Marlin 336 in 44 MAG a good camp carbine/ranch rifle?

[HEUER]

Would the Marlin 336 in 44 MAG make a good camp carbine/ranch rifle? I would like to hear what type of carbine people carry when they go to their summer house or walk their property? No pistols or revolvers in this discussion, even though I know the logic of the revolver lever combo. Would 357 magnum be a better selection?

[bwiese]

I was just shooting a Marlin 44Mag lever action carbine last nite.

My buddy does cowboy action shooting and has 4 Marlin lever actions: 38/357, 44Mag, 45Colt, along with a Model 1895 octagonal barrel 45-70.

This rifle is easy to shoot even with heavy loads. I think it works w/44Specials too (I know the 357 Marlin will feed/shoot 38Spls).

When travelling it's easier to find 44Mag ammo at Big5, etc. than it is to get 45LC ammo so yes I'd get the 44Mag Marlin if I were looking for a lever gun.

You might also wanna think about the Marlin Camp Carbine in 45ACP. This is an autoloader carbine that uses, IIRC, 1911 mags.

Bill Wiese
San Jose

[Stevil]

Do they still make the Marlin Camp Carbine? Ditto on the .44 Mag over .45LC, there is also the Henry Big Boy to look at in either caliber too.

[-hanko]

Originally posted by Stevil:
Do they still make the Marlin Camp Carbine?

Discontinued, unfortuneately.

I have 9mm & .45acp camp carbines; a Timberwolf in .357 will take the place of a lever gun & it's on the way, I think. Only the T'wolf is going to carry easily on horseback, Marlin magazine wells make that a pretty difficult option.

Most of the year at home a Browning upland pump in 20ga is on me or the atv, a Bushmaster in the winter if/when coyotes are out. Critters are in the skunk/feral dog/magpie class, so a 20ga is more than adequate.

-hanko

[saki302]

I have a marlin in .357- it's a joy to shoot- there's a kick with the .357's- I guess roughly like a .223- not bad at all. With .38's, it feels like a .22.

The .44 mag is probably better for hunting, the .357 will be cheaper to shoot. Both would be pretty formidable if used for defense against 2-legged predators. Against 4-legged ones (bear), I'd take the .44.

-Dave

[Otony]

Are you sure you don't mean the Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum? It is a very well made gun, durable and accurate, and makes a great camp/ranch rifle. I have one in .357 for that express purpose, which is an alternative you might want to consider. Good cartridge availability, at reasonable prices. Plus the .357 in a carbine performs all out of proportion to its revolver ballistics. Quite an effective deer rifle, believe or not!

The Marlin 336 in .44 magnum was made for only a very short time in the 60's. These can sometimes have feeding issues, as the 336 action is meant for much longer cartridges. This issues prompted the return of the shorter 1894 action to the Marlin lineup.