Consider twist.The Marlin's 44 mag before Ruger have a 1/36 twist. WInchester has a 1/20 twist. If you want to shoot bullets heavier than 265 gr the faster twist is needed for accuracy. My Win 94 ( New Haven, USA made ) handles & feeds any cast bullet I've tried in it.
That's theory. Reality says something else sometimes. (Guess which wins?) I had a Win 94 trapper .44 mag that had a 1-38" twist, said so on the box, measured to confirm, and despite internet "wisdom", it shot very well with 300 grain XTPs and 300 grain Speer soft points .. and pretty much everything else I ever sent down the barrel.
Tom
