I have an 1894P - short barreled 16-1/2 Marlin rifle and it shoots real well with most loads, especially the Winchester white box JSP load. So when Hornady came out with the 44 mag Leverevolution pointed flex tip, which shoots moa at 100 yards in my 450 I bought a longer barreled 1894 Cowboy and spent a bunch at Brockman's accurizing it with Brockman's and Wild West Gun parts, etc. The 44 mag Leverevolution pointed stuff makes a shotgun pattern at 100 yards, and about 3-4 inches at 50 yards. In short, it's crap in my 44 mag Cowboy.

At the gunshow yesterday, a friend and the person I bought the Marlin Cowboy from said there are loads for a 44 mag rifle, I don't reload, but have a good friend that reloads most all my brass, and he could follow a recommended "recipe" for such a 44 mag rifle load, if anyone here can help with their experiences.

Any help would be appreciated.

A max load of H110 behind the bullet of your choice is always a good starting place for the 44 mag.

I think you`ll find the same loads are pretty much used in both rifle and pistol loads for the 44mag. When the charges do differ it is due to a COL change made to insure proper feeding in the rifle.

I have a similar length barrel Ruger Deerfield carbine. I've done quite a bit of testing with different loads and the best I've used to date is

20.7 grs of 2400 behind a Hornady 240 gr XTP bullet...it's at the high end of a charge with 2400 powder. My typical groups with the carbine and this load is 1.25" @ 100 yds, not great for a bolt gun but for this particular rifle it's all it's got and the round is absolutely devastating on whitetail deer.

I don't have a 44 but I have a 41 mag in a marlin and I just load for the pistol.
If the load will do 1500+ in the pistol it will be going faster in the rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
A max load of H110 behind the bullet of your choice is always a good starting place for the 44 mag.

I'll second that.

I found max loads with heavy bullets a little harder to get accuracy out of the 1894 marlin. the 336 I had would take anything I could put in it and shoot well, I think the smaller frame might flex a little when pushed with 240's and up.

My first centefire rifle was a Ruger Deerstalker in 44 Mag. This was in the early 1960's. Since then I have had a Marlin, and currently have a Winchester Trapper.
I have also been shooting a 44 Mag Revolver as a hunting gun since 1970 and carried one as a work gun starting in 1976.

So I have a fair amount of experience shooting a 44 Mag, and shooting "stuff" with a 44 Mag.

Since your question is about 44 Mag rifles I will base my reply on them...

They are just like any other rifle except more so IMHO as they can be finiky on what they like.

For instance my current Winchester shoots much better with H-110 vs 2400. [And I am an Elmer Keith 2400 kind of guy]...

Different bullets make a big difference as well.

Back in the day 240gr bullets were all that was avialable. I have killed deer with the 240gr Winchester Hollow Soft point, Remington Soft point and the SJHP, the Speer SP, and the Sierra HP.
Truth is I found no difference in their killing ability. They all killed like the Hammer of Thor.

Lately, my niece killed a good pig with the Winchester 250gr Nosler Partition, and I killed a big pig with the Hornady Lever Evolution. Both were DRT kills.

My Winchester Trapper shoots the 270 Speer factory SP and the Factory Federal 300gr Cast Core better than any reload so far...

I have found the 44 Mag rifle kills deer and pigs, under 125 yards as good as ANY other gun, including a 243, 308, 30/06, 300 Mag, 9,3x74R, 375 H&H, 45/70, or an elephant gun like a 450/400, or a 450No2.
The 44 Mag rifle, or handgun kills game way better than its "paper" ballistics would suggest.

SO I would recommend you just test a bunch of different bullets, 240 to 300gr with say, H 110 for a start, in your 44 Mag rifle, and hunt with confidence what shoots best.

quote:

Originally posted by DIXIEDOG:
I have a similar length barrel Ruger Deerfield carbine. I've done quite a bit of testing with different loads and the best I've used to date is

20.7 grs of 2400 behind a Hornady 240 gr XTP bullet...it's at the high end of a charge with 2400 powder. My typical groups with the carbine and this load is 1.25" @ 100 yds, not great for a bolt gun but for this particular rifle it's all it's got and the round is absolutely devastating on whitetail deer.

If you are getting groups that good with your 44 Mag rifle then you should buy some Lottery tickets...

Most of the 44 Mag rifles have a 1 in 38" twist, that shoots great to around 75 yards, but groups at 100 open up from 4 to 6 inches if your lucky, or even more at 100 yards...

I have heard the Bolt action Rugers have a 1 in 20" twist, and that makes a LOT of difference in accuracy at 100 yards.

Thanks for all the help and advice! I'll pass this on to the man that reloads for me and again I appreciate all the responses. I'm sure the factory barrel is a problem, and maybe I'll have to rebarrel it to get where I hopt to be. Also been told the shorter barrel helps the pistol ammo a lot more than a longer barrel - cutting the barrel might help?

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

quote:

Originally posted by DIXIEDOG:
I have a similar length barrel Ruger Deerfield carbine. I've done quite a bit of testing with different loads and the best I've used to date is

20.7 grs of 2400 behind a Hornady 240 gr XTP bullet...it's at the high end of a charge with 2400 powder. My typical groups with the carbine and this load is 1.25" @ 100 yds, not great for a bolt gun but for this particular rifle it's all it's got and the round is absolutely devastating on whitetail deer.

If you are getting groups that good with your 44 Mag rifle then you should buy some Lottery tickets...

