Im in the market for a nice brush gun - im looking for a big bore lever action and ive narrowed it down to the 444marlin or the 44- any suggestions on what would be a better choice? I used to havea 35 REM as my brush gun but I traded it for my turkey gun and now id like to get another brush gun for the new property I just aquired for next season its got lots of thickets with lots of sign, id like ot be able to shoot through some laurel and still make a great shot. Thanks in advance

Personally i dont like even taking the chance through thick stuff. ive just heard so many bad endings becuase of bushes/shrubs/small trees. If i were you id just clear a few shooting lanes so you still have the cover but your going to be a lot more confident in your shot. not that familiar with the 444 either but just a thought

Yea - only problem is - it is literally all thickets and no trees big enough to hold a deer stand, its all thorny pidgeon berries and laurel i have to crawl on my hands and knees to get in there. I cant even find anything to hang my cameras on - i gotta bring in a post and hammer down so i can get some pics - but this guy told me hes owned the land for 26 years and no one has ever hunted it before.. and there are about 100 deer trals going through it with beds every 5 feet - he only owns 5 acres and all 5 acres is this thick stuff. the neighboring land owners have corn and alfalfa but dont let people hunt on their land..so i cant even wait for them to hit the fields- maybe if i talk to the land owner into letting me put up a tripod stand I could clear some lanes otherwise ill be clearing 50 feet of stuff to shoot 50 feet. - either way im still looking to purchase the rifle - and any opinons on which one of these two are better let me know.

Look at the ballistic tables of the two cartriges. The 44mag is a pistol cartrige , the 444 marlin has the power you are looking for but also the recoil is stiff. I use the 44mag in a pistol in this kind of brush just for the reason you described, you have to crawl on your hands and knees to get in there. It is a lot easier moving quietly with a pistol strapped to your chest leaving both hands free to move quietly. With a rifle you are right on with a short ,fast handling quick second shot rifle. I think your 35 rem was ideal. If you can take the recoil of the 444 ok just shoot it first before you buy. Otherwise the 44mag will be ok, but you must shoot between the sticks and not at them. Just my two cents. dennisg

I think your .35 rem was the best choice, (that's what I use) But the .444 marlin would be my next choice,,,,if it kicks to hard,,,have it Mag-na-ported or have a Mag-na-brake installed.

The .44 is a GREAT handgun caliber or a good camp rifle caliber.

Thanks for the insight - the 35 was ok - but im looking at the 444 - I can handle the recoil - the way I look at it is - ill suffer a brusied shoulder for a day as long as I make a clean kill. ive shot one before and its not that bad - only when your sighting in - how is the hunting in the thick stuff ? i was wondering if were crawling around in there and then get busted by a small buck or large doe and only have visibility of about 25 yards or so - will the big ones continue to hit the trails that weve already busted? im thinking its going to look like very long days sitting on the ground. i wanan be able to get in before the deer return to bed from the fields.. so it going to be like 2 hours in the dark and then sit till after dark to not spook em... how have you managed this thick stuff ?

if you can handle the recoil, then I would hands down use the 45-70, in a guide gun configuration - sweet

I generally don't use these thick places as a stand sight, unless It is a stopping point for an hour before first light or so. I use these places for still hunting and only then if I know that deer are in there. I think it is fun to go in there and find even a doe or fawn to see how close I can get. But getting close is a lot easier than getting a shot at one. The idea is to move as slowly as possible and each footfall is thought out in advance for noise. One mistake can start a stampede and when the noise settles down you can bet you will be all alone. This is the most difficult style of hunting deer, but it can be done. Most of the time you will be detected and the deer will move around you to avoid your line of travel,in other words give you a wide berth. It is best when it is windy and already noisy in the thicket. Use other noises to cover your movement such as an airplane overhead or distant train, and my favorite is the 6:00 whistle.No matter what the idea is to have fun and when you can see horns only 5 yards away and cannot make out the rest of the deer to shoot, thats when you know your hunting and not just deer shooting.

dennisg

Just pick the caliber that will be best in the thick stuff and put a Limbsaver recoil pad on the stock. They really work good. I put one on my Mossburg 835 and my 9 year old son was shooting 3 1/5 inch magnums in it. You still get the kick but it takes the pain away.