How about a discussion on the 444 Marlin?

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:06 pm

A recent post prompted me to ask this question. How about a discussion on the 444 and its chamberings without dragging in other calibers or cartridges. I'm getting a bit cranky that every thread on the 444 is overwhelmed by discussions of other cartridges. Lets discuss hunting success, favorite bullets, loads, complaints but focus on the good and bad of a 444 without turning it into a versus anything else thread, please.

My 444S dates back to my first new gun purchase, only ever bought 4 new guns I think. I was young and getting ready to hunt moose. Over the next few years I learned to reload, moved to northern Alberta, and tried a few other cartridge rifle combos. My last attempt to put together a better moose rifle was a used Rem 700 7MM Mag that I installed a receiver sight on, never been a scope guy until recently, I own two.

I sold the 7MM Mag and have never regretted it. I returned to my 444 and have been a one man hunting season rifle guy for over 30 years. My first moose was shot with the 240 grain factory stuff and I had no complaints at all. Then I discovered the 265 Horn FN bullet and reloading and was perfectly satisfied since. Once when real busy I used the discontinued 265 FN loading from Rem, again very satisfied.

After far too many gun magazines and moa scoped group discussions I added a 2.5X Leupold M8 and took my largest moose at 175 yards along a cutline west of Rocky Mountain House Alberta. It lasted only 2 seasons because I hunted by foot and backpack so I could wake up a few miles from the road. I treasured the hand carry of our narrow slab side levers and found the peep sight was never a problem. However that scope is a perfect hunting scope and I kept it. I recommend it as a perfect lever action scope.

My hunting loads were usually a little under full manual load and it was H4198, actual load long forgotten. I'm adding a Lyman M die and learning to load cast. My mold is a 285 grain GC wide meplat. Reports this summer I hope.

My 444 would group 3 shots in 1.5 or tighter with a scope but few believe it. I find many 444 shooters experience good accuracy.

The 444 is chambered in the 444 Marlin, H&R Handi, Pedersoli 86 clone, and the Winchester Big Bore or Black Shadow. There might be others. It is reported to be back in production at Remlin and 444 Hornady Superperformance was recently available again. My Rem brass seems indestructible.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:29 pm

Excellent topic idea, particularly if we can manage to keep on topic as you said

. I have never regretted getting any of my 444 Marlin rifles, and have considered rebarreling my Ruger No. 1 in 7 mm Rem Mag into 444 Marlin. The main criticism I hear other than the obvious fact that there are indeed more powerful cartridges (so what, that is true of everything we shoot

), is that "the fragile handgun style bullets available just explode on the skin of deer and wound them horribly". I don't know where that got started, but the factory 240 gr & 265 gr JSP loads I have used easily perforated three eighths inch steel plate at 100 yards so smoothly it looked like it was done with a drill press (the two large holes below).

A few years back I purchased a Marlin XLR in 444 Marlin chambering, and I hope before long to give it a workout at the range, and develop an accurate load to maximize the inherent accuracy of the XLR.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/xlr/444.asp

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:34 pm

My first big bore lever was a Winchester 94 Big Bore deluxe model in .444 that I traded for some money owed me by a neighbor whose house I built. It was the 1/18 twist with full length mag tube and a beautiful rifle. That rifle is how I found this sight, in around 02' I think. A search turned up some really good articles here on shooting heavy bullets in the .444 written by Alan Anderson and I learned a lot from Mr Anderson's writings. Those articles were pulled from the site unfortunately. I later traded it to a member here, 2row. Haven't seen him around in a bit, wonder how he's getting along.

One of these days I'll run across a Marlin .444 with the gold trigger and pistol grip stock and the right price and it will come home with me and get a 4x scope mounted on it and put in the gun rack of the old J2000. Just because.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:43 pm

I think the 444 would be a good round in a 94 Winchester*. There were some custom built, both before the 444 came out as a commercial cartridge (think cases were made from 30-40 brass), and after. They seemed to do OK. I dont know how theyd do with a steady diet of full power loads. I still think it would be a good round for the 94, in particular as a pretty light weight carry-around gun in bear country, even if you couldnt shoot scads of rounds in it.

