Originally Posted by Topgun 3006

The M77 is a fine rifle (I have a 25-06 that's a tack driver) and your caliber choice for hunting in Indiana should serve you well. The scope you put on it may be overkill as the 44 mag will not reach out to where you would need the full 7x magnification as most shots with a 44 mag are generally under 100 yards. The caliber is known by many as a "brush gun" and many in that caliber are made in short barrel lever actions, etc. That's the main reason Indiana lets you use that and some of the other handgun calibers because they are generally short range firearms.