My New 444Marlin

[dpe.ahoy]

There has been a lot of good info and testing over on Marlin Owners site about the 265 gr Hornady bullet.  Mosey on over and read a spell, then come on back.  DP

[Swampman]

An excellent article......

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/anderson/444Outfitter.htm

[dpe.ahoy]

Thanks for bringing that over Swampman.  Good read, had been a while since I had read that one.  Bring on some more!  DP

[Swampman]

The .308 vs. the .444

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/444_misunderstood.htm

[pruhdlr]

These are great articles. It brings to light some of the unknown facts of the 444 chambering. Allot of long time shooters/reloaders are not MISinformed,they are simply not informed re. the 444 and it's capabilities and kill'ability.

I started with one of the first ones to come out back in the (IIRC) early 70's. I was still in the military coming and going from Calif. and hunted a military reservation down by Vandenberg AFB for hogs. Between deployments I killed several. At that time I did not reload. I shot the 240's and then the 265's.

I sold the gun in the late 70's for reasons unknown. Skip forward to the mid 80's when a had a T/C Contender and a 14" 44Mag bbl. I read an article about J.D. Jones and his SSK's. I immediately sent off my bbl and it came back chambered for 444Marlin.

I was handloading then so I tooled up for the 444 and started putting 265's thru the gun along with a max load of some powder that I can't remember at this point. Back then the weapon was a real sensation in extremely rural Maine.

I retired from the military and became a guide for something to do. I shot several moose with the weapon and the 265's. Also a fare share of deer and several yotes. I finally sold the weapon along with a 14" .223 bbl for some unknown reason.

When I got my lever 444 I started out with the 265's but the 300gr XTP's were out then so I figured I needed something for black bear and the bigger moose so I switched to them. At 35yds I put one of these completely thru a cow moose from in back of the rib cage on the left side to shattering the front right shoulder and exiting . She weighed 880lbs.

The 444 pushing the right bullet will cleanly take most any animal at the "closer" ranges. AND......given a choice between the 444 and the 405,I would pick the 444 every time. ---SAWMAN

[NFG]

Hahahahahaha...yeah, that too gcrank1.

The good thing, tho', is with the large bores the velocity/energy loss isn't all that much compared to a real small cal when you do a "nose job".


somewhere along the line I read a bullet weight comparison in the 444M...as I remember bullet weights over ~265gr and the point of diminishing returns reared it's ugly head.  The article was published(I think?) not long after Marlin introduced the 444 circa 1964.  There wasn't as many fine bullets available then.

As bullet weight goes up so does BC and SD for the most part so all the arguments get played out.

One thing to consider that most never think about...we ususally pick a bullet that will upset, ENLARGE in other words, in the smaller calibers because we want a large exit wound and the larger surface area of the upset bullet...with a large caliber like the 40 cals and above the bullet is already "upset/enlarged" and you get a bigger hole without deforming the bullet and even bigger when the bullet expands.  Therefore more energy is transfered and killing "power" is enhanced.

The bottom line is the 444M is an excellent large bore cartridge with almost as much whack as a 45-70 but much less recoil.  What's not to like.

One of lifes particular conundrums...I have never had a 444M of my own...used a few friends on hunts and thought them well.  I tested and worked up loads for them, but never built or bought one...weird...but I really liked the Horn XTP 300 gr bullet in my Ruger 44 Maggy.  Maybe someday.

Pick the bullet YOU and your rifle likes and enjoy it.

Luck

[pruhdlr]

Another range day today wiyth my Handi/444. Got there at 0730 and the WX was pretty nice as compaired to what it has been early AM.

I shot at 50yds and soon discovered that the two loads below, shoot to the same ragged hole. Started with the 265's then alternated between them and the 300's. With 10 shots, cut one ragged hole that was 1.240".

*43.0grs/H4198,265gr Hornady FP,CCI 200,RP brass
*42.0grs/H4198,300gr Hornady XTP,CCI250,RP brass

Now will concentrate on some hardcast and see which groups the best. Love the idea of being able to carry both of the above bullets and possibly switch between them for deer and a bigger boar hog.

Good Shootin' to all. ---pruhdlr

[bikerbeans]

I got a 444 that has just updated to "Shipping" at Budsgunshop.  Can't wait to play with this one as H4198 is my favorite 45 cal powder so glad it works in the 444.  Please update on your work with the cast bullits.

thanks

BB

[NFG]

FWIW...You might give Oregon trails TRUESHOT bullets a try.  They are the most uniform cast lead bullets I have ever come across as far as weight, OD, OAL and ogive...the are closer that some jacketed bullets I shoot and am very happy with.

The have a 310 gr, 0.430", 44 cal that would be awesome in the 444M and I shoot the 430 gr, 0.459", 45 cal in my 45-120 and Smelly 458 American(including the 45-70 thru 110 cases).

You might try Varget or H4895 if you get up to the 300 gr bullet weight range...it will give you equal or slightly higher velocities than 4198 but MUCH less pressure...depending on if the COAL is 2.65" or longer.(100% or slightly compressed loads)

Luck