Marlin 444

[Savage Bacon]

I was lucky enough to pick up a beauty of a lever rifle and was wondering if anyone has any favorite load combos, or recipes you've had good luck with.

I have one box of leverlution factory ammo, but I'd like to pick up some brass, powder and bullets.

I do have load data but I don't want to wear this thing out trying to find something that works.

I'll mostly use this for target fun but at some point I'd like to be able to take a deer, bear, moose, zombie or alien with it.

I'd also like to hear some of your stories, and experiences with this rifle if you have any.

It has iron sights. Missing the front hood tho. No scope but my vision is starting to get blurry so I'm not 100% opposed.

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[58thecat]

Post up some triple 4 pics please.....can’t help you there with regards to reloading and set up as I went with a JM stamped 44mag but luv the triple 4’s.

Might get one still

Kinda like the big brother to mine.

[Savage Bacon]

Sure tonight when I get home I'll post a few

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[obsessed1]

Love shooting levers.. I have never had a triple 4 but have had and currently have 45-70s my neighbor has a triple four in a ported GG, That I helped work up a load with the ftx...that was years ago though and without going through my notes I dont recall what powder or charge was used... another friend had a std length 444 with perch belly forestock...nice gun.. first thing I would do if I were you is replace your sights. I'm a fan of reciever mounted peeps and a high vis blade or a fire sight front bead. I have been using a bulles eye rear sight from marbles on a 30-06 I have set up with irons and am really liking it as a barrel mounted rear sight paired with a red firesight bead. Fast and good even in low light. Skinner makes an unbelievable rear peep as well as their bear buster front blade ( i think it's called that) that are great and robust. I'm certain you will love that triple 4 and once your comfortable with a sight system you'll have a fantastic hunting rig.

[Savage Bacon]

Thanks obsessed I'll start shopping for some sights

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[Smoky buck]

Another option is the red dot sights

Other than making sure you have a good battery they are very user friendly

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Another option is the red dot sights



Other than making sure you have a good battery they are very user friendly

I had just seen a few on black Friday sales

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[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

I had just seen a few on black Friday sales

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I am no expert on them as they are something I just started to use myself but definitely do some research because from what I understand some cheap ones can’t handle the recoil of a big game rifle.

Nice for both eyes open and no eye relief issues in awkward positions

[Mavrick]

Good for you.

I have a triple 4 and 4570 both bought at the same time in 1976. I was there when my uncle bought the 444, and my dad bought the 4570. I was the only boy in the family that hunted so I got both.

I put Skinner sights on both( and many other guns) the last few years because my eyes need them. They are a great sight, and I have taken game with both.

[hunter64]

I have several 444 marlin bullet moulds that I use, trick for the older microgroove ones is to push the bullet hard and the size has to be at least 2 thou over the groove diameter. It was given a bad rap when it first came out because the manufacturers were loading the ammo with 44 mag bullets that when driven at a way higher speed than designed they would literately fly apart on impact. Once they figured out how to make tougher bullets for the 444 marlin the damage as they say had already been done and people didn't buy the rifle anymore.

If I could figure out how to post pictures here I will show some examples of you "can't hit the broad side of a barn with a lever gun". Love it when you go to the range and beat a bolt action shooting factory ammo with my 444 shooting handloaded lead bullets.

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by hunter64

I have several 444 marlin bullet moulds that I use, trick for the older microgroove ones is to push the bullet hard and the size has to be at least 2 thou over the groove diameter. It was given a bad rap when it first came out because the manufacturers were loading the ammo with 44 mag bullets that when driven at a way higher speed than designed they would literately fly apart on impact. Once they figured out how to make tougher bullets for the 444 marlin the damage as they say had already been done and people didn't buy the rifle anymore.



If I could figure out how to post pictures here I will show some examples of you "can't hit the broad side of a barn with a lever gun". Love it when you go to the range and beat a bolt action shooting factory ammo with my 444 shooting handloaded lead bullets.

I was going to get into bullet moulding a while back. I guess now I have an excuse to.

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[Savage Bacon]

I was looking at some skinner sights last night. That would take care of my missing front sight hood.

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[huntinstuff]

I carried a 444 for years guiding

Zero issues with factory loads but was more economical to reload at that time

My fav thing was single loading .410 2.5" into it to take grouse or ptarmigan. It was a great dual purpose rifle for me.

