Well I'll chime in here. I have the only bolt action 444 I have ever seen. It is a custom build, Mauser 98 action, mannlicher stock, beautiful gun. I do use it to hunt deer/bear here in the east coast, I use the new Hornady ammo. The gun/round performs excellent, especially in thick cover. Shot several 45-70's and 444's, just really like the 444 caliber myself. It comes down to personal preference. Do a google search on these calibers, there is a wealth of info.