I have a Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum. It's the pre cross safety model with a straight carbine stock. It came with a black plastic butt plate.
This rifle is the most inaccurate rifle I have ever owned. It has the micro-groove rifling with like a 36-1 twist. It keyholes 240 grain lead SWC bullets, and shoots 6 inch groups at 100 yards with 240 grain JSP Winchester ammo.
I finally figured out that I needed to load the largest diameter bullets I could find for this rifle. I settled on Hornady 240 grain XTP HP's. These are .431 diameter and seem to engage the Micro-Groove rifling better. It will usually shoot these bullets under 4 inches at 100 yards and under a couple at 50.
As far as recoil is concerned, this rifle was tearing me up with its plastic butt plate, when I was attempting to zero a red dot sight I'd put on it. I removed it, and installed a Limb Saver pad. I hardly notice the recoil now.
Ohh yea.. It kills deer dead, but I won't try it on one over 75 yards.