Most of the 44 Mag rifles have a 1 in 38" twist, that shoots great to around 75 yards, but groups at 100 open up from 4 to 6 inches if your lucky, or even more at 100 yards...

I have heard the Bolt action Rugers have a 1 in 20" twist, and that makes a LOT of difference in accuracy at 100 yards.

This is the best shooting 44 mag I've had so far, prior to purchasing this one I had a Ruger 44 lever action carbine that I was unable to keep on the fullsize paper target...I traded that one off and went with the Deerfield. It doesn't seem to have any problems stabilizing a 240 gr bullet.

P Dog has got it right. I pretty much only use it for my mag loads. I hav e 16" Winch. Trapper that loves 300grn bullets loaded w/ max H110. I use Cast Core 300grm WFNGC's and also 300grn JHP Nosler's. That litle gun can really stackem' one on top of the other. Funny thing is she hates 300grn Hornady XTP's and my 7 1/2" BH loves them. Pistol must be a man and rifle is a woman, they never agree. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by DIXIEDOG:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

quote:

Originally posted by DIXIEDOG:
I have a similar length barrel Ruger Deerfield carbine. I've done quite a bit of testing with different loads and the best I've used to date is

20.7 grs of 2400 behind a Hornady 240 gr XTP bullet...it's at the high end of a charge with 2400 powder. My typical groups with the carbine and this load is 1.25" @ 100 yds, not great for a bolt gun but for this particular rifle it's all it's got and the round is absolutely devastating on whitetail deer.

If you are getting groups that good with your 44 Mag rifle then you should buy some Lottery tickets...

Most of the 44 Mag rifles have a 1 in 38" twist, that shoots great to around 75 yards, but groups at 100 open up from 4 to 6 inches if your lucky, or even more at 100 yards...

I have heard the Bolt action Rugers have a 1 in 20" twist, and that makes a LOT of difference in accuracy at 100 yards.

This is the best shooting 44 mag I've had so far, prior to purchasing this one I had a Ruger 44 lever action carbine that I was unable to keep on the fullsize paper target...I traded that one off and went with the Deerfield. It doesn't seem to have any problems stabilizing a 240 gr bullet.

The Ruger 77/44 is a neat looking rifle and the rotary magazine is a great concept. The whole rifle is a great concept, except the one I bought was just aweful inaccurate. I tried lots of different bullets and loads, and a large variety of factory ammo, and they all didn't work for accuracy in that rifle. It just made me sick from frustration, because I couldn't find a reason for such poor performance. I reluctantly got rid of it, and just gave up. Since then I have met a few fellows at the range experiencing the same results and frustrations from their Ruger 44 mags.

In fact, the only accurate Ruger 77/44s that I know of are internet rifles.

I have a serious negative opinion of Ruger for putting such rifles on the market. They had to know they are inaccurate, and they sold them anyway. IMO, there is a serious flaw somewhere in the design, and I believe it's the lack of a recoil lug. The action is basically the same as the 77/22.

So that's my opinion on the subject, and I don't see forgiving Ruger in my future.

I would buy a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 1000 times over before someone could give me another 77/44 or the Ruger Hornet either. Even with the flaws of the 527, it's accurate, and reliable, and has real front locking lugs, and a recoil lug that's part of the receiver, and a good trigger.

KB

My 44 must rank right up there with unicorns and a woman who will admit when a man's right because it's a shooter. The Ruger Deerfield 99/44 has a 1:20 twist and they use 6 groove rifling not 12.... Nobody will get the one I've got, if I could only have one rifle for deer hunting that would be the one I kept no doubt.

Maximum pressure loads for the 44 Mag are the same for revolver and pistol.

H110/W296 is an outstanding powder for full power loads. These are the same powders. 2400 is more flexible as you can reduce the charge.

These loads shot well in my ballard barreled M1894. I had the microgroove barrel replaced by Marlin.

You can compare the velocity difference in the handgun.


M1894 Marlin Ballard Barrel


240 Speer JHP 22.0 grs 2400 CCI 500
21-Dec-01 T = 54 °F

Ave Vel =1747
Std Dev =21
ES =68
Low =1717
High =1785
N =7

240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1725
Std Dev =7
ES =21
Low =1715
High =1736
N =5


240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs W296 WLP Fed cases
23-Mar-05T = 65° F
Ave Vel =1752
Std Dev =12
ES =28
Low =1735
High =1763
N =5


240 Nosler JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1710
Std Dev =3
ES =9
Low =1705
High =1714
N =5



240 Nosler JHP 24.5 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1745
Std Dev =12
ES =45
Low =1723
High =1768
N =10


240 Rem JHP 24.0 grs H110 WLP Midway cases
23-Mar-05 T = 65° F

Ave Vel =1719
Std Dev =10
ES =29
Low =1705
High =1734
N =10



S&W M629-4 5" Barrel

240JHP R-P 24.0 grs H110 Midway cases WLP
9-Oct-05 T = 66 °F
Ave Vel =1228
Std Dev =21.47
ES =70.16
Low =1268
High =1197
N=22

I too have a 44mag rifle with a 16" barrel. The best load I have found is with ANY 240gr bullet and 24grs. of 296/H110 with a pistol primer.

I did try to load hotter using a large rifle primer, but I would get hard extraction before reaching normal max loads and dropped the idea.

Just stick with published data, as both rifles and pistols use the same max pressure anyway.

Cheers.