New marlin 44 mag - load info

[tygar]

Just got a NIB new model 44mag, basically by letting my bidding finger get stupid. Low ball bids get me a lot of stuff I don't need.

So, I have read here that these Marlins don't like heavier bullets & was wondering what the consensus is on proper bullet weight for it.

Have the Rossi & it takes anything I have tried up to the 300gr.

Some info might save some powder & lead being wasted.

Thanks

[Outpost75]

Mine likes Saeco #430 265-grain RFN with a compressed caseful of 4198 or RL7.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The one 44 mag 1894s, that I use to own (microgroove barrel) would shoot the Ranch Dog 265gr but I never got groups better than 3 MOA at 100 yds...and I never shot over 100 yds.

[longbow]

I tried boolits and bullets up to 300 gr. and in my experience with the designs I used 270 gr. was a long as would stabilize properly.

RanchDog told me his design in 300 gr. would stabilize out to 300 yards if pushed with heavy loads and I have also been told that WFN designs will stabilize with heavy loads.

I tried an RNFP in 300 grs. and they were sideways by 100 yards using max H110 loads. I also tried Hornady 300 gr. TC "J" bullets and got the same results.

Lighten up the boolit to 265/270 grs. and they were stable to 200 yards which is as far as I shot with them.

In the end I decided I didn't need a boolit heavier than 270 gr. so didn't pursue the heavy weights any further.

My go to powder is IMR4227. I find it does everything I want and I can also use it in my .308 and .303's. It does not give quite the top end velocities of H110 but is more versatile in that it can be loaded at less than max. charges and with a variety of boolit weights down to pretty light for .44 mag., and it works in other calibers.

A point to check is to slug your bore. Mine runs 0.4315" so needs a "fat" boolit. I cast no less than 0.433" and generally shoot as cast with good results.

When you slug you bore run the slug all the way through and feel carefully for tight spots. I read on the Marlinowners site that there can be tight spots under the roll stamping and dovetails and so there was in mine so I hand lapped the tight spots out. That and using fat boolits improved accuracy bunches and eliminated leading which I was suffering from before.

My gun is microgroove and 1:38" twist.

Ah, and another point is boolit design. my gun did not like SWC's at all and would not feed reliably. RNFP's were fine but the blunt SWC's hung up on both the nose and front driving band. I did much work to get them to feed. So beware and maybe try out some different styles of boolit before buying.

My favourite mould is my Mihec 434640 which casts at 270 gr. solid and down to 260 or so with the large HP.

Longbow

[knifemaker]

I have found that the Marlin 94 does like oversized boolits of around .432-.433 and I had my best luck in the weight range of 240 to 265 gr. using a max or near max load of W296 or H110. never tried 2400, but I would not be surprised if it will also be a good powder. The main key is slug the barrel grove dia., will probably be around .431 and go 1 thousand larger if it will chamber.

[winelover]

I use 2400, exclusively, in my 1894 Marlin. With NOE's copy of RD's 265 RNFP solid, 16 grains of 2400, WLP, sized .4325, yields 10 shot groups of 2 MOA @ 50 yards, sitting, off just a tripod front rest.

Winelover

[ReloaderFred]

The Marlins were bored to the SAAMI spec of .431", but only God and the gun manufacturers know why they adopted that diameter for .44 Magnum rifle bores. Like I explained to the Remington/Marlin rep at the last SHOT Show, nobody makes a commercial bullet in .431" diameter. He said he'd bring it up to the engineers and try to get it changed, and he did take notes while I was talking, so maybe there's hope.

My Marlin .44 Magnum 1894 also slugs at .431", and prefers bullets of at least that diameter. I get fair accuracy with .430" bullets, but nothing to write home about.

My most accurate Marlin rifle is the .41 Magnum, hands down. That one is such a pleasure to shoot, but it just doesn't get enough play these days, since my .357 Magnum Marlins get most of the use.

Even with that said, I prefer my Marlin .44 Magnum to my Winchester 94 in that caliber. The Marlin just feels better and is smoother.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Outpost75]

Diameter is based on the original lead, gaschecked bullet loaded in the .44 Magnum when first introduced and hasn't been changed since the 1950s.

[W.R.Buchanan]

LongBow: you did chamfer your Chamber Mouth right? That's all you have to do to get SWC's to run right.

Randy

[tygar]

Sorry but forgot to mention, mine is about the standard .431/.4255 L&G. Sluged it right after new gun cleaning.

I have a bunch of molds from 200-310 or so. I shoot the 200-250s in Smiths, & only shoot the heavier stuff in SRH & Rossi.

The above info about Jacket bullets sideways at 100 makes me wonder about it shooting the 429 jackets with any accuracy.

The Rossi shoots cast & jacket good.

[Duckiller]

My Marlin throws 270 gr Gold dots to the right, if I am remembering correctly. Definitely throw one way, can't remember which way for sure. Really like Hornady 265 gr FN, #4300. Assorted 185-240 gr projectiles work fine. Biggest problem I have is finding a cast boolit that is shot enough to feed in the Marlin. My 429421 that I use in revolvers is way too long. I would welcome any suggestions. Would like to have a 240-265 gr cast boolit. Haven't tried the 300gr boolits but based on experience with the Gold Dots don't think my gun would stabilize them.

[Airman Basic]

172385The Lee 240 grain RN feeds through my Marlin pretty slick. Accurate too.

[ReloaderFred]

With cast bullets, you can crimp wherever you need to be for the proper OAL, as long as you're not crimping into the lube groove or over the ogive. I mostly ignore the crimp groove and just crimp into the side of the bullet for my Marlins.

Some will tell you this will result in accuracy problems, but not in my informal testing from the bench with my Marlins. The bullet gets deformed when it hits the rifling, so my conclusion is that where you crimp has no bearing on the accuracy at lever rifle distances.

If you seat the bullet deeper, you'll do well to work up your load again though, especially if you're loading at maximum. Experiment with the bullet you have and seat until it will feed. As long as you're not into the ogive, it should work fine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[longbow]

Randy:

of all the work I did to that Marlin, I did not know about chamfering the chamber mouth at the time... so no I didn't. However, my cartridges were actually hanging up on the meplat of the boolit they tipped so high on the carrier. I wound up filing the contours of the carrier and now they feed just fine. I do suffer form letting two through now though on occasion but have not disassembled to figure out just why. I certainly do not have the groove peened into the bottom of the carrier to affect timing so I am not sure what it is yet. Maybe I buy a new carrier?

But I digress from the thread topic.

Longbow

[Shuz]

My favourite mould is my Mihec 434640 which casts at 270 gr. solid and down to 260 or so with the large HP.

Longbow[/QUOTE]

I have two favorites for my Winnie 94 .44 mags and my Rossi 92. They are both RNFP's and weigh about 225g. They are the MP-434640L, with several hp pins, and a 6C custom Lee 44-225.