Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 444 or 348

I wish Hornady would not have kicked these two to the curb. IIRC they quit making two of the best bullets for these. I still have about three hundred 265gr. fp. for the 444.

Hornady seems to have that rep. It’s dangerous to have a fav Horn bullet. They’ll throw it to the curb.

DF

I bought one of the Lee sizers for .348 but have since sold the gun. If interested in it, contact me.

I just like the .444 better both are very good

^^^^

The model 71 rifle is stellar and 348 is a interesting but it's too rare and expensive to get ammo or components. The Browning BLR 358 I'd one can aquire one is an easier solution but there's also another close competitor and maybe better. The 338 Federal. This uses the same weights as the old 348win and there's far more bullets available. I have an old steel frame BLR with the new style magazine that I could have rebored.

It’s not that difficult to find brass and bullets. I bought brass here in the classifieds and on line. I have Hornady, Barnes and a couple smaller company’s bullets. Then I bought cast bullet, which shot very well for me and with iron sights. (50 meter groups)





It shoots Barnes bullets well too. I have tried other bullets and loads yet. But these bullets are easy to find.

few years ago i purchased a Winchester 71 348 special " they were not called deluxe" mine is about 99 % from a very old gentleman who knew i would take care of his pride and joy his 348 and now its a safe queen . myself i always wished Browning would have manufactured some BLR`S in a 338 Win. mag. S.S. alloy frame , my reason is with the 338 Win mag. cartridge this cartridge would do well at close range on an animal and still do well out 400 yards or maybe farther , and brass for a 338 Win. mag. is very easy for me to get too.

I sold the 444 long ago. I could not find written records, I probably lost it on an old computer that failed, but I found a couple of targets:

444 Marlin, 265 grain Hornady, 45.5 grains IMR4198, 1.05 MOA
444 Marlin, 310 NEI (cast - no gas check), 42 grains RE7, 11.46 MOA

I suppose that Hornady bullet would have worked fine. I wanted a cast bullet shooter and I couldn't get heavy cast bullets to work well. I know I shot a lot of loads through that 444 but these were the only targets I could find.

People that can't handload blame the rifle for its performance. I own a lot of 444s and all of them shoot great. They will shoot anything from a 240gn to a 405gn. My favorite is the 265gn and 290gn. If you take advantage of the bullet molds available, you can cast very good performing bullets. The myth about them not shooting cast bullet is perpetrated by those that can't be bothered to learn how to feed them. The Marlin 444 is a much stronger gun then the marlin 45-70 and is much better shooting. One thing it is not........is a stretched 44 magnum cartridge. I usually let the b.s. slide when ignorant people push it on the internet, but when they repeat it several times in one post and say it as if it is a fact and they know what they are talking about, then I feel compelled to speak up. My guns will take anything from mice to Mastodons, Bigfoot to black helicoptors, and do it without dislocating my shoulder. There are only two kind of people. Those that shoot 444s and those that wish they did.

Back when 444’s came out there weren’t near as many available molds as there are now.