TECHNICALLY the statement is not wrong. Elk and moose are deer......nobody said little deer. In regards to the op, the 444 in a Cva will probably pack a thump on both ends, however only the shooter should be limping away after a solid shot.You're completely missing the point, just to argue. Did you actually read what I was responding to? Do you agree that a 500gr .458" bullet at 1300fps is "borderline for anything but deer"?
And let's not degrade this into judgements about what constitutes a "serious hunter".
hunting with the 444 marlin
- Thread starter deputy bruce
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eastbank
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my 444 marlin is in a winchester timber carbine with a 4x leupold scope, shown here with my winchester model 53 in 44-40 to show the lenth. my rifle likes RL-7 and H-4198 with the hornady 265gr bullets. while the rifle can be loaded hot, for deer and black bear i load that bullet to about 1800fps. what i like about the winchester carbine is the over all size and weight. eastbank.
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It never fails. Bring up a big bore rifle, the 45-70 gets brought into the mix. Bring the 45-70, Africa gets brought in.
A 500gr bullet at 1300fps is pathetic? Put up a 8x8 oak timber at 100 yards and watch the bullet blow through it. Then tell us it's pathetic. Hyper velocity does not equal more penetration.
So tell me this. Name one animal on the planet that a 444 with 300+ gr solids or hardcasts at 1800-2000fps can't adequately penetrate to reach vitals, or brain? I'm not asking legality or minimum standards. I'm asking about its ability
A 500gr bullet at 1300fps is pathetic? Put up a 8x8 oak timber at 100 yards and watch the bullet blow through it. Then tell us it's pathetic. Hyper velocity does not equal more penetration.
So tell me this. Name one animal on the planet that a 444 with 300+ gr solids or hardcasts at 1800-2000fps can't adequately penetrate to reach vitals, or brain? I'm not asking legality or minimum standards. I'm asking about its ability
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Let's not degrade this discussion into absurdity.
And having read MANY of your posts and threads, I think you, of all people, would know.
It's a fine cartridge that was somewhat lucky it had a following past novelty. And then people got serious about seeing what I could really do. And it came into its own and has proven to be an outstanding, very capable cartridge by lever standards. And it's popularity has continued to grow. Those who doubt it, simply don't know.
DM~
Member
I like the 444 and I like it better than the 45/70.... BUT I don't like either one in a lever gun.
MY 444 is in a combo gun and it's chambered .444 Marlin/ 12 ga... The gun design handles recoil MUCH better than any of the lever guns I've fired.
With factory ammo, the 444 kills deer sized animals FASTER than a 45/70, speed up the 45/70 and you get more recoil than the lighter bullets in the 444 give.
The 265's in the 444 are accurate in my rifle and perform just fine on deer...
DM
MY 444 is in a combo gun and it's chambered .444 Marlin/ 12 ga... The gun design handles recoil MUCH better than any of the lever guns I've fired.
With factory ammo, the 444 kills deer sized animals FASTER than a 45/70, speed up the 45/70 and you get more recoil than the lighter bullets in the 444 give.
The 265's in the 444 are accurate in my rifle and perform just fine on deer...
DM
DM~
Member
I'm referring to factory Remington's, I have several boxes of them left, and the other day I bought a hundred rounds of new Rem. brass from Cabelas.
My 444 is a "hunting" gun, so I don't shoot it a lot, when I run out of factory loads, I'll start reloading it.
DM
My 444 is a "hunting" gun, so I don't shoot it a lot, when I run out of factory loads, I'll start reloading it.
DM
slicksleeve
Member
I am a big fan of the .444 Marlin, but I know it won't do anything a 45-70 won't. I just like those oddballs I suppose. Pictured is my Marlin with a 1-4x Leupold. I shot this coyote at 220 yards with, off-hand. (A very lucky shot I know, considering it was sighted in at 100 yards dead on.) It is very accurate with the 265 grain Hornady flat point, over Reloder-7. That is my 100 yard sight in target pictured, three shots, before I dialed it over to the center. By the way, even with that big bullet, she didn't fall dead. She jumped about four feet into the air, then ran about 30 yards into the woods, with very little blood loss. My black lab dog found it.
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.308 Norma
Member
Me too.
Strange things happen. I've been a hunter my whole life, and if there's anything I know for sure about it is that you can seldom predict how an animal is going to react when hit - even when hit well.
BTW, where did you hit her?
Ttexastom
Member
Have used hornady 265 grain bullet for about 20 years, gun is marlin lever 444. This gun is very accurate, stays around 1 inch at 100. Know this accuracy is not spectacular when comparing it to a bolt gun. Benchmark powder works real well. It kills everything that i point it at. No game animal ever lost. What more can you ask for? Kick to me is similar to 30/06 with 180 grain bullet
slicksleeve
Member
About mid-way between her left shoulder and hip. The bullet exited where you see in the picture.
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