Marlin .44 magnum decision

[blixen]

I'm on the verge of buying a second-hand .44 magnum 1894 with a Microgrooved barrel, but I've read some tales of disappointing accuracy here.

This will not be a big-game rifle. I will punch paper and plink with mostly light loads and lighter boolits--maybe without gas checks. I would load for accuracy, not knock-down power.

But I do like reasonable accuracy in a rifle. Should I pass on the .44 Marlin?

I'm also looking at nice H&R NEF in .44 magnum with the strong receiver as an option.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i have a 1973 (1894) in 44mag with microgrooved barrel i size my boolits to .432
it a lot of fun to shoot at a 10" steel gong at a 100 yards but its no bench gun

[Nobade]

Just like Luckydawg, I have one of the early ones from the 1970's. Same deal, use .433" boolits and it works great. Lighter the better, it is best with 240grain and less. Ideal #429215 with the gascheck shank cut out works very well with smokeless.

Mostly I shoot it with black powder. The NOE 200gr. 44 cal. BP boolit is my choice over a case full of FFFg. Super accurate, easy 50 rounds before needing to wipe, and more entertaining to shoot.

I also use it with paper patched boolits. For max power and speed, the RCBS 240 SIL sized to .427" and patched to .433" over a compressed load of IMR4227 runs around 1800 fps and hits HARD to 200M with very little sight change needed. And shoots into one big hole at 50M off the bench.

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 on what Luckydawg said. Mine was made in 1971, and the 200 gr. Lee RNFP, loaded 'as cast' (.4325) at .44-40 velocities, will easily shoot into 2" at 50 yds (iron sights off a 'field rest'). One warning about those 1894 Marlins, though...if you get a good one, they're addictive and can gobble up an awful lot of ammo in a relatively short time. Just day before yesterday, the fella at the bench next to me, shooting an 1894 in .357 Mag, was heard mumbling something about a Dillon SBD as he picked up his brass. :-)

Bill

[blixen]

Thanks, very helpful answers and love Nobade's BP option. I see it as a fun gun, not something for shooting through a moose end to end. (Maybe a jack rabbit.)

2" at Fifty Yards is acceptable. Unfortunately I see the biggest sizer Lee offers is .430.

I see the newer 1894 models are ballard rifling--does that make a huge difference? And is it a faster spiral?

[Shuz]

Thanks, very helpful answers and love Nobade's BP option. I see it as a fun gun, not something for shooting through a moose end to end. (Maybe a jack rabbit.)

2" at Fifty Yards is acceptable. Unfortunately I see the biggest sizer Lee offers is .430.

I see the newer 1894 models are ballard rifling--does that make a huge difference? And is it a faster spiral?

Makes no difference. The Ballard bbl'd guns are still 1:38" twist and need fat boolits to shoot with any degree of accuracy. I have a Ballard bbl'd un I've been trying to sell with no luck at $495.

[Kraschenbirn]

2" at Fifty Yards is acceptable. Unfortunately I see the biggest sizer Lee offers is a .430.

Don't worry 'bout sizing, just tumble lube (45/45/10 works great!) and load 'as cast'. The real key to making cast work in an MG barrel is to load the largest dia. boolit that will chamber without excessive effort. You may find that your mould will need a bit of 'beagling' but that's quite often, more or less, an accepted part of achieving correct boolit fit.

Bill

[wv109323]

I am working through getting a 1894 in .44 Mag. to shoot a good group. You can see my posts looking for advice. The gun shoots a Hornady jacketed bullet very well. It also shoots a Commercial cast bullet very well . By that I mean 1" at fifty yards.
BUT I have a Lee six cavity mold 240gn. SWC-GC and I have not got the rifle to shoot that bullet worth a hoot. I mean 8" groups at 10 yards with three out of five keyholed. You can not hit the paper at fifty. I don't know the reason but I will get through it. It has been a learning experience that will humble you. It will make you examine every step of your casting and loading procedures.
The rifle is fun to shoot, not a lot of recoil, light to carry and powerful enough for about any deer sized animal or smaller. The range of the rifle would be 200 yards or less which may be a disadvantage in open spaces. I would prefer a lever over a single shot but that is just me.