[Savage Bacon]

It sure doesn't look like it's been fed too many rounds.

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[brewster29]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Another option is the red dot sights

Other than making sure you have a good battery they are very user friendly

Just mounted a quality pistol red dot on my JM 1894 in 44 magnum and I love it. Battery life is supposed to be 50k hours. My eyes struggle with irons so the red dot worked well for me.

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by brewster29

Just mounted a quality pistol red dot on my JM 1894 in 44 magnum and I love it. Battery life is supposed to be 50k hours. My eyes struggle with irons so the red dot worked well for me.

What did you use for a rail?

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[Pioneer2]

No extra crossbolt safety.

[LateLifeCrisis]

I DM"d you with some info, but I hadn't seen the pics when I did that (I'm the one with a JM 1977 model 444S plus the Winnie Big Bore 94 in 444 Marlin).

I'm guess that you've got a somewhat older rifle than my 1977, which would use the Microgroove 1:20 twist rifling (i.e. lots of very small rifling rather than just a few deep ballard-cut rifling). Easy to confirm, the Microgroove doesn't look like any other rifling out there.

I've tried the Leverevolution ammo for a box in my JM, but it seems like the Microgroove rifling didn't much agree with those longer pointy bullets, I couldn't get a good group for love nor money, where it's pretty much less than 3/4" to 1.0 inch @ 100 with the flat points. The other posts on Marlin Owners forum seemed to also find that same result, so I've stuck with the Hornady 265 grain flat points (thank goodness I stocked up well before this shortage started). On the Winnie with the Ballard-cut rifling, it'll shoot the Leverevolution stuff OK, but not much different than the flat-point Hornady bullets so I stick with that, which means I don't have to have brass in two different lengths.

LateLifeCrisis

[Pioneer2]

I think that bullet has been discontinued. The last .444 were made with a more sensible 1-20 twist instead of the 1-38 for heavier bullets. Nosler makes/made a 250gr HG Partition?Ken Waters in Pet Loads claims IMR 4198 is the powder for the .444

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

What did you use for a rail?

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I used an EGW scope rail, but think just using the front of a Weaver 48471 (336, 1894,1895) pair would have been cleaner. The pistol red dot is very compact.

[obsessed1]

If a guy uses the skinner bear buster front w the winged guide peep( only uses the two rear holes) you can put the weaver front rail on in front and run a red dot. Best of all worlds. I think skinner makes a peep and integral rail ( similar to a XS but shorter) that would also give lots of options. I ran a red dot ( tr25) off and on on a few lever guns( 45-70 and 30-30) but always found it lacking in lower light...I think even on 1x the dot was too bright and washed out the entire thing in a red glaze that didnt help in seeing targets at dusk... maybe a better quality red dot would be better?? Anyways I found the peeps to be just as good for my eyes and even a bit better in low light as long as that front sight had either a white paint stripe or a firesight bead..
Your rifle looks great. Looks like the stock has a comb suited for a scope rather than the irons??? Hard to tell, I have never tried one of those marlin stocks...look like a fabulous hunting rig

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

It sure doesn't look like it's been fed too many rounds.

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You won’t like it you should just give it to me lol

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

You won’t like it you should just give it to me lol

I have a 3 and a half year old I'll give you instead

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[Savage Bacon]

I have a red dot on an AR that I haven't used in what seems like forever. Maybe I'll look for a mount and try it out on the triple 4. I'll have to see if it can handle the recoil.

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[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

I have a 3 and a half year old I'll give you instead

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Nope mine are 14 and 19 freedom is close I have no interest in starting at square 1 again lol

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by brewster29

Just mounted a quality pistol red dot on my JM 1894 in 44 magnum and I love it. Battery life is supposed to be 50k hours. My eyes struggle with irons so the red dot worked well for me.

What’s a “quality” red dot? 2 of my buddies just mounted an RMR on their new Ruger Marlin. I’m heading down that route but I am cheap and haven’t bought the sight yet. Already have a QD mount for the RMR. Looks pretty sweet on that rifle and the single point to focus on really helps for fast sight acquisition!

[58thecat]

That’s a fine looking rifle, peep sights if needed, shame to put on some fandangled space aged eye ball enhancer

[fishnguy]

That’s a nice looking rifle there, Bacon.

[Pioneer2]

http://www.skinnersights.com/front_sights_5.html

[Pioneer2]

http://www.skinnersights.com/1895_sight_4.html