I currently shoot a Marlin 444SS in of course 444 Marlin.

I am interested in knowing if there is a wildcat out there to where I can keep the existing barrel and still have the cartridge work in this type of action?

Would like to see if I could get an honest 2500fps with 250gr. Nosler Partition.

Spoor:

I shoot a 444 and handload for it. Before wanting 2500 fps with a 250 grain bullet, take a good look at the ballistic charts. It will not give you very much more in point blank range.

These bullets have ZERO aerodynamic qualities.
The increase in recoil you would not care for, and the increase in footpounds is not going to make or break a hunt.

If you need a bigger punch, go to a 45/70 with a 350 or 400 grain bullet. The 45/70 case has better potential for increase in MV than the 444 case does, unless you neck it down to say 338 caliber, shorten her up to us 250 grain round nose bullets. (Or to 35 Caliber). There is a lot of work using 444 cases for Encore and Contender types.

Check out Mike Bellm's website as he uses 444 cases shortened and necked down for some of his cartridges.

Cheers
seafire

the 444 is a gaint PISTOL round..and the BC and SD of the bullets prove that..

jd jones (ssk industries) makes a living off the 444 necked down to whatever...

the 375 jdj ROCKS, btw

jeffe

yeah, what jeffe said....JD Jones has necked the 444 to many wildcats and is very successful. I can't recall what month and what magazine inparticular (think it was Peterson's Hunting or rifleshooter or handloader?????) where he did a piece on the 444 and got surprising velocities with Vitavhouri (sp?) powders. If I find a back issue online, I'll post it.

here's some more I found that get close to 2400fps with the 250 http://www.loaddata.com/members/search_detail.cfm?metallicid=131&MW=&PM=&PT=

I think you'll find it difficult to get your desired velocities out of that round unless you put it into a bolt action that can handle higher pressures.

Probably the most straight forward would be a 45-70 necked down. That said, I agree with the others that a 250 gr @ 2500 in 44 cal is a waste. It'll shed velocity so fast that you loose the trajectory advantage, and there is also the issue of a suitably constructed 240 gr .429" bullet constructed to withstand such velocity, and I don't think any exist.

Now if you neck the 444 down to a 35 caliber, then you'd have something, but I think you'd only be able to get about 2200 out of it. Case capacity is midway between a 358 win and 35 whelen. PO ackley also came out with the round well in advance of JD Jones, though most folks would refer to the round as a 358 JDJ.

While I agree with the others that a few hundred FPS won't help you much, I would look at this from the perspective of pushing the 300 grainers faster. Something that I think would work is to start with the .378 Weatherby case and shorten it as needed to the OAL needed by the Marlin. The belt diameter is practically the same as the 45/70 so feeding shouldn't be to big of a deal. Before I went too far, I would find out if the mag tube is the same from the .444 to the 45/70. If so, then your in buisness.

If it were me, I'd skip the .429 bullets and go for a shortened .416 Weatherby. Just me

Gabe

Quickload shows that RL7 could push the 250 Nosler to 2400 at 50,000 psi in a 20" bbl. Don't know if that's realistic or not though.