today i just pick up an marlin 1894 44mag im going to start reloading tomarrow. I have the hornady 7th edition hand book will i be safe using the 44mag (rifle)load data. or is that data for the ruger auto-loaders and bolt action rifles?

Rifle and pistol loads for the 44mag are identical.

I have a Rossi lever gun (16") in 44 and use 24gr of 296 behind a 240gr bullet in Rem brass and I use WLP primers.
This is the most consistent load I've tried.

You need to give the bullet a very heavy crimp. I found it's best to seat and crimp in separate stages for consistency.

as soon as i posted realized ther were the same just a longer barrel on the rifle thanks for the load data.

Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum was my first centerfire rifle many years ago. It's never had a scope mounted on it and it's taken a bunch of swamp deer in my home state Florida.

Later added a Ruger .44 Magnum revolver to compliment it. What a pair - good saddle gun combo; one in the holster & the other in a scabbard.

Don't forget to try lead bullet handloads as well - mine shoots them just fine even though the Marlin micro-goove rifling was not supposed to be optimum with them. Mine's a tack-driver.

Have fun wih it - I've sure enjoyed mine.

20g of 2400 powder/CCI-300 primer/Speer Gold Dot 240gr softpoint works well in my 1894-44mag.

Hey MT, I've loaded for a a good number of 44Mag rifles and revolvers. Always settled on either SAFE MAX Loads of either H110 or the WW-296 which 416RH mentioned. They seemed to get the best performance out of the cartridge for me compared to other Powders.

Used a whole bunch of Hornady XTP bullets, and they all Killed very well, but never got an Exit. Hard to gripe about a Bullet which worked so well. But, I do prefer Exits where I Hunt.

Due to that, Gerry's mention of Lead Bullets(if Hard Cast), should give the Exits I really wanted. Coupled with a Keith Design, it should be about as good as it gets.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

quote:

micro-goove

thanks for all the help I picked up the gun to keep in my truck and on the 4wheeler. I had the chance to get the 44mag or the 45mar b ut picked the44mag because i have 200 brass and 500speer 240grn half jackets.

450marlin not 45mar