I get the impression that the 44 mag marlin is not particularly accurate compaired to the 30-30 version.

Is this true?

I'm thinking that I would expect 4" or bigger groups at 100 yrds.

I love mine, I never thought of it as anything but a 50yd. timber rifle & w/ 300gr. cast core's it's a freakin freight train.

ETA @ 50yds. w/ fire sights if I do my part it's about 2"

I have wanted one for awhile.

I plan on getting a Winchester 357 mag with 16 inch barrel first.

buy it!!  if i could find one locally for a decent price I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.

Best I can do is a lever action Ruger in 44 mag...but it's not the same thing

 It should shoot better than that if you can. Mine will an honest 2" at 100 with iron. It has a Foolproof on the rear though so that helps.

I want one bad.  When I was in the buying mood a couple of
months ago the local Sportsmans Warehouse had just discontinued
them.  I'll be in the mood again, soon.

It is a pistol caliber rifle.  2" at 100 as reported above makes me
want one even more.

DanM

Definitely!! .44 Mag out of a rifle is some hard-hitting shit!!  I shot a huge dog who was running wild and had attacked a neighbor's kid with my Winchester .44.  Put him right down DRT.

Plus, you can also do the .44 pistol thing.  Great combo.  not for Alaska of course, but for most other areas.

I have a Marlin 1894 .44mag lever rifle, and I love it.
It goes well with my Ruger .44 mag Super Blackhawk.

Now - that being said, I bought my rifle used.  It was well worn but the action still felt good.

My rifle is micro-grooved which is unfortunate because I shoot cast bullets.  

With the stock iron buckhorn sights the best I've been able to get at 100 yds is 3-4 inch groups, and that is with a very reduced powder load (15gr 2400 and cast bullets).  I bet it shoots better using jacketed bullets - but I've never tried....

But - and this is a big but!  I love that Marlin .44 mag lever gun!  I'm going to trade in the one I have for a new Ballard rifled Cowboy version!

The Marlin lever action rifles are great in any caliber, I own four of them.

The .44 mag rifle, while being a pistol round, will still give you a recoil that lets you know it still ain't a woussy round....

I have one as well.  I love it.  A good match for my Redhawk and .44 Barreled COntender.

I've never benched it or anything, but it is plenty accurate out to 100 yards.  I took a deer about 75 yards out with it.  Round hit where I aimed...

I'm gettin me one in Stainless,  Yessir

Sounds like a great rifle. Although, this kind of sucks:

Marlin (for an unknown, not well thought out reason) is using a very slow rate of twist (1/38 inches) on their 1894 chambered in 44 mag. Because of this slow rate of twist, the heaviest bullet that the factory Marlin will stabilize is about 270grs. Other firearm makers that chamber for the 44 mag all use a much faster rate of twist so that their guns will stabilize and therefore accurately shoot bullets over 300grs. Many folks today want their 44 magnums to be able to utilize the heavy 300gr. and heavier bullets—Marlin has not figured this out. If you want decent accuracy out of our new +p+ load in a Marlin, it will need to be rebarreled with a twist rate of roughly 1/20 inch. I have Dave Clay rebarrel all my Marlin 1894’s with a faster twist barrel. A 44 magnum that wont accurately shoot 300gr. or heavier bullets is useless to me. Call him at 817-783-6099 for pricing.

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