There is a 444 Marlin available locally at a pretty good price, $300. Is there any reason I shouldn't get it? Or should I continue to look for a good deal on a 45-70? Pros? Cons? What do you think? DW

The least I've seen a 444s (new)(not shipped) for is about $425 average more like $525.

If it's clean It's a decent buy.

( Yeah, I know I.m one of the guys that chose the 45-70 over the 444 in the other thread-- but a good clean 444 is still a good rifle)

i'd buy it... as long as it wasn't 1 of the new 1's with a safety...

I'd even buy it if it was a new one. The safety can be deleted with a kit for less than $20.00!

Go for it, you won't be disappointed

I went for it, it was gone. I waited a couple of hours too long. DW

quote:

Originally posted by dwheels:
I went for it, it was gone. I waited a couple of hours too long. DW

You REALLY want a 45/70 anyway!

You were lucky! You would have learned that it only shoots pistol bullets, due to the 1:38" twist. Then you would have been a bit cranky until you found some sucker, OOPS! I mean buyer to take it off your hands.
There are at least three reasons the 444 doesn't sell very well in comparison to the 45-70.
No heavy jacketed bullets.
No heavy cast bullets
No ammunition anywhere

IN COMPARISON TO THE 45-70!!

Rich

Dwheels, if that Marlin in 444 suites your fancy, I don’t see a problem with it. Why would 200-240 grain pistol bullets be a problem? It seems that some of the people that have a problem with the 444, have very little problem with a 50-60 grain bullet out of a 223. What is up with that? I find it interesting.

Thanks all for your sentiments and opinions. Yes I have been looking for a 45-70. I had a 44 magnum Marlin, wish I had never sold it but needed the money at the time. I reload so I could make rounds mild or wild in either a 444 or 45-70 but the versatility of the 45 makes more sense to me. DW

quote:

Originally posted by 0X0:

quote:

Originally posted by dwheels:
I went for it, it was gone. I waited a couple of hours too long. DW

You REALLY want a 45/70 anyway!

hell ya...or a 450marlin

I think I see now. Every 45-70 I have looked at since looking at the 444 is twice as much, my hell folks are proud of them around here. $500 - $800 bucks?. I still want one but my rat hole will have to get a little bigger. DW

ok ok ok...ill stand up for the poooooor little 444!!!

load it with 300 gr lead and dare anything to stand in front of it out to 150 yrds!

load it with 265 gr horn and dare the same thing.

factory loads in 265 hornaday spitzer with the rubber tip and id lay the law down out to 200 yrds.

hwck fellas...i own and shoot 45/70 a bunch and love it for a lot of reassons but will by no means get rid of my little dinky 444. it will put 5 into 2 inches from my peep sight at 100 every time and ive not recovered any bullets from the two moose ive killed with it. clean thru shots taking out ribs, a shoulder bone, and came out much bigger on the off side then the 44cal hole going in.

in all...dont sell it short and if it is heavy boolita you want, there are 350 and 400 gr lead available with a little research. i dont becouse i dont see the need for it.

friend of mine shot into a piece of spruce log endway with a 338 wm 250 factory and a 444 in 265 factory. gues what happened ......the 444 actually penetrated further then the 338. i was shocked but the wood didnt lie.

there it is....yep i like my 444!!! i also like my 45/70's but dont sell the triple 4 short....ever!!

Thanks, ted fries for the encouragement to us .444 owners

I had the opportunity to acquire a one- year-old Marlin 444 last year from the original owner at a price that was just too good to pass up.

She looks just like this one: http://www.marlinfirearms.com/...arms/bigbore/444.asp in that only six rounds had made it down her 22" Barrel with deep-cut Ballard-type rifling [6 grooves / twist Rate 1:20" r.h.]... Plus the fella threw in @ $160-200 worth of 'goodies' inc: Bushnell scope, U/O rings, leather sling, nice case, and 1.5 boxes of factory ammo... at no extra charge. And since it was a local deal, there was no S&H nor FFL fees and no tax, obviously.

