All of these factors aside, those who wish to use the .444 on heavy game are advised to get close and aim forward in an attempt to break locomotive tissue and bone, initiate secondary missile wounding, destroy vitals and also destroy the autonomic nerve ganglia at the front of the lungs. 20” is about optimal with a velocity loss of around 25fps per inch of barrel docked below this point. A 265-grain (17.2 g) bullet in .429 in (10.9 mm) has the same sectional density as a 300-grain (19 g) bullet in .458 in (11.6 mm) and can provide good penetration on large game. This trajectory will also allow the shooter to make full use of the .444 in heavy timber but with enough reach for small open clearings, gullies and river flats. The 240 grain weight can be put to use on all game weighing up to and around 150kg (330lb) but can easily be used to dispatch heavier animals such as cattle with head and neck shots. Because of an increased ballistic coefficient, Hornady claims increased velocity at distances over 200 yards (180 m), and velocity and energy at the muzzle of 1,971 ft/s (601 m/s), 2,285 ft⋅lbf (3,098 J) and at 200 yards (180 m), 1,652 ft/s (504 m/s) and 1,606 ft⋅lbf (2,177 J) versus 1,542 ft/s (470 m/s) and 1,400 ft⋅lbf (1,900 J) for its interlock ammo. Many hunters would consider a 4 power scope to be suitable for this cartridge however a vary power scope mounted on the .444 Marlin rifle is very practical for precise shot placement on game between 150 and 200 yards. Remington has stated in letter and email, when asked, that their 240 grain .444 bullet was not the same as a .44 magnum handgun bullet. This load produces good results on light to mid weight deer species out to moderate ranges. Go on… get buying! Although this load worked well for the general hunter targeting lighter bodied game, the single offering did not fully exploit the potential of the .444. As impact velocities fall to around 1600fps and lower, wounding deteriorates to about an inch. Safe to use in tubular … But in 1972 Marlin reintroduced the model 1895 chambered in .45-70, after which the .444 gradually fell out of favor. For example a Marlin model 39A with a serial number of N12478 would have been made in 1955 while a 1894 in 44 magnum with a serial number of 25105098, would have equated to 1975. Still, hunting light game with the 270 grain Speer tends to be an under utilization of the .444. To this end, while the 300 grain XTP is adequate for larger bodied deer, it cannot be described as ideal for brush hunting such game. Marlin 336 35 Rem 1870-1970 with Marlin Scope GI#: 101597737 20" barrel, JM stamped, Good Bore, 97% blue, Wood has a few light handling marks, Comes with Marlin Mod 800A 1.75X5X40 Scope, Buyer pays 50.00 shipping Pa residents add 6% sales tax, Price is for ...Click for more info To this end, I would suggest that when using projectiles weighing up to 240 grains the .444 is perhaps best sighted 2” high at 100 yards for a zero roughly around 170 yards and a drop of around 2 to 2.5” at 200 yards. This energy dump, can to some extent, come at the expense of some level of penetration but the trade off can prove worthwhile. Instead, all that one finds are references to the 4198 burn rate which is too bulky, handicapping the .444 (again light bullets) by at least 200fps. The FTX has both its strengths and limitations. The 240 grain Speer Deep Curl hollow point is a more complex design (relative to its merits in the .444). This form of mass shedding (actually fragmentation when considering core break down) can be highly useful on lean game, but tends to limit penetration on large bodied animals. Those who wish to exploit the high velocity wounding potential of lighter weight projectiles are advised to trial conventional 200 grain bullets on game no heavier (or not much heavier) than 60kg (132lb) or to utilize a core bonded bullet (e.g modified 210 grain Speer Gold Dot) for body weights up to and around 80kg (176lb). The trouble is, long projectiles also take up a great deal of powder space and one can easily end up in compressed load territory. Between the impact velocities of 2100fps and 1700fps (out to around 200 yards) the .444 continues to produce extremely broad and fast killing wounds. The result of this can be seen among the small satellite exit wounds through offside ribs. While it does not have the power of the .450 Marlin, the .444 Marlin is very similar ballistically to the .45-70, the almost extinct .348 Winchester, and is virtually identical to the .405 Winchester, in its 300-grain (19 g) loading. Loaded in this manner the Barnes bullets produce acceptable results. As much as a flat point can be useful as a means to help control the rate of expansion when hunting larger bodied game, a soft point can at times cleave to its energy at lower impact velocities or should the projectile fail to strike bone. One could perhaps argue that this weight shedding is a bad thing, yet to do so would be to write off the entire line of Gameking rifle bullets which are based on this very principle and have been used to take countless numbers of deer worldwide over many decades. In a somewhat radical move Marlin chose the .44 Magnum as the basis for a big bore cartridge and rifle combination. Understand that the .444 sighted 2” high at 100 yards will have a drop over 18” at 300 yards and may group around 6” without taking human or wind drift error into account. This cartridge was held back for years by the lack of good factory loaded ammo. But quite often the lever actions (especially big bores) group around 1.5 MOA which can greatly upset the apple cart when using the 3” rule. It was designed to fill in a gap left by the older .45-70 when that cartridge was not available in any new lever action rifles; at the time it was the largest lever-action cartridge available. case and is rimmed like the .44 Mag. I n recent years, the round known as the .444 Marlin has been greatly overshadowed by its older, bigger brother, the .45-70 Government. In loose terms, it is possible to achieve massive trauma with fair penetration (expanding) or massive penetration with fair trauma (hard cast) depending on game weights (resistance), shot placement and impact velocities. In collaboration