The 30-06 uses generally a 170 Grain bullet. and the top load for the 250 grain jacketed bullet is 43 grains of H414 for 2142 fps and 58423 To see some of the other posts my father has written on the blog, visit the links below: The .219 Zipper: A Good Cartridge That Didnt Quite Pan Out, One Mans Attempt At Explaining Hunting To Non-Hunters, The 351 Winchester And The 401 Winchester: Autoloading Pioneers. Often seen as being outdated, the .45-70 has been around for a long-ass time: since the 1870s. To fill the void, Marlin Firearms teamed up with Remington to develop a cartridge which would see the light of day in 1964: the .444 Marlin. This is still one of the most powerful rimmed cartridges designed specifically for lever-action rifles. But I dont have any to test. I simply had to have one, and I bought one as soon as it became available. The .444 Marlin (10.957mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms.It was designed to fill in a gap left by the older .45-70 when that cartridge was not available in any new lever-action rifles; at the time it was the largest lever-action cartridge available. PS- I didnt look at the date of your article but I suspect it pre-dates Hornadys introduction of .405 ammunition. On Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) sent a notice of intent to sue to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), due to the hunting of gray wolves in Wyomings Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Marlin introduced the .444 Marlin in 1964. If you want a 338 I would go with the Howa, Weatherby Vanguard, or Savage. The 220 grain .308 bullet at 2300 fps from at .308 rifle with a 3" 100 yard setting will be right on at 200, 7" low at 250 yards, and near 15 inches at 300 yards. (taken from the Hornady ballistics tables, the heaviest .308 bullet in the Hornady ballistics section). I didnt have any 225 grain 44s to run tests on, so I jumped to 240 grainers. SEE IT. With an Accu-Fit stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a perfect choice for anyone! In the late 19th century, the .45-70 would have been viewed as an average-diameter cartridge, as the small bores like the .30-06 and 7x57mm Mauser would take some time to gain ground as the all-around military/hunting bore diameters. 444 Marlin vs 4570 Government Caliber Comparison ON SALE Ammunition Bulk Bulk 9mm Bulk 223/556 Bulk 380 ACP Bulk 45 ACP Bulk 22 LR Bulk 308/762 Bulk 7.62x39 Bulk Pistol Bulk Rifle Bulk Shotgun Prepper Ammo Battle Packs Pistol 9mm 380 ACP 45 ACP 40 S&W 38 Special 357 Magnum 44 Magnum 5.7x28mm 10mm Ammo 25 ACP 22 TCM 30 Super Carry 32 ACP 32 S&W Long Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. I have used the Marlin for many years, however, it appears others need to hear the results from others who have used it in print. If looking to acquire an automated powder-charge dispensing unit to speed up precision reloading, don't judge the RCBS ChargeMaster Lite powder scale and dispenser by its name; the Little Green machine packs a heavy-weight punch with speed and accuracy. I also shot the rifle from unsupported sitting at 100 yards and would have all the confidence in the world I could hit a six-inch vital zone every time. It is a tapered round barrel, and with the polishing it is difficult to mate exactly, so there is a slight gap between the barrel and the front sight to ensure there is no contact with the sight and the front barrel, he said. The Remington Model Seven is ready, willing and able to handle just about any task. Winchester sees it much the same way. I ran those tests on a calm day from a range rest, from my 24 inch barrel Marlin. Williams still makes a receiver sight for the Winchester 1895, but the company notes its FP-Winchester 71 will not fit on .405 Win. I had put some red dye in my jug, and at some 92 yards I hit it with the second shot. