new to me marlin 1894.

[Maine1]

Picked this up the other day.

Having been a 44 magnum fan for..ever ( the first gun I bought when I was 18 -ok, my dad did so with my $- was a ruger super Blackhawk) I had some loads that were left from the 04 is era that I loaded for my old redhawk ( which like a fool I SOLD). The blachhawk is still in the family though.

Anyhoo….after a few days I got a chance to shoot it in the door yard....I was expecting decent accuracy. I got KEYHOLES...KEYHOLES at 30 yards..keyholes at 10 feet!


You can understand my concern. The gun is a 70s vintage, with microgrooves. And this was a Magtec 240 gr JHP.

Dug into my stashed 44 mag components for some XTPs...pushed by 18 gr of 2400......gun groups nicely, though ill have to drift he rear sight a skosh.



Since ive tried some cast in my MG 45-70....with no real luck yet, I am concerned that I will not be able to get this to shoot with cast boolets, and that dog don't hunt. I like to have guns that eat anything, or at least a good cast load, and a good jacketed load.


I was going to start by ordering some .431-.433 boolets, trying them, and then getting a mold from there.

also researching the **** out of it here.

[dragon813gt]

The bullets were sized to small. 44 mag rifles have a larger bore diameter. Shoot the correct size bullets and you won’t have a problem.

[380AUTO]

Those Marin’s require a fatter bullet .432 should work just fine. Works in mine

[Maine1]

Both the XTP and the magtec miked at .429.
I just determined the marlin does not like the magtecs.

[longbow]

There is your problem ".429" as stated, .44 mag rifles to SAAMI spec have a 0.431" groove diameter. Don't ask why they just do. When I got my 1894 I went out right away and bought the very best boolit mould for .44 mags. ~ the Lyman 42941 Keith SWC design. Well, accuracy was mediocre to poor and it leaded. Took me a bit to figure out why but that mould cast ACWW to 0.429" but the rifle had a 0.4315" groove diameter. Since the mould selection we have now was not available I made myself a simple push out mould (like the old Ideal Cylindrical moulds) that cast to 0.432" and solved the problem.

I now have Mihec, Lee and Accurate moulds that cast 0.433" to 0.435" and all work well in my gun.

Feed it fat boolits and keyholes should go away!

Also, watch for nose length. My gun was also very picky about COAL and did not like the Lyman 429421 which when seated to crimp groove gives longer COAL than factory so feeding was an issue. Even seated deeper the SWC design did not feed reliably. RNFP works well and the Ranch Dog design is very good. NOE has a clone of Ranch Dog's design.

Longbow

[bikerbeans]

Your 94 is junk, send it to me for proper disposal.

BB

[44magLeo]

I got my 1894 in 44 Mag in 1978. My first mold was the Lyman 429421. It worked well in my rifle and my Ruger SBH.
With wheel weights the mold threw them out at about .432 and 265 grs. Shot them as cast. Lubed by hand with several stick lubes. Tried the cake cutter, better than by hand. Once I found Lee's Liquid Alox I gave up on the stick lubes. They do make good flux for casting.
I seated them to the crimp groove for both guns. Never a hitch with either.
Found a good cast load of that Keith bullet with 21 grs 2400. Same as the Ruger's load. Both shot to around 2 inches at 100.
It kills deer well from both guns two.
I lost that first mold in a move. The replacement didn't cast as large or as heavy. .430 and 250 grs. It don't shoot very well.
I recently got the NOE version of Ranch Dogs 265 gr boolit. Seem to shoot better. Need to play with it more.
Leo

[Warhawk]

Like others have said, 44 Mag handgun and 44 Mag rifle have different SAAMI specs.

Also, nearly all 44 Mag rifles have 1:38 twist barrels, extremely slow twist. In comparison, most 45 Colt rifles are 1:20 twist.

[waco]

I just cast up and sized some Accurate 43-240AT @ .433"http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=43-240AT-D.png
They feed like butter in my 1894 Marlin .44 Mag.
Going out this weekend to shoot them. Just installed a new Skinner Peep on the rifle as well.

[waco]

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...43-240AT-D.png

[dverna]

The Marlin 1894 is one of my favorite rifles.

Take the advice above and it should work out for you. You need to clean the barrel well after shooting jacketed bullets and going to cast.

[jstanfield103]

Don, this maybe a stupid question. But why would you have to clean the bore really well between jacketed and cast ? This is something I am not familiar with.

[winelover]

You don't...............old wives tale, perpetrated by the internet. Others will say it, differently. My experience after 40 years of shooting cast. If you think about it, gas checks are gliding metal, just like J-words.

Winelover

[Drm50]

I've got 3 1894s, 25/20-32/20 & 44mg. The two small bores shoot cast better than jackets. My 44mg is a 1970
1894SR and is only one I shoot jackets in. Also 240gr XTP/ 21.5g of H-2400, for deer. Cast I shoot 240gr SWC
GC sized 430"/ 19gr 2400. I am going to try H-110 loads which some are claiming better than 2400 in carbines.
The 240gr JHP/ 21.5g load was for my SBH and have had same load since 1964 and still have the gun.

[jstanfield103]

Winelover,
That is what I figured. I usually do the opposite. I shoot cast and then I shoot 1 round of jacketed at the end.

[robg]

Cast or jacketed both shoot fine without cleaning between types of boolit if they fit right .

[Norske]

My 1894 (Ballard rifled) shoots jacketed bullets much better than the cast bullets my Ruger SBH prefers. The Marlin rifling isn't as deep, and of course the twist is 1 in 38".