so our law changed this year. 45-70 or 44 mag in a Marlin? which one and why? should I be considering another option?
I've killed blacktailed deer in Oregon with both.
The plus to the .44 is considerably less recoil. (Mine was a Winchester 94 Trapper.) A lot of fuss is made about the 1-38" twist not being suitable for heavy bullets. I guess my gun didn't read the gun rags so it didnt know it wasn't supposed to shoot them well.
The plus to .45-70 is you can go with light-for-caliber bullets that are as heavy as heavy-for-caliber .44s and shoot them faster / flatter.
Out to 75 yards, I'd pick the .44. At 150, I'd pick the .45-70.
If you are buying a new gun, not just using what's already in the closet, I'd go with the 1894 cowboy over the standard 1894. I think rifles with the magazine suspended from a hanger rather than clamped to the barrel via a barrel band near the muzzle shoot better. Every one of the MOA / sub MOA Marlins I've owned had the magazine attached via a hanger. That's 6. The ones with the barrel bands, at least my small sample, have all been 2-3 MOA guns. I like being able to head shoot squirrels at 100+ yards with a lever action. It's a good confidence builder off-season.
Tom
