444 Marlin?

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wisconsinteacher

New member
Looking into trading for a big bore lever action and ran into a 444. I have never shot one or met anyone who has. How does it compare to the 45-70? I will be reloading for it so what range of weights can I use? I plan on using it for deer drives and for bear hunting over bait.
 
Compared to the .45-70, the .444 is very similar in ballistics and recoil factor. Reloading is almost mandatory to get the results you will want.

The straight wall .444 case has been shown to perform best with fast to medium burning rifle powders like H322, H335, and RL-7.

A possible limiting factor to the use of heavy bullets in some .444 rifles is the slow 1 in 38" rifling used in older .444 Marlin rifles. Such slow rifling may not stabilize bullets heavier than 270 grains. Marlin has since changed to 1 in 20" rifling, which solved that problem. Check to see which twist the gun you are considering has.

There is a TON of information on the net. Google will turn up more than you can read in a week.
 
It's pretty much a modern version of the 45-70.A friend has one and has taken a couple bears and lot's of deer with it.He loves it.I've never shot it because the scope is set for his eyesight.Everything's a blur when I look through it.
 
I have one. Awesome performer on game.

far fewer factory loads available than for 45-70. I handload 265gr Hornady jacketed flat points (they now make another 265 gr bullet for this caliber) in mine. Hard cast lead are always an option.
 
I had one, sold it a few years back. I never did take an animal with it. Recoil was sharp, rifle had a plate instead of a pad. The overall thump is lacking compared to a hand loaded 45-70 and as said, factory loads are pretty poor. But i reload for everything, its a pretty easy cartridge tomwork with.
 
I've never fired a round of factory ammo in this rifle.

I call my rifle Thumper
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With a Leupold 1-4x20 on 4x I can get about 2 inch groups at 100 yards from a bench. I regard that as pretty good for a lever action with a low power scope.
 
Originally Posted By: Stu Farish
With a Leupold 1-4x20 on 4x I can get about 2 inch groups at 100 yards from a bench. I regard that as pretty good for a lever action with a low power scope.


I highly doubt if ANY animal will tell the difference if you miss your mark by 2" when sending a dump-truck-sized chunk of lead into their body.
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I have the 444P guide model Marlin made for a short time and it's a real nail driver!!! I use the 265 gr Hornady with H4198 and it will put 4 shots in the same hole at 100 yards. I've taken several deer and hogs with it and it drops em in their tracks!!! It goes everywhere I go hunting.
 
What is a fair price for the Marlin 444 rifle? I have a rifle that is worth 1000-1200 that I would trade. I am thinking I would need more than just the rifle on this one.
 
Originally Posted By: wisconsinteacherWhat is a fair price for the Marlin 444 rifle? I have a rifle that is worth 1000-1200 that I would trade. I am thinking I would need more than just the rifle on this one.

Where are you when I have something to trade or sell?
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I owned a Marlin 444 25+ years ago, traded off. This year, I needed a big bore again. So, I bought the Marlin 1895 45-70 20in barrel. They changed the Ohio deer hunting laws this year.
 
I have used one on deer for the last 25 years or so and it is a Reloader's gun. I have shot a variety of 240 gr bullets over H4198 which is the optimum powder in this gun in my opinion. This is (like all lever actions) a great choice for hunting in thick woods. First even the full rifle version is a handy gun and very well balanced. The narrow cross section of the receiver makes it much easier to grasp and carry at your side than a bolt gun. The large bore bullet makes a [beeep] of a hydraulic leak whether the bullet opens up on a deer or not. Early Remington loads I tried just sailed through the small deer we have in west Tennessee. Handloads fixed that problem. I have numerous bolt guns but my favorite field gun is the trusty 444. I haven't shot anything but yotes and deer with mine but I will probably take out a pig or two this year.
 
As I recall, the early Remington ammo used a pistol bullet & was a poor performer on game.

Hornady has long made factory ammo for it, as they designed the bullet for the round.

Since I make my own, I really haven't paid any attention to what other offerings are out there.

It's easy to handload. I use a large qty of H4198, Remington brass, Hornady bullets & Federal primers.
 


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