If you want to shoot heavy bullets in the 444, you need to be careful of the 1:38 twist the older Microgroove guns used. Newer 444s use a 1:20 twist with Ballard rifling
True to a degree. It really depends on what you call heavy bullets in the 444 though. The 1:38 twist can stabilize up to about 330 gr as long as they are pushed sufficiently. Also, when shooting cast bullets, they need to be sized about .432 to fill the bore better. I personally don't see the incentive for shooting more than 330 gr bullets in the 444 anyways.
Brass is hard to find too; I came across a bag of once fired brass from my old 444 and offered it on GunBroker. I was shocked when it sold for more than a dollar a case for used brass! 45-70 brass and ammo has been around for 143 years and will still be around 143 years from now.
Brass has become hard to find indeed. I was over at Gander Mountain about two weeks ago and was very surprised to see some new Remington Factor 240 gr 444 boxes on the shelf. Pricey too at $55/box. If that isn't incentive to handload, I don't know what is. I have not seen Remington factory there for several years since the demand for ammunition became so great. Perhaps that is an indication that the ammunition manufacturers are finally starting to make up ground on supply and maybe we will see some brass for cartridges like the 444 and 35 Rem in the near future. I bought enough brass to last me a couple of lifetimes so I am set. In 2006, I bought 600 once fired cases of 444 for $100 on ebay. I'd say you made a nice profit on yours natman.
