heavy .44 Boolit

[chaos]

I primarily shoot Superblackhawks and a marlin 1894. What is the heaviest bullet with the right profile I can cast that will still run in these guns? I'd imagine the 1894 is limiting me.

[Glen]

300 grains is about as heavy as I could get decent accuracy in mine. For details see:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/fr...arlin_1894.htm

[Ricochet]

Heaviest I've tried so far in my 1894 is a Lee 429-255-SWC. Just got a Ranch Dog C434-265-RF figuring that was pushing the limits...

That 1:38" twist is stupid.

[longbow]

Originally I was hoping I could use 300 gr. boolits in my Marlin 1894 1:38 microgroove barrel with 0.4315" groove but so far I have not be able to get stability past about 75 yards with paper patched and got extremely poor accuracy at 50 yards with 300 gr. "J" bullets.

I have tried:

- 300 gr. cast at 0.433"
- 300 gr. "J" bullets
- 300 gr. paper patched bullets

The standard cast were tumbling by 100 yards.

The "J" bullets just plain gave large groups of about 6" at 50 yards.

The paper patched did well at 50 but groups were opening up by 75 and very poor at 100.

The cast boolit and PP loads were 21 gr. H110 and I also tried a load of IMR 4227 (can't remember the charge) but I came to the conclusion it was the slow twist. I get good accuracy with boolits up to about 270 gr. which is about the max. length the Greenhills formula gives for stability.

I've tried several times with different boolit designs, powders and charges and the results have been pretty much the same for my gun.

Starrbow says he gets good accuracy to 100 yards with WFN boolits pushed fast and I have read that others like Glen have been successful too but I have accepted 265/270 as max weight/length with my gun and loads so far. I have not tried the WFN though.

Longbow

[targetshootr]

I've got a 20" 44 Marlin octagon barrel for sale if anybody could use it. I don't think it has microgroove rifling but someone here would probably know.


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/IM004989.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/IM005007.jpg

[Ricochet]

With the higher velocity of the .444 Marlin, long ago it was felt that the 265 grain jacketed bullets were about max in the 1:38 rifling. That's what Hornady brought out as an alternative to 240 grain .44 Magnum pistol bullets when .444 shooters were lusting for 400 grain bullets like the .45-70 shooters had.

[Ranch Dog]

I'm doing very good with my 336-44 and my 300-grain bullet. This is the rifle that I did most of my whitetail hunting with this past year. This rifle has a 20" barrel with the 1:38. Here is my 100-yard target I shot during hunting season. I shoot quite a bit every few days while I'm hunting especially if I'm feeling a kill coming...



Here is my ballistic chart for the performance of the load...



I'm working on a TLC432-350-RF, primarily for the 444 but it will get a good workout in my 336-44. I just purchased an 1894P to add to my Guide Gun line up and it will get a workout too with all three of my bullets.

[chaos]

I'm doing very good with my 336-44 and my 300-grain bullet. This is the rifle that I did most of my whitetail hunting with this past year. This rifle has a 20" barrel with the 1:38. Here is my 100-yard target I shot during hunting season. I shoot quite a bit every few days while I'm hunting especially if I'm feeling a kill coming...



Here is my ballistic chart for the performance of the load...



I'm working on a TLC432-350-RF, primarily for the 444 but it will get a good workout in my 336-44. I just purchased an 1894P to add to my Guide Gun line up and it will get a workout too with all three of my bullets.

The only thing that has kept me from purchasing your molds is a questin I have about lube. Can use my lyman sizer and lube with Javalena Alox or must I use the Lee system?

[VTDW]

I size and lube them in my Lyman 4500 all the time. No problems at all. I hate tumble lubing.

[Ranch Dog]

I hate tumble lubing.

As much as you hate hogs?

[mike in co]

you don't list your distance requirement.

i shoot both a srh and a 1894 20 marlin carbine in 50 yd steel matches.
i shoot the group buy 434290. its about 291 with no gas check, water guenched ww with a small amount of tin. while this is a gc design it works just fine without one.
nice clean round holes when load testing at 50 yds, up to 1400 fps with the carbine, and around 1100 from the 7.5" srh. match load for each is 1372 in the carbine, and just over 1050 in the srh.
no testing beyond 50........

mike in co

[mike in co]

I've got a 20" 44 Marlin octagon barrel for sale if anybody could use it. I don't think it has microgroove rifling but someone here would probably know.


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/IM004989.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/IM005007.jpg

i like the idea of a heavy bbl, can someone tell me more about this bbl ?

mirco or not, twist ? will it work with my 290/300 gr boolits ???

mike in co