Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General M1894 Marlin 44 Mag

Just picked up an older one last weekend. Anybody got any favorite loads to share? MB

Mine isn't old, 08-09 vintage, but it shoots the 270 gr Speer soft point over a max or near max load of H110 and Winchester LP primers as well as and usually better than anything else I've tried in it.

The above bullet along with the 250 gr Partition over H/IMR 4227 work very well in my old Ruger carbine.

23 grains of w296/h110 under a Hornady 240 XTP. That's the most accurate load in my Marlin after trying many others.

A-5, I've shot that same load with the old 240 JHP Horn and it shoots good. Thanks guys looks like I'm on the right track, still use more data though. MB

I shoot loads that don't knock your hat off..........

cast 200 gr RNFP.............

6 grains.........Unique...Universal.......Trailboss......Titegroup

good tin can plinker or steel knock over targets

Those plinking loads are fun to shoot, I used a like load in my Marlin in SASS. I still have a few hunting loads from the 80's, Speer 240gr soft pt over a healthy dose of 2400 and all shot well in the Marlin.

Those plinking loads are fun to shoot, I used a like load in my Marlin in SASS. I still have a few hunting loads from the 80's, Speer 240gr soft pt over a healthy dose of 2400 and all shot well in the Marlin.

300 grain XTP and about 20 grains of Win 296 shot well in a 1-38" twist Win 94 trapper despite predictions of instability and failure. It'd be a good first try in a Marlin. And, as others have said, the 270 grain Speer should be pretty darn good as well.

Mine is in 41 mag. But I can still recommend the light cast bullet over a light load of Titegroup. It burns clean, kicks like a 38 to light 357, and is accurate enough to kill rocks and tin cans out to fifty yards. The grand kids and female adults around here love it.

Hell, even yours truly enjoys popping off a few rounds occasionally which do not assault the ears or the shoulder.

IIRC, I used 8.0 Universal with the 200gr. RNFPs, for about 1300fps. That puts it squarely in .44WCF territory (.44/40), and was still fun to shoot. That was in a 20" Rossi 92. We called them "popcorn" loads, because they popped but didn't kick enough to worry about. Your load seems even more of a fun thing. I was trying to make sure ignition wasn't compromised with powder laying sideways in the case. Those Rossi's had a steel buttplate that could get your attention when factory ammo, or it's equivalent, was used. The popcorn loads kept it fun to shoot.