Well sounds like Illinois passed law, in 2023 were going to be able to use straight walled cartridges for deer. I'm probably going to make the switch. Not that I'll be able to shoot further but ammo will be easier. Can't always find the same slugs and it becomes a pain especially nowadays. So I'm thinking 45-70 or maybe .444 Marlin. Probably just be a barrel for my T/C Encore. Sure wouldn't mind a lever gun though. Thoughts? Experience?
Seeing as I am still breathing, I have an experience and opinion, of course. My apologies in advance. Not sure how useful it is to you, but from my perspective, there are really only two serious "rifle" caliber choices, and if there are special write-ins for "pistol" cartridges like the .38-40 and .44-40, those would be fine too. But back to the "rifle" cartridges. Unless you are looking for an "also elk/moose rifle", I would opt for the .38-55. It is a wonderfully efficient round with all the punch you need, relatively low recoil, lighter rifle, and more abundant as a vintage rifle. Also easily made by reboring from a .30-30 or .32 Sp, .32-40 (another very good choice as a straight-walled deer cartridge). The .38-55 will be a fine 200+ yd deer rifle with black or smokeless. Lots of brass, lots of bullets and molds, and great with the One True Black (or that other, pale powder). Marlin 1893s and 93s don't grow on trees, but they are plenty abundant. I've used my .38-55 1893 Marlin to kill a few antelope. It's an excellent choice for that and somehow extra appropriate when roaming around the West.
I can't see any reason to consider a .444. I also don't know much about them, but why they even exist in the presence of the .45-70 is lost on me. With a .45-70, what more could you possibly want? I rebuilt a badly bubba'ed 1895 Marlin to make mine. There is some confusion about 1895 Marlins - there are two, and they are fairly different. The original (only about 5000 made) has a square bolt, and it is a fairly large and heavy rifle. It can also handle a .45-90, if you want to go that way. The modern Marlin 1895 is really just a relabled 336 Marlin. At one time, there was a fair bit of noise on the interweb that in .45-70 caliber, they could crack their frames between the barrel channel and the magazine tube channel. I don't know how big of a deal this really is, but you might want to research it, if looking at a "modern" 1895.
So far, I've used my 1895 to shoot a doe antelope, and I've taken it for Alaskan bbears, but never uncased it. Punching big holes lets lots of air in and lots of blood out. Always a good thing. A bit overkill for deer, but why not? Does need a bit more space down range though (I think Iowa may have reconsidered its legality in our 'straight wall' rifle list, for this reason). Brass and bullets for the .45-70 nearly grows on trees. You can find anything you need with ease. It's a great hunting rifle for as far out as you are skilled to shoot, and big enough for anything you will hunt on this continent. Its only down side is that it is a bit heavy and vintage 1895s are hard to find (thus often costly).
Marlins have some advantages over Winchesters in my opinion. They are drop-dead simple rifles that take down in seconds with just a screwdriver. That makes them easy to clean from the breech (nice when shooting The One True Black) and replace parts in seconds. They have very simple and tunable trigger groups (especially the vintage rifles). Marlins are also a titch cheaper.
Down either path, I would opt for a 26" barrel (very common) but shorter and a few longer barrels exist in vintage rifles. Expect to pay more for the extra longs. Lots of guys like carbines. I'm not one of them.
Tang sights are ideal on these rifles. If you choose the proper, safe, tang sight, you can set it for something like 180 or 200 yds and leave the barrel sights set for 100. A flick of your thumb is all that it takes to switch from one to the other with the rifle on your shoulder.
1895 Marlin. Not mine - yet .
And then there are the singleshots.... Have you considered going there? They are the finest rifles ever made in America.
okay, I'll be quiet now...
