444 Marlin

[Bushnell Boy]

I have the chance to buy one of these. Anyone got an opinion on this rifle. this model was made in the 70's and early 80's and has never been fired. Also what is the value of this gun it is in excellent condition but no box.

[Blackhawk44]

Great guns.  Forget 240gr bullets.  I'd try to stay in the $300-350 or so range.  Above that gets closer to new prices

[Mikey]

Bushnell Boy - the caliber is great but as Blackhawk44 advised, forget the 240 gn bullets, there are so many more out there you sort of limit yourself with the 240s, maybe.  The rifle itself, a 22" bbl I understand, is well thought of by most all who have owned one.  Rugged and reliable.  If the rifle is 'unfired', it is in new condition but if you had purchased that from a gun shop and brought it back the next day, still unfired and in the box, they could not have given you your money back as it is declared 'used' just as soon as it leaves the shop.  Same for the one you're looking at and I would think about less than $300 (but, I've always been tight).  HTH.  Mikey.

[FAsmus]

Bushnell Boy,

BB: I have the chance to buy one of these. Anyone got an opinion on this rifle. this model was made in the 70's and early 80's and has never been fired.

F:  The Marlin in 444 is a good rifle but badly handicaped as far as the barrel is concerned. Marlin only made these rifles in the extreamly slow twist of 1:38 or so (if memory serves). This slow twist will not stabilize any rifle bullet worth the time of day. You are limitied to the short, light, balisticaly poor pistol type bullets. Long heavy bullets simply won't shoot well at all.

I have a 444 with a 1:16 twist barrel. This rate of twist will stabilize heavy bullets easily and makes it into a REAL rifle.

Good morning,
Forrest

[Mikey]

FAsmus:  the 444 with the 12 groove 1:38 twist can be a very accurate rifle.  All you have to do is lap the barrel and she will shoot just fine for you.  Marshall Stanton at Beartooth Bullets has proven this and it is corroborated by a number of different shooters on this forum.  I made the mistake of getting rid of a 'Texas' 444, the longer barrelled Marlin (24" bbl) in the 444 because I didn't know anything about barrel lapping at the time.  I now have 3 Winchester 444s, one with a Montana Rifleman 26" 1:26 twist bbl, a Timber Carbine with a 12 groove 1:12 twist (18" bbl) and a Black Shadow with a 20" 12 groove 1:38 twist.  The later two shoot pretty good now but will shoot better after I lap the barrels.  The are about the most fun guns I have ever shot and lapping the barrel only lets them shoot better.  Mikey.

[VTDW]

Bushnell Boy,

My 444S was made in 1978.  Get you some Hornady Light Magnum 265 gr. factory ammo and you are good to go.  They sure aren't just pistol bullets either.  Just try them and I promise you will like them.

From a fella that knows.

Dave :-)

[FAsmus]

Mikey,

M: The 444 with the 12 groove 1:38 twist can be a very accurate rifle.  All you have to do is lap the barrel and she will shoot just fine for you..

F:  Sure! But not with heavy bullets! Here I'm refering to things like 500 grain long range Postell design cast bullets. In the 44 bore that will be around 1.400 inches long: Much too long to have a hope of stabilazation in any 1:38 twist barrel, laped to a mirror finish or not.

My 44 barrel is a Montana Rifleman tube as well, but 1:16.

Good evening,
Forrest

[Mikey]

Fasmus: :blaster:

Ooooo, no fair going that heavy.  Dang, I was only thinking of bullets into the 400 grain range, a la Beartooth stuff, not the foot long 500 grainers.  

Ya know, this is getting interesting - you have a Montana Rifleman bbl in a 1:16 twist, Gary Lamberth has the same on a Yugo Mauser, Harpy and Lloyd Smale both shoot Timber Carbines, I believe and I have a 26" tube with their 1:26 twist (not to mention a couple of micro grooves, a 1:12  twist and a 1:38 twist) and one of those should be able to accurately shoot a wide variety of 43 bore boolets up to an effective weight (effective meaning either able to consistently bring home the bacon or cross the target x at longer ranges).  Caparability testing should provide some interesting data we might be able to publish.  I would be willing to scope my long rifle to test load accuracy and maybe we should get some pms going on which loads to start with and test.  Whatcha think???  Mikey.

[dawei]

Bushnell Boy,

My 444S was made in 1978.  Get you some Hornady Light Magnum 265 gr. factory ammo and you are good to go.  They sure aren't just pistol bullets either.  Just try them and I promise you will like them.

From a fella that knows.

Dave :-)

Truer words were never spoken! Hornady Light Magnum® 265gr JFP Bullets are superbly accurate in my slower 1 in 38" MicroGroove® barrel.