Author Topic: 44 Mag to 444 Marlin  (Read 734 times)

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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« on: May 31, 2005, 05:42:00 AM »
How many of you have done this conversion?

Did you do it yourself with the hand reamer or have a smith do it?

How well do they shoot and how heavy of bullets do they stabilize?

Cost?

Thanks.
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Offline Varminter

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2005, 06:05:21 AM »
If you were gonna do a conversion with the 44 mag. barrel i would suggest the 445 supermag. Ditchdigger has done it and i'm hopin to get it done this month. If you do rechamber to it you are still able to shoot 44 spc. and 44 mags in the chamber.

Now if you rechamber to the 444 then i dont think you would be able to stabilize the heavier bullets. Maybe some others will chime in but i think you would do better to rechamber to the 445 supermag.
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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2005, 06:34:17 AM »
Is the 445 supermag the same as the DW 44?

What kind of performance does it give?
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Offline quickdtoo

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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2005, 09:41:25 AM »
Thanks Quick.  Is this a do-it-yourself thing?
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Offline quickdtoo

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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2005, 10:15:13 AM »
I knew I had read something on it before.  Gettin old is the pits.  Heck, I'd even made a couple posts on one of those threads. :(
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Offline Ditchdigger

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2005, 03:32:30 PM »
With 1 grain less than max,I'm getting 1977 fps with the 300 gr. XTP and 2136 with theRem 240 gr.  I did'nt even take the ejector off,just stuck the reamer in and turned it until the reamer made contact with the ejector( with the ejector pushed in) It took about 2 or 3 minutes with lots of cutting oil. It uses about 60% of the powder a 45 70 for the same speed,with less recoil. I used a 6X18X50 Bushnell Banner scope on it with very little eye relief,and never got hit once with the 300 gr. bullets.  Digger
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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2005, 06:21:53 PM »
Digger
Thanks for the update.  I'm gonna start saving my pennies to get a 44 barrel.  Been sittin on the fence about the 45-70 for a long time.  Held out selling the last brass till tonight for that reason.  Just do not want the shoulder punishment the 45-70 dishes out.

The 44 mag is the answer I think.  Still a big bore but I do not need the 400gr bullets.  Would the 300gr XTP work on black bear?  If not what would?

How well does it shoot standard 44 mag ammo now?

Thanks again for all the info.
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Offline handirifle

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2005, 06:25:42 PM »
Wow!
I just realized you'd probably get 2100+ with the 250gr bullet, that's what i get out of my 375 Win 94 BB, and Nosler makes a 250gr Partition.

That would work on a black bear I'm sure.
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Offline Ditchdigger

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2005, 04:39:52 AM »
Handi ; JPH45 use's the 270 gr. Golddot bullet in his 44 mag on deer,and they shoot very well in mine also.  It shoots the 44 mag ammo just as good as it did also. I shoot the 300 gr. hard cast in it also,and they shoot as well as the jacketed bullets. Digger
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Offline Varminter

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2005, 05:17:26 AM »
Digger did you rent or buy the reamer you used?
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Offline Ditchdigger

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2005, 04:08:12 PM »
I rented it,I think it was WWW.reamerental.com.  It had the floating pilot on it.  Digger
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Offline Varminter

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2005, 07:13:11 PM »
Thanks im gonna go ahead and rent one probably by the end of next week if not sooner. With the weather bein as bad as it is around here i've got plenty of time to load for it. Where did you get your brass and load data........
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Offline JPH45

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2005, 12:16:36 PM »
Handirifle, I think the 445 Super Mag and the 38-55/375 are two of the best kept secrets in the firearms world. Everyone seems to be 45-70 stupid, and thats just fine by me. I'll take my 38-55 kill as many or more deer, plink to my hears content and won't have the snot beat out of me. From everythig Digger has told, the same is true of the 445, and he has a 45-70 to compare it with as well. I like my 44 Mag as it is, but were I looking for more power, the 445 would be where I would first look. I'm getting old enough to have a greater appreciation than ever of a good heavy bullet, and old enough as well that I don't like being hit very hard. the one thing Digger didn't say is that for 60% of the powder for 45-70 laods, you get 80% of the velocity onad energy of the 444. Not a bad trade.
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Offline Ditchdigger

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44 Mag to 444 Marlin
« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2005, 12:41:08 PM »
Varmiter; I got my data from a Sierra book for handguns,and it shows a max load for the 300 gr. at 1850 fps in a 14" barrel. I got the brass from Midway,and I'm not real happy with the Starline brass. It swells pretty bad in front of the web on the cartridge head. So I barely size the neck and let it stay that way. Digger
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