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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27 |
I acquired this rifle from a old friend. It had been leaning in a corner for years collecting dust with my eyeball on it . Now I have it and Damn it hurts to shoot the Thing . Marlin 444s 1980 model like new with the thin red recoil pad . What to do ? Muzzle break , dead mule , recoil pad ? I love magnum rifles Big fan of 7mm stw up to 338 Rum and none of these bother me to much but this thing pops my neck everytime I squeeze the trigger and that's just a total of 3 times . Explains why it was in the corner and looked new after the dust was knocked off . All I have for ammo is hornady 265 gn performance. Maybe hand load 250 nosler? Your opinions please.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,496
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,496 |
Hand loads. Light. Then enjoy it. Lever guns have a stock shape that can make shooting uncomfortable for many.
Retired cat herder.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 17,283 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 17,283 Likes: 4 |
Let me know how light you wanna go
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,551
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,551 |
Are you shooting from the bench or offhand? They are better for shooting offhand with. I wouldn't port it or use a muzzle break because I hate the noise they create, but that's me. You might look into putting a better recoil pad on it. Either a Pachmayr Decelerator or a Limbsaver pad is what I'd recommend. I prefer Pachmayr only because I've heard that Limbsavers can sometimes get gooy sticky over time, but they have a great reputation for taming recoil. The Hornady load isn't that stout, but it is a little more so than the Remington 240 grain load so you might try that if you don't handload. You can also try shooting with a shoulder pad or bag of shot when at the bench in the meantime until you can get a recoil pad installed.
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,194 Likes: 7
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,194 Likes: 7 |
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,761
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,761 |
Try the strap on PAST pad. Leave the rifle alone. Works great for me.
"Shoot low sheriff, I think he's riding a shetland!" B. Wills
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27 |
Thank's Guy's I have been reloading for 29 years but have never loaded for a straight wall cartrige so this will be new to me . The only three rounds I fired were free hand . Thanks for all the info. I will give it all some thought.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844 |
and if not post it up for sale here ,someone will buy it No sense keeping something you don't like to shoot
My dog is a member of the "Turd Like Clan"
Covert Trail Cameras are JUNK
3 Time Dinkathon Champion #DinkGOAT
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,523
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,523 |
I shot a friends 444 once and it really does come back at you. Not sure if its the relatively quick burning powder as par of it but you are chunking a pretty healthy sized bullet. I would put a good pad on it but probably the best thing you could do to reduce recoil is add weight. Just some lead in the butt or one of the mercury recoil reducers the shotgun guys use. You could hollow out the forend to add some balancing weight too.
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27 |
I do believe I will post it up for sale tomorrow and move on to something else.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,898 Likes: 9
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,898 Likes: 9 |
hate to see a 444 go good bye... I have one I purchased in 1981.... and its always been a tack driver...
I can tell anyone who loads for one, that if you use 44 Rem Mag Data for say a lever action.... in the 444 case, it will still give the same muzzle velocity... if mine is an example...
so if someone wants lighter 444 loads... 44 Rem Mag or 44/40 data will work just fine...
I've tried a lot of different of those loads thru mine and never experiences a disappointment...
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,930
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,930 |
When I die I hope I don't start voting democrat.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154 |
I do believe I will post it up for sale tomorrow and move on to something else. Good idea, better than ruining a nice rifle by modifying it. Sometimes the reality of something isn't what the fantasy was.
"Never force anything, just get a bigger hammer".
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844 |
It's funny because I found my new 444s a pleasure and fun to shoot
My dog is a member of the "Turd Like Clan"
Covert Trail Cameras are JUNK
3 Time Dinkathon Champion #DinkGOAT
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,509
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,509 |
It's funny because I found my new 444s a pleasure and fun to shoot I better tell my wife to quit shooting her's, it's way to much gun for a woman... 100 yds, 270 gr Speer Gold Dot
Old Fishermen never die, we just get reel tired.
May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung. May you stay......Forever young
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,844 |
My dog is a member of the "Turd Like Clan"
Covert Trail Cameras are JUNK
3 Time Dinkathon Champion #DinkGOAT
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 321
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 321 |
I have one of these on my 1895 Cowboy, 45-70 http://www.kick-killer-recoil-pads.com/kick-killer-slip-on-recoil-pad-with-lace-up-closure/I also have about 1/2" of extra spacer hidden inside to increase my lop more. That and the way the leather on the butt end wraps around makes the pad wider than the stock buttplate,which helps to spread the recoil over a wider area and makes it hurt much less.
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 33
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 33 |
I use 240 grain SWC over 12 grains of trail boss. Pretty decent accuracy out to 100 yards and virtually no recoil. A nice feature of TB is if you accidentally doublecharge a 444 case, you'll be hard pressed to seat a bullet in a case that's nearly overflowing with fluffy powder. As for the full throttle loads- definitely an aquired taste.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 30,933 Likes: 21
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 30,933 Likes: 21 |
Get some Trailboss powder & some cast 240's....get to know the rifle
then graduate to heavier loads...I sold my Marlin 444-P a few yrs
ago..kind of miss it.....but still have a '95 GS Guide in 45-70
Hornady 265's were made for the 444........
T R U M P W O N !
U L T R A M A G A !
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 5,496 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 5,496 Likes: 2 |
I love shooting mine. But Im like the monkey mounting the skunk. I dont get all I want just all I can stand.
Life can be rough on us dreamers.
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