need the dirt on the .444 and .44 mag please....

[ebonitekid767]

pops got a new lease this year, which is veryyyy thick with blackberry bushes and I want something to bust on through. i recall hearing something about the bores being weird and needing to shoot cast bullets in them? is this the case? im not lookin for no tack driver i just want something i can go buy factory ammo for. what kind of accuracy are you guys getting with factory ammo through these? have the problems been resolved? thanks!!!

[quickdtoo]

New 44mag(made this year) and new 444 Marlins(1:20) are very accurate, order one or the other and you'll be happy. Can't help with the factory ammo with either, haven't shot my 44mag yet, and I shoot handloads in my 444. I'd recommend either of the Marlin offerings for the 444 and the Remington 444 ammo, they all shot under 2" at 100yds in mine at the factory when it was tested before they sent it to me, it was one of the first produced this year.  

Tim

[Bob_VT]

A proved brush buster is the 45-70..... I have compared it to the 44 mag and 444 many times and I would choose that.  I have found more reloads (and more people that reload) for it.  Factory ammo has a good selection...... just give it a thought.

[murphdog]

Ebonitekid,
I've got the new (2007) .44 mag H&R, and am very happy with it.  Got my first deer with it on Saturday.  Wasn't a difficult shot, but was a nice clean kill with large entry and exit wounds.  I've never shot the .444, so I can't compare the two.  Plain old factory ammo (240 grain Winchester Super-X jacketed soft points) is shooting 3.5 inch groups at 100 yards in my .44 mag.  Hornady's factory ammo was more accurate (a little less than 3 inch groups) but more expensive.  I got a good deal on a large quantity of the Winchester's, so I used them for practice to familiarize myself with the gun, and stuck with them for deer season. 

The best thing I ever did for myself for hunting brushy woods was to purchase a low-power scope (2x Leupold shotgun scope).  It brings all those pesky little branches into focus, and really helps me thread the bullet through the brush.  My eyes have reached the age (50) where a brown deer in brown brush aligned with a brown-black post and blade turns into 1 brown blur.  Everyone touts the quick target acquisition of open sights.  I have found that if I keep the magnification low and shoot with both eyes open, the scope comes on target just as quickly, and I have a LOT more confidence in taking the shot. 
Duane

[woodchukhntr]

I had been looking for a used .44, but ended up with a .45-70.  It doesn't have a recoil pad and has a flat blade front sight and a flat-topped rear sight.  I can still use these sights since they are not too blurry like round front sights are.  Using 350 gr. Hornady bullets loaded to about 1400 fps, the recoil is not excessive.  There is a Marlin in .444 available at the local shop, but I don't feel like parting with $400.  The advantage is that it could be used with any .44 bullet and loaded down for plinking and small game.  The .45-70 uses .458 dia. bullets, so pistol bullets (.452) won't work well for reduced loads.

I think that a low-power scope is a great idea for a woods rifle.  As Ebonitekid experienced, it helps thread the bullets thru the brush.  I think that target acquisition is faster with it than with iron sights where you have to align 3 things before making the shot.  Especially with aging eyes.  He did hit the nail on the head when he said he shot with both eyes open.