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. Well I hope not I happen to like the 405 just the way it is and would hate to see it replaced by anything. Why start an article on the 444 Marlin cartridge with the data on the 308 Winchester cartridge? The sharps with 500 gr bullets is more comfortable in an extended range session. President Theodore Roosevelt was a huge fan of the .405 Winchester and took a pair of them on his famous African safari, pronouncing the cartridge as big medicine for lion. Reply Glittering_War7622 . The rifle didnt like the starting load at all, and its not included in the accompanying accuracy chart. Mag..375 Ruger vs. .375 H&H Magnum7mm-08 Remington vs. .280 Remington .280 Remington vs. .280 Ackley Improved 7mm vs. .30 Caliber6.5 Weatherby RPM vs. 6.5 PRC.338 Win. To show viewers how to succeed at long range, J. Guthrie gears up for a challenging shot while chasing Colorado pronghorn at long range with DPMS' Panther 6.5 Creedmoor. Lets look at the similarities, differences and applications of each. As the official military long-arm cartridge from 1873 to 1893when the .30-40 Krag kindled the American love affair with .30-caliber cartridgesthe .45-70 Government was used in both shoulder-fired rifles and the Gatling guns, but like so many military cartridges, it also quickly gained a following among sportsman. So along come the Winchester BB action rated at 50,000 cup. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. When the Winchester M1895 was discontinued in 1936, the cartridge was considered obsolete. I will post some loadings from the so-called experts. It has been used for everything from deer to Cape Buffalo, and remains popular among the bear guides to this day. .260 Diameter The .260" bullets are most often used with the 6.5 x 70R cartridge. accuracy in multiple rifles with jacketed and cast bullets ranging in weight from 240 to 335 grains. I'll give you the extra 100 fps even though all factory loads are at 2200 fps just like the 444 Marlin's 2200 fps. But the 444 is a 250 yard game cartridge, not because of a lack of power but because of its down range drop. Its dovetailed into the barrel but does not sit flush. Note that he referred to it as his medicine gun, not as big medicine or strong medicine for lions as is often quoted. The .45-70 with a 24 barrel and . The fact that the cartridge used .411 bullets was another strike against it, since thats a unique size that requires custom production bullets unlike the extremely common .284, .308, and .458 bullets that are used by so many other popular cartridges. Mag. Randy, I just wanted to drop you . Jun 28, 2014. Bottles & 12-oz. 5 Mk 1 Rifle: History of the 'Jungle Carbine'. But a proven cartridge just as the .444. The .405 Winchester was powerful enough for use on any North American big game from whitetail deer all the way up to moose and grizzly bear. i also looked at a ruger .338 win mag. Richard Lees excellent book MODERN RELOADING, 2nd Edition gives the following information on heavy bullet loads.pgs..431/432. I dearly love the 45-70 and have a couple of them. ft.lbs. Once you get to 100 yds and beyond the 405 maintains a pretty good lead. 6.5mm (.264 dia.) While the current rifle is also available in .30-06, I think for most people the .405 Win., which made its debut in 1904, will be the more interesting chambering. 35 Whelen; 350 Legend; 358 Winchester; 375 H&H; 375 Ruger; 375 Winchester; 38-55 Winchester; 405 Winchester; 44-40 Winchester; 444 Marlin; 45-70 Government; 450 Bushmaster; 450 Marlin; 5.45x39mm; 5.56 mm NATO; 5.7 x 28 mm; 50 BMG; . Our price: $36.99. 405 Winchester .411 LR 40-50 Sharps Bottle Neck .403 LR 40-50 Sharps Straight .403 LR 40-60 WCF .404 LR 40-65 WCF .406 LR 40-70 Sharps Bottle Neck . 243 Win Brass #2470: 260 Remington Brass #2620: 270 Winchester Brass #4880: 277 Wolverine Brass #2520: 30 Carbine Brass #4220: 300 Blackout Brass #3950: 300 HAM'R Brass #2610: 30-06 Springfield Brass #2820: 30-30 Winchester Brass #2490: 308 Match Brass #2440: 308 Win Brass #4940: 32 Winchester Special Brass #4900: 32-20 Brass #2460: 338 Federal . The 265 Hornaday has taken a couple whitetails past 200 yds. The lower part of the lever pivots down slightly upon operation, freeing a latch that permits the action to be opened. Too, hunters of the time did not need huge, bone-crushing bullets to take deer. psi.. with (2082 fps) 2888 ft. lbs. Because most human minds like to put information into little boxes and once stored doesnt like to run automatic comparisons of information. The first mention of the 1895 rifle was in the Winchester Repeating Arms 1896 catalog. Also loaded with smokeless powder, the original Winchester .405 load propelled a 300 grain round nosed bullet at an astounding 2,200 feet per second (3,225 foot pounds of energy)! As impressed as hunters were with the .30-40 Krag, they got even more good news when Winchester introduced the .405 Winchester (aka the .405 WCF) in 1904. With the 24 barrel the 265 grain 444 Marlin drops about 3.5 at 200 yards. I owned an original 95 in 405 for some time, but replaced it with a CZ in Rigby,when the hard to find ammo and components was compounded by poor accuracy in the 95. Naturally, the 300 grain Hornady bullets can handle most American game. Bryce M. Towsley This cartridge has the potential to be the best deer hunting ammo . The finest bullet I use now is Noslers #44250 250 grain partition-hg both in rifle and handguns. The exceptions of course are Venterino and Taffin and a very few others. See the embedded video. