.444 Marlin 300 grn load

[Papa Jack]

Today I decided to dig out my .444 Marlin brass and dies, I sized a handfull of brass that I have and I found a bag of Laser Cast 300 grain, TC, BB, boolits sized .429.
I plan to order a new Handi-Rifle ( #4) in .444 Marlin , and I thought I'd load some up while I'm not doin anything.
Does any one have a good load they would like to share.... ?

I plan to order a new mold and some other tooling, but for now I'll use up what I have in the shop.....
Thank's ! Papa Jack

[dualsport]

I have a .444 H&R but haven't really worked it out yet. With those .429 pb boolits you may need to keep velocities down, maybe look into using a filler. Good luck, report your results.

[OBXPilgrim]

I have a .444 H&R but haven't really worked it out yet. With those .429 pb boolits you may need to keep velocities down, maybe look into using a filler. Good luck, report your results.

+1 on that. You'd better try one of the low velocity Unique loads. I used one that made about a 44 special velocity in my 444 H&R - BUT, that was with .432" slugs. I think you'll need a crying towel if those are already sized .429".

The Lee 310 gr looked like what I wanted, but the throat in my H&R barrel is too short to use the crimp groove. I ended up using a 290gr "wide flat" 44 group buy mold from several years ago. Some of the recent GBs have duplicated it. Got very good accuracy with a medium fast load of H4895 (1800 fps), so I haven't gone to H335 or H4198 yet. I'd give you charge weights, but my load book is 500 miles away right now.

[Papa Jack]

I have a .444 H&R but haven't really worked it out yet. With those .429 pb boolits you may need to keep velocities down, maybe look into using a filler. Good luck, report your results.

Yes, I know these slugs are undersized, I got em in a junk box and a gun shop, thought I'd shoot em up.
I also have a Handi .44 mag barrel, I haven't loaded in the magnum yet either.
I was looking at the Ranch Dog mold, maybe I get the bucks I'll spring for it.
Thanks ! PJ

[Papa Jack]

+1 on that. You'd better try one of the low velocity Unique loads. I used one that made about a 44 special velocity in my 444 H&R - BUT, that was with .432" slugs. I think you'll need a crying towel if those are already sized .429".

The Lee 310 gr looked like what I wanted, but the throat in my H&R barrel is too short to use the crimp groove. I ended up using a 290gr "wide flat" 44 group buy mold from several years ago. Some of the recent GBs have duplicated it. Got very good accuracy with a medium fast load of H4895 (1800 fps), so I haven't gone to H335 or H4198 yet. I'd give you charge weights, but my load book is 500 miles away right now.

Thank's for the info...
Say, Are you a Surf Fisher ??? I love to surf fish, but we have very few fish here except rock fish and a few they call POGGIES... Little feeder fish in the breakers.
I long to get into some of the gulf waters and try that out. Maybe east coast for Blue fish too.... ( hows that for hijacking my own thread ! LOL ..) "PJ"

[OBXPilgrim]

I've been surf fishing the past two days, got one more to go. Usually more of those big red drum come in this time of year. There have been a few caught, but not many. That drum I'm holding in my avatar was a 50"er. I put my son on a 95 lb cobia a few years ago - the last year we got to fish during the summertime.

This is the first time I've been to Cape Hatteras in 2 1/2 years due to the "piping plover" issue closing down the beaches here (can't even walk in miles of beach during the summer - dam National Audobon Society & Defenders of Wildlife).

[Papa Jack]

I've been surf fishing the past two days, got one more to go. Usually more of those big red drum come in this time of year. There have been a few caught, but not many. That drum I'm holding in my avatar was a 50"er. I put my son on a 95 lb cobia a few years ago - the last year we got to fish during the summertime.

This is the first time I've been to Cape Hatteras in 2 1/2 years due to the "piping plover" issue closing down the beaches here (can't even walk in miles of beach during the summer - dam National Audobon Society & Defenders of Wildlife).

So tell me, how do those fish( Red Drum) taste, are they good eating ? I'd really like to try that out. My wife's brother lives in the Boston area, I guess we'll have to break down and take a vacation one of these days.... Looks like fun ! Papa Jack

[Papa Jack]

I have a .444 H&R but haven't really worked it out yet. With those .429 pb boolits you may need to keep velocities down, maybe look into using a filler. Good luck, report your results.

I just ordered the Ranch Dog .432" Sizer and 265 Grn Mold. , Can't wait to try it out in my .44 magnum and also in the new .444 when it gets here....
Thank's for the info !! Papa Jack

[OBXPilgrim]

Sorry, OT again.

