[lt3097]

Just picked up my third Marlin. This one is in 444 marlin. I had been told that I shouldn't try to use the Hornady Leverevolusion ammo in this gun as it will lock up the action. I tried to hand load a round in the magazine and darn if it didn't jam up. Has anyone else experienced this ? I tried a couple of different flat nose rounds in Hornady and Remington and they worked very well.

 

[trapper-xx]

Unless you have a concave shaped follower, the last (or only) round in the magazine can give you trouble with those gummie tips. Try loading more than one round in the magazine and see if they feed OK until the last one.

 

[Starrbow]

I would clean the bore with a foaming bore cleaner before trying the Gummie Bear Bullets, you never know, it just may shoot them fine!

 

[FrankenMauser]

If the load shoots well, you can pick up one of the FTX-friendly followers for under $10, from quite a few places.
Midway sells them for $7.

If you have a metal follower, you could probably trade with someone on Marlin Owners that doesn't want the FTX follower, for the cost of shipping.
(Any .30-30, .35 Rem, .38-55, or .444 follower will work.)

I'm usually a, "keep that plastic out of my guns" type of guy. But I recently discovered that the new style follower seems to work better for wide meplat bullets, as well. So, I may run one in my 444, even though I don't plan to ever shoot FTX bullets/ammo.