*I'm thinking std 94, not big bore.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:14 pm

Malamute wrote:I think the 444 would be a good round in a 94 Winchester*. There were some custom built, both before the 444 came out as a commercial cartridge (think cases were made from 30-40 brass), and after. They seemed to do OK. I dont know how theyd do with a steady diet of full power loads. I still think it would be a good round for the 94, in particular as a pretty light weight carry-around gun in bear country, even if you couldnt shoot scads of rounds in it.

They made some Marlin Guide Guns in 444 Marlin (maybe not called that, but configured the same), and they would fit that bill nicely...

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:34 pm

True, though Im just really not much of a Marlin fan. I'd rather build a 94 into something I'd like.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:39 pm

Malamute wrote:True, though Im just really not much of a Marlin fan. I'd rather build a 94 into something I'd like.

Malamute likes to advertise to the countryside hes chambering a round in his dirt bucket.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:42 pm

Malamute wrote:True, though Im just really not much of a Marlin fan. I'd rather build a 94 into something I'd like.

Gotta admit, even though I love my Marlins, my only Winchester levergun is a Big Bore in 375 Win, and it is by far my most beautiful levergun.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:08 pm

One iteration of the 444 in a Marlin that I would have liked would be a standard early type carbine format. 20" barrel, full mag, carbine bands, no ramp, straight grip stock and squared lever.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:26 pm

The BB Winchester 444 would be on a wish list if I was actively shopping. They seem rare enough. I can't remember seeing or hearing of one in Canada. Anyone seen one outside the USA.

It is only an opinion but it seems Marlin took quite a gamble with the 444. It was in the days when everything was high velocity magnums and folks were singing loudly about the 7MM Mag. The idea of a big bore leveraction was a risk. The configuration of a monte carlo stock and a 24" tube was also very risky. That kept me from buying until I spotted the 444S out next. The limited success resulted in the revival of big bores in other cartridges I think. For me the effectiveness of the 444 in the field surprised me and many more I expect.

My 444S is the barrel band model and has a nice slim western forearm with no steel cap with a 22" tube. It does not have a front sight ramp just a dovetail with a taller front sight now. If memory is correct it was needed for matching the receiver sight. It is pretty with its standard stock, not Monte Carlo, and pistol grip. This rifle is well used and shows it. The fit is perfect and better than my Winchesters but I'm a big guy so LOP is best long. The balance is perfect for hand carry and the little extra weight is welcome but I kept it iron sighted mostly. I have no interest in short barrelled levers, 20" or more preferred, and find the length no hindrance in a willow swamp or hard climb.

My main complaints with my rifle is the small loop while gloved up for real cold, it can bite the front finger, and the fact the front swivel stud can also bite if forgotten. The Williams FP has served very well for decades but some of the newer ghost rings would tempt me today. I left the factory hammer extension on after taking off the scope. I prefer using the rifle with it in place for the secure feel.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:32 pm

Malamute wrote:One iteration of the 444 in a Marlin that I would have liked would be a standard early type carbine format. 20" barrel, full mag, carbine bands, no ramp, straight grip stock and squared lever.

Me too! I never liked the steel cap and thicker forearm style though they were very practical. My forearm split on the unsupported tip. It was fixed with some epoxy but I've seen others with a small split there as well. I preferred the pistol grip but after using my Win 94 in 32 Special I sure get the handling of straight stock folks rave about.

One other complaint I missed above. Early in its life my recoil pad got a little harder than concrete!!

wolfdog · Post by **wolfdog** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:09 pm

I love the 444. My first deer rifle was a Marlin 444(my first deer I killed with a borrowed 30-30). The first deer I killed with the 444 I also killed a birch tree with the same shot. He was walking about 50 yards away, I thought I had a clear shot, pow, couldn't see the deer any more, then the tree leaned over. Figured I blew the shot so I walked over to look at the about 3 inch tree, and there was the buck about 5 yards past the tree, DRT. A few years later I killed a Maveric (the car not a wild horse) which incident I have posted about before.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:43 pm

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:22 pm

sore shoulder wrote:
A search turned up some really good articles here on shooting heavy bullets in the .444 written by Alan Anderson and I learned a lot from Mr Anderson's writings.

