anyone shooting Lee 310GC Cast in the 444Marlin?

[uncowboy]

I have a Win Black shadow comming this week and I just bought the Lee 310Gr GC I am sizeing @430 with a Hornady GC . I want to run these hot for hunting. Anyone working with this bullet?
J.Michael

[6pt-sika]

I have the mold !
I have a 6 cavity for this bullet actually and it casts and fills out nicely .

I have about 8 of the older Micro Groove 444 Marlin's and I have a bunch of bullets cast up , sized and checked for trial in my 444's .

However I have yet to try this bullet in any of them

I do however "think" it should work okay

[Sixgun]

Mike,
Send me $400 and I'll get you that mould. Ha! Did you go to Ag Hall today? or......are you going to Falls Township silhouette shoot tomorrow?----------Sixgun

BTW guys, Uncowboy is the BEST offhand shooter I have ever known. I have personally witnessed him shooting 10 shots into 6" plates at 75 yards in as many seconds as there were shots.

[TedH]

Not in a 444, but I do very well with them in a Marlin 44 mag pushing them about 1550 fps. I would think they'd do well in a 444 too.

[william iorg]

I shoot the 310 Lee in my Timber rifle. I prefer 39.0 or 39.5 grains of of IMR or Hodgdon 4198. This load gives me a bit over 2,000 fps muzzle velocity and accuracy on a par with any other load I shoot in this rifle.

On grey days this load put a 4” tounge of fire out the barrel and you can clearly see the flash up through the ports.
I prefer this load to any of the ball powders and have compared it closely with Alliant Reloder 7.

Here are few links to the use of the bullet in the Winchester. Note you will need to shorten your COAL to load the cartridge into the magazine. The Winchester rifle does not have the cutout in receiver side wall like the Marlin.

EDIT] Well none of these links work. This link will get you to a thread wich has links that work. Look for Post #13.

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm ... ht=310+lee

[Old Time Hunter]

William is pretty close to right on, 'cept I use 41-42 grains of H4198 which is a compromise between my short barrel Timber Carbine and my 24" Black Shadow. Velocity difference is minor, 2075 fps +/- out of my Timber Carbine and 2150 fps out of my Black Shadow. Don't know why, but when my Black Shadow with the heavier bullet gets near 2000 fps, the accuracy goes away...can't figure that out. I've had the Timber Carbine down to 1500 fps and it was consistant as all get out.

[Modoc ED]

That H-4198 is a good powder for the .444 Marlin. I have some Beartooth 290gr LFNGC .432 bullets that I push with 45gr of H-4198 for right at 2179 fps. It shoots just as good from my Microgroove .444 Marlin as it does from my Ballard .444 Marlin. H-322 is another good powder for the .444 Marlin.

With 54gr of H-322 powder pushing a Hornady 265gr flat nose .430 bullet, you can duplicate the performance of the factory loaded Hornady Light Magnum .444 Marlin. And that load shoots well out of either the Microgroove or Ballard barrels too.

[6pt-sika]

I cannot say about sizing cast bullets for a Winchester in 444 .

But in my Marlin's .430" worked okay and .431" worked better !

I recently "acquired" a die that is somewhere around .4325" and when I get back from vacation I plan on giving it a try !

[Old Savage]

I used it in my 444 Marlin with 47.0 gr of H322. Four out of five shots were in .95" according to my notes.

[Nazgul]

I have used it extensively in a Timber Carbine. Very nice combo. Takes the 444 to a new level.

Don

[Old Savage]

The Hodgdon manual gives a velocity for 48.0 gr of H322 of 2038 in a 24" barrel for a 300 gr bullet. I don't believe I came near that by hundreds of fps. My lot was quite old I may get some new to see what I find. Using a 265 gr bullet I got 1757 fps with 50 gr of H322.