Questions about lever rifles. Does anyone know the difference in drop between these two rounds at distances of 150yds or less? For short range hunting of small whitetails, is there really any appreciable advantage to shooting a 444?
44 mag or 444
- Thread starter valkyrie.rider
- Start date
- Status
Reloadron
Contributing Member
This link will get you the ballistic charts for the 44 Remington Magnum and the 444 Marlin. Keep in mind all bets can be off with different ammunition and the same bullet weights. Ammunition like Cor Bon for example is loaded hot, same for a few others. That said in both 44 Magnum and 444 Marlin I like the 240 grain soft point bullets.
A 444 Marlin short range trajectory, zeroed at 100 yards with a muzzle velocity of 2350 FPS and a 240 grain SP will drop about 3.2" at 150 yards and 9.7" at 200 yards. Check the charts for energy.
A 44 Magnum same bullet with a 50 yard zero at 150 yards will drop about 8.7" and at 200 yards 21.2". Again, check the charts.
My 44 Mag rifle is a nice little Ruger 44 Carbine. Hunted West Virginia with it for years and it was a great inside 100 yards rifle. Most shots were 50 yards or less in the areas we hunted deer. Eventually I got the Marlin 444 and never looked back. I hand load both calibers. While I love that little handy Ruger carbine there is no comparison for me anyway.
Ron
A 444 Marlin short range trajectory, zeroed at 100 yards with a muzzle velocity of 2350 FPS and a 240 grain SP will drop about 3.2" at 150 yards and 9.7" at 200 yards. Check the charts for energy.
A 44 Magnum same bullet with a 50 yard zero at 150 yards will drop about 8.7" and at 200 yards 21.2". Again, check the charts.
My 44 Mag rifle is a nice little Ruger 44 Carbine. Hunted West Virginia with it for years and it was a great inside 100 yards rifle. Most shots were 50 yards or less in the areas we hunted deer. Eventually I got the Marlin 444 and never looked back. I hand load both calibers. While I love that little handy Ruger carbine there is no comparison for me anyway.
Ron
MrDig
Member
I would go with the 44 Magnum
But I like to have revolvers that shoot the same round as my Levers so that my reasoning.
But I like to have revolvers that shoot the same round as my Levers so that my reasoning.
captain awesome
Member
get the 444 lever gun, then get a 444 BFR. then they will match and you will be shooting the ballisticly superior cartridge. the side arm might be a little unwieldy though. 
Last edited:
Kind of my thoughts exactly, they are both in .45-70...............get the 444 lever gun, then get a 444 BFR. then they will match and you will be shooting the ballisticly superior cartridge. the side arm might be a little unwieldy though.
Attachments
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Depends on your intended usage, how much range you require and how big a critter you wanna take with it. The .444 has no advantage for deer-sized game up to 125yds but a few disadvantages. The .444 offers more range and the late model Marlins have a 1-20" twist that works great with bullets up to 405gr. Due to the stupidly slow twist rate, most .44's are limited to 300's.
I wouldn't consider a .444 BFR a "sidearm".
I wouldn't consider a .444 BFR a "sidearm".
captain awesome
Member
I dont own one in 444, but I do have one in 45/410 with a 7.5 inch barrel. It is the same size frame and barrel length as one of the 444's. I think people are too quick to dismiss the BIG REVOLVERS, considering them a novelty. IMO the only real plausible way to carry it is in a shoulder rig, but in a shoulder rig, it does just fine, and I can pack it around all day comfortably. its definitely not most peoples first choice as a side arm, but it can function fine as one in this respect. I really doubt the OP is considering it anyway, but it could be an option, and IMO a rather fun and entertaining option as well.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I carried a 66oz 3rd Model Dragoon all last season in a belt holster. I did just fine with it but most people don't want that much sixgun on their hip. I carried it because I wanted to carry it, not because it was the best tool for the job. The only .444 listed by MRI is a 10" model and it weighs 77oz. You may certainly carry one if you want, hell, you can carry two if it pleases you. IMHO, a 10" revolver that weighs nearly five pounds defies the meaning of "sidearm". You really need a scope for it to do anything more than a 5½" - 7½" will. Makes no sense when a 37oz .44Spl or 45oz .44Mag will serve the same purpose without unnecessary weight.
