Does anyone reload pistol bullets in thier marlin 444? I'm sure some do but I was thinking for some cheap plinking and varmint shooting this would be pretty fun. just wondering what bullets and powder you may be using. I looked at WSS and saw 500-240gr SWC Speer lead bullets in .430dia. for $60.
Marlin 444S and Pistol bullets
- Thread starter crout
- Start date
The .444 Marlin factory ammo uses pistol bullets, that's how it was born. It used the same jacketed pistol bullets as the .44, etc...That is the main knock against the .444, those jacketed pistol bullets are too short and soft to provide knockdown and penetration on big game, that has not been my observations however. i think that the bullets you saw are swaged lead, if so, you should not load them higher then 800fps. or your bore will lead. Hardcast bullets work better, and can be used right up to 2200fps. depending on weight, I use the Chambers 290 Gr LFN PB and the 325gr.Chambers WFN GC in these rifles for max. penetration and knockdown.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
As Ben has indicated Speer SWC are swaged and sized to .429 These will indeed cause a world of grief if fired at velocities over 800 fps. (even at 800 you will see leading) The 444 requires gas checked hardcast sized to .432 or .433 to see any performance (velocity) without leading. If you want to use pistol bullets stick with jacketted. The Hornady 240 XTP will deliver both speed and accuracy from a 444 at a fairly nominal cost. The combo is simply devistating on varmits and deer for that matter
If your 444 has a micro grooved barrel, expect real crappy results with plain lead bullets, lead with a gas check is alot more desired. The reason as I understand it is with all the small grooves in the micro groove the plain lead bullets dont engage the lands very well and actually slip over them, and dont get a very good spin to stabilize them.
444shooter...I used H-4895 for those bullets, I did not have a problem with .430" size, although I never tried .432. This was also one of the rifles we tried dry moly lube, and it did not work, bullets were all over the place. At the time,I wrote it all off to shallow rifling which would allow the bullet to skid down the barrel.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
I have had many Marlin's with micro-grooved barrels that shot plain lead with good results.
The biggest problem I encountered was when the cast was too hard as to not allow the bullet to obturate or bump up to engage the rifling. Inaccuracy was also attributed to undersized and improperly lubed bullets.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I haven't been shooting the 444 for some time and think it's time I dusted it off and start some more load development. I still have those bullets you sold me, so will try some H-4895. What charge weight would be good to start with for each bullet?
SWAGED..same thing as cold-swaged?
Has anyone tried the speer bullets? They advertise that they resist leading. and if they can be fired from a 44mag at 1400fps why not 444 at 1400fps?
What about Hornady XPT pistol bullets .430dia, 300gr? These should be pretty devastating on varmints
Just trying to narrow my options down so I don't waste my time and money on components.
Has anyone tried the speer bullets? They advertise that they resist leading. and if they can be fired from a 44mag at 1400fps why not 444 at 1400fps?
What about Hornady XPT pistol bullets .430dia, 300gr? These should be pretty devastating on varmints
Just trying to narrow my options down so I don't waste my time and money on components.
Well there you have it, it happens in your rifle this way, it happens in my rifle that way, so what's a feller to do?
Ummm. Go find out for ones self perhaps?
Goes to show that no two rifles are the same, and perhaps putting the effort forth to determine what is best for your rifle may be the only prudent course of action, going forward.
