Which do you consider the best deer cal in a Lever Rifle? 30-30 or 44 Mag

I used to have a .30-.30 levergun. I STILL have a .44 Magnum levergun.

I don't think you can go wrong with either for deer. The 30/30 has the range advantage, but I like carbines in pistol calibers and the .44 makes a big hole.

I have 4 30-30s and don't use them. I do use my 35 Rem, 444, and 348s, though.

For under 100yds in the thick stuff, I'd rather th 44 Mag than the 30-30.

I have 1 rifle in 44 Mag and it may get some use this year, not sure yet.....

.35

30-30 but I have a soft spot for the cartridge, shot my first deer with one. Both will do the job at levergun ranges though you can stretch a little further imho

I love my old .30-30 but I hunt with a Marlin .41 magnum more often than the .30-30 when I'm hunting in thickets.

Never tried the .44 but the .41 does a great job and I would think the .44 would be even a little bit better.

30/30

The .44 is no slouch and I want one, but I have to say the .30-30 is my preferred of the 2. The .35 Rem is better again but I am afraid that magnum mania has finally struck a killing blow, combined with all the quality budget bolt actions on the market and the ever increasing cost of lever guns and Marlin's QC challenges I think the lever gun may be beginning to finally fade away from popularity.

I have one of each, both 94's, and have killed elk with each. I have seen no difference in killing ability of either.

The 30-30 is an older gun and a tad heavier, and the 44mag is shorter and a tad more easy to handle in the timber. The only reason I prefer teh44 is that I have a small scope on it and my eyes don't see irons any more. I won't muck up a 1936 Winchester 94 just to put a scope on it.

I have both, and really can't see a big difference. It's more of a placement thing than headstamp.

The .30-30 does have more reach, but I generally don't use either one if I anticipate shooting past 100 yards. Within that, it's even-stevens.

Bea, I'm a fan of both, but I'll admit that I have never taken a deer with a 44 caliber carbine.

With that said, I think that there is a common misconception that the 30 WCF is a 100 yard cartridge.

I've spent a few seasons hunting with the 30 WCF and I have shot a 44 Magnum carbine quite a bit at the range. The trajectory of the 30 WCF is significantly flatter beyond 100 yards.

I have been very pleased with the application of the 30 WCF on deer, especially with the plain Jane Remington 170 Grain CoreLokt HP. VAnimrod recommended that factory load to me a few years back and I have to say it was everything he said it was.

On the plus side for the 44 carbine, I like the ability to load ammunition quickly and simply with carbide dies.

My buddy's shop has a Ruger 77/44 on the shelf that has done it's best to follow me home, but so far I have resisted, mostly because I have a good 30-30 in the rack.

30/30 for reach. Also add the fact that 99's don't come in 44.

I agree with you, and I didn't mean to imply that it was limited to that range. I have killed deer past 200 yards with the .30-30, but I guess what I meant to say was that if I'm hunting terrain that has the possibility, and probability, of a shot that far or further, I have better rifles for that.

You oughtta try that 77/44. Addictive little rascals, I have one and love it for the thick stuff.

.300 Savage in a Model 99, as a pure deer rifle. Can also use a scope more easily, and use pointy bullets

A model 94 in .30-30 is no slouch, either, and is a bit trimmer & lighter. A lever action .44 would hold more rounds, and might double as a decent self defense weapon.

30-30 is so plebian... think outside the box. 303 Savage in a 113 year old rifle, now there's some serious style.

Bottom one:

For me the 30/30 hands down

I was just wondering what others think . I have killed deer with both and all the deer i have shot with either the 44 mag or 30-30 carbine dropped right there. I use receiver sights on all my lever guns including my Marlin 45-70 Cowboy and Savage 99 308, which i have installed since these photos was taken. There are my Lever Big Game rifles.

Bob,

A nice bunch of lever guns you got....especially the 1894 .44 sporter model. You don't see many marlin .44 sporters these days.

Doc

.30-30 hands down. No contest.

Marlin only made the 44 Sporter one year and i think it was 1973

I have killed the majority of my deer with a 30-30 Marlin 336. I seldom need to shoot farther than 100 yards, but it works quite well beyond 200 yards. I find it hard to tell the difference most of the time as far as the animal reaction after being hit. I like 170 grain core lokts probably because that's almost always what I buy. Marty

Bob,

I hope you have a spare extractor for the sporter.....just in case. Marlin changed the extractor for the 1894 in 1978 and the old ones are hard to come by.

Doc

Neither one is anywhere even close to the best when others are considered......

thurty-thurty be the one 4 me. The 44 would be close range & cowboy action shooting type weapon. 30 wcf would harvest deer well beyond what I could without a using a scope. I also think the 30 wcf could work on bigger game, cowboy action......not so much.

I've shot a lot of deer with the 44 and a few with the 30/30. Where I hunt a nice blood trail is a definite advantage, if the deer doesn't go right down. The 30/30 works great, but I have had better success with the 44. Shot my freezer buck this year with a Marlin 44 Sporter. That is one great shooting gun, but the buck still ran about 50 yds. I hate it when they do that. I haven't had one run towards the truck yet.

I have killed deer with 170 gr bullets from a 30-30 and with the Ruger 44 auto. I prefer the 170 gr bullet but the auto capability on deer running in the palmetto and pin oak river bottoms.

For sheer BIG game power, the 44 will whip the 30-30. With std bullets, the 44 is adequate, but with 300-400gr hammers loaded right, it will kill anything. Anything. But then again, the 30-30 with proper bullets and load will do much more than many think.

I like both and have had no trouble killing deer with either round