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it slugs out with a .432 grove. So, I guess all 44 Marlins(1894's) are not .431 as so many suggest. I have not shot any cast bullets as of yet, but the largest diameters I see seem to max out at .432
Next to cast will be my 375 Marlin, and that should be interesting also. I used the Beartooth sinkers for the slugs, and it went pretty slick as they have a taper and are not too over-bored.
Any suggestions as to what commercial cast bullet to try in this 44? I only have Unique and 231 for powders. Pistol powders like H110, 2400, and 296 are non-existent here! I have 240gr Horn
jackets(.430), but I don't see any loads with Unique in the 44 mag case. I shot 15 rnds of Win 240 white box just to adjust the sights to 50yds..14th shot was dead center, and the 15th took out a baseball size rock @ about 110. So, it seems to be minute-of-deer anyway! Cleaning the rifle was fast and very little copper.
All in all, I am pleased with this rifle. I would say the finish is 1 step behind a JM (I have 4 JM rifles). The edges of the rifle are sharp, especially the lever...you can scrape the back of your finger nail on it! The screws are made of some junk pot metal? I actually CHIPPED the lever take down screw! ( I have special bits for Marlin lever guns, so this was not Bubba). Marlin sent me 2 new screws. The gun seems to be machined well. I was going to polish the hammer/bolt contact points and the ejector grove, but they looked fine. Tight gun, and cycled well
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Next to cast will be my 375 Marlin, and that should be interesting also. I used the Beartooth sinkers for the slugs, and it went pretty slick as they have a taper and are not too over-bored.
Any suggestions as to what commercial cast bullet to try in this 44? I only have Unique and 231 for powders. Pistol powders like H110, 2400, and 296 are non-existent here! I have 240gr Horn
jackets(.430), but I don't see any loads with Unique in the 44 mag case. I shot 15 rnds of Win 240 white box just to adjust the sights to 50yds..14th shot was dead center, and the 15th took out a baseball size rock @ about 110. So, it seems to be minute-of-deer anyway! Cleaning the rifle was fast and very little copper.
All in all, I am pleased with this rifle. I would say the finish is 1 step behind a JM (I have 4 JM rifles). The edges of the rifle are sharp, especially the lever...you can scrape the back of your finger nail on it! The screws are made of some junk pot metal? I actually CHIPPED the lever take down screw! ( I have special bits for Marlin lever guns, so this was not Bubba). Marlin sent me 2 new screws. The gun seems to be machined well. I was going to polish the hammer/bolt contact points and the ejector grove, but they looked fine. Tight gun, and cycled well
