[jmarriott]

Used 3 guns and took 4 deer this year.

First deer was with a contender 357 max 150 yards or more using my friends hand loads. Accurate and about the power of the 35 rem. which in this state is illegal in a rifle. Nice little buck. Out of a custom 23 inch barrel I might be able to go almost 200 yards not sure yet.

Second and third were 44 mag with a marlin at close range at a state park reduction hunt. one shot and down. I was forced to hunt these deer like rabbits cause i had a very bad cough and tree stand hunting just was not working. It was nice to carry the 7 pound lever instead of the 11 pound rem 870. Plain Jane Winchester white box JSP ammo and that microgroove barrel loves them.

Last and most important to this tread was the 357 marlin. I shot at about 50 yards on a fence row and i thought I missed as the deer jumped the fence and disappeared. I almost walked away without checking the area ahead since i saw not a flinch, or sign of a hit. I walked to the area the deer jumped the fence and the doe was laying just over the fence line dead as a nail. 180 grain federals was the ammo i had in the closet and they worked well.

Hey PBR since I have read lots of your posts you will love the marlin 357. Cheap 38 ammo to blast. Accurate open sight with touching groups at 50 yards. No need to scope it. Light weight so no real need to sling it. Good truck guns as the carbine length makes getting it out of the truck easy.

I will admit the 10 rounds in the tubes are a pain in the A** to load and unload it you hunt 30 minutes here and 1 hour their with a car ride in between. I normally load about 5 or 6 instead.