Those articles were pulled from the site unfortunately.

Those articles, among many others, are available at www.leverguns.com then click on "articles" at the upper RH sidebar.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/ander ... fitter.htm

.

tman · Post by **tman** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:54 pm

My Big Bore 94 .444 would be one of my last guns to go. It hits harder than the great .348 and carries 2 more rounds in a lighter package. If you look at some of the custom ammo offerings, along with Hornady and even the plain jane Remington offerings, you gotta a big bear charge stopper, along with a 200 yard Big game hunting cartridge{ a good shot can stretch it} that fits into the best handing deer gun ever made. Pretty dam cool. My only rant is the cost and availability of ammo.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:25 pm

Thanks Pete. They were definitely gone for awhile, I remember asking about them and being told that Al had asked to have them taken down. Glad to see they are back.

TDF · Post by **TDF** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:45 pm

Here's mine. 1968 vintage if I recall correctly. Somebody trimmed down the barrel to 20 inches and brazed a couple of magazine tubes together to make a full length tube. They didn't do the best job of fitting it together. Used the original screw through the mag tube cap that just fits into a depression in the barrel. Made their own depression and again didn't do the best job fitting. I bought it at a local gun store for $250, then proceeded to load it up and on the first shot the magazine tube flew forward. So I pulled it apart, ordered up some parts from Numrich, and cut my own dovetail in the bottom of the barrel with a couple of files. Drove in the threaded stud from a later 1895. Modified the tube to take the later cap that fits over the stud, and put it all back together. No more issues. Worked up a stout load driving 300gr Hornadys that it shoots very well (not hard it shoots everything very well) and have since fitted it with a Williams receiver sight. I've got a bucket of 320gr LBT's that I want to play with one of these days, but have been too busy lately. I figure either load will kill a deer plenty dead.

TDF

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:47 pm

I searched for a good used 444 Marlin for a couple of years. I never found one that the condition was worth the asking price. But in 2004 I came across a brand new one with the nicest wood I've seen on a Marlin. I bought it on the spot for about $100 more than used ones I was looking at. It has the newer 1-20 twist and boy does it shoot. I could set milk jugs at 200 yards on top of a 5 gallon pale and hit them every time. Of course my eyesight isn't as good with iron sights now. But that gun shoots.

I shot a couple deer with in and dropped them in their tracks. The last one I shot was angled away from me. I hit it behind the shoulder , but exited through the farside shoulder. Well there was no meat left in that shoulder. I then bought a 338MX and it became one of my favorite deer guns. So I have not hunted with the 444 in a while , mainly because I have goal of shooting a deer with every levergun I have. It isn't an older one but I am glad I purchased because of what happened to Marlin and because it shoots so great. For offhand shooting is one of the best leverguns I have. Don't know why , it just works for me.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:47 pm

I searched for a good used 444 Marlin for a couple of years. I never found one that the condition was worth the asking price. But in 2004 I came across a brand new one with the nicest wood I've seen on a Marlin. I bought it on the spot for about $100 more than used ones I was looking at. It has the newer 1-20 twist and boy does it shoot. I could set milk jugs at 200 yards on top of a 5 gallon pale and hit them every time. Of course my eyesight isn't as good with iron sights now. But that gun shoots.

I shot a couple deer with in and dropped them in their tracks. The last one I shot was angled away from me. I hit it behind the shoulder , but exited through the farside shoulder. Well there was no meat left in that shoulder. I then bought a 338MX and it became one of my favorite deer guns. So I have not hunted with the 444 in a while , mainly because I have goal of shooting a deer with every levergun I have. It isn't an older one but I am glad I purchased because of what happened to Marlin and because it shoots so great. For offhand shooting is one of the best leverguns I have. Don't know why , it just works for me.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 12:03 am

Still have two 444's, one '94 Timber Carbine (has been my main go to hunting gun) and one '94 Black Shadow BB. The Timber Carbine has a Ghost Ring and the Black Shadow a 1.75-4.00 Dusk and Dawn scope on it. The Black Shadow is my all weather, early morning, late afternoon sitting rifle.

