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Offline Batchief909

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Help convince me
« on: December 25, 2007, 10:13:26 AM »
I'm seriously thinking about getting a 44 Mag Handi for our Indiana firearms season. I hope to use it next year, as our season just came to a close. I've heard accuracy issues existed, but are now remedied?? Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2007, 12:02:23 PM »
Get a 2007 Marlin made barrel and it will be a good shooter for ya, older barrels were overbore and not very accurate with most bullets, oversize cast bullets and 300gr XTP with max loads shot ok in them. If you're buying a complete rifle, you'd want an NX or later serial number prefix. ;)

Tim
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Offline midwayraider

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2007, 03:40:55 PM »
if you send in your receiver for a 44mag barrel can you request an 2007 barrel ......i wonder if they still have some of the older ones. i would hate to get stuck with an older barrel.
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kelly

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2007, 03:48:38 PM »
All they have are current made barrels, they ran out of em recently, anything they fit now will be a Marlin made barrel. ;)

Tim
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2007, 09:41:26 AM »
Picked one up today with the "HX" serial number.

Thanks, Tim... ;)
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2007, 09:44:50 AM »
Range report manditory!! ;D

Tim
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2007, 10:18:04 AM »
I'll be sure to post my results.  ;) Thanks, (Tim),,guys. ;)

I've had numerous reports of good,,and bad on the .44 mag. I didn't realize that there was an "over-sized bore" issue, until I read this forum. Hopefully,,,they have fixed the problem. We'll see... ;)

Anybody have any favorite loads they want to share?? I have a bunch of 270gr. SGD's that need loaded... 8)

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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2007, 11:17:56 AM »
Sorry, no loads, I haven't loaded for mine yet, the bullets from Western were just shipped.

Tim
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Offline cascadedad

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2007, 01:34:29 PM »
Welcome to the Handi world Batchief!   ;D
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2007, 07:12:20 AM »
Well,,,this morning wasn't very pleasant here in Central Indiana,,,but I had a couple rifles to tune up for an upcoming hog hunt. AND I was itching to shoot the new Handi in .44 Mag.  ;)

The temp here at 9AM was around 37 degrees,,and raining. Winds were fairly calm. Our range is covered,,,so no big deal. Shot a few rounds out of one of my White rifles,,,,,,good-to-go... ;)

I then anxiously retrieved the Handi from the truck,,along with a box of the cheap Winchester 240gr. JSP loads "White Box" ammo I picked up when I purchased the rifle.

I placed a Leupold VXII 3x9x33 Ultra Lite scope on the rifle, and bore-sighted the best I could.

I started off at 25 yards to get the scope adjusted. To my amazement,,,it wasn't too far off. I then proceeded to shoot at 50 yards. (these shots were from a benchrest using bags)

The first shot was a little high, and to the left,,(one more adjustment).  The next 3 shots were "dead nuts".  ;) By this time,,,my fingers were numb,,so I said to heck with it.





But I sure had a smile on my face.... ;) ;D

Thanks to alll you "Handi shooters". The information I've read on this forum in regards to this rifle is beyond what one would expect.
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #10 on: December 28, 2007, 07:24:36 AM »
well that sure looks like a keeper for woods hunting!!! Congratulations. I really would like to get one of the new .44 Mag barrels with the smaller more accurate bore diameters. If only they had made a correct bore diameter barrel with an ejector, it seems a decision has to be made, one or the other, accuracy or convenience. Well I cannot give up accuracy, so my choice, reluctantly, is to PERHAPS, buy an extractor model. The problem is, like the red headed stepchild, I know I will never really like it or be happy with it....<><....:)
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Offline burntmuch

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #11 on: December 28, 2007, 07:29:24 AM »
bat chief I hope that group convinced ya ;)
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Offline Foggy

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2007, 07:41:19 AM »
Heck that group convinced me. I see a 44Mag barrel in my future
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2007, 08:02:24 AM »
Told ya!!! ;D

Good shootin, thanks for the range report. ;)

Tim
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2007, 08:40:19 AM »
Shooting the group was easy. Being convinced to get the rifle was the hard part. ;)

The wealth of information on these rifles here,,,,is fantastic. Thanks to YOU folks.  ;)
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2007, 08:45:43 AM »
With the poor reputation of the 44mag, that's very true, but when Marlin started making the barrels early this year, that problem was fixed, likely from reports here and eyes on this forum by Marlin/H&R. Our input also got the reintroduced .444 Marlin twist rate changed from the planned 1:38" to 1:20". ;)

Tim
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2007, 08:59:56 AM »
So are we going on staff as consultants or are they going to put us on a retainer? Paid Per Diem perhaps. If nothing else perhaps they could figure out a way we could put them on our tax returns as a dependent, seeing how much money we spend on them   ;)....<><.... ;D
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2007, 09:13:16 AM »
Tim,,,,I had purchased an 1894 Marlin in 44 Mag earlier this year, in anticipation to Indiana's rule change in regards to the PCR (pistol cartridge rifle) offerings. I was HIGHLY disappointed in the gun. The bore was the typical "over-sized" monster that we have grown accustomed to.  After several attempts to work up a good load,,,I got rid of it, while I still kept my sanity. I have an 1895 in 45/70,,which I absolutely love.  ;) Easy to load for, and very forgiving.