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Just be mindful that when shopping for sights youll see references to 1895 that refer to Marlin and not Winchester. The Model 1895 was the last John M. Browning design for Winchester. The .444 Marlin Ammo cartridge design is based on the .44 Magnum Ammo. Today the .444 has a small but staunch following among lever action big bore enthusiasts. The Big Game Hunting Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, and other Amazon stores worldwide. With all of the handloading I have done with the 444 Marlin round in the Marlin rifle over the last 38 or so years one powder stands out. of muzzle energy. . Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. of energy. Like all Noslers partition bullets, it expands and penetrates beyond most other bullets. Leverguns That was until someone reminded me that a 444 Marlin is very close to it balistically and that I already have a 444. When I was a kid, there were three reasons I wanted a lever action rifle. The .444 Marlin Ammo designed in 1964 is a rifle cartridge and was created with the intention to fill the gap left by the older .45-70. Yes, its a liability-driven decision. The .405 also outdoes Hornady's 265-grain LeverEvolution load in the .444 Marlin at 3,180 ft.-lbs., but the .444 Marlin Superformance (3,389 ft.-lbs.) of energy and well under 50,000 cup they cringe. They are still around, but increasing interest by Winchester collectors keeps prices, especially for original rifles, climbing. The .30 Army was one of the first commercially available cartridges that utilized smokeless powder and sportsmen of the day were amazed at the enhanced killing power and flat trajectories obtainable with the new wonder powder. Previously sold. Our experience had convinced us that both the Winchester .405 and the Springfield .300 [.30-06] would do good work with elephants; although I kept to my belief that, for such very heavy game, my Holland .500/450 was an even better weapon, he wrote in African Game Trails. 405 win; 416 rem mag; 416 rigby; 416 ruger; 416 wby mag; 44 mag; 44-40 win; 444 marlin; 45-70 government; 450 bushmaster; 450 marlin; 450 rigby; 450/.400 nitro express 3" 455 webley; . Manufacturer: Winchester . The recovered bullet was around 55 caliber and 191 grains. 444 Marlin .429 LR 44-40 WCF .427 LR 445 Super Magnum .430 LP 45 ACP .451 LP 45 Auto Rim .451 LP 45 Colt (Long Colt) .452 LP 45 GAP .451 LP In the mid of the 1960s, the .45-70 Ammo had disappeared from the market, and there was no big bore bullet available to fill the chambers of a level action rifle. Manufacturers usually despise a one-of-a-kind anything because it limits production. Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that helps hunters get from the end of the fall seasons to when the turkeys start gobbling. Load the modern Miroku made Winchester 1895 .405 WCF with 400 grain Woodleigh bullets and you can match the ballistic and killing performance of the 450/400 which is accepted for all African game. If we can still build and sell a gun designed over 100 years ago, then were doing something right.. The anomaly of the 444 came along when Winchester chambered their Big Bore 94 action for the round. Bullet selection is better but brass is difficult to find. Which were light even for the Marlin action rated at 40,000+ cup. I shot an antelope in the butt at 125 yards or so with the same load now they are small animals but that bullet went forward the entire length of the goat and stopped under the chest hide. The carbine version in .30-40 Krag was also at one time an issue gun for the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Rangers. That total included a run of nearly 300,000 guns in 7.62 Russian, a contract job for the czars. Aug 20, 2016. The legendary gun designer John Browning built the Winchester 1895 around a box magazine and a very strong action lock up so that it could utilize pointed bullets