new underlever .444 or 45-70?

[Dodder]

I was lucky enough to pick up a brand new .444 Marlin at a very s/h pricea couple of years ago. I havent used a .45-70 lever action so am not able to give you a comparison but I'm pretty happy with my .444. I usually use Blue Dot for subsonic loads with a 240grn cast bullet at my club's practise range which is so soft my 10yr old daughter could probably shoot it. I do have it on my ticket for Deer, so have tried a few more punchy loads with 46grns Reloder 7 behind a Hornady 265grn jacketed HP bullet and would certainly not want to be firing those all day long.

Mine groups the cast bullets into about 3" at 100yds, although being nearly new the trigger is very stiff (anyone recommend someone who can do a slickin job on Marlin .444's?) so these groups could probably be bought down a little. I would have thought for boar at sensible ranges it would be absolutely mustard and one day I'll hopefully be in a position to find out.

As somebody else said, if its in good condition and at a sensible price, I'd be tempted to go for it, you can always apply for a .45-70 as well!

 

[j0e_bl0ggs]

BTW: If one of you guys really wants to get some fun out of a .444, try making one up on a No4 Lee Enfield or a Pattern 14 action. You can melt a little brass while making vapor trails...~Muir

Like this (P14 Winchester)

Pointy bullets for it too! 'Proper' rifling, damn accurate, still has the trajectory of a rainbow but that is the fun in using this rifle!

 

[reiver]

Nobody "bought out" the 450 Marlin. If they had, Marlin would still be making it. Trajectory? All of these pea shooter have trajectories of lobbed bricks when compared to hi intensity bottle necked rounds and out their customary hunting ranges of 0-150 yards, you'd better learn what that trajectory is. The longer 45-70 bullets will carry more energy at longer ranges. Nothing slows down as fast as a bullet as big around as it is long, so the light bullet/more speed thing needs to be balanced to the use. I had custom 444's with 1-18" twist barrels that I shot 465 grain bullets from and they were accurate killers but you got more speed from the 45-70 with bullets of the same weight and consequently, more energy.

BTW: If one of you guys really wants to get some fun out of a .444, try making one up on a No4 Lee Enfield or a Pattern 14 action. You can melt a little brass while making vapor trails...~Muir

Hi muir
I agree with most of what you say on this though what i said was
"Thats why they brought out the 450 marlin" which marlin and Hornady did and not bought out as in buy /sell (UK/USA translation)

Bob.

 

[reiver]

Like this (P14 Winchester)

Pointy bullets for it too! 'Proper' rifling, damn accurate, still has the trajectory of a rainbow but that is the fun in using this rifle!

Thats pure "Gunporn" Now if only they built a p14 with a left handed action .

 

[Muir]

Thats pure "Gunporn" Now if only they built a p14 with a left handed action .

Exactly the gun I was thinking of. Not in lefty tho.~Muir

 

[Muir]

Hi muir
I agree with most of what you say on this though what i said was
"Thats why they brought out the 450 marlin" which marlin and Hornady did and not bought out as in buy /sell (UK/USA translation)

Bob.

Ah! I see. Dammed if we don't need a translation program for US IP addresses!~Muir

 

[8x57]

Common now. You're being silly. ~Muir

You haven't seen his loads Muir.

 

[multiman]

Thanks for the input I have found a Marlin 336 in 45-70 but its double the price of the 444 which comes with some brass and dies as well, thats why I am in two minds what to do . I understand that you can use 44 cast heads for plinking whaich would be good and cheep(er)

I think the 444 would do what I want it to but I was in my mind set on the 45-70 untill this spanner was thrown in the works!
I guess I have to decide save up some more for the 45-70 or go for the 444.

 

[tusker]

Thanks for the input I have found a Marlin 336 in 45-70 but its double the price of the 444 which comes with some brass and dies as well, thats why I am in two minds what to do . I understand that you can use 44 cast heads for plinking whaich would be good and cheep(er)

I think the 444 would do what I want it to but I was in my mind set on the 45-70 untill this spanner was thrown in the works!
I guess I have to decide save up some more for the 45-70 or go for the 444.

Having owned a Marlin 45-70 I would hold out for it if you can it will be worth it. I regret selling mine .

Tusker

 

[Muir]

You haven't seen his loads Muir.

Come on! Even my son, 5'7" and 155 pounds (tho admittedly, hard muscle) can shoot full charges comfortably from his Marlin. His favorite load is a 330 grain HP over a stout charge of RL-7. Very accurate.~Muir

(What kind of non-PC household do we live in? The S&W came from Santa Claus one year, the Marlin from the same the next. My contribution was to cast 200 of the 330 grain HP bullets... a time consuming affair. The comments from the kids in his class? "Can I come live at your house??"

 

[8x57]

Multiman if the .47-70 is double the price of the .444 and the .444 comes with cases surely the decision is easy go for the .444 marlin. As you say .44 cast bullets are readily available for regular use on the range.

Muir - As regards the welding mask and Finnbear its a bit of an injoke. He's a sturdy enough guy and the .45-70 even with the stiffest loads will have some difficulty throwing him around. He's shot the last couple of years at the H4H shoot on an indoor tunnel range where the lighting is subdued. The muzzle flash has been impressive from the relatively short barrel of his Marlin. He recently started another thread on the forum about welding as he is a qualified welder hence the comment on the welding mask.

 

[scrumbag]

Is that because of the military cartridge prohibition?~Muir

That would be my guess. Afraid I've not really looked into it as a lever' has never really appealled for piggie hunting.

ATB,

Scrummy

 

[8x57]

Is that because of the military cartridge prohibition?~Muir

I think it's actually legal in France have a look at http://www.unifrance.fr/famille/armes-de-chasse and you will see that Unifrance sell it under hunting arms rather than under shooting, there being two seperate licencing systems in France. My thinking as to why the .45-70 didn't catch on in the past is that most hunters in France simply buy factory ammunition and previously the puney .45-70 loads for older rifles was all that was available and these didn't meet the required power levels. Well that's my theory anyway. The .444 marlin cartridge on the other hand was quite popular because a number of break action express rifles were made for it.

 

[Muir]

Multiman if the .47-70 is double the price of the .444 and the .444 comes with cases surely the decision is easy go for the .444 marlin. As you say .44 cast bullets are readily available for regular use on the range.

Muir - As regards the welding mask and Finnbear its a bit of an injoke. He's a sturdy enough guy and the .45-70 even with the stiffest loads will have some difficulty throwing him around. He's shot the last couple of years at the H4H shoot on an indoor tunnel range where the lighting is subdued. The muzzle flash has been impressive from the relatively short barrel of his Marlin. He recently started another thread on the forum about welding as he is a qualified welder hence the comment on the welding mask.

I know, I was just tagging it along.~Muir

 

[reiver]

Multiman
Brass for the .444 is easy to pick up in the UK wilson & wilson have it @£57 per 100 for RP and 45-70 brass @ £67 and Dies are made by the main manufactures I prefer the Lee powder through expander die but also have a Hornady set as well.just get what ever rifle floats your boat as they will both put a very big smile on your face.

Bob