all around lever gun caliber?
 

Ok Guys. This is my situation. I am looking to purchase my next firearms. I am looking to purchase a henry big boy. What I am looking to do with this however is wide ranging. First I am looking to use it in cowboy action shooting, second I am looking to use it for hunting, third just an all around good shooter for fun repetative shooting.

Where I stand... I hunt for deer and black bear. Been having great success with my .308 thus far but need a lighter gun these days.

As stated above I am also trying to get gear together for cowboy shooting. That will also include a pair of ruger vaquero's that i have settled on 45 colt for.

Normally one would have their rifle and handguns in the same calliber for these matches.

So my questions are, would you go with 44 mag. For the rifle for what i am trying to do? That one I know is rated for deer and black bear, or has anyone here hunted deer and black bear with 45 colt?

I know I can Tame the 44 mag down for shooting matches to 44 special. And I know the 45 can come in some pretty hot loads.

Also all I am interested in just using factory loads for now. I have not gotten into hand loading yet.

So what are your experiances? Would the 45 do what I want? Be able to take black bear with factory ammo? And allow me to carry one calliber to matches? Or should I just suck it up and carry two callibers for the matches and have a good 44mag. For hunting with?

Ps i hunt 200 yards or less. I currently enjoy a beretta cx4 storm 9mm, ruger sr9c 9mm, rossi sxs 12 guage, savage tactical 308.

Until I read your post I was going to suggest the .45-70. However since you're going to use it mostly for cowboy, I would say get the .45 Colt. BUT...I wouldn't use the .45 for deer or bear until you started hand loading for it. But why not start hand loading right away? You can buy cast bullets and brass in bulk quantities for cowboy shooting. Probably for just a bit more than you would for a few boxes of loaded ammo. And when you decide to use it for hunting you can buy a box or two of jacketed bullets if you want to and not worry about leading your bore with the increased velocity.

With proper bullet placement and at reasonable ranges, both the .45 Colt and .44 Mag will easily kill a black bear. I would prefer the .44 mag, but since the Vaquero isn't offered in .44, that leaves you with the .45 Colt. I'd guess that you will do far more Cowboy action shooting than bear hunting, so I'd opt for only one caliber for those shoots.

I killed my first black bear with a 220 gr cast SWC bullet from a 1911 .45 acp. It was a one shot kill at about 30 yds.

I killed another black bear with a 250 gr cast SWC bullet from a Ruger Superblackhawk in .44 mag. It was also a one shot kill at 30-40 yds.

Both were spot and stalk hunts on public land in Colorado and Montana.

All of my hunting and shooting is done with handloads.

Yeah I was gonna say 45-70 as well but then read on.

45LC all the way! You don't have to reload to get hi-pressure loads for the 45. Look up the custom loaders like Buffalo Bore (I shoot his 300Barnes load in my 45-70 Guide Gun for deer), Conley Precision, Double Tap ammo and several others as well. The 45LC can be loaded into a MONSTER MASHER when loaded in a levergun!!! :fighting0007:

What about .30-30?

Awsome info guys, yea I wish I could use a 45-70 or a 30-30, while great hunting callibers they are not allowed in cowboy matches. The info on the specialty ammo was awsome, thanks hatchieluvr. I really did not know you could buy 45s at those weights, pressures and speeds without doing it yourself. And you guys are right that i will be shooting it more for cowboy than hunting. However, we do have 6 bears here at my house. Some come right up to the house. So always good to have a potent rifle handy. Took one last hunting season (tastes great), looking forward to this year with a new levergun. At least I dont have to go far:-)
Any other info and tips please share them :-)

Bear is good eatin. Never taken one myself, but my uncle did out in Ohio a year or two back. Had me a dasty black bear burger :party0005:

Proud owner of a Marlin 336C in .35 Rem. !

Update :-)

thanks guys, one new henry big boy 45 colt is now safe at home! called around 20 gun shops in the state (nh). Got the only one left in the state i think. No other 357, 45, or 44s around here! Now I have to feed it. Seams like that will be the next issue as 3 shops including the one i bought it from were ammo poor. Looks like i will be ordering it online.
Awsome forum. Thanks for the help. If you hear a boom from the north you will know i found some ammo.

congrats, man! Upload some pics!
I've been looking at a Marlin 1895 in .45-70, but might stick to .30-30 so I don't blow any medium sized game into a pink mist. Congrats on the new lever gun :party0005: