Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
11-29-2017, 02:48 PM
Using a cast bullet made for the Marlin .444 which my son owns, I have been developing or attempting to develop accurate loads for a .44mag which I'm firing from a RUGER 77/44 rifle.
So, what am I doing posting here? Well, there are a lot of .444 lovers, the Marlin Forum having a whole section devoted to this cartridge.
So, on to my results with the .444 bullet.
I have yet to achieve the accuracy I desire with this cast 280gr Wide Flat Nose bullet in the .44mag, while this bullet shoots well in my son's triple 4. The best groups I am seeing are right at 3" at 100yds, so figured this little rifle was a 100yd deer rifle at best.
Have a new 240gr WFN mold waiting for it's first casting session and hope to get groups in the 2" or less range without the amount of testing I've already done with the range of powders used.
But anyway, With the results seen on my two 2017 white tails using this bullet, the .444 with an expected higher velocity would be a real thumper.
My first deer which filled my antlerless tag was taken at 95 - 100yds and the doe dropped at the shot with the bullet making a complete pass through behind the shoulders.
The nice 4X5 buck taken this past Friday afternoon/evening filling my remaining 2017 tag was at about 50 +/- yards and dropped at the shot.
The buck was facing me so I placed the shot into the neck and the bullet exited through a shoulder.
Impressed, YES! The cast bullet plowed through a lot of neck bone and the shoulder blade before exiting and this when fired from a .44mag rifle.
There was more devastation then I expected and can only think that a similar shot taken with the triple 4 would be MUCH more so, but there would have been a lot of secondary projectiles due to the bone fragments.
But, with this experience using the .44 mag handgun cartridge with the cast triple 4 bullet, the .444 in the typical rifle configuration would be a real get er done hunting rifle with a good cast bullet!!!!
Anyway, set out to do what I wanted to do, taking my 2017 deer with this little rifle and a cast bullet and should my groups improve with the bullets from the new Accurate Mold, my 45/70 and the 465gr WFN cast just may see more rack time during future deer seasons.
Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
So, what am I doing posting here? Well, there are a lot of .444 lovers, the Marlin Forum having a whole section devoted to this cartridge.
So, on to my results with the .444 bullet.
I have yet to achieve the accuracy I desire with this cast 280gr Wide Flat Nose bullet in the .44mag, while this bullet shoots well in my son's triple 4. The best groups I am seeing are right at 3" at 100yds, so figured this little rifle was a 100yd deer rifle at best.
Have a new 240gr WFN mold waiting for it's first casting session and hope to get groups in the 2" or less range without the amount of testing I've already done with the range of powders used.
But anyway, With the results seen on my two 2017 white tails using this bullet, the .444 with an expected higher velocity would be a real thumper.
My first deer which filled my antlerless tag was taken at 95 - 100yds and the doe dropped at the shot with the bullet making a complete pass through behind the shoulders.
The nice 4X5 buck taken this past Friday afternoon/evening filling my remaining 2017 tag was at about 50 +/- yards and dropped at the shot.
The buck was facing me so I placed the shot into the neck and the bullet exited through a shoulder.
Impressed, YES! The cast bullet plowed through a lot of neck bone and the shoulder blade before exiting and this when fired from a .44mag rifle.
There was more devastation then I expected and can only think that a similar shot taken with the triple 4 would be MUCH more so, but there would have been a lot of secondary projectiles due to the bone fragments.
But, with this experience using the .44 mag handgun cartridge with the cast triple 4 bullet, the .444 in the typical rifle configuration would be a real get er done hunting rifle with a good cast bullet!!!!
Anyway, set out to do what I wanted to do, taking my 2017 deer with this little rifle and a cast bullet and should my groups improve with the bullets from the new Accurate Mold, my 45/70 and the 465gr WFN cast just may see more rack time during future deer seasons.
Crusty Deary Ol'Coot