Bitten by the 444 bug!

[oldred]

Between rain storms the last couple of days a friend and I got to play with his H&R Handi in 444 Marlin, just as the title says I got bitten by the 444 bug and now have contracted a severe case of 444 fever! That's the first time I had ever shot one of those rounds and in fact it was the first time I had actually even held one of the cartridges, to say I was impressed would be an understatement. For the last year or so I have been in the process of building a 38-55 that was originally intended to be a 45-90 but since I already have one 45-90 I changed my mind and decided to do it in 38-55, looks as if it has been changed again! Fortunately I have not yet acquired a barrel for the 38-55 so at this stage going with the bigger 44 will be no problem. Knowing little about the 444 I have a couple of questions, barrel length and twist rate? Bullet style and weight? Any other suggestions?

BTW, this will be a HighWall and I would like to outfit it with a mid-weight octagon barrel but I don't yet have a clue as to what I need to look for as far as twist rate, etc?

[BAGTIC]

I have a HighWall that is a rebored 30-06. I had it done with a 16 inch twist and no complaints.

[500Linebaughbuck]

not another one!!!!

i have a tc encore that is 444 marlin with a 24" MGM barrel and a 1 in 20" twist. it is very accurate!!! i used a 200 - 280gr gc wfn/lfn/hp/ranch dog/swc/wc. i have done 2300fps(275gr rd) to around 1200fps(200gr swc). i have done trail boss, unique, 2400, h4198, rel 7, h322..... my load now is a 280gr gc wfn with 25.5gr of 2400 that goes around(no chrono) 1700fps. soon i want to go to 300gr saeco or 310gr lee over a charge of 2400. i download the 444 because of my shoulder hurts when i go full bore on the 444.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/
is a good place to go to 444 marlin.

there is guy on the other forum that swears by his 455gr safari grade(its a custom mould). you can find out that the 444 is truly a handloaders dream!!! 180gr all the way up to 455gr boolits on speeds that are wimpy(like me) and speeds that will knock your socks off!!!

i still don't know much about the triple 4, but i have done much with it!!!

[GhostHawk]

I have a handi rifle in .444marlin that is one of my 2 best shooters of all my guns.

According to the FAQ over at GBO twist rate is ".444 Marlin 1:20"

I do tend to load mine quite light. .44mag moderate loads essentially in .444marlin brass.

Makes for happy shoulders and longer sessions.

However I had my best accuracy with the Lee 310 gr .430 clone over 13 grains of Red Dot.

10 grains also shot well, and I need to get more range time with 6 grains over a lighter bullet.
Last time I had it out both the scope and scope base had worked loose and I did not accomplish much.

I LIKE mine, you can load it mild to wild and it will get the job done.

But I got my new .45colt barrel out to the range yesterday and it was trying its dammedest to give me cloverleafs. Opperator error and only a Red Dot sight left me with this. Shot at 25 and 50 yards.

[OlDeuce]

I sent my winchester barrel to Taylor Machine in Washington !! We did a.429 with a 1:18 twist and my MGM 24" is a 1:20 twist and can't tell the difference
between the two !!! I chambered both barrels to 2.080 !!! which is Hornady's short .444 case !!! and I load with 2400 under a 310gr GC & 200gr RN !! The
44mag loads are nice ! and you can go up depending on "age" LoL.............Ol Deuce