OK,
Sadly, I sold off all my guns 5 years ago. I have been rebuilding my rifle stable for a couple years now. I came across a great deal on a near-new 2006 minted 1895 Marlin 444 with fantastic wood. I figured it would be great for timber hunting Elk.
I'm fairly savvy on rifles/ballistics and I certainly have my personal preferences. I knew that the 444 was not the same as my previous 45-70 when I bought it. However, this is my first 444. I've "Googled" around a bit to find out about safe 270-300gr. max loads. It seems there is still debate on what a generally accepted safe max load for the 444 is. Some people swear the Marlin action is dog [bleep] and must not be trusted and others claim some ridiculously high velocities. Considering this gun is a <150yd shooter for my applications, I have decided not to run "crazy hot" loads at all.
So, to my question: How many of you here have actual experience with this caliber from a 20" barrel on Elk? I can read energy numbers the same as anyone else. I am very interested in hearing from people with hands on experience with this caliber/bullet combo on Elk. I know it is plenty for Deer and arguably not enough for Browns, but is it formidable on quartering shots within 150 yards? All the evidence suggests yes but I am really hunting for opinions from people that have used it on Elk.
Thanks in advance.