Red drum are great table fare. In NC (and most states) there is a "slot limit" - 18 inch to 27 inch - if it's over or under, back in the drink it goes...just like the one in my avatar

[dualsport]

OK, that's it. I'm going to load up some .444s. I have an older 265 gr. RD mold that drops them at .435! I've been fairly active in match shooting, either postal matches or local stuff and am way behind on my casting/loading/shooting needs. I think I could put in a 40 hour week just doing that. Also in the .44 mold stash is the Lee 300 gr(310?), an RCBS 250 Keith, and an old Lyman gc design, don't remember the number. I want to try them all in the H&R .444. I have high hopes for the Lee as it was very inexpensive and I like that when it works. PJ, I'll report back with the results with the RD hopefully next week.

[Papa Jack]

OK, that's it. I'm going to load up some .444s. I have an older 265 gr. RD mold that drops them at .435! I've been fairly active in match shooting, either postal matches or local stuff and am way behind on my casting/loading/shooting needs. I think I could put in a 40 hour week just doing that. Also in the .44 mold stash is the Lee 300 gr(310?), an RCBS 250 Keith, and an old Lyman gc design, don't remember the number. I want to try them all in the H&R .444. I have high hopes for the Lee as it was very inexpensive and I like that when it works. PJ, I'll report back with the results with the RD hopefully next week.

GREAT !! I'll be waiting for the range report....
I don't shoot formal targets.
Only cans, paper, cardboard, pie plates....I just like to cast and load and make noise..
I do like to Hunk Elk once in a while, if I'm up to it but thats a lot of work if I happen to get lucky !
From what I am reading most guys like the .332 size in the Handi, I guess we will find out. I have been sizing my .44 mag bullets at .430, they seem to shoot fine in my Handi. The experimenting never stops !...."PJ"

[Tazman1602]

I've got that mold in the lube groove version and you will NOT be unhappy with it. I size them .431 for my own Marlin and they REALLY shoot well. Let us know the results!

Art


I just ordered the Ranch Dog .432" Sizer and 265 Grn Mold. , Can't wait to try it out in my .44 magnum and also in the new .444 when it gets here....
Thank's for the info !! Papa Jack

[Papa Jack]

I've got that mold in the lube groove version and you will NOT be unhappy with it. I size them .431 for my own Marlin and they REALLY shoot well. Let us know the results!

Art

Well, I ordered the mold anyway, we'll see if I can get it to work for me. I got an order conformation this morning and it has shipped.
I have only 15 rounds of brass, ( more on back order ) So I loaded up some 240 grain Hornady HP that I had. Using 43 grains of IMR -4198, just to see if I can hit the paper.
Maybe this week I'll get a chance to make noise....."PJ"

[Tazman1602]

Papa,

Like I said, you will NOT be unhappy with that boolit. The only reason I don't buy from Ranch Dog is I can't stand "mule snot" (Liquid Alox from Lee) and prefer to hard lube my cast. Ranch Dogs design of this bullet is just about perfect though.

I was out chronographing yesterday and had a bunch of these loaded up with RE7 (39 grains) and they shot to an average of 1719fps and gave me a 2" group..............if I hadn't pulled a flyer and called it which opened the group up to 3.7"

If you're using them in your .444 Handi rifle you're going to want to slug the bore -- I don't know the barrel of the Handi like I do my Marlin but the .432 bullet in a Marlin just gets rolled around in Mule snot and everyone I've read who's used it is very happy with it.

I know a lot of people put down the Handi rifle but personally I like them because of the expense factor.

Your .429 sized bullets may be a bit undersized which may cause some barrel leading but that is easily taken care of if it occurs. Let us know the results of your shooting man, if you've got issues, the guys around here have answers..............:bigsmyl2:

Art


Well, I ordered the mold anyway, we'll see if I can get it to work for me. I got an order conformation this morning and it has shipped.
I have only 15 rounds of brass, ( more on back order ) So I loaded up some 240 grain Hornady HP that I had. Using 43 grains of IMR -4198, just to see if I can hit the paper.
Maybe this week I'll get a chance to make noise....."PJ"

[Papa Jack]

I don't have any Lee Tumble lube ,mule snot bullet molds yet, so this should be interesting. I ordered the .432" sizer also. I have several different boolit lubes around here, including the Lee Liquid Alox, so this will be a test and experiment .

I know, lots of guys roll their eyes when I tell em I have Handi Rifles, it's like I have a plague . Well, not everyone can afford a fancy rifle just to play with. I can have a handi and a wheel barrow full of extra barrels for what they pay for their polished up custom rifles.
I like the fact that I can load up my truck, throw in a gun case with one handi frame and several barrels and head out for a week someplace and I have one gun, that in two minutes I can make into several different caliber rifles...From Elk to rabbits in Minutes.
Now, If I could just find somethin to shoot at....."PJ"

[leadman]

I have lubed and sized tumble lube bullets in a luber/sizer with no problems.

