the "old" 444

[todd]

i have an TC Encore with a 23" MGM heavy barrel in 444 marlin. i have killed deer with it and with many different boolits. the last was a 300gr SAECO fn gc with 2400/tuft of dacron going 1624fps. i know this is a "weak" load, but i'll be durned, it kills deer dead:ROFLMAO:. i have shot 250gr penta hp, 255gr "Keith" type, 275gr ranch dog, 280gr lfn gc and some others that i can't think about. i have 265gr Hornady fn and rel 7 loaded up and a few boxes of bullets.

this year, I'll take out a 280gr wfn gc with reloader 7 that goes 1937fps. i know, i know, it's still a "weak" load, but i don't care.

i took the wfn to the shop which has 125 yards range. at 125 yards, 3 shots will go into cloverleaf. 5 shots are under 1". i did the second group and it was still the same. i did the third group as fast as i could (under 2 minutes, one armed guy, i tell ya:ROFLMAO and the first 3 was a cloverleaf, until the 4th and 5th shots were vertically strung and it goes 1 3/4" group. so the lesson learned today is not to shoot fast if you are concerned about the group.

its time to take the 444 out because i ain't been good to her for a couple of years.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Ill take and enjoy my "weak" loads all week and twice on Sunday.

I like to target 16-1800 fps for my cast hunting loads. Much more brings other things to the party I dont need worry about @ 1800 and less.
Its been a while since I truly worried about others unless I respected the person.
But If I felt more was needed Id either go to a Cup N Core bullet and or choose more gun.

Enjoy that 444 sounds about perfect to me!!

CW

 

[Ian]

I don't know who thinks a 280-grain .44 caliber WFN that departs the crown at 1937 fps is weak, but it sure isn't me. Especially from a handgun. 1400 is enough to kill anything in North America out to 100 yards or farther.

Sounds like you got some great loads, Todd, and if you can make those kind of groups one handed, you're a hell of a shooter!

 

[Bret4207]

If anyone ever gives you grief about your "weak loads", hand them a catchers mitt and ask them to stand downrange while you lob a few their way!!!

 

[todd]

its my fastest load. second is a 30-40 krag and 165gr ranch dogs going 1930fps. the 9.3x57 and 275gr wfn gc with imr4895 needs to go to my chrony., but its around 1800fps. next is the 35/30-30 with 200gr fn gc and it goes a blistering 1726fps.

in my area, 50 yards is a long shot. the furthest shot is 63 yards from the 444 and 300gr SAECO.

 

[fiver]

man i don't even get close to that weak ass stuff... LOL
my lever rifle hunting loads are more like 240-250 at 14-1500 fps.
i can only get 2 holes in a deer.

 

[todd]

hey!!! i got two holes in a deer too!!!!!!

my family and friends came up with that weak stuff or cowboy loads. but i still put meat on the table with cowboy loads. my brother is big fan of More Velocity is Better. he likes the 130gr Nosler BT going 3000+fps in his 270. when he shoots a deer its bloodshot shoulder meat, you have to throw it away. he needs to go down in velocity, 2700-2800fps and then the bullet will mushroom, instead of acting like a grenade. i use the 130gr Nosler BT and the 140gr Hornady SST in my 270. they go around 2700-2800fps and they mushroom on deer, esp. close up deer. but what do i know?

 

[Bret4207]

Impossible!!! I just read on the internet that you need at least 3870 fps with a depleted uranium, copper gilded, solid monolithic, hollow pointed, boat tailed, pre-fragmented, super deadly, Bluetooth enabled, TACTICAL Silver Dot bullet for animals the size of fox at 17 yards. I can only imagine the cannon you'd need to take a man eating deer at 50 yards!!!

 

[Missionary]

That is why every American household should be equipped with a tracked vehicle with no less that the L7 105mm gun loaded with SABOT! That will get-er done.

 

[Jeff H]

My brother used a 444 for deer for a while, with whatever factory load.

He mostly messes with the 243, 8x57 and 6.5x55 for deer and has no complaint about any of those.

"Sheeeyii....ooot, it almost don't seem fair" is how he describes a deer's response to his 444 connecting. I think he sold that one and pretty much sticks with the 6.5x55 now.

 

[CZ93X62]

That is why every American household should be equipped with a tracked vehicle with no less that the L7 105mm gun loaded with SABOT! That will get-er done.

I can approach that performance level with the 9.3 x 62. It weighs a lot less and costs less to run.

 

[Missionary]

A 9.3 is a good one! We went with the 375-06 due to the bunch of .375 molds already in use with other rifles.

 

[MW65]

The 444 is a great thumper!! Haven't used it on critters yet, but just seeing how it splats cans and milk jugs, has plenty of energy to get things done...

 

[fiver]

dangit Bret you know full well silver ain't good enough.
it's platinum or nuthin.... LOL

after having to shoot a deer once with a 30 carbine revolver truckin a 98gr. bullet along at something like maybe 900 fps.,, if that.
i mean how fast can 3.5grs of powder really push something?
anyway after seeing how that went i figured about anything will work,,, if you work within it's capabilities.

 

[todd]

you just gotta love the 9.3's!!! i have a husqvarna m46 in 9.3x57 and i love it!!! a 275gr wfn gc and some imr4895 and you are good to go!!! the deer, however, just never warmed up the 9.3.

 

[Bret4207]

Yeah, when you see a 600 lbs hog drop DRT from a 22 short, you kinda get a different idea of what it really takes to bring home some meat. Heck, the guys that shoot them with pointy sticks at 200 fps seem to eat pretty good!

 

[CZ93X62]

The 9.3 x 62 or the 38/55 levergun are with us in bear country. It's just black bears locally, but they can still be asshats if the spirit moves them to do so. Given the mindset of DFW admin, I'll probably go to jail if I drop one, but that is better than getting clawed and chewed.

 

[todd]

its all about the boiler room or in Brent's case, the cerebral tissue dysfunction.

we have black bears too. Pennsylvania Game Commision says that black bears run away. most of time, they do. its a small percent of black bears that won't run away. instead, they stalk and hopefully, kill you.

i'm in that small percent. years ago, when the PGC had 2 weeks of buck and third week, we had 3 day and is doe. it was the second day of doe and i've already filled out my buck and one of doe tags( i had 2). i was in a new spot and all i wanted to do was get the lay of the land worked out. i had another chance to fill my doe tag, but i passed and lets the does go. i walked around a bit and i found what i'm looking for. i was about 2 miles away from the car and i glanced at my watch and the time was 1:30ish. i stood next to a tree and had a bite to eat. when i was done, the back of neck my hairs stood out. behind me, i saw black bear about 40 yards away. then he sat, watching. i go, " hmp, black bear, it will go away." my mind said. we sat at each together for about 5 minutes and i decided it was time to go and i shooted "bear look at me" while i stood up. he cocked his head to the side. "go bear" i says. he didn't.

now, i'm not afraid of seeing a bear in the woods. since i was 12, i've seen them in the woods about every three years or so, . (the bear scared me once, but i was only 12 yo at the time) whenever i was done watching them, i say forcibly "bear, go home" and he did run away from me

 

[todd]

i hate this, i described what happened to me and i hit enter and only fraction shows up.

 

[todd]

well, long story short. i shot the ground under the bear's front legs at 20 yards after we went one mile-ish. a call to my neighbor's brother in law (he was a biologist that studied bears at Carnegie-Mellon) and told him the story. at the end of my story he said "i've would shot him in the head. you are lucky, he stalked you for meat" i almost threw up.