Hi guys. Ohio made certain caliber rifles OK for deer hunting. I found and bought a 2001 JM 1894 .44 mag. Since then I have read more than a few negatives regarding accuracy. I just got my scope in and mounted and have yet to fire a round thru it. I load 95% of what I shoot and 100% of the .44 mag. but all my experience is with revolvers. Most all my loads use the lighter 180-200 grain bullets. Do these generally prefer lighter or heavier bullets?

Does anyone have a favorite factory load that delivers decent results out to about a 100 yards? I will try my old revolver favorite 180 gr Sierra over a case full of 2400. Both my SW 629 Classic DX's shoot less than 1.5" at 50yards all day long.

Just wondering what you guys are getting in the accuracy department. TIA

I working on loads with the 240gn XTP and 265gn FP out of my 1894c.  I also have some beartooth cast 240gn .432" on order.  

When we hunted in Indiana with .44 mags I had my best results with the 180 gr Sierra JHP.I also tried 240 JHP and 240 hard cast (Keith style--Lyman 429421) and the BEST--quickest--killer was the lighter weight Sierra.

240 XTP over a stout charge of H110.  I've killed twelve deer in eight years with this.

Thanks guys. After doing a lot of reading, I think the 180's maybe the way to go. I have killed over a dozen deer with them in my revolvers so I know they kill cleanly. It sure would be nice if the 1894 liked the same load.

Got to be careful about handgun bullets coming apart with rifle speeds.

True.

I'm going with the Hornady LeverEvolution for my Winchester 94 .44magnum I think.  It makes sense since it was designed specifically for that purpose.  I've heard some folks say they aren't powerful enough and that may be true if you run heavy loads normally but the standard .44magnum load is a beast out of a handgun and a rifle plus the pointed nose on the Hornady rounds give you better accuracy at distance.  I've read a lot of great reviews of the LeverEvolution ammo out of rifles and quite a bit from handgunners also.  I only have the one box in .45 Colt so I've been hesitant to try it out of my Vaqueros/Blackhawk and Henry Big Boy LOL but once I get some more I'm going to try it out at 100 yards, when I get access to 100 yards that is.

For hunting purposes you can't go wrong with the new Remington Razorback XT stuff.  That's what I have currently for my .44 magnums.  It's designed for knocking the snot out of big hogs but from the reviews it works great on all big critters.

240gr JSP with a max load of H110. Only 1 deer with it so far - I tend to take my Max first - but 80yds DRT.

Deer are easy to kill, just about any 44 mag load will work.

Theoretically the slow twist rate in your Marlins barrel should favor lighter bullets.

You'll just have to shoot it and see what it likes.

The Marlin 44 magums use a very slow twist and most seem to have a problem with 300 grain and heavier.

I have a 1894 Marlin and mine likes 240 gr bullets with 20.5-21 grains of 2400.  The bullets I've used have been gas check lead cast 240 gr swc and Rainer 240 gr HP.  Both shoot very accurate at 75 yds with iron sights for me.  

However the 44 I have hunted with is a Ruger 77/44, I know it will handle heavier bullets but I'm still using 180 gr and 240gr for it.  The buck I got last season I shot with Hornady 180gr XTP factory ammo (only ammo I could find locally then).  I shot the deer broadside at about 60 yards.  The 180gr XTP went completely through the entire chest destroyed both lungs and missed the heart.  The exit wound was big enough to stick a 12 gauge shell in.  He made it 50-60 yards and went down, was easy to track with the trail left behind.

A lot of hunters in our area say the 180 gr bullets are a little light for hog hunting and say 240 gr or heavier is the way to go if hunting wild hogs.  Deer are good to go with the 180gr loads in my opinion if you do your part.

I prefer heavy bullets for hunting.