while deer season is months away for me i am starting to get the itch, i was wondering i am considering using a marlin 444 ported this year. being a previosu shotgunner with slugs i am not sure what this would be like but am getting a good price on it what does anyone think about this gun and it's use with deer and a possible elk hunt
deer rifle
- Thread starter jastclark
- Start date
Golly, that is a whole lot of gun for whitetail.
I think you can shoot up to a 300 grain bullet with that rifle. It is a good round for elk, moose, and grizzly bear. This is more like a small cannon really that shoots a nice sized rock. Like Fox said, it is a lot of gun for a whitetail, but it will certainly do the job.
My only caveat is the type of range where you will be hunting. I would not use this rifle for 150 yard plus shots. I think it has a lot of drop, and I would not be confident in my ability to compensate for such, even if the bullet still offers substantial shock at longer ranges.
My only caveat is the type of range where you will be hunting. I would not use this rifle for 150 yard plus shots. I think it has a lot of drop, and I would not be confident in my ability to compensate for such, even if the bullet still offers substantial shock at longer ranges.
If you are going to use for whitetail and elk maybe consider a .270. It is just under a .30 caliber so it will have have the knock down power and will also give you plenty of distance.
+1
To add on here, I personally use a 4-10 slug gun when I am hunting in any thick stuff. It is a flat shooting dependable weapon, will go through significant brush, and has plenty of power to stop a whitetail.
For fields or any other spots that may require shots in excess of 100 yards, I use a Winchester model 70 30-06.
Just to keep the Texas stereo-types rolling, I agree. Anything around .30 cal will be plenty. Long days hunting humping around that 444. Hard on the ol' shoulder too.
I shoot a Remington 30-06 just because that's what I grew up shooting. The 30-06 is a solid & dependable, multi-use caliber. And it's easy to find ammo for!!! If I ever change, it'll be to a .270. Great round. Plenty of knock down power & flat trajectory. If you ever want to try a real shoulder canon, get your hands on a 7mm Mag, .375 H&H Mag, or a .300 Win Mag. 
+1
You can also get them loaded a little heavier if you need, but a properly aimed .270 will take down any deer you're likely to encounter.
This will be my first deer season. My Remington 700 LSS .270 is ready to go!
Great all around caliber, that's what I shoot. Deer and Elk I might opt for a 30-06...or .300 Winchester or Weatherby.
- Thread starter
- #10
in ky where i hunt and live it is hard to come across a shot that is longer than 250 yds without a hill or tree in the way, so distance isn't a huge concern, decibel level on my ears is becoming a concern though. there are ammo forums where fellas talk about knocking deer off their feet with this sucker, that's a little enticing after tracking them with slug shots going all the way thorugh and deer still running decently long distances....
Shot placement is the most important part of this whole discussion.
S
sullivanpm
Bingo
You can drop any animal with a well placed shot in any caliber.
I use a 308 for deer in alabama, but for years I carried a lever action 30-30, and killed a whole heck of a lot of deer with it.
Decibel level on your ears, huh? Well then, go and shoot that "ported" cannon you are thinking about and you will have all the decibels you could ever want. Porting helps reduce felt recoil and muzzle jump, but it makes a rifle exponentially louder.
I've used my Browning A-bolt .308 for years with no problems, "if it's brown it's down". 
The only problem is that ammo for the .35 Whelen is kind of hard to find (like the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser).
While it certainly sounds like overkill for whitetail, it is a very effective elk round, particularly in brushy or timbered country. My hunting partner has one, and although he has numerous other rifles at his disposal, it seems this is what he ends up having in his scabbard. He has taken more elk with it than all his others combined. It is somewhat limited in range, but you might check out the new Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition which has been specifically engineered for this type of caliber and tubular magazine lever actions. Previously only soft tipped ammo was available, this is now a polymer ballistic tipped round.
The shotgun I duck hunt with is ported & I get alot of complaints from the guys in the pit with me. It'll really ring your ears when the echo from my shot catches that metal pit just right.
I shoot a .270 Winchester, which is a good straight shooting gun which I need as most of my hunting has been in the rolling high desert of northern Nevada, where 200 yards is considered pretty damn close.
I am in the .270 fan club as well. Whitetails as well as Mule, have all been dropped with 1- 130 grain Nosler partition. You could do far worse.
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