Gave 444 Black Shadow's to one of my sons and another to a close friend of mine. Sold three 444 Timber Carbines NIB back a few years back (got a hell of a deal on buying 4 from distributor, needed to move them to get his bonus) when Winchester shut down. My oldest boy was supposed to get one of the Timber Carbines, but he chose something different. Should have kept at least one more...really nice finish and actions were all smooth as glass.

Load my own, use 240 FN's and 47 grains of H4198 for general purpose hunting. 46 grains of H4198 behind the 265 FN's as secondary. Cast Ranch Dog's 265LF(drops at 270) w/gas check sized to .430 and put 37 grains of H4198. These still chrono at a little under 1900 surprisingly, that is the limit though. When I tried to match the jacketed, started leading up...heck, with 41 grains the cast were turning into particles.

buckeyeshooter · Post by **buckeyeshooter** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:53 am

I have one of the Winchester Timber carbines in .444 with the 16.5 ported barrel. It was bought new by me and has never been fired. I keep finding my self picking up my marlin .50 Alaskan when I want a big bore lever gun.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:00 am

Having had several 45-70 rifles over the years, and currently having 2 in the safe I didn't need a 444. But the little bug just kept itching, so I finally bought my first one last summer. It's a 1977 model that had been used and abused a little, but it cleaned up nice.

Took it to the range with just one handload to get the scope zero'd, 46.0 gr. of RL7, and the 265 gr. Hornady bullet. Turns out after trying several loads that the first load I tried was the best, though any of the loads would have been perfectly acceptable. I think you would have to try really hard to have this rifle not shoot well.

Still playing with some cast bullet loads, but it looks like there's not going to be a lot of work to do there either.

My only complaint is that I waited so long to buy a 444, it should have been one of my first!

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:12 am

Mine shoots like Ted's does and I use the same powder in mine also.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:33 pm

It's not that the .444 cartridge is so great (the Greenbox 240 will knock the heck out of anything that needs the heck knocked out of

) but my 73ish Marlin is so easy to hit with. It comes up to my shoulder perfectly, and the factory sights align perfectly for me. Almost point, and hit. I believe I'll hang onto it for quite awhile....

tman · Post by **tman** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:12 pm

BlaineG wrote:It's not that the .444 cartridge is so great (the Greenbox 240 will knock the heck out of anything that needs the heck knocked out of ) but my 73ish Marlin is so easy to hit with. It comes up to my shoulder perfectly, and the factory sights align perfectly for me. Almost point, and hit. I believe I'll hang onto it for quite awhile....

Yeah, Those 240 green box loads will hammer anything that walks in front of it. It's not a fragile .44 magnum handgun bullet deer load that will bounce off a bear. Lot of misinformation about this loading floating around out there on the NET. It will punch thru a 3/8 cold rolled steel plate at 100 yards. Unless the bear is using some type of advanced body armor, he is dead meat.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:33 pm

Someplace, I have a bunch of Gummy-Tip 265gr that were for Leverevolution use....I've got a bunch of GreenBox, and I don't plink with them, so I'll probably never get around to loading them in the .444...

new pig hunter · Post by **new pig hunter** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:13 pm

It's hard to believe I've had my .444 Marlin for 6-1/2 years ...... sheesh, where did that time go. And I bought it by accident, which is to say I didn't need it, and didn't know it was for sale, didn't even know it was in the store. But walked out with it anyway.
I was in the LGS to pick up my never-fired Marlin .375. With box in-hand I'm walking to the door and the counter guy says, "I have the fraternal twin of that one, new, never fired. Interested ??" I wasn't, but listened anyway.
20 minutes later I walk out with 2 boxes.

Never done anything with it except punch lots of holes in lots of papers, and push bowling pins around the target range. Fantastic Rifle, always a pleasure to take it to the range.