I had a 444 Marlin contender barrel for quite awhile. Found best accuracy using IMR4198. The Lee 310gr. at 1,850fps was a handful!

[dualsport]

Shot the H&R .444 today. This barrel sports a Simmons 2.5x20 shotgun scope on it. That's alibi #1. I bought two of them based on a recommendation from a senior member at another sight where they get into H&Rs a lot. For a $20 scope it's alright. I tried 4 loads, 3 of them with the RD 265 and 1 with the Lee 300 gr. Two of the RD loads were with 43 gr. of AA2015, the recoil was too much, I was already shot out from firing a postal match, so I put those away for another day. Oh, one of the RD AA2015 loads was topped with COW. I'll report on those next time. The light load with the RD was 11 gr. of Unique. It put five shots in under 2" at 100 yds. That was as cast, gc, LLA. Next up was the Lee 300 with 11 gr. of Unique. It was also as cast, about .432, no gc on it, and LLA. It also held inside 2" for five shots at 100. The RD strung vertically, the Lee was a round group. Oh, Alibi #2, the range was swarming with yellow jackets, they would get in my face right when I was ready to shoot! One thing I learned, the .444 can be loaded up to be a fearsome sob. My AA2015 loads were nowhere near max and come back hard. If I was bear hunting with it the heavy recoil would be no big deal, but for paper punching I think I'll experiment more with light loads with fast powder. Save my gas checks for the heavy stuff. I also learned the H&R has a very short leade or throat, don't need to seat them out to touch the rifling. Next time out I think I'll try a 6X Weaver too, see what difference that makes. I like fixed power scopes.

[Papa Jack]

Dualsport, you did wayyyyy better than me today !! My day was a disaster....
I put the .444 in the front seat of my PU, along with the plastic box of 15 loaded rounds ( 240 grn Hornady JHP ,all I had) loaded with 43 grains of IMR-4198.
On the way to the range I went into a corner a little fast, the rifle slid off the seat onto the floor between the seat and the door, landed on the scope and put a big ding in the fore arm wood !
Got to the range, it's a farmers range, measured 100 yards, nice bench. I stapled up a new target to the 4X8 plywood back board. It had a big sheet of white card board on it so I stapled the target in the middle.
I had already boresighted the scope, I have a bushnell bore sighter, scope is 3X9X40 Tasco worldclass, ( $60.00+$23.00 for Weaver rings ) I have a couple of these on my other barrels and so far I have not had any trouble with em.
Back to the bench, loaded a round and took a pretty good aim, touched it off and I heard the bullet hit the back board, no spotting scope, left it in the shop with everything else I forgot.
Walked back, didn't see any bullet hole, not in the card board or the target, maybe a hole way down next to the ground, lots of hole in the back board.
I shot up the other 4 dented cases, poped the dents out and got back in the truck and came home in discuss ...:-?
Tomarrow I will re bore sight, see if I can do better......:roll: "PJ"

[dualsport]

I have read many places that the .444 Marlin closely resembles some obsolete blackpowder cartridges. What would those be? I'm thinking of trying bp in my H&R .444.

[Papa Jack]

I have read many places that the .444 Marlin closely resembles some obsolete blackpowder cartridges. What would those be? I'm thinking of trying bp in my H&R .444.

I wish I had some B/P, all we have around here is Pyrodex and 777....I have used both in my .45-70's. I'd like to try it in this .444 too.
I'd like to start a little development loading using B/P in bottle neck cases,such as 06, and others......Ya never know what they will try to ban next, bullets, powder ?
Also I'd like to experiment with reloading primers....
Good luck ! :drinks: PJ

[quilbilly]

I have been using about 15 gr of 5744 powder for my plinking loads in my 444. It has given me good accuracy and has the same point of aim at 50 yards as my elk loads with both the 300 gr boolits (storebought) and my own 255 gr CB's. The MV is about 1150 fps so no gas check is necessary.
These light loads are fun to shoot even in longer sessions unlike the full-house loads and give me confidence for those fast shots in the "elk jungles" near the Washington Coast.

[Papa Jack]

Thank's Quilbilly, I have some 5744, I'll give that a try.
I just got my new Ranch dog 265 mold yesterday, Ill get it cleaned up and ready to go, soon as the handles get here....
Take Care....."PJ"

[tdoor4570]

I have been shooting the 45-70 and 444 in both H&R and Marlin 336 for years. I use both cast and jacked slugs, fell in love with the new FTX slugs from hornady. Don't be afraid to power up either to max loads. All four fifles shoot sub 1" at 100 yds. I am using IMR 3031 and CCI 200 primers, max loads and loven it. Just hang on when you pull the trigger.:redneck: