444 Marlin Doe

[tmanbuckhunter]

Took this young gal a few weeks ago on Texas Public land. Accurate 43-300FG with some design changes to allow it to function in my 1999 444P. Alloy is a tin heavy 15bhn lubed with NRA 50/50 and a sage gator check, shoved by Accurate 5744 at a paltry, and shoulder friendly 1900fps in starline brass, lit off by a CCI LR primer. I had missed a nice buck and a doe the morning before with one of my flintlocks (turned out to be some major sight issues going on that I was not aware of at the time), so I decided to finish the week out with this thing to take pressure off. I saw her the evening before but couldn't get a shot. Finally she gave me a shot the next evening and as soon as I confirmed she was a legal deer I picked out a ruffled patch of fur and let it fly. She dropped to the ground when the bullet hit that ruffled patch of fur, got up, and made it another 20 yards. Wasn't much blood trail to speak of at first, and to top it off she fell into a deep ditch and I almost didn't find her. By the time I got her out of the woods it was dark and I finally saw the bloodtrail with my headlamp, and there was no shortage.

Thankful for this deer, good collectible Marlins, and cast bullets on tough Texas public land.


And a picture with the USFS antlerless permit attached in case we have any junior game wardens.

[iron brigade]

Congrats!

[skeettx]

Well done
Thank you for sharing
Mike

[missionary5155]

Good morning and Congratulations !
For sure a 44 300 grainer at 1900 fps will knock corn crunchers down !
I would near cry missing with our hunting rock locks. But for sure a sight can get bumped.
I heard back some years by an older flint hunter that once the hunting load was set to put a witness mark on the sights and check them every time the rifle is uncased or goes out the door.

[tmanbuckhunter]

Good morning and Congratulations !
For sure a 44 300 grainer at 1900 fps will knock corn crunchers down !
I would near cry missing with our hunting rock locks. But for sure a sight can get bumped.
I heard back some years by an older flint hunter that once the hunting load was set to put a witness mark on the sights and check them every time the rifle is uncased or goes out the door.

I call it a sight issue, but it was more a barrel harmonics issue. POI moved up 10" when shot in a field type position vs on the bench with a rest and rear bag. It hurt, but it is what it is.

[koger]

Way to get it done, nice eating size doe, and a great looking rifle to boot. Thanks for sharing.