mold recommendation for 44 mag 1894 marlin?

[Bossdj02]

i just got a brand new 1894 marlin in 44 mag and I'm looking to start casting for this rifle. I've been reloading for years now but never 44 mag. looking to dive into casting and I've been reading a lot on the subject.

the question is what mold would you guys recommend to start with? my barrel is slugged at .432. I've been looking at the lyman 429421 and the 429244. not sure if i should get gas check mold since i plan to powder coat. any suggestions? especially interested in responses from people who also shoot out of a marlin 1894. thanks for any help

[Outpost75]

The semi-wadcutters don't feed reliably in my Marlin lever actions and before ordering a mold I would sure try some to confirm that they actually feed in yours first!

My "go-to" bullet in all of my .44 rifles and revolvers is Accurate 43-230G. This is a double-crimp-groove design which enables you to seat bullets out long in the rear crimp groove to increase powder capacity in the .44 Special and to improve feeding of rounds assembled in the short cases for rifles, or to exploit the longer cylinder length of Ruger revolvers in .44 Magnum. You can alternately crimp in the front crimp groove in .44-40 or .44 magnum brass to maintain factory 1.61" OAL which is needed for reliable feeding in your Marlin.

I don't use a gascheck because I don't feel that one is needed. A caseful of H- or IMR4198 or RL7, compressing the powder about 1/8" as the bullet is seated, in the same manner as if loading black powder, is a powerful and accurate load. You can order Accurate molds to drop the diameter you want, using the alloy you intend to use.

If you really wanted a GC bullet Tom could cut this design for you adding a 0.090" long GC heel below the bevel base and the bullet would then weigh about 265 grains. I don't powder coat, but if you wanted a bullet with the crimp grooves only and no lube groove, or just a few tiny grooves, he can do that too.

Best of all, when ordering an Accurate mold you get a custom mold cut to fit YOUR specs, to fit YOUR gun, using YOUR alloy, and delivery time is only about 3 weeks. This is MUCH better than waiting around for a "group buy" to come together which is then a compromise based on somebody else's ideas, which may not even fit your gun.

I own over a dozen Accurate molds and am done forever with "group buys..."

206613206614

[Shuz]

From my experience with the .44 mag in lever rifles, a RNFP design will feed much easier than a SWC design like either the 429421 or the 429244. Also, since you have determined your bbl's diameter as .432, you are gonna need a mould that throws a .433 to .434 boolit. None of the Lyman .44 moulds I've had down thru the years ever dropped more than .431.
I use an MP-433-640L design in my Winchesters and Rossi 92. This mould drops at .434 and weighs about 225g. It is plain based. I also use the MP-433-640reg which is a clone of the Lyman 429640, and is a gas check designed mould. This design weighs about 255g. I am presently having a ball with this design without a gas check, and stoked with 7.0g of Trail Boss.

[brewer12345]

Part of the answer probably depends on what you plan on doing with this boolit. Hunting? Punching paper? Screaming hot loads?

Based on the fun I have had with my marlin, I would suggest you stick to RNFP molds. Truncated cone might work (it does in mine), SWC might or might not.

[Thumbcocker]

NOE offers Ranch Dog designed RNFP specifically designed for Marlins they cast a bit plump to fit Marlin bores.

[mdi]

I was looking for a bullet for my Puma which had an oversize barrel and Ranch Dog's RNFP was suggested. RD designed his .44 bullets for hunting with a .44 Magnum rifle, perhaps it was a Marlin. I got the 265 gr mold and found the bullet, dip lubed with 45-45-10, to be accurate in all 5 of my .44 Magnums and since acquired a 240 gr mold. Both bullets feed wonderfully on my Puma and perform quite well in my S&W 629, Ruger SBH, 10" Contender and Dan Wesson...

[wmitty]

Remember the slow twist rate rifling in the Marlin and don't go with too long of a boolit and wind up with keyholes on your paper targets.

