folks,

I got a 444Marlin from an uncle and want to reload for it. I was looking at Natchez and they have the Lee 3 die and the FCD which I think is what has been suggested here. I have a question to ask about this...do I need to get the Lee Gage/Holder too? I want to order everything I need as the shipping will be killer if I forget something. (I have never reload for straight wall cases).

Suggest bullets to order too.

BTW I am going to order for my 45-70 Marlin ABL too so any suggestion would be helpful too.

Thanks for your suggestions.

The Lee die set along with the FCD is a great choice....

Lee gauge holder ??

Can't go wrong with the Hornady 265 gr for the 444 Marlin...

H4198....comes to mind in my 444...

Take a look at Graf & Sons...also Midway USA

Whichever flavor of die set you prefer, I like green boxes, but the Lee crimp die is a must.

I like the Hornady 265's and H4198 in my triple 4.

I'll echo muleshoe.

valad,
I think the Lee die set comes with a shell holder ... not 100% positive on that though. No matter the die set brand, they'll all work well.

The 444Marlin is a lovely cartridge. This afternoon I did some practice with mine using my plinking load whith is cheap as chips to run. Any generic cheap jacketed 240gr, 25gr Alliant 2400 ... mild and easy to shoot.

My hunting load at the moment is the 300gr Speer UniCor infront of AR2207 (H4198).

When you decide what you want to hunt with the rifle, projectile choice becomes easier. For your deer the 240gr is fine, the 265gr Hornady is a great all-rounder, whilst for larger game the 280gr Swift and a few of the 300gr pills start to shine.
Cheers...
Con

The Hornady new dimension dies are nice - the seater die has a sliding collet that keeps the bullet aligned for seating. The Lee FCD is a must have. Unfortunately, you'll have better luck finding hen's teeth than the Hornady 265 gr FP bullet. But, bullet tests by a gent on the Marlin owner's forum indicate the 240 gr Remington to be a great bullet for deer and hog size game. The Speer Unicor would be awesome for larger, tougher stuff.

thanks for all of the suggestions. I originally mentioned Lee dies as they are a bit cheaper then the RCBS dies...and when I need to buy the dies...bullets...and possibly brass its going to hit the CC LOL. All of my dies are RCBS so may just bite the dust.

I originally wanted to get cheap plinking bullets so I can shoot more and start the new year off right with both my 444Marlin and 45-70. But will eventually find the right hunting bullets too.

It seems back then when a youngster starts shooting with his grandpa...the 30-30 is almost always the first rifle a young'un shoots. I know my first rifle shot was out of a Win94 30-30.

As for the New Dimension dies...I hardly hear of folks using them so whats the verdict with these dies? BTW...RCBS is running $10 rebate on $50 purchased (or is it $100?) so this is something to consider. Still crunching numbers though...

Thanks for the help guys and I will try to get a picture of the 444Marlin and Marlin 45-70 ABL...

Most of my dies are RCBS, except for the 444 & 45-70, which are the Hornady. For some reason, I was having trouble with bullets tipping slightly upon seating and ending up slightly off center, albeit straight in the case. It was only with these calibers - go figure. Didn't seem to matter how much I belled the case mouth. It didn't appear to hurt the accuracy, but it bothered me. My local reloading supplier and commercial reloader suggested the new dimension dies. Problem solved.

Years ago, I had a set of benchrest dies - can't recall the caliber or who made them (maybe Lyman)- but they used the sliding collet as well. I'll also add that the Hornady sizing die seems to leave a nicer finish on the case than my RCBS dies, easier cycling too. I'm not about to change all my RCBS dies but if I add a caliber, I'll probably go with the Hornady again.

As far as bullets, the Hornady 265 FP has been a favorite in the 444 since Hornady introduced it. Unfortunately, since Hornady came out with the FTX bullets, the 265 FP's are extremely hard to find. You might want to try the Speer 270 gr. or 300 gr. deep curl, as they have gotten good reviews and may be easier to find, or easier to find sooner.

Delgue,

Yeah I noticed the Hornady 265 FP's are hard to find but they can be found. I may stock on a little and assume they will shoot alright.

I need to come up with a $500 dental bill...screw that but that is a sign I am getting old LOL. But I am going to buy dies and bullets soon anyways wether my dentist grees haha.

valad,
Somebody said they called Hornady and Hornady said they are gonna crank out some 265 FP's next month, so you might wanna keep your eyes open, and if you see some come in stock somewhere, order a few boxes while the gettin's good. Some of these boys have had those bullets on backorder with some of these companies for close to a year, so by the time those backorders all get filled the quantity available may start to get tight again. But they are unquestionably my bullet of choice for most 444 applications.

This guy did a great job of testing bullets for the .444


Bullet Tests....

That's a mighty good read, thanks!

Well all I can say to that sight, is don't EVER challenge a moderator or you will become BANNED just like I was this summer savvy. No big deal, I don't cow down to those who think they know everything and you can't say what is on your mind. I'll challenge anyone, when I know I am right about the subject matter or topic!!!

I have not seen reasonable folks banned for disagreements with conventional opinions.

Well I don't consider myself "unreasonable" by any means! I don't agree with everyone on any subject but discussion is what enlightens people to the real truth.