Speaking of .444s ...

[Bill in Oregon]

I was reading that Marlin changed the rate of twist from the original 1:38 to 1:20 some years ago. This would make the .444 a much better heavy bullet shooter that it was at the beginning. As I recall the early Marlins wouldn't stabilize a bullet much past 265 grains.

[6pt-sika]

1998 I believe it was they went from Micro 1-38 to Ballard 1-20 .

I've made up to 375 grains or so stabilize in the 1-38 , but I had to push them really hard and water quench so they'd hold the rifling instead of stripping out . In my ballard gun I've pushed up to 450 grains with decent results .


Earlier this year I bought a Ruger #3 that started life as a 44 MAG and later had the chamber run out to 444 . Not sure what twist it has buts it done okay so far with cast up to 365 grains .


Oh incidently everything I shoot in 444's anymore is home cast . Don't think I've fired a jacketed bullet in a 444 in better then ten years now .

[Bill in Oregon]

6-Point, I'll bet a Ruger No. 3 in .444 with heavy loads is a handful on both ends.

[6pt-sika]

6-Point, I'll bet a Ruger No. 3 in .444 with heavy loads is a handful on both ends.

My loads are generally pretty stout .

I assume whoever ran the chamber out added a recoul pad like you would put on a Mini 14 to lengthen the LOP , anyway that thing tames it a good bit . I
ve plunked a couple deer with the #3 already this season . Both with the same basic bullet the first was a plain FN at 250 grains the next used a dimple HP at 242 grains both were boom flop . But then both were inside 60 yards . I still have three more versions all HP one a penta HP , small hp and large hp . Hopefully I'll try the other three before the end of the season .

[Blaine]

If you "need" more than a 265 in a .444 then you need a 45-70

[6pt-sika]

If you "need" more than a 265 in a .444 then you need a 45-70

Sure whatever you say

[Blaine]

If you "need" more than a 265 in a .444 then you need a 45-70

Sure whatever you say

Yes, because Marlin and ammo manufactories don't know what they are doing. Just because one CAN, does not mean that it's necessary.

[6pt-sika]

If you "need" more than a 265 in a .444 then you need a 45-70

Sure whatever you say

Yes, because Marlin and ammo manufactories don't know what they are doing. Just because one CAN, does not mean that it's necessary.

So when I cast and was loading cast 550 grainers in the 45-70 I'm sure you'd say I needed a 50 Alaskan or 50-110 perhaps

[6pt-sika]

All B...S aside I have a circa 2001 ballard rifled 444 that's set aside just for cast bullets 390 grains or larger .

[piller]

I like the .327 Federal Magnum, therefore I don't have any room to bad mouth the .444 at all.

[6pt-sika]

I like the .327 Federal Magnum, therefore I don't have any room to bad mouth the .444 at all.

I was quite big on the 327 Federal as well as the 32 H&R Mag .

Strangely I didn't really care for the 444 until I started casting for it and shooting cast bullets . Think I've killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 deer with 444's shooting home cast bullets .

When i first started shooting cast in the 444 it was pretty much all with XMP5744 at moderate velocities , then later in life I started using H322 , Rl-7 , XMR2015 and several others it opened up a new ball game . Now I pretty much just use H322/IMR8208 for all under 380 grains and RL-7 for anything heavier . I was real big on Varget for the heavy hitter bullets for awhile but I was having major headaches getting enough powder in and getting the bullet seated to suit a lever action RL-7 needed far less space and cured that little problem .

[piller]

Lots of fun to shoot calibers which others put down. Hard cast that is long for caliber and has the right hardness to handle the proper spin will usually do way more than the caliber is reputed to do.

[3leggedturtle]

Quote. [ So when I cast and was loading cast 550 grainers in the 45-70 I'm sure you'd say I needed a 50 Alaskan or 50-110 perhaps ]

Who wouldn’t need one of those 2, I could think of plenty to do with them..