and the more powerful calibers designed to use the new smokeless gun powders. Still on the fence. The .444 did have its moment in the sun, and there are still quite a few shooters who quietly enjoy their lever guns each season. Now, to find reload data ! That gun has been sitting in the safe for so long I had almost forgotten about it. As I write this I can smell the ammonia-based bore solvent on my hands from cleaning my Model 95 Winchester chambered in .405 Win. I think the sectional density issues have been solved. In 1904, it debuted on the Winchester 1895 lever-action rifle. And cast would give even higher velocity. I have a had number of folks tell me the case head on the 444 is to large for 50,000 cup. Manufacturer vs. .300 Wby. Here is how a 350 Legend, .444 Marlin, and .450 Bushmaster stack up against each other in terms of bullet energy. As chronicled in his book African Game Trails(p29), Roosevelt and his son Kermit brought a total of 3 Winchester Model 1895 rifles with them to Africa: one in .405 Winchester for each of them and a third one in .30-03 Springfield for Kermit. Im sure if I had a 280 grain or 300 grain bullet that was a spire point boatail 44 it would have stabilization problems. The shooter would place the jug where he or she wanted to shoot it. The .45-70 Government has quite the bullet range in comparison to the .444 Marlin; bullets will run from 250-grains all the way up to the behemoth 600-grain slugs, with a slew of choices in between. Uses A 45 70 can kill all North American big game, and a 444 Marlin can kill medium to large-sized games. Besides I have a number of same cartridge type rounds loaded at different pressures for a number of rifles and handguns.. Indeed, the .405 Winchester was even chambered in many British single shot and double rifles and was used by hunters in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Written By John B. A first-shot hit scored three times the lasered range; second shot hit yielded two times the range and third shot hit was one times the range. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. But a 500 Grain bullet hunting load in a light lever gun will rock your world. Now saying all this, and quoting Lees loads.. Im in no way demeaning the great .308. While he did indeed use a Winchester Model 1895 rifle chambered in .405 Winchester with great success on a number of African big game species, there is a lot more to the story of the cartridge than just Roosevelts hunt. The 338 Win Mag was introduced in 1959. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. mostly for the range but i do go out sometimes with reactive targets. Winchester followed up on the success of the cartridge by offering it in their Model 1885 single shot rifle. The 444 Marlin is loaded in the Marlin action to about 44,000 psi. .444 Marlin.44-40 WCF.44-77 Sharps.45 Raptor.450 Bushmaster.450 Marlin.450/400 Nitro Express.45-60 Winchester.45-70 Government.45-75 WCF.45-90 Sharps Theodore Roosevelt was perhaps the most famous hunter to ever use the .405 Winchester cartridge and the Winchester 1895 rifle. The .444 Marlin has the advantage of using the jacketed and cast bullets for the .44 Magnum, making it a rather flexible design for the handloader. 300 Winchester Magnum Unprimed Rifle Brass 100 Count 178-4PH7096 | Lapua $199.99 $2.00 Per Piece In Stock 308 Winchester Unprimed Rifle Brass (Large Primer) 100 Count 178-4PH7217 | Lapua $99.99 $1.00 Per Piece In Stock Sale! Thanks for your comment. From there, youve got the various powerful .416s, which use .416-inch bullets as their designation suggests. While Im sure it will work in a pinch, that still falls well short of the .300 sectional density recommended for hunting most species of dangerous game. With an MSRP of $1,459 and an approximate street price of $1,190. of muzzle energy, and that combo will handle any North American game animal. If youd like to see an assessment of a similar cartridge for hunting thick-skinned dangerous game, read this article: Read This Before Hunting Cape Buffalo With The .45-70 Government. If you look close at the ballistics tables they'll soon tell you the 405 shoots flatter farther and hits harder than anything you can sanely run thru a 45-70 levergun. Sixguns | The Art of John Dietz Not always the most accurate, or the most velocity. the biggest bull was half facing me, just two hundred and eighty yards off; I fired a little bit high and a trifle to the left; but the tiny ball broke his back and the splendid beast, heavy as a prize steer, came plunging and struggling to the ground. Tim LeGendre of. What's more, having shot both rifles, I can testify that the .444 Marlin delivers this level of ballistics from a stock design that is far more comfortable . The nearly straight-walled .444 Marlin case requires a three-die set for reloading just as with a traditional sixgun cartridge case. One hundred yards aint happening with my eyes and sights like these, at least not for a realistic assessment of the rifles accuracy potential. