[Marshall Stanton]

Sorry to have been absent from the forum for a few days... been working on bullets and getting this last Tech Note up!  It's been lots of work, but let me know what you think!

.444 Marlin- America's Most Versatile Big-Bore Part III

I'll answer some forum posts after church!  Have a great weekend!

God Bless,

Marshall

 

[Bill M]

Hi Marshall,

What a great article!!!!!!!!!!!!  I need to print it out and study it awhile but you obviously put a lot of work into it.  Many Thanks.

Question 1.  Would you say RE-7 is the most versatile heavy bullet powder or is it another powder?

2.  You have had a lot of success with your 330gr LMNDCGC .432 bullet in your 444's.  I know that each bullet has its own advantages but do any of the tested bullets clearly outshine your favorite 330 gr load?  In other words... are there any suprises here to you?

3.  Did you have to do any extra steps to load the 355 gr bullet?

4.  If you were 12 feet from something very angry, very toothy and very big, which would be your load of choice?

Thanks again for all your work here Marshall.  I can't wait for #4.

God bless...............  Bill M

 

[Coldfingers]

Marshal,

I love reading those articles.

Being one who has a 45/70 though, I find I have to use some whiteout and a magic marker on the screen to personalize it a bit ;*)

Keep up the great work but take time to enjoy the fruit also.

Blessings,

Scotty

 

[Griz]

Marshall,

KUDOS on the new 444 installment. You did a great job making the info available in a most useful format. Thank you!

It occurs to me a decent shooter could make quite a bit of walking around money at the range; you know: "here's a hundred bucks says I can shoot MOA groups outa this here Marlin."

Well, don't want to give the youngsters any funny ideas!

Griz sends thanks

 

[MikeG]

So THAT'S where all the bullets are going.....

Seriously, really enjoyed it.

Mike

 

[Marshall Stanton]

Bill,

Although RL-7 delivered some outstanding performance, I can't really say that it is necessarily the best powder for the heavier bullets.  AA 2015 deserves some serious consideration and load development in given guns, as does Varget... perhaps it doesn't deliver quite the velocities, the uniformity was surprising with the heavier weight bullets.  Too, with Varget, none of the loads listed were any where near max pressures!

As for bullet selection in the heavier weights, two top choices are of course, as number one, the 44-330g LFNGCDCG and second choice is the 44-325g LCMNGC bullet for accuracy.  They are both excellent performers in the .444.

Absolutely no extra steps were needed to load any of the bullets listed.  Interestingly, the new batch of Remington .444 bulk brass that I ordered was much thinner than the the last batch of brass that I obtained nearly twenty years ago.  Surprisingly, even the big 405g WLNGC bullet did not require any inside neck reaming as did the old brass that I worked with for several years.  

Things that are toothy and angry are in big trouble with any of these loads over three hundred grains.  Bill, I wouldn't feel any preference at all, just the bullet that shot the best for a given gun!  Any one of them is an awfully powerful load!


Mike... not to worry about the bullets... they were all culls! :biggrin:

Blessings to all!

Marshall

 

[MikeG]

Culls?  You shot half-inch groups with CULLS?<!--emo&???--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'><!--endemo-->?

Send me some of those culls, next chance you get!!!!!!

Mike

 

[J Sanders]

Mr. Stanton, I must say that you have done a excellent job putting down facts as to wringing the best accuracy and loads down for the 444's.
I sure would like to see you do the same with 45-70 in the same two lever guns, Marlins 1895ss and the 18.5" ported one also.
I have always tended to be skittish of fireforming loads and have never used any in my guns, but after reading how you've done it I may give it a try in a Marlin 1895ss I have. Once again thankyou for the excellent info. I intend to get a copy of your technical guide soon.
Joey Sanders