peacebutready
Member
IIRC, the .444 Marlin was more popular in past times than now and the 45-70 Govt has become more popular than it has been in the previous few decades. Am I correct?
Just.....no. My 444S 1:38 microgroove shoots those 300gr Sierra’s to Sub-MOA accuracy. And here’s the trick....it’s super complicated though. Just trim your brass to LeverEvolution length brass and crimp at the cannelure. COL remains the same. Case capacity remains the same.If you want a fantastic big bore hunting rifle though get yourself a single shot of your preference in 444 marlin with a 1-20" twist and ream the throat out so you can run a 300 grain sierra JSP or a 300+ grain gas checked hard cast.
I've owned several 45-70's going back to original modern Marlins introduced in 1973 and I have friends with 444's. I'm not a huge fan of either, but if picking one I still believe the 45-70 is the better round. It offers more options from mild to wild.
If you walked into a mom&pop combo gas station I bet you'll find 45/70 before 444 ammo. I wad in a hardware store in Maine and they had 351 and 401 Win ammo,boxes looked older than dirt thougj.
Not once in my entire life have I walked into a gas station looking for ammo, nor have I ever bought ammo on the way to or during a hunt, but your right there are a lot more options for factory 45-70 ammo and in different power factors.
Truth being stranger than fiction... there was a truck stop/gas station in Salina, Utah that had ammo right behind the counter. They had 2 boxes of Winchester .348's... that I, of course, bought. You never know...
I cannot believe how often this is used as an argument. Really???If you walked into a mom&pop combo gas station I bet you'll find 45/70 before 444 ammo.
Speaking of full house loads - I just got messing around on Buffalo Bore's website and found their "45-70 Magnum" load. 405 grains at 2000 FPS.
Who wants to pull the trigger on that puppy?
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=151