yes...shotgun/slug gun. I'm just looking for something different than 99% of the hunters are using.

 

I guess it would have helped to read all your posts.
44 mag would probably be your best bet.

 

Just in case I get in the situation and need to take a long shot what I kinda distance do you think I'm good to with the .44mag. I'm think about 100yds?

 

If your using a rifle such as the marlin 1894 or somthing similar, I think you would be safe at 150 to 200 yards. I know that when shot from a rifle you will have almost the same energy at a 100 yards as you will at the muzzle of a pistol.

 

Rule of thumb for what distance any cartridge is good for is that it should have at least 1200 ft lbs of energy for RELIABLE kills. Can you shoot farther with less? Of course but the keyword is RELIABLE. Some weapons like a 22 Hornet will never make the 1200 level but will kill none the less. Here is a link to Remington Express ammo in a 20" barrel which is in the shaded blue lines, not the unshaded lines as that is for the 444 Marlin. Also note if you have a 50 yd zero just how much you're going to have to hold over. Same for 100 yd zero. I wouldn't press a 44 Mag rifle any farther than 150 yds for any reason other than to save a life. YMMV.
http://www.remington.com/products/am...a=R44MG3*R444M

And remember when you are buying ammo, it is loaded with a bullet designed for pistol velocities. If you can handload, the 44 Mag rifle has loads of options.

 

500 S&W!!!!!! I can't believe people are picking the 44 mag over some of the better rounds there.

Don't get me wrong, the 44 mag is an excellent handgun round, but in rifle form the need to control recoil becomes much more diminished. Personally I'd look to get something chambered in 500 S&W, 460 S&W, 480 Ruger or even the 454 Casull, probably in that order.

500 S&W has more knockdown power than a slug, whereas the 44 mag pales in comparison to a slug. The 500 is also faster and flatter shooting, more accurate and has a much longer range.

 

I've just done some searching around and cannot find many rifle choices for those calibers. Any ideas? I want something more than just a single shot rifle. Semi-auto, lever, bolt would be great the # of rounds really isn't important.

 

I know there is a wild west guns, model 04 I think saw one awhile back it is a lever action but I have no Idea on the price they also have it in .454 and .500 and .475 linebaugh

 

I can certainly believe nobody in their right mind hasn't mentioned the 500 SW. The cost of ammo and availability is reason number one and two. How about $47.00 for a box of 12 for jacketed bullets. Compare that with a 44 Mag. And when was the last time you saw a bunch of it on sale? Okay, when was the last time you saw a bunch of it? I rest my case.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=427559

The 44 Mag, still the winner by far.

 

^^^ X2

I have a .338 Rem Ultra Mag, and a .50AE, and i've shot the 338 exactly 9 times for zeroing, and 5 times from the .50. $3.00 per bang just isn't worth it.

the .44 will do the job, has lots of variations, and plenty of rifles that will shoot it. I'd go for the .44 (of course, I'd go 12 GA first, but that's been hashed out already).

 

I cast and reload your $3 per trigger pull is my $0.47 per trigger pull

 

Working on that... I'm TDY with the military right now, but when I get back, I'm looking into getting the RCBS starter kit, and at least some 45 ACP dies. Looking forward to the new hobby.

 

I'm still leaning towards the .44mag. Plan on hitting up a local gun shop that I've heard great things about.(my usual shop just closed up). This new shop is pretty close to my house and is currently adding an indoor shooting range for pistols and rifles. I might start spending a lot of time there so I might need to get into reloading.

 

its a love hate thing, I love to shoot so I have to reload to be able to shoot as much as I do

I hate to reload, it is a time consuming, dirty, messy, and expensive to start out with

 

I reload so I really don't care about cost of ammo, its not much more to reload 500 vs 44 mag. Ballistics on the 500 are so much superior its not even funny.

Oh.... and for those looking to start reloading, the RCBS rock crusher kit is awesome. Trust me and pay the extra for the kit with the digital powder dispenser and scale. It cuts the reload time in half.

Added bonus of reloading, more consistent loads means greater accuracy. Of course you have to experiment a little to find what works best for your weapon. For example, the powder and bullet combo I use in my 25-06 is most accurate 1.5 grains below max. I go to max load and the groups start to spread. But there is plenty of info out there to help you along the way.