[Keyston44]

My Marlin 44 doesn't like 200 or 300 grain bullets. 240 to 270 work best for me. I've settled on the Ranch Dog 265gr sized .432. I have it cut 3x3 with half plain base and half gas checked. Plain base for the light loads and out of the Blackhawk and the gas checked pushed fast out of the rifle. I get great accuracy and wouldn't hesitate hunting large game like elk with it.

Key

[longbow]

There are several moulds made by NOE and Mihec that cast at 0.432" and larger which work very well in a Marlin.

Also, Accurate Molds will make a mould in whatever diameter you want. I have been using up a lot of 165 gr. TC's from an Accurate mould and they shoot very well for me. Cheap on powder and lead too! They cast at 0.433".

I have two Mihec moulds that cast at 0.433"/0.434" as well. I mostly pan lube and shoot as cast.

From your description of poor accuracy I suspect you have a mould that casts undersize for the barrel.

Beagling as mentioned by Kraschenbirn may well fix that.

Are you getting leading? usually undersize boolits will lead badly.

I was getting poor accuracy and severe leading when I got my first mould which was a Lyman 429421 that cast at 0.429"/0.430". Now leading is gone and that is with PB boolits even loaded fairly hot.

As said though, the 1894 is not a bench gun by any means. I am happy with 1" to 1 1/2" or so at 50 yards. I have not spent much time lately shooting further but now that I have proper sized moulds I see accuracy has improved dramatically so will be working on it.

Another quick thought, many Marlins do not feed SWC's very well so an RNFP or TC design would be your best bet to start out... in my opinion anyway.

Longbow

[WaywardSon]

My experience pretty much mirrors what others are posting here. My 1894 was made in the early eighty's I think. It will shoot cast bullets very well as long as they are fat enough. Mine prefers .433 so I just shoot them "as cast" & all is good.

Not sure why jacketed bullets work as well as they do...the diameter certainly isn't there...but some of my best groups have been with the Sierra 180 gr. JHP. It is still a work in progress...but an enjoyable one!

Good luck with yours.

[MakeMineA10mm]

I'm on the verge of buying a second-hand .44 magnum 1894 with a Microgrooved barrel, but I've read some tales of disappointing accuracy here.

This will not be a big-game rifle. I will punch paper and plink with mostly light loads and lighter boolits--maybe without gas checks. I would load for accuracy, not knock-down power.

But I do like reasonable accuracy in a rifle. Should I pass on the .44 Marlin?

I'm also looking at nice H&R NEF in .44 magnum with the strong receiver as an option.

Buy it! Shoot it! Quit over-thinking it. I have two of them, a P model (16" bbl, blued, Ballard rifling) and an SS (20" bbl, stainless, micro-grove), and they both shoot MUCH better than I ever expected. I read about the 2-piece stocks having bedding issues, pistol calibers, microgrove rifling, blah, blah, blah -- all supposedly causing accuracy problems. Forget all the BS! Get it and have a ball!!! You'll be suprised how fun and accurate they are. Just don't expect clover-leafs at 200 yards -- They ain't that kind of gun.

[blixen]

I appreciate all the advice and research I found on this site. I raised the money, but I couldn't get loose to buy the Marlin until this weekend--the seller was an hour from me. It was sold when I called to make arrangements.

So, I'll begin the search again--I've got cash burning a hole in my pocket. What I want is a large bore or something else fun and satisfying to cast for--.44 mag, 45-70, .45 colt, etc.

Besides the Marlin <sigh>--I've looked at a 45-70 NEF, and .44 mag. NEF, (I'm kinda lukewarm about NEF single shots), a .444 Marlin and .44 mag Ruger lever, but the last two are at premium prices.

Again, thanks, I learned a lot from this thread.

