What load got your your best groups in an 1894 Marlin 44?

I have the same gun and shoot the same powder and bullet. Mine has open sites and it shoots about a 2" group at 50 yards. That's good enough for me and I shot the biggest buck of my life with it in 2010

Jeff Flannery said:

I have the same gun and shoot the same powder and bullet. Mine has open sites and it shoots about a 2" group at 50 yards. That's good enough for me and I shot the biggest buck of my life with it in 2010

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It's the buck on my profile pic

240gr .432" cast bullets from gtbullets and 13gr HS-6 cuts holes in my 1894.

44mag SAMMI spec minimum groove diameter is different for rifles and pistols.

Rifle spec is .431" minimum. Pistol is .429".

Slug your barrel and get some bullets of the appropriate diameter.

Mine slugged .4315".

mrawesome22-250 said:

240gr .432" cast bullets from gtbullets and 13gr HS-6 cuts holes in my 1894.

44mag SAMMI spec minimum groove diameter is different for rifles and pistols.

Rifle spec is .431" minimum. Pistol is .429".

Slug your barrel and get some bullets of the appropriate diameter.

Mine slugged .4315".

Click to expand...

That's the problem. Bullet makers are cranking out .430" jacketed bullets when the groove diameter in rifles is deliberately oversized around .4315". It does NOT help accuracy.

That 1894 caused me a lot of frustration but I learned a ton from it.

First thing I do on any new or new to me gun now is slug the barrel.

If I can't buy jacketed bullets with the same diameter as the groove, or I can't buy cast bullets at least .001" larger than the groove, I have no use for the gun.

Slugging the barrel, then lining it back up with the lands and slowly pushing it back down the barrel will let you feel any constrictions in the bore.

Recently slugged a new to me Super Blackhawk that had a horrible constriction at the barrel/frame junction. Best it would do was about 8", erratic groups at 25 yards rested from a bench. It was delivered back to Ruger this morning.

Anyway, slug your barrels guys. Can save you much frustration and you'll get the best accuracy possible shooting bullets of the correct diameter.

I also learned from that gun, that using the correct diameter is almost guaranteed to eliminate leading.

I use almost that exact load with my SS Ruger SBH with 10" barrel and get 1 inch groups at 50 yds all day long. I use 23.5 grains H110 and same bullet with mixed brass. Sounds like that rifle shoots well! Next batch of propellant will be with 296 as that's what is left here for now.