In the meantime,,,,I have all these bullets and brass gathering dust. (I gave up the Dirty Harry thing long ago, also.. ;D) I can't wait to experiment, knowing that the rifle is a "shooter",,,instead of a "red-headed step child"...... ;) 8)
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2007, 12:58:16 PM »
Actually the SAAMI specs for a 44mag rifle are oversize compared to pistol specs, for whatever reason. :-\

Tim

Rifle:
Bore- .424 +/- .001
Groove- .431 +/- .001

Pistol:
Bore- .417 +/- .001
Groove- .429 +/- .001
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Offline coyotejoe

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2007, 01:42:16 PM »
Well I don't know that Marlin barrels are all that great. I've tried three different 1894 Marlins in .44 mag and couldn't get better than paper plate groups at 100 yards. The first one I really worked with for a year or so. Tried ever practical load and some totally impractical loads. Tried bedding the butt stock and forend, tried freeing the bands, even tried shooting with the forend and mag tube removed. That sucker just would not group. But I really liked the idea of that light, short easy handling .44 so some ten years later I talked myself into another one. Same poor accuracy, nothing would consistently go under 5 moa. I didn't put as much time and effort into the second one but did try quite a varity of loads. Then I tried an 1894 Cowboy in .44 mag, same story. I've had Marlin 30/30s which shot very well and an 1894c in .357 mag was an easy 1.5 moa shooter but it would take a lot to convince me to try yet one more .44 mag Marlin. I tended to put it all down to the 38" twist, although I had one of the early .444s which was an honest 1 moa rifle with the 265 grain Hornadys and a max load, but I do think a faster twist would be better. Most people think of the .44s as "brush guns". It has been demonstrated that how well a bullet remains on course after encountering a branch depends not at all on bullet weight but on bullet stability and a faster twist would make a more stable bullet if nothing else.
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2007, 01:50:14 PM »
When I refer to Marlin made barrels, I'm mean those 44Mag H&R barrels made by Marlin this year, they were made elsewhere previously. We hoped for 1:20" twist barrels too, but that didn't happen.

Tim
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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #21 on: December 30, 2007, 04:00:23 AM »
Tim,,,,sorry if I missed your previous post,,,,,,,,but what bullets are you getting from Western?? Any links??
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #22 on: December 30, 2007, 05:32:47 AM »
Got em yesterday, something different, pointy cast bullets for the 360DW and 44Mag.

Tim

http://www.westernbullet.com/cbip/b358093.html



http://www.westernbullet.com/cbip/b429303.html (No split case, I'm using new Starline brass!!)

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Offline Batchief909

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #23 on: December 30, 2007, 12:47:45 PM »
Those are just plain "wicked" looking... :o ;) Great price, too! Thanks!
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Offline PHATINJUN

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #24 on: December 30, 2007, 02:00:39 PM »
Boy I wish they had them in just a little heavier but let me know what ya think of them from the 360DW cases. Kurt
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Offline burntmuch

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #25 on: December 30, 2007, 03:47:56 PM »
Those are some really good prices, I guess Im gonna have to start shooting cast bullets
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #26 on: December 30, 2007, 04:16:22 PM »
Western charges $9 shipping, they ship priority flat rate, so it costs the same no matter how much you order, I've used a lot of their bullets, have never been disappointed in them, sometimes they're a little slow, but I think they may have to cast em first, but they still came farily timely. The last two orders from Beartooth took 3 months!! ::)

Tim
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Offline Dog88

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2007, 08:09:41 AM »
Quote from: quickdtoo on December 25, 2007, 12:02:23 PM
Get a 2007 Marlin made barrel and it will be a good shooter for ya, older barrels were overbore and not very accurate with most bullets, oversize cast bullets and 300gr XTP with max loads shot ok in them. If you're buying a complete rifle, you'd want an NX or later serial number prefix. ;)

Tim

I bought one today with an "HX" serial number.... is this earlier or later than an "NX" model?

Also picked up a box of Winchester 240 grain Hollow SP ammo... anybody had success shooting these?

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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #28 on: December 31, 2007, 08:25:19 AM »
They're both 2007 production, see the FAQs on production years. ;)

Tim
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: Help convince me
« Reply #29 on: December 31, 2007, 10:27:06 AM »
Quick is correct, of course...The NX indicates a New England Firearms gun ("N"), manufactured in 2007 ("X"). HX indicates a H&R (Harrington and Richardson) gun ("H"), manufactured in 2007 ("X"). They are identical except for the name inscribed on the receiver and were manufactured by the same company in the same factory, quite possibly by the same people!!!....<><....:)
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