444 Marlin, Remington 240 grain factory load?

[Jerry/PA]

Hi all;

I just traded for a 444S a few weeks ago, so I have a lot of learning to do about this rifle and this caliber. (A major portion of the "blame" for my having done this goes to Coug2Wolfs.  After reading his personal website about the Marlins a while back, I didn't have a chance of resisting!)

All that I will hunt with this rifle is our local 100 to 150 pound Whitetail deer. No bear, no elk, no moose... we're talking Southwestern Pennsylvania here.

I have read that the 444S can really shine with the 265 and 300 grain bullets when reloaded. I do reload.

Now I look in my Lyman's 47th reloading manual and they give data of 47.0 grains of IMR-4198 under a Remington 240 grain SP bullet for a velocity of 2341 fps. This is a "factory velocity duplication load" according to the Lyman folks.

I'm looking at a 500 bullet bulk package of Remington 240 grain SP bullets that I have left over from when I used to reload for a 44 Magnum that I once owned...

My question is to those with experience with the Remington factory loads that use this same bullet... What is your experience with it? Is it really a bad, or inadequate, or inaccurate, or poorly performing loading? Or, are all the fellows just saying that the 444 can do better with a different bullet?

I'm asking for brutal honesty here fellows!

Thanks in advance for educating me!

Jerry in Southwestern PA, (where the deer are getting mighty scarce!)

[Mikey]

Jerry/PA - I wouldn't use those bullets for your 444.  If those bullets are for the 44 magnum, they will be too frangible at the 444 Marlin velocities and may not penetrate satisfactorily.

Please understand that the factory 240 gn Rem 444 loads will successfully take whitetail, balck bear and moose.  The 265s will do the same and work succesfully on larger animals.  The 300s are real whompers but may be overkill for what and where you hunt.

However, since you reload, you can have fun with that 444.  You can load slow and low for just plain fun plinking (at 44 mag speeds btw) or you can go with the heavier monster stompers.  

If this is a new Marlin rifle I, whether with 6 groove Ballard rifling or the standard Marlin Micro-groove rifling, I would lap the barrel for the best accuracy you could obtain from that rifle/cartridge combo.  There is a tremendous amount of information availalbe to the 444 shooter on the Beartooth Bullets website that will allow you to really enjoy your rifle.  

BTW, one of our posters shoots the 180 grain 44 mag bullets at near 3000'/sec from his custom bolt action in 444 - sez they're good vermit loads.  Sounds like it.  Anyway, I hope this gets you in the ballpark.  Good luck.  Mikey.

[markc]

if you are going to shoot factory ammo, the Rem 240's will work fine, especially for those whitetail deer.  Mine has taken whitetail and feral hogs with great results.  Now if you are gonna hand load, then there are some really good bullets out there now, in a variety of weights for what ever hunting you may do.  IN N. America, you can hand load , and even find quality factory ammo now in .444 for what ever you may encounter.  It's a great caliber, and a fine firearm you have as well.  Enjoy.
markc

[jar-wv]

Jerry.  I have been hunting with a 444S for about 3 years now. The first year I used the 240 rem factory loads & had no problem with them. I shot 3 deer, all from 20 to 60 yds. All shots were really about the same, behind the shoulder shots on broadside standing deer. All pass thru shots leaving big holes. Runner went about 30 feet. Having said that I have heard from others that have had problems with bullets blowing up and making big flesh wounds.

The second year I used 444S I was using speer 240 gr. sp. On on of the deer I shot the only shot I had was a shoulder shot at about 40 yds. Bullet blew up I guess cause I hit bone. had a huge flesh wound as if someone used a big spoon & scooped a bunch of meat out. Luckily she only went about 40 yds & layed down, so I was able to finish the job with a head shot. These bullets weren't rems so I may be unfair to compare it to rems, but I suspect the people I've heard from were probaly taking similar shots with the rems as I was.

Last year I used the 270 gr speer gold dot. These are bonded core bullets & I think the best I've used so far.

I once called Remington & asked if the bullets in the 444 & 44 mag were the same but really didn't get to talk to a ballistician, just a woman that kept asking someone else. Was finally told they use the same bullet in both rounds, but the way I was told didn't really convince me.

I hope this helps some.

jar

[tscott]

I have hunted with this rifle and Remington factory ammo for 30 years.
As you described. It is a wonderfully stable accurate round on the range.
Just a terrific deer rifle. My best guess is that I have shot at least 12 bucks
with this rig. NO PROBLEMS, topped with a Redfield 2x 7 wide angle.
Most deer went right down, shot behind shoulder. No appreciable meat
damage, but it's always about shot placement. You're lucky!