A 405gr bullet of .458 diameter should equate to a 387gr bullet in .429 diameter.... in my exspurt opinion !!! YMMV Todd/3leg

[Blaine]

If you "need" more than a 265 in a .444 then you need a 45-70

Sure whatever you say

Yes, because Marlin and ammo manufactories don't know what they are doing. Just because one CAN, does not mean that it's necessary.
[/quo

So when I cast and was loading cast 550 grainers in the 45-70 I'm sure you'd say I needed a 50 Alaskan or 50-110 perhaps

NoSir, you would be incorrect about what I'd say. None other than Randy Garrett offers a 540 grain 45-70. I've shot such loads in my own 45-70s.
You should note that I never said your loads were silly or stupid...just un-necessary, and perhaps specialized.

[6pt-sika]

Sure whatever you say

Yes, because Marlin and ammo manufactories don't know what they are doing. Just because one CAN, does not mean that it's necessary.
[/quo

So when I cast and was loading cast 550 grainers in the 45-70 I'm sure you'd say I needed a 50 Alaskan or 50-110 perhaps

NoSir, you would be incorrect about what I'd say. None other than Randy Garrett offers a 540 grain 45-70. I've shot such loads in my own 45-70s.
You should note that I never said your loads were silly or stupid...just un-necessary, and perhaps specialized.

I wouldn't even say specialized really .

I've had a bunch of molds cut and used them just so I could say I had . Nothing practical about it , just for fun usually . Heck I had 4 or 5 different molds cut for 400 grainers when I first got wound up about the whole thing , and yep I've used them all to kill poor unsuspecting man eating Virginia Whitetails (kinda like my shooting them with 375 H&H Mags and 416 Rem Mag's ).

[6pt-sika]

I reckon I'm somewhere in the 50+ mold area for 44 cal molds . "If" I were being practical I'd just keep the Ranch Dog molds 240 , 265 , 300 and 350 along with the sort of hybrid copies I had done 325 , 365 , 375 and 400 . And perhaps add another at perhaps 200 and maybe 220-225 .

I killed several deer with a Castboolits group buy mold 434-207GC pushed quite hard with H322 or VV N-120 and that "little" bullet would flat knock the fire out of them . I would say about 2/3rds of those I shot were DRT .

But to be totally fair to all the molds I have I'd say 75% of all the cast bullets I've used in the 444 have been DRT bullets . And those that didn't drop on the spot generally didn't go much over twenty yards after the shot .

[Blaine]

I reckon I'm somewhere in the 50+ mold area for 44 cal molds . "If" I were being practical I'd just keep the Ranch Dog molds 240 , 265 , 300 and 350 along with the sort of hybrid copies I had done 325 , 365 , 375 and 400 . And perhaps add another at perhaps 200 and maybe 220-225 .

I killed several deer with a Castboolits group buy mold 434-207GC pushed quite hard with H322 or VV N-120 and that "little" bullet would flat knock the fire out of them . I would say about 2/3rds of those I shot were DRT .

But to be totally fair to all the molds I have I'd say 75% of all the cast bullets I've used in the 444 have been DRT bullets . And those that didn't drop on the spot generally didn't go much over twenty yards after the shot .

I don't hunt a fraction as much as you do, so you have the edge there. The blacktail buck I shot with a 300gr 45-70 @ about 50 yards reminded me of the cartoon when a big rock smacks the coyote straight to the ground. I never saw deer drop that fast with shotgun slugs, .54 RB or broadhead.

[Bill in Oregon]

Hard to find a fault with either the .444 or the .45-70 in a lever gun. Just plumb capable!

[6pt-sika]

Hard to find a fault with either the .444 or the .45-70 in a lever gun. Just plumb capable!

I've still got three Marlin levers in 444 but I find I'm kinda liking this little Ruger #3 a bit more . It's a lot easier to switch bullets when sitting in a tree stand and being quiet about it . The #3 has a but cuff with 9 loops and in the 9 loops I have usually 4 or 5 different bullets so that way if I kill one with this bullet I can then go to another bullet easily if another target steps out . I usually only take two of a specific bullet one for the first shot and another for a follow up if needed .