Just picked up a Marlin 44 Mag Lever Action Rifle. Never loaded for a 44 Mag Rifle. I shoot mostly 44 Spl in my 629 and Redhawk with the occasional Magnum round. Majority is 180 & 240gr HyTek Coated. Any pet loads you guys would like to share?
Any Pet Loads for 44 Mag Lever Action?
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Ivan the Butcher
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Anything you can feed a Model 29 will work in a 1894 Marlin with the exception of wadcutters!
In the early 1980's, (back in the gold trigger days!) I had a 336 and a 1894 both in 44 mag. I shot a lot of 240 grain factory ammo. It was harder on me than on the guns! The monster 300-330 grain loads get pretty tiresome at full power also! So for light recoil, a 1000fps and 180 to 210 grain bullet will do most anything except Bears; but that's a whole different thread/subject!
Ivan
In the early 1980's, (back in the gold trigger days!) I had a 336 and a 1894 both in 44 mag. I shot a lot of 240 grain factory ammo. It was harder on me than on the guns! The monster 300-330 grain loads get pretty tiresome at full power also! So for light recoil, a 1000fps and 180 to 210 grain bullet will do most anything except Bears; but that's a whole different thread/subject!
Ivan
Pet load
What do you want to do with the Marlin? I use mine for cowboy action shooting. Key is to watch the OAL-a range is listed in the manual. I use Trailboss with 200 gr RNFP and they are good to at least 25 yds. 44 specials don’t run as well as the magnum loads
I do on occasion run the same loads (mag) I use in my 629
What do you want to do with the Marlin? I use mine for cowboy action shooting. Key is to watch the OAL-a range is listed in the manual. I use Trailboss with 200 gr RNFP and they are good to at least 25 yds. 44 specials don’t run as well as the magnum loads
I do on occasion run the same loads (mag) I use in my 629
Confederate Tyrant
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I haven't gotten much range time with my 1894, but 7gr of Trail Boss or 12gr of AA #5 with a 240gr RNFP are quite pleasant for all day shooting.
ParadiseRoad
Member
...I have a Marlin 1894 44 magnum...
...it's claimed they are best suited to bullets of 240 grains or less due to the rather slow 1 in 38 rifling twist...
...Ruger revolvers are 1 in 16 twist I believe...I like shooting 300 grain bullets in them...haven't tried 300s in the Marlin but have heard they won't stabilize and will keyhole...
...it's claimed they are best suited to bullets of 240 grains or less due to the rather slow 1 in 38 rifling twist...
...Ruger revolvers are 1 in 16 twist I believe...I like shooting 300 grain bullets in them...haven't tried 300s in the Marlin but have heard they won't stabilize and will keyhole...
roscoepc
Member
Back in the mid 70's when I was overseas in Germany I bought a Winchester lever action, Model 94 I think, and I used 240gr rounds in it. Kind of a "solid" kick but smooth.. I could group 6 rounds in 4" patterns at 100 meters all day long using the iron sights.. Lot's of Fun!!!
I've got a Winchester 1892 that has been rechambered from 44/40 to 44 Magnum. So I am careful what I feed it.
My best load for it is a 180 gr JSP or JHP over 19 grs of 2400. Accurate, low recoil and will kill deer.
My best load for it is a 180 gr JSP or JHP over 19 grs of 2400. Accurate, low recoil and will kill deer.
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I took my first deer with a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag. They're great guns. It should handle almost anything you feed it. You will have to experiment to figure out what works best. I screwed up and sold mine, but have a modern Winchester 1892 in 44 mag now. I do have a Marlin 1894 in .357 magnum that is a great shooter and launches a 180 grain Grizzly at 1750 fps.
If the barrel says "Micro-groove Rifling" you need to slug the barrel and probably load 0.432" diameter cast bullets or jacketed bullets. Bullet weight between 220 grains and 255 grains worked.
According to my loading notes, the Lee 200g RNFP seated to an OAL of 1.600 pushed by 7.0g of Trail boss is a load you can shoot all day in your Marlin 1894 .44 mag. In a 4" handgun, that load chrono's 815fps with an SD of 6. Naturally that load will be faster outta a longer rifle bbl, I just never chrono'd it. Marlin's in .44 mag are known to require "fat for caliber" boolits , so I'd either slug your bbl or start at .430" and work up in size. Mine ended up needing .432" boolits. Good luck!
This was the case with my guns.
Nemo288
Member
The "standard" maximum 44 mag load of 24 grains W296 and a 240 Jacketed bullet has always worked pretty well in carbines for me.
