Is anyone shooting a 444 14" Contender?

[Harpy]

I have started shooting my 444 14" Contender again. I usually shoot either a 300grWFN or 250gr jacketed spitzer bullet and was wondering if any of you tried the 429244 in it? I don't really need the a 300gr bullet for deer or plinking, especially don't need the recoil. The price of copper for the jackets is a little pricey $$$$ to make the spitzer bullets. Anyway, my blend is WW with about 1.5% tin both air cooled and/or water dropped and are appx. 255grs with a GC.
I have read some excellent posts by slughammer and would like to know if any of you had any experience shooting the 429244 bullet in a contender.

Thanks
Harpy

[Glen]

Yes, I shoot a .444 Marlin Contender, in fact I'll be taking it on a buffalo hunt in just over a month. Yes, I have shot the 429244 (in both SWC and HP form) in the .444 Contender, and it works just fine. If your barrel is cut with the SAAMI chamber, then you'll have to seat the bullet deeper than the crimp groove to get it to chamber. Off the top of my head I don't recall the exact load I was using, other than it was a moderate load of 4198 that generated about 1900 fps (40.0 grains 4198?). The 429244 at 1900 fps would be a good hunting load.

I also played around with the 429244 HP with the same load and it produced dramatic expansion to say the least! I wouldn't recommend using the HP version on anything much larger than a mule deer, and I would expect a lot of bloodshot meat at this speed (cast HPs really work better at more modest velocities, e.g. around 1600 fps).

[Harpy]

Glen,
I shot my 14” T/C with my 429244 KSCW 255gr WWWD GC 40.0 IMR4198.WLRP and wrapped with teflon. It produced ¾"@50yds. I just had to fine-tune the bullet seating depth. This load and bullet/load combination was a lot easer on the wrist than the 300gr bullet and loads I normally shoot. I can't wait to shoot the load @ 100yds.........

Thanks
Harpy

[26Charlie]

About 20 years ago a friend was shooting his .444 Contender over the chronograph, with some heavy CB load, 4198 or 3031 powder - don't remember the exact details, but he was getting about 1650 f/s. I said just for fun shoot some of my .44 Mag loads out of it, 429421 250 gr. over 22.5 gr H-110. He was discomfited to see them turn up 1750 f/s.