[Joe 6-pack]

"What are the advantages, if any, of a .44 rifle over, say a 30/30? I’ve never been able to figure that out."

For folks who prefer a semi-auto, Ruger once made the M44, which was a .44 Magnum semi. It's the rifle that put Larry Flynt in a wheelchair.

[tet68]

I had one of the Rugers, I wish I had never sold it.
Great light weight rifle, with plenty of power.
Oh well.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

The Deerslayer?

That was the rifle used by Mark Essex in 1972.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Essex

I remember watching that shootout on live tv.

Interesting note: Mark Essex used a .44 magnum rifle, but one of the men who was shot and survived said they surgeons pulled a .30-06 bullet from him. It was speculated there was other shooters.