When Did Marlin Start Making the .444 Rifle Again
The .444 Marlin Cartridge in Review
Big-Diameter lever-guns remain very pop, but y'all may desire to consider ane chambered in .444 Marlin over .45-70 Government!
While resembling a child of the 19th Century, the .444 Marlin is actually a modern high-pressure cartridge. Accurate and difficult-hitting, information technology's well-suited to hunting in heavy cover.
April 21, 2021
Even in a world awash with modern commodities-guns chambered in hot half dozen.5mm cartridges the elementary big-bore lever gun remains hugely pop with many. Models similar the Marlin (MarlinFirearms.com)1895 Nighttime Serial, reviewed hither, are in high demand. The reason is simple enough, they are quick handling, behave well, authentic enough and hit very hard. While the archetype .45-seventy Authorities cartridge is a favorite, y'all should not overlook the .444 Marlin cartridge. A well idea out and modernistic design, the "Triple iv" is capable of excellent accurateness and, with the right loads, able to driblet any game animal in Northward America.
A truthful sixties child, the .444 Marlin was conceived by two Marlin employees. Thomas Robinson, Marlin'south director of research, and Arthur Burns, a metallurgist, developed this 19th Century looking round using an unfinished .thirty-'06 case every bit a starting point. Fatigued straight, and with a rim cut into information technology, the cartridge was intended to put more dial into Marlin's lever action line. The prototype was presented to Remington who agreed to develop production ammunition. When Marlin introduced the Model 444 burglarize chambering the new round in 1965 it was the most powerful lever activity rifle on the market.
The cartridge itself is deceptive in some ways. With its long direct-walled instance, it appears as though it was designed with the depression pressures of black powder in mind. It wasn't. Then, there's that name, .444 Marlin. Examining it, 1 soon learns information technology'southward no more than a true .44 than the .44 Magnum is. Rather, it was designed to throw .429-inch diameter slugs intended for Harry Callahan's Magnum. Performance? Originally a 240-grain bullet was driven at shut to two,300 fps and delivered over three,000 ft-lbs. of energy.
Marlin offered the new cartridge in a nicely made lever-action burglarize onto which modern optics could exist hands mounted. It was quick-handling, accurate and offered very fast follow-up shots. The wing in the ointment were the projectiles. Driving a bullet designed for pistol velocities at over ii,000 fps did not provide optimum penetration and final functioning on really large and tough animals. When Marlin introduced a lever action .45-70 Government model in 1972, the old military cartridge was destined to somewhen eclipse the newer round. This was mainly due to the .45-lxx Government having stoutly constructed projectiles intended for rifle velocities readily available.
Despite the .45-70s re-emergence, the .444 Marlin has adamantly hung on and remains popular with many. Information technology has a dedicated cult following due to its impressive real-world performance on big game, such as elk and moose. Over the years both projectiles and factory ammunition has improved further enhancing its performance. Although it's not widely loaded, Hornady does offering information technology in their LEVERevolution and Superformance lines loaded with 265-grain bullets. Buffalo Bore offers 3 heavy loads running in weight from 270 to 335 grains, Underwood Ammunition loads the .444 Marlin as does Remington.
The traditional home for the .444 Marlin cartridge is a beefed-up version of the Model 336 rifle chosen, accordingly enough, the Model 444. At 40.five inches long and weighing just 7.5 pounds, the Model 444 is right at home hunting in thick embrace. It carries wonderfully. Grasp it by the action and you can go all day without noticing it'southward fifty-fifty there until you need it. When its services are required, the Marlin shoulders quickly, swings hands and speaks with authority. As the rifle recoils, a reflexive swing of the hand ejects the spent cartridge case and chambers a fresh circular. Follow-upwards shots are very fast, with its only existent negative beingness a slow reload.
Operation? I checked my old data volume to find some existent-world numbers. Hornady's onetime 265-grain JFP Light Magnum load (now replaced in their line by their Superformance load) averaged 1.3-inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards. Velocity of this load averaged 2,292 fps. Buffalo Diameter'southward 270-grain JFP averaged i.v inches at 2,245 fps. So, accuracy is quite good.
.444 Marlin Accuracy and Velocity Chart
Load: Buffalo Bore 270 grain JFP
Velocity: two,245 fps
100 yards: 1.v inches
Load: Hornady Low-cal Magnum 265 grain JFP
Velocity: two,292 fps
100 yards: ane.3 inches
Note: Groups are an average of four 5-shot groups fired from a rest at 100 yards. Velocity readings are an average of ten rounds recorded 15 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler 35P chronograph at 100 feet to a higher place Sea Level at an ambient temperature of 31 degrees F.
Punching the data into Sierra's Infinity Ballistic software churned up some interesting numbers. Hornady's Lite Magnum load generated 3,090 ft-lbs. of energy at the muzzle, 2,074 ft-lbs. at 100 yards and 1,355 ft-lbs. at 200 yards. With a 150-g nothing, this load is 1.8 inches high at 100 yards and only 4.eight inches low at 200 yards. To exist blunt, that's excellent performance from a lever activity 'castor gun'. Need more steam? Buffalo Bore offers a heavier 300-grain JFP at an advertised 2,150 fps. Not plenty? Well, if you need more than horsepower and deeper penetration you tin step up to their 335-grain WFN which pounds out at 2,025 fps.
Want to handload? Consider Hornady dies, Barnes, Nosler, Speer, Remington and Hornady projectiles and Starline cases. For powders try Reloader 7, IMR 4198 and H322. The .444 is a relatively like shooting fish in a barrel cartridge to load for, just remember to use a adequately heavy crimp to prevent bullet set-back in the tubular magazine under recoil.
While the .45-70 Government may get the celebrity, Marlin'due south .444 is even so a mighty fine cartridge. It offers beauteous accuracy mixed with a healthy helping of raw big-bore power. When combined with Marlin's Model 444 you have a quick handling hunting burglarize which hangs nicely for shots taken offhand. If you are hunting in heavy cover the quondam "Triple four" may be all you want or need.
Well-nigh the writer:
David M. Fortier has been covering firearms, ammunition and optics for 23 years. He is a recipient of the Carl Zeiss Outdoor Writer of the Year honor and his writing has been recognized by the Civil Rights organization JPFO. In 2007 he covered the war in Iraq every bit an embedded journalist.
Source: https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/444-marlin-cartridge-review/391995
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