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. President Theodore Roosevelt hailed the.405 Winchester on a tour to East Africa in 1909. . Starline Brass 444 Marlin Unprimed Brass, 50 Count. The extractor is located just a few degrees off top dead-center, and a plunger-type ejector in the bolt face kicks out empties with authority. If you think a 44 Mag is bad than leave the bigger guns alone. The original Winchester factory load consisted of a 300gr. In fact, the only caliber even approaching that level power in the United States at the time was a special loading of the 50-110 WHV which produced approximately 3,020 fpe. of energymore than enough for most big game applications. And today were seeing a resurgence in straight-wall cartridges due to some formerly shotgun-only states now allowing straight-wall centerfires for deer hunting. Formally known as the .45-70-405relating caliber-powder charge-bullet weight specificationsthe cartridge was commercially known as the .45-70 Government, and that 405-grain lead bullet travelled at a muzzle velocity of just about 1400 fps, though a heavier 500-grain bullet was soon employed. If it achieves that, zeroed at 100 yards, the bullet will drop about 8 inches at 200 yards, 30 inches at 300 and 6 feet at 400. Hornady 30 T/C Unprimed Brass 50 Count. The .405 Winchester is a pretty serious big game cartridge, intended for Winchester's Model 1895 lever-action rifle. An original 1895 Model in .405 commands a premium, but you can still find a repo occasionally. Mag..30-06 Springfield vs. .270 Winchester6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm-08 Remington8x57 Mauser vs. .318 Westley Richards.358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum.22-250 Remington vs. .220 Swift.270 Winchester vs. .270 WSM.26 Nosler vs. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum.458 Win. There is something almost magical about big-bore lever guns; to me they represent big-game hunting at close quarters. However, many hunters and shooters in the USA still have a certain nostalgia for the cartridge. 9.3 vs 405 Win [Re: Metalguy] # 148743 - 24/12/09 11:06 AM : Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply I run 600 rounds between cleanings . Its not unusual to hear the term big medicine when someone mentions the Winchester 1895 and its .405 Win. Randy's Custom Rifles Chambering List: If you do not see a caliber you want, contact us for availability. Cartridges like the .350 Legend, .450 Marlin, .444 Marlin and .450 Bushmaster are dropping in the 4.5- to 5.7-inch range at 200 yards, with the .45-70 close to seven inches. .444 marlin fits perfect and is already a straight wall case, measuring roughly 2 1/4". and LeverEvolution .450 Marlin (3,572 ft.-lbs.) Just challenging to obtain data on the .405 ballistics and near term 1895 .405 rifle reviews/results. Ammo companies and reloading books had gotten comfortable giving out 1800 to 2100 fps loads. Its interesting to see how the accuracy improved as velocity went up, so this gun seems to like em on the warm side. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. In my experimenting so far, .303 takes several shots to fire-form and the rim thickness is too much. I hope you. Browse rifles for sale by action type, including Bolt Action, Lever Action, Semi Automatic and Break Action rifles. .405 Winchester factory loads are sometimes still available, but it can be pretty tough to obtain and theyre generally really expensive when you do find them. As far as I can tell noone has said the 444 is a bad or a short range cartridge. Bitching about it wont change a thing. Well imagine what they do when I tell them 52 grains of H4198 pushes the same bullet over 2600 fps and 3900 ft.lbs of muzzle energy! Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. Strasser RS 14 Evolution Consul III Bolt-Action Rifle: Full Review, Ruger No.