, of True Blue produces accurate results. It shoots well and recoil is soft. I'd believe 10 gr of True Blue would get the job done at the range just as swell.

If recoil is bothersome with any of the loads, then picking up a PAST strap on recoil pad is really nice for the shoulder. They run in low $20's off ebay.

I'd say follow through on your impulses and enjoy both fine levers. With the hand loads I mentioned, both become pleasurable range guns.

Re: Can't decide between 44mag Rossi and Marlin 30-30

Posted: 05 May 2019 13:40
by Mad Trapper
If its just recreational shooting, then sell both and buy what you need to reload 357 mag/38 special.
May have enough left over to buy a 357 mag revolver, to go with the 357 mag lever.
If your a hunter, or live on a farm or ranch, or where you have critters bigger then you, then you may want to hold onto both the 30-30 and 44 mag.
For years ive thought to myself, if i could only have one, either 30-30 vs 44 mag, which would i choose.
Well, im still thinking on that matter.
Ive paired up a Winchester 94 with a 30 carbine blackhawk, love tinkering with both of them.
But then i pick up the 44 mag, got to be the easiest cartridge to reload, especially with how strong the brass is,( and i can be a brass crusher), 44 mag is very forgiving, especially reloading with my two hams, i mean hands.
Ive made up small game loads for the 44 with a 122 gr round ball, dusting of bullseye, quieter then a 22.
and i can usually recover the lead ball.
Same for 30-30 or 30 carbine, buy a 5lb box of single 0 buckshot, size them down from .320 to .311, and make small game loads for either or both.