Cheers,

Carl

Ragnor · Post by **Ragnor** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:34 am

My 444 Marlin is a JES rebore of a 336 /30-30 Win. It shoots great and have taken 1 deer with it. I discovered in the Lee loading manual, a load for the 200 grain jacketed bullet @ (If I remember correct) >2700 fps with AA 1680. I have been shooting this load for running deer target shooting and worked great on my live running deer I took with it. When it lets go, it sounds like no other rifle in the woods. Muzzle flash is impressive also. Makes people comment at the shoots. It has been a fun caliber to work with. I like my rebore and have Williams sights on it.

t.r. · Post by **t.r.** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:57 am

I feel that Marlin's 444 was designed as a suitable replacement for the Winchester 71 which dropped out of production for a number of reasons. The 71 was top ejecting making scope mounting difficult at best. But the 71 featured an abbreviated magazine and chambered for the .348 cartridge was (is) a good choice for truly big game animals within reasonable shooting distances. Marlin developed a powerful lever action rifle with the features of the 71 but side ejecting for modern scope use. The first models had high comb stock for scope use.

Why Marlin initially opted for micro-groove rifling and a 240 grain revolver bullet is a mystery to me. This powerful cartridge seems to slay better with much heavier bullets such as Speer 270 grain deep curl bullet.

Is the 444 a good deer cartridge? Seems a bit much for common deer but I feel that this cartridge is best suited for heavier animals such as moose and bison.

TR

daisygordoninc · Post by **daisygordoninc** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:29 am

I have a nice Winchester 94 in 444. Had no problem sighting it in, plan to kill a bear with it. Don't know why people have not liked the 444, some have said the recoil is too great, but even in my very light 94 it isn't an issue. Perhaps people who have not handled heavier recoil before would have a problem. It will probable kill anything North America has to offer, including brown bear.

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:30 pm

Lets discuss the 444...ok. Take one Marlin 444 load with 4198 and a 300 JHP. Travel to Georgia, sit in tree, wait,wait, wait. pull trigger and 23 pigs run away. however 1 does not take a step. Best part you could eat right up to the hole no blood damaged meat. Next discussion.

JOHNNY WACKO · Post by **JOHNNY WACKO** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:44 pm

Did any 1 say anything about there fun to shoot???

Nazgul · Post by **Nazgul** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:52 pm

AJMD429 wrote:Excellent topic idea, particularly if we can manage to keep on topic as you said . I have never regretted getting any of my 444 Marlin rifles, and have considered rebarreling my Ruger No. 1 in 7 mm Rem Mag into 444 Marlin. The main criticism I hear other than the obvious fact that there are indeed more powerful cartridges (so what, that is true of everything we shoot ), is that "the fragile handgun style bullets available just explode on the skin of deer and wound them horribly". I don't know where that got started, but the factory 240 gr & 265 gr JSP loads I have used easily perforated three eighths inch steel plate at 100 yards so smoothly it looked like it was done with a drill press (the two large holes below).

A few years back I purchased a Marlin XLR in 444 Marlin chambering, and I hope before long to give it a workout at the range, and develop an accurate load to maximize the inherent accuracy of the XLR.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/xlr/444.asp

One of the few times I was in the right place at the right time, I bought a 444 XLR at a local gun shop right before Marlin changed hands.

I have a Winchester Timber Carbine in 444 that is sweet. The XLR is great one it own merits.

Don

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:47 pm

That 444 XLR is a dandy rifle indeed! That model is so tempting and one of the few stainless models I really wish I owned. What a bonus to get it in a JM manufacture. I'm assuming it has the fast twist as well.

My eye prefers the longer barrels of the Marlins so made. I've never found the 22" barrel of mine to be a problem in tight cover. I might feel different if I made my living kicking someone else's wounded grizzlies out of the Alaska bush but I doubt it.

Please give us a report when you test drive that XLR.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:32 pm

The best articles on the 444 imo.

Articles from the Beartooth Bullets tech articles that are my favourite. He discusses the rifle in two models, a slow twist rifle 444S and a fast twist shorty 444P. He documents his success with fire lapping, note he sells a lapping system but it doesn't read like rampant self promotion. His approach to the 45-70 compared to the 444 is laid out in article 1. The 444 stands on its own merit and that merit is substantial.