My research had shown that she would nicely handle any NA game. [See M.L. McPherson, Editor, Cartridges of the World]

If I'm reading the opinion and the ballistics comparisons correctly.... one can get the .444 to perform quite well even when compared to the more venerated calibers: http://www.hwsportsman.net/444Marlin.html

Well... here is the report: I've only had access to a 150 yd range so far, and both the 240 and 310 gr cast bullets performed with better accuracy than I expected. [OK... the sweet .444 is more accurate than the shooter...]

And when my new baby had the chance to put a couple Whitetails in the freezer last season... she performed decisively.

I look forward to the opportunity to try her out on bigger game, knowing that she is up to the task.

More data was available under 'References' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.444_Marlin inc:
"The .444 Marlin" by Chuck Hawks
.444 Marlin at The Reload Bench
.444 data from Accurate Powder

Well I guess I shouldn't. I found an 1895 in 45-70 that I could afford and bought it today. Its in great shape, no safety, older straight stock design. Only thing I cold find to fault it is the missing Marlin Bullseye. I looks brand new. This is the only lever gun I own so now I guess the craziness has started. DW

Those "cheaper" 444 guide guns make for good candidates to send to Gary Reeder for his conversions into a real nice custom lever-gun. Nothing wrong with saving $200 on the base gun and getting one of those sweet custom rigs.....any way you want it. Whatever your heart desires. I have one in a 450GNR ( 50 Alaskan neck down to .458 caliber) and get 300+ fps over the hottest 45/70 loads in a given bullet weight.

This gun has the 22 inch non ported barrel, straight stock and small front sight with no hood. It has the half magazine tube. The receiver is drilled and tapped and there is no safety. It does not say anywhere on the gun if it has ballard style rifleing or micro groove and I can't tell by looking at it. The walnut stock is in perfect shape. Plain wood except for a little bit of figure on one end of the forend. I am happy as a kid on Christmas. DW

congratulations on your new lever. you are in for a very fun and sometimes expensive rifle. it will drive ya crazy the longer you have it and continue your "search" for the perfect load/bullet combo.

great choice and my first marlin was one like yours but in 444. no im not especially going to make a case for my fav short 444 but the rifle you have is a real peach and if you have as much fun with yours as i had...buckle up.

only regret is...it no longer lives with me!

-Nice nab on the 1895 .45-70, Dwheels!

I'm sure you will be quite happy with the new Christmas-day Boomer!

Do drop a photo in one day if you get the chance.

Yeah, well . . . My 45/70 is a Ruger No. 1, which means it chambers any bullet weight. It's the "Little Sister" to my Ruger No. 1 in .458 WM.

I have a Marlin in 44 mag, same caliber as two of my handguns.

Guns are to men what shoes are to women -- only cooler.

Get a 45-70 when you find a good one.
Awsome gun even in a Marlin. Lots of good tricks from Wild West Guns in Alaska worth the money. I shoot a 1895 Guide Gun, short ported barrel with 360 grain North Fork bullets at 2100 fps. The results are astounding. Nothing
walks or crawls away.
Good luck gun hunting.

Sorry for the typo, that should have been 350gr
North Fork flat points (for tublar magazines)
Have had great accruacy from the Hornady Lever Revolution 300 gr. line of ammo in 45-70 but I have one box that is a year old and the plastic tips have become hard (over time) and will indent the primers now in the magazine. I will only shoot them single shot. Be careful with Old Hornady Lever Revolution Ammo in any calibre.

There is a fellow on the Leverguns site that has a brand new Marlin 1895 in 444, at a price of $450. And it has pretty decent wood for a Marlin.

It is good to see you got your 45-70. It seems like a lot of guys here like to hot rod the 45-70. If you shoot and hunt with it a good bit you will find that hot rodding a 45-70 is not necessary. A good 405 grain cast bullet at 1400-1600 fps is more than adequate to take anything walking in our country.

Trying to take the rainbow trajectory out of a 45-70 is not possible. Regardless of how fast you push any bullet-be it a light or heavyweight bullet. Stick with a good 405 cast bullet in the 45-70, and shoot the heck out of it, and learn your trajectory. That is the mark of a true rifleman.

Then start casting your own bullets. I cast my own and I can reload over 500 rounds for $100. You do not need the expensive jacketed bullets for the 45-70. They will not perform a dimes bit better on game over a good 405 cast bullet(for not nearly the cost). Imagine 500 rounds for $100!! Now we are talking(and shooting). Tom.