.444 mold recommendations

[Marlin Junky]

I just picked up a used 444P and would like some mold recommendations. I want to start out with heavy weight boolits at handgun type speeds and I want to use a soft alloy that will expand on predators. I thought about the Lyman Devastator but I want to be able to cast a couple hundred per casting session without wearing myself out. I figure a gaschecked bullet cast of stick-on WW metal might be pretty interesting at 1000 to 1500 fps. The barrel mikes about .4305" at the muzzle and has the 1:20" twist.

MJ

[TRM]

Get A ranch dog mold you wont be disapointed

[Lloyd Smale]

hands down the best 444 mold ive got for my 2 ps is the ballisctic cast 340 lfngc. It has two crimp groves so you can seat on the deap grove for the marlins and seat them out for rugers. Its a very accuate bullet, penetrates likes theres no tommarow and has done real well on game. Biggest shot with it are 2 caribou but it sliced through them like butter and dropped them both within 10 yards.

[Scrounger]

No gas checks needed at your intended velocities. And any weight .44 bullet will do in varmints without expanding. At those velocities there would be little or no expansion anyway. The .444 gives you high end capability on deer and elk, but for varmints you would be better served with a .357. A 125 grain bullet at 2K does varmints quite well. If you just want the .444 because you want it, any bullet, gas check or flat base will meet the requirements you posted.

[Marlin Junky]

... but for varmints you would be better served with a .357. A 125 grain bullet at 2K does varmints quite well. If you just want the .444 because you want it, any bullet, gas check or flat base will meet the requirements you posted.

I want to throw a heavy, soft lead slug (I don't shoot jacketed bullets) at low speed and not just any .44 mold will do in the 444P because of the generous groove diameter. When I said predators, I meant coyotes and cougars lurking around my house and I want to make sure they don't get away.

MJ

[Marlin Junky]

hands down the best 444 mold ive got for my 2 ps is the ballisctic cast 340 lfngc. It has two crimp groves so you can seat on the deap grove for the marlins and seat them out for rugers. Its a very accuate bullet, penetrates likes theres no tommarow and has done real well on game. Biggest shot with it are 2 caribou but it sliced through them like butter and dropped them both within 10 yards.

Thanks Lloyd... I'll look into that.

OK, those are a little pricey for me right now. Of the big-three (Lyman, RCBS & SAECO) who's molds are dropping boolits that 'mike' .431" or better? I do want a gascheck design and I want it too cast a boolit at least 250 grains.

Thanks,
MJ

[Marlin Junky]

Get A ranch dog mold you wont be disapointed

Are those Aluminum molds cut by Lee?

MJ

[TRM]

Yes they are

[leftiye]

Go to a Lee custom, or Mountain Molds, have it made the way you want. At the lower velocities, the 1 in 20 wont stabilize too heavy a boolit (lower velocity = slower rpms), but maybe 325 grs would work. At higher velocities I'm looking for a 400 grainer for my .444. At higher that 1200 fps impact velocity, soft lead will expand. Faster, and some (50/50 WW/pure) harder alloys do well about expanding too.

[EDK]

Look at the bottom of the page for RANCH DOG MOULDS. He has some nice designs specifically for MARLINS. Everyone pretty much agrees on .432 diameter for any 44 or 444 MARLINS. I've got the TLC 432 265 six cavity...it may awhile until he has the 300 (and 350!) available in six cavity moulds. I have other brands (and like them) but I'm using the LEEs most often.

The aluminum moulds are the answer to high production and less fatigue. I have "learned to love" the LEE six cavity moulds for an all day casting session when the wife is away and the weather is decent enough for my patio casting site. I like to cast up 3 pound coffee cans full of boolits and then run them through the STAR machine at my leisure.

Do some searches on melting pots...I wouldn't get anything less than a 20 pounder. My next will be a LEE Magnum Melter...I haven't had much luck with bottom pour pots and use either a ladle for handgun boolits or a dipper for big bore rifle. All kinds of folks out here waiting to give you advice and opinions.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Marlin Junky]

I appreciate the replies, but I don't like Aluminum molds (because they don't stand up to 800F casting like ferrous molds) and I use a 40# MasterPot that's set up for dipping only. I'm not a high volume caster/shooter but more of an accuracy buff that shoots about 200 rounds per month. I was hoping someone could tell me which company from the list of Lyman, RCBS and SAECO is currently making molds that drop .432" gascheck boolits.

