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Ok it's done! I over paid a bit but I wanted this one
1976 pre safety JM Marlin .444 in excellent condition

Have one myself, great fun to shoot. Got a buck in Ohio with it this past season.

Beautiful! Fun one.

You'll love it, decent timber looks like as well..

I my dealer is holding 2 boxes of the 265 gr Hornady FP's and 3 lbs of RL7 for me am I on the right track for loading?

For me you are dead on I'm not going to take or post a pick but at present I have 200 rds of 265's loaded..However 4198 is my powder of choice..43.5 grs to be exact...kills deer like Thor's hammer.

Thanks I may have a part jug of H4198 here and I'll see if my dealer has some as well

That will be a very good combo, and you might want to experiment some with H4198 or H322.

270 grain Speers are a good bullet, too.

Edited to add: I see you're already thinking of H4198.

Getting my ducks in a row!

Beautiful rifle, sir. I bought a new Marlin 444 in 1976. It was my first deer rifle. I traded it away in the early 1980s. I have wanted another one for years.

"This little piggy went to Marlin"....

Cute...I like it.

Doc

If I had to pick a rifle for timber hunting or surviving in the bush...the .444 would be it. Excellent condition .444 you have there.

Seafire has a practice loading using the Hornady 300 gr XTP and IMR 4756 at about 1800 FPS that "John says" kills like the hammer of Thor and a lighter recoiling load I suspect.

Doc

Have a 1973 model and agree. 4198 and 365 hornadys r a perfect match. Shoots under an inch all day long.


Roy

I'd be working up a load with 3 round balls for grouse.

Anyone have any feed back on the Hornady Superformance 265 FP factory ammo....

270gr Speer and H322 does wonderful things.

And I will say I'm not a 'hammer' guy when talking about how something works for deer but the 444 does hammer deer.

Hey Dan, nice rifle, congrats, saw your thread and ran out to the shop and grabbed an old load manual of mine.

I loaded the 444 Marlin for a Bud of mine, he and his son went on all game lever action hunts in the U.S and Canada several years ago, he successfully killed everything with the load below I worked up for his 444, most all instances according to him and his son were complete pass throughs with quick kills.

444 Marlin

R-P brass
265 gr Hornady rnfp
49 gr RL-7
WLR primer
COL crimp in groove
Vel 2220 fps

A very safe and effective load Dan, you may wanna give it a try.

Scott and Jerry thanks!