Marlin .444 cartridge

The powerhouse .444 Marlin cartridge


Q: I own a Marlin lever-action in .444 Marlin. It has plenty of punch at both ends. I’ve used it with 240gn bullet on pigs and fallow deer and it has always got the job done, but I’d like to use it on sambar and maybe buffaloes.

Can you recommend a load for big game? What else can you tell me about this cartridge? Is there another cartridge it is based on?

Ray Barret

A: The .444 Marlin has an interesting history. It was designed by Marlin’s director of research, Thomas Robinson, and Arthur Burns, a metallurgist. They began with a .30-06 case drawn straight with an unfinished head and turned to form an extractor rim.

It was manufactured by Remington, which offered it with the same 240gn bullet used in the .44 Rem Mag, but at about 600fps higher velocity.

While the 240gn bullet has 2942ft-lb of muzzle energy, its low sectional density is only .186 and it lacked penetration on game larger than white-tailed deer.

For sambar I’d load the Speer 300gn over 52gn of AR2206H for about 2100fps.

Years ago I landed a Speer bullet in the forehead of a buffalo and he dropped dead on the spot.

 

 

 


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Nick Harvey

The late Nick Harvey (1931-2024) was one of the world's most experienced and knowledgeable gun writers, a true legend of the business. He wrote about firearms and hunting for about 70 years, published many books and uncounted articles, and travelled the world to hunt and shoot. His reloading manuals are highly sought after, and his knowledge of the subject was unmatched. He was Sporting Shooter's Technical Editor for almost 50 years. His work lives on here as part of his legacy to us all.

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