Did someshooting today.

[grubbylabs]

I shot my 444 and 44 through a chronograph a few weeks ago and found out that my 444 is traveling about 2130 FPS and my 44 is going about 1100 FPS. I am loading 42.5 grains of IMR 4198 under a RD 265 GC boolit and the 44 is getting 19 grains of 296 with the same bullet. After lube and GC the boolit come in at 270 grains so I have been loading using Speer's data since they give loads for a 270 grain boolit. Both charges are just above minimum for the boolit they list.

So today I took about 1 1/2 feet of wet phone book to the range with me today to see what I would get. I wound up propping it all up against about a 13" round piece of pine. I shot the 44 from about 25 yards and the 444 from about 50 yards. Some of the boolits shed their gas checks but not all of them. All the boolits went clear through the phone books and about 10" into the pine log. It was sure fun to shoot. The 444 had a bigger impact of the phone books. The 444 blew the back side out of all the phone books while the 44 left a slightly messy hole like someone went through it with a drill to fast. Over all I think I should be pleased with the penetration of the boolit.

I was kinda surprised that the boolit retained most of its shape except for one that went though at an angle and it was pretty miss shaped and only weighed in at 221 grains without the gas check when I got it home. I think it shed the gas check in the phone books or something.

So what do you all think of the performance? Good bear loads?

[looseprojectile]

is a great boolit.
If you are shooting it in a Marlin 94 that ain't enough powder!
That one in 38 twist needs more velocity. Quite a bit more.

My shooting partner uses that load in his Rossi 92 and it puts down a steer for butchering with finality. Hundred yard accuracy not so good even with one in thirty twist.

For a bear load I would go with the loads suggested by Ranch Dog himself on his website.
I have a lot of respect for the 444 but have never owned one. Maybe someday if I live long enough.
With really soft alloy sometimes you get more penetration with less velocity because the boolit doesn't upset as much.

Life is good

[NickSS]

It depends on the type of bear you are hunting. They should do the trick just fine for a nice sized black bear but if you are talking an Alaskan Brown Bear or Kodiak Bear you want much more power. In fact I like a 45-70 with a 400 gr bullet at 1850 fps and I think that is just adequate. A nice 375 H&H Mag or 458 win mag is better.

[grubbylabs]

If you are shooting it in a Marlin 94 that ain't enough powder!
That one in 38 twist needs more velocity. Quite a bit more.

It is a Win 94 and it shoots quite nicely at 50 yards. At some point when I get the money I am going to put a peep on it. Those loads are pretty stiff on the recoil as it is.