[blixen]

I appreciate all the advice and research I found on this site. I raised the money, but I couldn't get loose to buy the Marlin until this weekend--the seller was an hour from me. It was sold when I called to make arrangements.

So, I'll begin the search again--I've got a chunk of cash burning a hole in my pocket. What I want is a large bore or something else fun and satisfying to cast for--.44 mag, 45-70, .45 colt, etc.

Besides the Marlin--I had looked at a 45-70 NEF, and .44 mag. NEF, (I'm kinda lukewarm about NEF single shots), a .444 Marlin and .44 mag Ruger lever, but the last two are at premium prices--more than I got right now.

Again, thanks, I learned a lot from this thread.

BTW, over thinking is half the fun.

[smkummer]

Like others have stated. jacketed bullets are very accurate out of a microgroove and I have discovered that as cast 200 Lee FP boolits work fine and may be as acurate if I beagle my mold which drops them at about .4315-.432

[Four Fingers of Death]

If you don't want to use a scope,check out the Rossi. Hell for stout, simple, cheap, what's not to like? The sights are sometimes a bit iffy, but are easily upgraded and it will still be way cheaper than a Marlin.

[WyrTwister]

Thanks, very helpful answers and love Nobade's BP option. I see it as a fun gun, not something for shooting through a moose end to end. (Maybe a jack rabbit.)

2" at Fifty Yards is acceptable. Unfortunately I see the biggest sizer Lee offers is .430.

I see the newer 1894 models are ballard rifling--does that make a huge difference? And is it a faster spiral?

Get the Lee bullet sizer die , a strip of emery cloth , some oil and a dowel rod . Slot the end of the dowel rod with a hack say and slide the emery cloth into the slot . About the middle of the emery cloth .

Chuck the apparatus up in an electric drill motor , wet the inside of the die and the strip of emery cloth with oil . Now start honing the inside of the die . Apply oil repeatedly / liberally .

Stop , clean the die out and size a bullet . Measure the bullet . Keep repeating the process untill the bullets come out the desired size .

God bless
wyr

[WyrTwister]

If you don't want to use a scope,check out the Rossi. Hell for stout, simple, cheap, what's not to like? The sights are sometimes a bit iffy, but are easily upgraded and it will still be way cheaper than a Marlin.

I have Rossies in .357 & .45 LC . Like them better than the Marlin in .44 Mag . Part of that may be the recoil of the .44 Mag .

God bless
wyr

[WyrTwister]

I appreciate all the advice and research I found on this site. I raised the money, but I couldn't get loose to buy the Marlin until this weekend--the seller was an hour from me. It was sold when I called to make arrangements.

So, I'll begin the search again--I've got a chunk of cash burning a hole in my pocket. What I want is a large bore or something else fun and satisfying to cast for--.44 mag, 45-70, .45 colt, etc.

Besides the Marlin--I had looked at a 45-70 NEF, and .44 mag. NEF, (I'm kinda lukewarm about NEF single shots), a .444 Marlin and .44 mag Ruger lever, but the last two are at premium prices--more than I got right now.

Again, thanks, I learned a lot from this thread.

BTW, over thinking is half the fun.

The short barrel NEF .45-70 probably kicks like crazy , with medium to stout loads . The long barreled Buffalo Classic is heavier & probably kicks less ?

The Marlin .45-70 lever guns are a hoot to shoot ( I have two ) . They demand big bullets ( cast lead ) , also .

The Rossie .45-70 , I wonder ........... But I can not justify another .45-70 .

I would get the .45-70 , over the .444 .

Check out the Rossi Lever guns .

God bless
wyr

[Four Fingers of Death]

Ranch Dog, a member here reckons the Rossi 45/70 is the best thing since sliced bread! I fancy one, but they are a bit gawky looking. I am happy with my 444Marlin and my Trapdoor, so I will pass on a Rossi 45/70 at this stage. I have had a couple of 45/70 Marlins, niceeeeeeee rifle.