[Greg G]

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-250G-D.png

[Bossdj02]

thanks guys!! you guys are a wealth of info! exactly what i wanted to know

[Jack Stanley]

I bought an LBT 250 grain that was similar in profile to the Remington jacketed soft points . It's never hung up in my Marlin .

Jack

[mehavey]

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5981900&postcount=5
http://i59.tinypic.com/21dlz45.jpg
Actual velocity 1,630fps

[Texas by God]

The semi-wadcutters don't feed reliably in my Marlin lever actions and before ordering a mold I would sure try some to confirm that they actually feed in yours first!

My "go-to" bullet in all of my .44 rifles and revolvers is Accurate 43-230G. This is a double-crimp-groove design which enables you to seat bullets out long in the rear crimp groove to increase powder capacity in the .44 Special and to improve feeding of rounds assembled in the short cases for rifles, or to exploit the longer cylinder length of Ruger revolvers in .44 Magnum. You can alternately crimp in the front crimp groove in .44-40 or .44 magnum brass to maintain factory 1.61" OAL which is needed for reliable feeding in your Marlin.

I don't use a gascheck because I don't feel that one is needed. A caseful of H- or IMR4198 or RL7, compressing the powder about 1/8" as the bullet is seated, in the same manner as if loading black powder, is a powerful and accurate load. You can order Accurate molds to drop the diameter you want, using the alloy you intend to use.

If you really wanted a GC bullet Tom could cut this design for you adding a 0.090" long GC heel below the bevel base and the bullet would then weigh about 265 grains. I don't powder coat, but if you wanted a bullet with the crimp grooves only and no lube groove, or just a few tiny grooves, he can do that too.

Best of all, when ordering an Accurate mold you get a custom mold cut to fit YOUR specs, to fit YOUR gun, using YOUR alloy, and delivery time is only about 3 weeks. This is MUCH better than waiting around for a "group buy" to come together which is then a compromise based on somebody else's ideas, which may not even fit your gun.

I own over a dozen Accurate molds and am done forever with "group buys..."

206613206614That is a sweet 150th birthday Texas Smith! Great da shooting with that 44-40, Outpost.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[W.R.Buchanan]

thanks guys!! you guys are a wealth of info! exactly what i wanted to know

OK: here's some more pertinent info that seems to get lost here everytime this subject comes up. (frequently.)

Most of these rifles will not feed SWC's Reliably or at all for that matter. However simply chamfering the chamber mouth .040-.050 solves this problem permanently, and it also makes the gun run smoother with any other style of boolit too. See a pic at the bottom for what this looks like and that gun feeds anything as fast as you can run the lever.

There is a substantial difference between .429421 and 429244 and that is 244 is a gas check and has a much smaller step on the profile. It feeds easier and is my goto boolit for this rifle.

If you are planning on loading .44 Mags up to anything close to full power you need the 429244 mould with the gas check and even if you are going to PC. My gun runs this boolit at 1600fps+ and that is well into Gas Check territory. Loads duplicating Factory Jacketed loads will be running between 1800 and 2000 fps. Way too fast for plain based boolits.

Anything below that in the midrange area of 1000-1200 fps 429421 is fine and especially if powder coated.

I powder coat both for use in my rifle and revolvers and the performance is excellent. I mainly shoot Cowboy Silhouette with mine and rams at 200 meters are no problem with either boolit in either the rifle or revolvers.

The only other problem running these in a Marlin is the overall length of the cartridge needs to be kept below about 1.650. Marlin claims 1.610 as Max, but my guns lifter is unmodified and it feeds these boolits loaded to 1.675-.680 (crimped in the groove) just fine. YMMV. It is also easy to move the step on the lifter back .030-.040 with a file and that will cure the problem for good if it exists in the first place.

These guns are easy to take apart and put back together and instructions are included or available on Youtube or just the internet.

There is a few easy to do things that you can do to vastly improve the way your new gun runs and these are all available at www.leverguns.com . None of these require a gunsmith and if you can operate Sand Paper and a File you can do them easily. Also you can do as many or as few as you feel comfortable doing. I personally don't mess with the triggers on these guns a whole lot as they are easy to ruin, but parts are readily available and not too expensive. Lighter hammer and triggers springs make a big difference. These mods make the gun run much smoother and that is a good thing.