Now that I have mostly given up on ball powders I would have to go back and try some other 44 mag loads
like 18 grains 2400 under a Cast Perf. 260 WFNGC.
I have no reason to believe those won't shoot just as well.
The 38" twist doesn't limit bullet stability by weight, it does so by length.
The WFN bullets are pretty short for their weight.
Weight actually adds to stability all else being equal.
Velocity also adds stability as it adds to the spin rate.
The 444 crowd found out pretty early on that 300+ grain bullets will stabilize just fine in 38" twist barrels
if the velocity is high enough (and the bullets short enough).
The .432" WFNGC is a great way to do this.
The gun writers evidently never caught on to this and repeated falsehoods about heavy bullets in the 444 for decades.
This is a good example of the old outworn Greenhill stability formula simply being wrong.
The Miller formulae are much more accurate in my experience shooting these heavy slow twisting bullets.
Miller twist rule - Wikipedia
Now that I have mostly given up on ball powders I would have to go back and try some other 44 mag loads
like 18 grains 2400 under a Cast Perf. 260 WFNGC.
I have no reason to believe those won't shoot just as well.
The 38" twist doesn't limit bullet stability by weight, it does so by length.
The WFN bullets are pretty short for their weight.
Weight actually adds to stability all else being equal.
Velocity also adds stability as it adds to the spin rate.
The 444 crowd found out pretty early on that 300+ grain bullets will stabilize just fine in 38" twist barrels
if the velocity is high enough (and the bullets short enough).
The .432" WFNGC is a great way to do this.
The gun writers evidently never caught on to this and repeated falsehoods about heavy bullets in the 444 for decades.
This is a good example of the old outworn Greenhill stability formula simply being wrong.
The Miller formulae are much more accurate in my experience shooting these heavy slow twisting bullets.
Miller twist rule - Wikipedia
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cjwils
Member
I have a Marlin 94 in 45 Colt. I found that for my reloads I need to do a rolled crimp. A tapered crimp leaves the front edge of the case exposed in a way that can get hung up on an edge of the chamber as the case tries to enter the chamber. Changing to a rolled crimp totally fixed that problem.
Nemo288
Member
Good fix!
Any round shot in a magnum revolver, lever, or double rifle needs a good crimp to keep the remaining bullets from moving either fore or aft.
Normally a 44 mag round is going to have a nice roll or "profile" crimp in the groove or cannelure.
I have used a taper crimp on some 44 special (and .445 in a single shot) loads when using a plain shanked bullet like the some plated numbers.
I would hesitate to load those in a lever along with any bullets having a nose smaller than the primer pocket.
Any round shot in a magnum revolver, lever, or double rifle needs a good crimp to keep the remaining bullets from moving either fore or aft.
Normally a 44 mag round is going to have a nice roll or "profile" crimp in the groove or cannelure.
I have used a taper crimp on some 44 special (and .445 in a single shot) loads when using a plain shanked bullet like the some plated numbers.
I would hesitate to load those in a lever along with any bullets having a nose smaller than the primer pocket.
old 1911 fan
Member
I got my first 44 mag a Marlin 1894 in the early 70s. The load it shot the best was 240 jsp with a heavy charge of IMR4227., 2.5 inch groups at 100 yds with a Williams peep sight. My next 44 was a Model 6" 29-2. the Marlin loads were too hot and have settled on 240g lead swc over unique. These I make at about 1000fps. A pleasant accurate load. Then I got a 14" Contender in 44 mag. I took a bear with a Sierra 300g JSP. Too long for the Marlin and too hot for the 29. Then I got a Desert Eagle 44. No lead for that one but it shoots a 240g jsp factory duplication load very accurately. I also have a 3" PC 629-6 Carry Comp, 240g lead is fun to shoot. Magnums are a bit painful. It helps to take off the nice wood and put the goodyears on. I have heard people talk about having a companion handgun to go with a carbine. The idea is to have one load for both. Good luck with that plan. I'm now looking for a Ruger Deerfield 44. I do like the Remington .44 Magnum!
old 1911 fan
old 1911 fan
castleadslinger
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There are a few Ruger Deerfield 44's on Gunbroker. I myself, would love to have one, but wow, they are expensive. Beautiful none then less.
Collo Rosso
Member
My newer 1894 in 44 mag has conventional rifling and didn't like the coated cast .431 bullets I was using for my 44 handguns. Slugged the barrel and measured .433! Order some SWC's sized to .433 from Dardus bullets. With 7 to 8 grains of CFE-P it's very accurate with modest recoil.
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