I had a 336 converted to 445 Super Mag. I could have went to 444, but I'd have to buy new dies and all.
If I had a .44 Magnum revolver I'd go with a .44 Mag lever gun over a 444. Plus my shoulder would thank me for it. Also, the 444 shines with VV N-120, and that isn't a very easy powder to come by.
If I had a .44 Magnum revolver I'd go with a .44 Mag lever gun over a 444. Plus my shoulder would thank me for it. Also, the 444 shines with VV N-120, and that isn't a very easy powder to come by.
captain awesome
Member
I must have been mistaken, I thought they offered it in 7.5" like some of the other versions. apparently not. but yes 10 inch barrels cross the line into being considered the primary weapon, not side arms. I had a 500mag BFR with a 10 inch barrel, and it was indeed to long for any of my purposes so I sold it.
W.E.G.
Member
The Magnum Research BFR in .450 Marlin is the most powerful production handgun on the market today !.................
CleanDean
Member
444 Marlin ... very under appreciated....it's too bad, it is not more popular.
Even J.D. Jones wanted to change a good thing , altering it to the wildcat .375 J.D.J.
Even J.D. Jones wanted to change a good thing , altering it to the wildcat .375 J.D.J.
Last edited:
A lot of shenanigans in their marketing. Clearly the recoil results are mainly a result of them being huge and weighing a ton and not the pressure. In the case of the .450 you have a 4.5 pound monster with almost as much recoils as the 3.25 pound Freedom Arms. I wasn't aware that the .454 was underpowered for anything on this side of the planet. I also doubt many .454s get wore out. You can use .45 Colt ammo for blasting.
http://www.magnumresearch.com/BFR-Factoids.asp
mdauben
Member
Actually, its probably easier to think of it as a slightly younger cousin of the .45-70.
.444 w/300gr = 2000FPS/2665FP
.45-70 w/300gr = 2,069FPS/2852FP
If you hand load, the .45-70 definitely has the advantage with heavier loads and heavier bullets, but with typical factory loads they are pretty close.
In the mid-1960s the .45-70 had all but disappeared from the American marketplace. There was no big-bore cartridge available in a lever-action rifle in current production, so Marlin decided to create a new cartridge to fill this empty niche. They created what is essentially an elongated version of the .44 Magnum by making it nearly an inch longer to give it power similar to the .45-70. The case Marlin created is very similar to the rimmed .303 British that was trimmed and necked-up to work with .429 bullets.............
Sold my 454 handgun. I could shoot it but did not like it. Got a 44 mag. I think a .444 wil shot a 44 mag.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
valkyrie.rider:
Check out the following website link, and tinker around.
http://handloads.com/calc/index.html
You will note some interesting effects when you change projectile weights, and especially configurations, ie from HPs to Hornady's LeverEvolution projectiles. I tinkered with the website and the two rounds you asked about. In effect, the .444 Marlin, with 265 grain LE rounds can easily extend to a 260 yard round, and retain 1,951 pounds of energy. Keeping to a zero with the limit of +/- 4" trajectory, the .444 is zeroed at 218 yards, and drops to -4" at about 255 yards. It is +4" high at about 120 yards.
I'll let you tinker with the .44 Mag rounds. Have fun.
Geno
Check out the following website link, and tinker around.
http://handloads.com/calc/index.html
You will note some interesting effects when you change projectile weights, and especially configurations, ie from HPs to Hornady's LeverEvolution projectiles. I tinkered with the website and the two rounds you asked about. In effect, the .444 Marlin, with 265 grain LE rounds can easily extend to a 260 yard round, and retain 1,951 pounds of energy. Keeping to a zero with the limit of +/- 4" trajectory, the .444 is zeroed at 218 yards, and drops to -4" at about 255 yards. It is +4" high at about 120 yards.
I'll let you tinker with the .44 Mag rounds. Have fun.
Geno
DM~
Member
i got a 16.5 inch 45/70 marlin 1895 ss guide gun from davidsons, and bought a bfr 45/70 with a 450 marlin cylinder.
- Status