One thing that makes this series important to me is the documented way he tests heavy weight stability for each twist and accuracy comparisons for cast for each twist and rifling version with a scoped rifle. This and Fryxell's article below convinced me that a MG 444 can handle at least a 325 grain bullet and more if loaded hot and in specific guns. One thing often reported is the cast bullet size for MG is very important. He recommends fat bullets at .432 and tests that with various diameters.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_no ... tes.htm/17 pt.1
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_no ... tes.htm/19 pt.2
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_no ... tes.htm/28 pt.3

Another good 444 article from Fryxell that address' MG capabilities and heavy weight bullets from the LASC site.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell444Marlin.htm

hayabusa · Post by **hayabusa** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:12 pm

The Winchester Model 94 Big Bore .444 Marlin which I use every couple of years to harvest deer with seems perfect to me with the Remington 240 gr. soft point bullet. 140 yard or 40 yard shot thru lung area and they have always dropped in their tracks. I am not losing any meat with this shot.
I have never noticed any terrible recoil with this ammo.
I love this combo. I do have a scope on this Winchester.

hayabusa

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:18 pm

TedH wrote:It's a 1977 model that had been used and abused a little, but it cleaned up nice.

Took it to the range with just one handload to get the scope zero'd, 46.0 gr. of RL7, and the 265 gr. Hornady bullet. Turns out after trying several loads that the first load I tried was the best, though any of the loads would have been perfectly acceptable. I think you would have to try really hard to have this rifle not shoot well.

Now THAT particular Marlin configuration would be my 'ideal' Marlin 444. Also, the 265 grain JFP Hornady bullet strikes me as just about perfect for the 444. What was the range on that target? (even if it is 50 yards, that is very good).
EDIT: Whoops! I can see it was 100 yards. That is outstanding. You have yourself a very nice 444. If I had one like that, I'd be using it for Moose next fall.

2X22 · Post by **2X22** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:40 pm

TedH wrote:

My .444 looks like Ted's twin. Mine has a 4X Leupold mounted on it and shoots just about anything I've tried, exactly as the group above! Seriously, I've never shot a poor load through mine.

About 20 years ago my brother was on Afognak Island and he called to tell me fallers were required to carry a rifle due to the Brown Bears and some attacks. He flew to Kodiak and the only rifle they had he could afford (I told him any 45-70) was a 444. He brought it home and I worked up a load that was beyond accurate, it was scary. A 350gr cast at 1999 fps and less than 1" three shot groups with a William receiver sight. I loaded 200 rounds for him to take back and when the job was over he sold it to another guy just flying in.

Although I had a few 45-70's, I realized I needed a 444 and would occasionally shop for one but when they were available, I was broke and when I had gun money, none were to be found. Finally, about 3 or 4 years ago I saw one on GB with an opening bid of $325 and tossed in my bid, never thinking about it again. Imagine my surprise when an email came in saying I'd won! Woohoo!

Since then, I've taken 2 nice Roosevelt bulls with it, one using a 240gr and one a 265gr. Both died and now I'm working up a 295gr cast load for next season!

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:06 am

I agree with Kirk, that is exactly the gun I was talking about in my earlier post. Very nice rifle.

grass range · Post by **grass range** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:00 pm

Might as well ask here. No one else knows. I have a Numrich roller barrel stamped .444 Creedmore. Lots of useless comments but no one knows what this is. Standard .444 Marlin round chambers only part way.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:11 pm

Probably not much help, but Navy arms used to sell a rolling block in 444.

Dont know why a standard round wont chamber in yours. Doing a chamber cast may be worthwhile.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:29 pm

grass range wrote:Might as well ask here. No one else knows. I have a Numrich roller barrel stamped .444 Creedmore. Lots of useless comments but no one knows what this is. Standard .444 Marlin round chambers only part way.

I just 'Googled' the 444 Creedmore, and about all I found was your question from a year ago...

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=638214

Looks like nobody knew anything about it.

If the barrel/action is able to tolerate 444 Marlin pressures, I'd be tempted to try reaming it to 444 Marlin standards, but I'd check the bore diameter first and make sure it's ok.