There are also other boolits that are very good in these guns. The Lee 429-310 is an excellent heavy boolit for hunting but must be ran hard in order to deliver good accuracy. Also Lyman 429640 is an excellent boolit. Beartooth bullets sells an LBT Wide Flat Nose (WFN) boolit that is a serious one with about a .350 Meplat, however unless you chamfer your chamber mouth the front edge of the boolit will gouge into the sharp chamber mouth and hang up everytime. I consider this simple mod as mandatory and why the factory hasn't figured this out is beyond me. (I have told them about it numerous times) It should be done during the chambering of the barrels when it would be simple to integrate into the chambering reamer.

These are great guns and I love mine to death. Hope yours works out well for you. The .44 Special/Magnum cartridges are among the most versatile Rifle/Pistol cartridges there is and having a good revolver to go along with your rifle is something you should look seriously at. You would be good to go for anything in N/A and most of the rest of the world as well. I mean from Rats to large antelope like Elk, Moose etc.

it's all in the loads you run.

I would also recommend one of these tools for reloading your .44's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEpYQMdnxHY&t=3s

Randy

[Bossdj02]

My "go-to" bullet in all of my .44 rifles and revolvers is Accurate 43-230G.
t
206613206614

what type of lead mix do u use to cast with that mold?

i was planning on purchasing some pure lead of ebay and casting with that once I decided on a mold. i rather not gas check since i already had powder coating supplies from a previous project and plan to pc.

[Bossdj02]

Part of the answer probably depends on what you plan on doing with this boolit. Hunting? Punching paper? Screaming hot loads?

Based on the fun I have had with my marlin, I would suggest you stick to RNFP molds. Truncated cone might work (it does in mine), SWC might or might not.

punching paper mostly. :D

[myg30]

WR B, Really good info on the Marlin there. I use same molds but not sure if my gate was modified by the previous owner. My load fine and shoot well.
Good video too. My wife heard your voice and asked me if I did the video ? Lol ! First reloading video my wife has ever watched. Thank you.

Mike

[Surfdog]

I’ll definately second what Shuz states. I followed his advice and for the same rifle as you have, purchased a MP 433-640 plain base. Where my Lyman 429421 does not stabilize, the MP bullets are surprisingly accurate. 6.5 gr of Winchester 231 over the boolit makes for a very potent “big .22”

Surfdog



From my experience with the .44 mag in lever rifles, a RNFP design will feed much easier than a SWC design like either the 429421 or the 429244. Also, since you have determined your bbl's diameter as .432, you are gonna need a mould that throws a .433 to .434 boolit. None of the Lyman .44 moulds I've had down thru the years ever dropped more than .431.
I use an MP-433-640L design in my Winchesters and Rossi 92. This mould drops at .434 and weighs about 225g. It is plain based. I also use the MP-433-640reg which is a clone of the Lyman 429640, and is a gas check designed mould. This design weighs about 255g. I am presently having a ball with this design without a gas check, and stoked with 7.0g of Trail Boss.

[Gtek]

A fine ball stone on 1/4" shaft mounted in dowel or tube makes short order of chamfering chamber mouth. Also some research into internals and some small polishing and sharp edges removed makes you get a new rifle twice!

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have a Marlin 44 Mag carbine and it has Micro Grove rifling. I found out that your cast bullets should be slightly oversized or you will get a very heavy leaded barrel. After long hours of scrubbing I finally got the lead out. A friend gave me some bullets cast 431 as I recall and after firing them the barrel there was no leading.

[44Blam]

I got a 4 boolit mold from Accurate that has two designs:
2 cavities are: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-240A-D.png
2 cavities are: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-240AG-D.png

I load the 240A a little lighter (Unique/Trailboss) and load the 240AG pretty stout (W296/2400). Both designs shoot great in my Ruger Redhawk and also shoot great in my Henry lever rifle. Both are a kind of swc shape, but they both cycle with no issues.