Thanks,
MJ

[EDK]

If you want a .432, I would suggest getting the design you want in an IRON mould from SAECO, RCBS or LYMAN....and casting them out of a hard alloy...like pure linotype or harder. I bought 200+ pounds of foundry type...off the charts on my SAECO tester IIRC..and didn't realize what I had. I had a large supply of wheel weights so I sold the foundry type for twice what I paid for it after it sat in the shed awhile. My elderly LYMAN 429244, bought used in 1972, usually gives an unsized diameter of .432+ and it ran .437 with the straight foundry type. Trying to run those "big bad boys" through a LYMAN or STAR lubri-sizer is a good way to wreck a machine!

If money isn't a consideration, go to BALLISTI-CAST web site and pick one out. The lady on the phone quoted A WEEK delivery time on whatever I ordered, but a four cavity is about $200 plus handles; a six is $300 plus handles! (If the 250 grain full wadcutter group buy doesn't fly, guess where Ed's Christmas gift is coming from!)

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[hunter64]

There was a group buy on 429640 gc mold about 270 grn. last spring that works wonders. I also have a marlin .444 and this group buy bullet was the ticket to shooting accurately with the .444. I can shoot 1.25" 5 shot groups at 100 yards with it. The accuracy secret for the .444 is a bullet sized to .432 so what ever mold you decide on make sure it is at least .432 or .433. I also bought a mold from Ranch Dog and it works good but you have to deal with the liquid Alox and all it's headaches, i.e. stink, messy and extra crap on the nose of the bullet that will end up in the seater die. I also tried the .432 sized bullets in my Super Black Hawk and 629 revolvers and they liked them also with no leading to speak off.

[Newtire]

I have loaded up a bunch of boolits in plinker format but in an earlier Marlin with 1-38 micro-groove. My favorite plainbase just for plinking is the Lee cowboy style 200 gr. RF. These come out at .431 and I load them using 12 grains of Unique or 14 grains of BlueDot. I don't know what speed they go but they are accurate as all get out at 50 yds. and no predator short of one that would eat you back would stand up to anything like that at 50 yds.

The 285 Ranch Dogs are same accurate using 25 gr. 2400. Your mileage may vary.

[Marlin Junky]

I'll probably purchase the SAECO 300 grainer (I think the mold number is 433) because the COL with RCBS 44-300 looks to be too long when seated to the crimp groove and I'd rather not "Lee-Factory-Crimp" on the leading band. There's a gunsmith on the internet that modifies 336 actions to handle 2.68" or 2.73" cartridges but after taking mine apart last night to examining it, it's not obvious to me how he does it. Anybody have a clue? It doesn't look like the carrier stop can be moved back more than a hair or two.

MJ

[EDK]

The Marlinowners web site has a link to marauder and some well illustrated tutorials on how to alter the carrier for long over all length cartridges...and some action tuning on the "dreaded Marlin Jam.

The only problem with the SAECO moulds is that they sometimes are not stocked by the big outfits like Midwayusa or Grafs in 3 or 4 cavity versions...they get back ordered and you wait! You might check out evilbay or the classifieds here...that seems to be the best places to buy moulds. (I just got received a Hensley & Gibbs #50, 38 wadcutter, four cavity mould with handles, that I bought for $50 plus shipping...the handles from Ballisti-cast are about $40!)

I shot about 50 of the RANCH DOG 432 265 boolits yesterday through an 1894 and my 44 BISLEY VAQUERO.... I'd suggest you re-consider your feelings about aluminum moulds and get the 265 or 300 grain RANCH DOG. It's that good and feeds perfectly. Michael really did his homework on this design...like everything he does! I prefer iron moulds too, but this is too good to ignore.

You might also go to leverguns or lasc web sites and pull up Glenn Fryxell's article on Marlin 1894s...it gives his thoughts on bullets that you could apply to your 444 since they share the 1:38 twist rate. There might also be some specific info on the 444.

Whatever you do, good luck

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Marlin Junky]

EDK,

Thanks for your post. I'll see if I can find the link you're talking about.

BTW, Marlin has been offering the 20" twist on the .444 for 9 plus years. The first .444 to be offered with the 20" twist and Ballard rifling was the 444P (Outfitter) in 1999, followed by the 22" version (sans porting) the following year which also had Ballard rifling. The only .44 caliber Marlin that is still offered with the slow twist is the 1894.

MJ

P.S. If http://marauder.homestead.com/ has any info about modifying 336 carriers to accept longer than SAAMI cartridges, I couldn't find it. 336 carriers have a rocker that mates with the lever on the latter's forward stroke which provides lift to the carrier. The configuration is totally different than an 1894 carrier with a button.