2 quick Marlin 44 mag questions

[Johnch]

A freind wants to try his Mircro Grove Marlin 44 Mag on Bambi this fall

Of course he is just starting to load , so I will have to lend a hand

What is the Max OAL he can load ?

Will the Lee 310 gr 44 bullet stabilize or is it to long ?

Thanks
John

[Scrounger]

The max OAL will vary from rifle to rifle but the average will be around 1.60". If you want to take out the lifter and work on it, you may increase that length about 0.10". The OAL with any given bullet is what you the reloader make it. The bullet DOES NOT have to be seated so as to crimp in the crimp groove. It can be seated deeper in order to work through the action. If you like, the case itself can be shortened to match up with the bullet crimping groove. Not an unusal situtation at all with Marlins.

[longbow]

My experiences with my microgroove Marlin are not good with boolits much over the length the Greenhills formula gives - 0.72" for 1:38" twist (that makes for about 265 gr. depending on boolit design).

Several other people have told me that they have good success with boolits of 300+ grains though.

Starrbow says he has had good success with WFN boolits and others up to 300 grains if they are pushed hard in 1:38".

I think Ranch Dog has had good accuracy with heavy boolits in slow twist too so maybe contact them for advice.

I'm still working on it and have tried different boolit styles and diameters as well as jacketed (ouch) 300 grainers with no success yet. Up to 265/270 gr. cast shoots nice, heavier doesn't for me.

Also, I was getting a lot of gas cutting until I boosted diameter to 0.434". A gas check design would help here but my moulds are plain base.

Longbow

[Dutch4122]

The throat on my 1894SS .44 Magnum (ballard rifling here) measures at .203" with a jacketed slug seated backwards. I'm definately going to need the lifter modified to accept a longer OAL; so that I can get the boolit a little closer to the lands. I'd recommend checking the throat on your buddies carbine as well. The bore slugged out at .431" on mine and I've been sizing to .433." 1/38 twist here also and with a 280 grn WFNGC groups were definately closing up as I pushed the boolits harder. Still need to correct the OAL issue and give it another try before I'll pass judgement.

Hope this helps,

[6pt-sika]

I've used all three of Ranch Dogs 44 cal bullets in my old 444's (265 , 285 and 300) . And they have all done well .

However in the Marlin 44 MAGS I have the heaviest bullet I've tried is a 250 Lyman SWC GC .

I am in on a group buy for a .432" diameter bullet that is supposed to weigh 330 grains . That may very well be the max I can use in the old 444's . However this coming winter I may very well try the Ranch Dog bullets in my Marlin 1894CB in 44 MAG to see how they do [smilie=1:

[lar45]

many years ago I shot a RCBS 215 GC SWC and with a max load of 2400 it would put 3 into 1.5" or less at 100 yds all the time.(with open sights)(I wish my eyes were as good today) I used a CCI mag pistol primer and Win cases.
That's when I was young and dumb and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get them to all go in the same hole.

[Ranch Dog]

My experience is with my 336-44 and that rifle shoots my 265, 285, and 300 grain bullets very well. OAL for the 265 & 285-grain bullets is 1.56". OAL for the 300-grain bullet is 1.61". I have never had any problems with Micro-Grooved barrels and prefer them. The 336-44 has the same 1:38 twist and again, no problems. I do push all my bullets hard. I hope to have a 1894 one day, I'm looking for a 44P to go with the rest of my "Guide Guns".

[Dale53]

We designed the LEE C430-RF-310 GC to be as short for it's weight as possible (very large meplat). I no longer have a Marlin 44 mag lever action (have a 30-30 and a 45/70) so I can't guarantee that it'll work with the Marlin's but if I were a betting man, I would bet that it would work just fine. It DOES feed well in the Ruger .44 Auto carbine.

You really need to buy a few and try them. Feeding might be a problem with that wide meplat, but only a proper trial will determine it positively.

Dale53

[Four Fingers of Death]

"the Ruger .44 Auto carbine"

Now, there's a nice little rifle!

[Johnch]

We loaded 4 different bullets with a total of 20 loads today
A 215 Gr gc , 250 gr gc RD 280 gc and the 310 Lee ( 2 loads )
I picked moderate to hot loads , expect for the 310 Lee those were close to max


I choise these because I had some sized and waiting to load

I have 100+ lb of 44 bullets ready to size , but I figured use what I had handy
If needed , I have at least 8 other 44 moulds to try that I don't have any cast , probely more

He is at the range as I type to shoot groups
Bigest thing I had to do was insist he clean the rifle
It was all coppered up


John

[JDL]

I've been using the Lee C430-310RF in my Marlin 1894 and 21 grains of H-110 for a velocity around 1550 fps. Functioning is fine with boolit seated at the first crimp groove and accuracy runs about 2" at 100. I did have a stability problem when I used 17 grs. WC-820 at 1350 fps at 100 yards but, would shoot 15 shots into 2.25" at 50 yards with that combination. -JDL

[Marlin Junky]

I've been using the Lee C430-310RF in my Marlin 1894 and 21 grains of H-110 for a velocity around 1550 fps. Functioning is fine with boolit seated at the first crimp groove and accuracy runs about 2" at 100. I did have a stability problem when I used 17 grs. WC-820 at 1350 fps at 100 yards but, would shoot 15 shots into 2.25" at 50 yards with that combination. -JDL

By "first" do you mean forward, leading or top? When I think of first, it's the first one to be covered by the mouth. What alloy are you using?

MJ

[JDL]

By "first" do you mean forward, leading or top? When I think of first, it's the first one to be covered by the mouth. What alloy are you using?

MJ

First one from the base of the boolit which leaves the second one outside the case mouth. Guess I should have said the bottom crimp groove. W/W alloy. -JDL