with Remington the .44 Magnum case was lengthened by a full inch, resulting in a huge boost in case capacity. It was essentially designed for the Model 336 lever-action rifle to add a new power range for Marlin’s lever guns to exceed the killing level of the .44 Magnum. According to M. L. McPherson (editor, Cartridges of the World), "the 444 is fully capable against any species in North America"[8] and describes its useful range as being out to about 200 yards (180 m). Having already discussed the performance of the 265 grain FTX factory ammunition, there is little more to be said here. Although this projectile can be put to good use in the .44 Magnum it is pushed to the extremes in the .444, regardless of its core bonding. There are several commercial moulds available for the hand-caster: the SAEC #433 mould which casts a 300-grain (19 g) gas-checked bullet, and the Lyman 429640 at 280 grains (18 g) are two of the more potent bullets for this caliber. The .444 Marlin favors bullets from 240 to 300 grains, and many rifles are effectively limited by their 1:38 twist rate—advantage .45-70—but the … I see the 444 Marlin filling the gap in say a 44 Magnum brush gun and heavy hitting big game rifle such as the 458 Winchester. In plain terms, changes in impact velocity have a dramatic effect on the XTP and how far it can penetrate. These would also be the same authors that state that the latest plastic tipped 95 grain .243 ammo is the best new thing for deer and that 140 grain 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is well suited to Moose. The 225 grain FTX is another bullet that works best over a load of 4227. If it is pushed too far (beyond 200 yards) the soft nose can lead to narrow wounding in comparison to a hollow point. Between the velocity range of 2100 to 2450fps wounding is immensely broad but on heavily built large boned animals bullet blow up may be a problem. Those shooting .444 rifles are urged to properly sight in and test their rifles in order to fully understand the potential of their rifles and for the sake of humane killing. The .444 Marlin can push a 240-grain (16 g) bullet at velocities over 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s) generating 3,070 ft⋅lbf (4,160 J) of energy. As mentioned in the .44 Magnum text, the key when using such designs is to get close and aim to break bone. To those interested in exploring a mild big bore, I thoroughly recommend this rifle and chambering simply for the pure joy it brings. When used on lighter species of deer, the flat point can produce limited trauma (long dead runs) at lower impact velocities. Like the 240 grain XTP, this will generally exit lighter species. The recoil level of the triple four is in no way the same as that produced by a hot .45-70 or a bolt action African game cartridge. Barnes currently produce 200 and 225 grain XPB projectiles. Remington continue to produce their original load for the .444, but this load is now only available in limited production runs (possibly defunct following Remington’s 2020 closure). The original rifle featured a 24” 1:38 twist microgoove (12 groove) barrel. At that time it was the most powerful lever-action cartridge on the planet. The newer .450 Marlin is also frequently compared with it. The short Leverevolution brass was designed to accommodate the long rubber tipped bullet. The well balanced 444 rifle has a blued 22" barrel and an American black walnut stock. The 250 grain Sierra can produce nervous trauma, a measure of weight shedding and fair penetration offering a little more insurance if compared to the XTP. Suffice it to say that while the .444 may have some limitations, it should never be underestimated. [6] It functions efficiently when used with cast lead bullets. The .444 is a very unique cartridge and never fails to generate discussion. In a bolt action rifle chambered for the likes of the .308 Winchester, I am normally inclined to suggest that readers sight their rifles 3” high at 100 yards as a means to extend the trajectory in a useful manner. The 240 grain JHC is a good all rounder for light to medium weight deer species. The 270 grain Gold Dot soft point was designed primarily for the .444. Bullet weight shedding and fragmentation may be high (50% or greater) at these impact velocities, exponentiating wound potential. The FTX is designed with a pointed ogive and rubber tip in order to enhance external ballistics but without causing detonation when stacked in tube loading rifles. That is to say, like all cartridges, the .444 is not magical and it does have its limitations. Whether left alone or altered, the 240 grain DCHP is far superior to conventional bullet designs when used on game weighing between 90 and 150kg (200 to 330lb). [1] The .444 resembles a lengthened .44 Magnum and provides a significant increase in velocity. The heavy jacket and high antimony core work just about perfectly with regards to expansion and wounding versus weight retention and penetration. There is a slight irony here in that a .416 loaded with a round nosed solid may not produce either deeper penetration or wider wounding than a .444 loaded in this manner. Having said this, handloaders won’t find much joy (velocities) in using regular H4189 burn rate powders. Bench Shooting with a vice... Little bit of kick. The result was a relatively fast expanding bullet that produced adequate penetration on a wide range of game. Many years ago Hornady produced a 265 grain flat point ‘Light Magnum’ load at 2325fps. In closing, the .444 Marlin is one whale of an effective cartridge. Today the .444 has a small but staunch following among lever action big bore enthusiasts. As of this time of writing (editing this now very old document in Novememer 2020), the .444 is available from Marlin. The 45-70 rim diameter is.608 and just in front of it.505....the 444's rim is.514 and.471 in front of it. The 300 grain JSP is infinitely better suited to the .444 than the .44 and is an excellent choice for large bodied deer. Remington initially produced one load for the .444, featuring a 240 grain soft point bullet at 2350fps. Those who wish to use this bullet on such game may wish to hollow point the Speer, as discussed in the .44 Magnum text.