Sure you have...maybe with something like this.
I like Henry. Someday when the big boy becomes a real big boy they’ll put a loading gate on the frame. I have shot marlins in .44 Remington Magnum. Very accurate. The older marlins innthis caliber used micro-groove rifling. Very accurate with jacketed Ammo. Since cowboy action shooting became popular they went to big Ballard style rifling. Good for lead, slow, bullets but not as good for jacketed.
I reload for this caliber for my Ruger Redhawk. Very accurate gun. It has a 7.5” bbl. I have take. 2 does with it. One was running at 50 yards. Both with finality.
I have shot this offhand at 50 yard targets and made sub 1” 3 shot groups.
It’s to heavy for me to lug around now. It’s a range gun only now.
I reload same for my S&W 629. Nice and heavy gun so recoil isn't a problem. Only a 6" bbl but the deer I've shot with it drop dead right there.
On my backyard range shooting freehand at 25 yds I shoot the 4" AR 500 steel consistently. I've shot a few 12" trees with it, both fir and pine, and it blows right through them.
In my buddy's ultralight 4" bbl it feels like hitting your hand with a hammer. You need a big heavy gun to really enjoy this cartridge IMNSHO.
You sound like an interesting fellow, we should hang out.
Sure you have...maybe with something like this.
“I like Henry. Someday when the big boy becomes a real big boy they’ll put a loading gate on the frame...” [Vaquero, post 6]
Henry Repeating Arms chose wisely in which designs to copy, and their engineering & manufacturing are excellent: as good as any modern gunmaker, better than many.
Their Big Boy is a very close copy of Marlin’s 336 series, which itself was the highest expression of Marlin’s earlier 1893, 1894, and 1895 models. The design is less complex, stouter, and more durable than any Winchester lever action. And with side ejection, the Marlin has long been much friendlier for owners needing to mount a scope.
For 13 years, I worked part-time in gun sales & repair for a small family-owned dealership. Marlins rarely came in for repairs, compared to Winchesters. Even after we adjusted for Winchester’s larger production totals.
The Marlin is much easier to strip for cleaning from the breech; disassembling and reassembling Winchester 92s and 94s can be tricky. Removing and replacing cartridge guides in the Winchesters demands patience, perseverance, and a very steady hand. The pre-1964 Winchester 94 guides are especially troublesome: they don’t wear badly nor break often, but their screws loosen occasionally. And the slotted heads are inside. Requires specialized screwdrivers. The Marlin hasn’t any cartridge guides.
Be careful what you wish for, in loading gates. The on-frame King’s-patent type pioneered by Winchester in their Model 1866 is more demanding, balkier to load than the port-in-tube style with the removable inner tube, as seen on many rimfires. And manipulating rounds through the on-receiver gate can become a painful experience, if the frame or the gate haven’t undergone proper final fitting after basic machining. Cut thumbs and torn/gouged fingernails abounded. Correcting the problem requires complete disassembly, then careful work with needle files and Dremel tools.