Best 444marlin dies/bullets/powder

shooter89

shooter89

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Howdy guys I’m new to reloading so dnt knock me just trying to learn what are the best set of dies for 444marlin..?? Carbide/steel..? 2die/3die set…?? I def want a crimp or is it needed..? gonna be using a single shot Handi rifle in 444….
Best powder/bullets..? Gonna using strictly for hunting and if I do pratice a little it’ll be with the round I’m using…mainly a hunting rifle as far as use goes
 
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I don't have any experience with 444, but I think I can help in general terms.

"Best" is hard to quantify. I've used several brands of dies, but for 444 Marlin, if I was getting started, I would go with Lee dies.

You will need a sizer, expander (Lee has the powder-thru expander), and seating die. These all come with the 3 die set from Lee.

I would not crimp for a single-shot gun or bolt gun. It has been my experience that a crimp can hurt accuracy. Now, for lever guns or sometimes semi-auto guns, a crimp may be necessary.
 
I'll go a different direction than the above posters.

First off, I prefer to not waste money & can be a bit "tight" at times. Yet,, when it comes to tools, I prefer to "Buy once, cry once" & get good quality. I started in the 70's on a shoestring budget & got cheaper dies. Over the years, I went with RCBS dies a lot. I found them to be very, very good & well worth the money. And if a die was "wrong" or "bad" RCBS fixed it quickly with a new die.

I haven't loaded any .444 in a few decades,, but if I recall, you generally can not get Carbide dies due to the slight taper of the case. So,,,, steel dies & lube.
And I tend to prefer a crimp on bullets in general. Banging around the woods, in a truck or whatever,, can cause a bullet to move some unless you have really good neck tension. Trim the brass to a uniform length, and a slight roll crimp, applied uniformly will assure repeatability in ammo.

And since it's a hunting gun, I'm a big fan of good quality cast slugs that have been powder coated.
BUT,,,,,,,,, only by testing a lot can you find the "best bullet & powder" for YOUR gun. Reloading manuals are your friends. (NOTICE the PLURAL here. All handloaders need more than one reloading manual.)

In the scoped .444 Marlin,, I used to use back in the 1980's,, I was getting sub 2" groups at 100 yds easily. And if I really did my part,, I got several 1" groups over different range sessions. The gun was better than the trigger jerker! :D
 
@scratchmark what calibers you wanna get rid of..? Are the factory chanberings or rechamberings I’m always looking too add a handi rifle too the pile
 
Wow, had to look back at the last time I loaded 444. Was 2009, RCBS dies, custom Castboolits Lee 285gr RFGC mold with H4895 powder (wish I had alot more of that stuff). Was a deer thumper. Between 310gr Lee 44 mag Win 94 and that 444 Handi, they did not go far. BTW, I used a Lyman M or RCBS Cowboy expander for loads using cast.
 
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OBXPilgrim said:
Wow, had to look back at the last time I loaded 444. Was 2009, RCBS dies, custom Castboolits Lee 285gr RFGC mold with H4895 powder (wish I had alot more of that stuff). Was a deer thumper. Between 310gr Lee 44 mag Win 94 and that 444 Handi, they did not go far. BTW, I used a Lyman M or RCBS Cowboy expander for loads using cast.
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310gn 44mag? What twist rate on that barrel?
 
Yes, going to be steel dies with lube, not carbide. I've used just about every make of die out there, and some no longer in business. Overall, I've had acceptable results with all of them. If I were looking for "best" dies, I'd likely go with Redding. If you're loading for a tube magazine rifle you're going to want to use a roll crimp, which would be part of the seating die so no special die needed (IMHO). I don't load .444, but I do have a Marlin 1895 .45-70.
 
This is what I will load for 444 Marlin, based on extensive testing done by a CFFer.

hghp_44_200_1.jpg
 
Toprudder, twist was 1:38 which wasn't a "good" twist for this heavy of a bullet, but it didn't seem to mind. It was being pushed fast and I never tested it past 100 yards. Seemed to stabilize that far. Thick woods in Yancey co., NC, didn't allow very long shots.
 
OBXPilgrim said:
Toprudder, twist was 1:38 which wasn't a "good" twist for this heavy of a bullet, but it didn't seem to mind. It was being pushed fast and I never tested it past 100 yards. Seemed to stabilize that far. Thick woods in Yancey co., NC, didn't allow very long shots.
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Interesting. Yeah, that is a really slow twist, I'm not sure why they made them that way.
 
The blue part of my post is a link... click on it!


I plan to load 200 grain powder coated lead bullets for targets, and those Cutting Edge Raptors for hunting. The Raptors are a solid core with 4 parts that come off upon penetration. The solid goes right through t'other side.

From the web site:

After 1.5 - 2" of penetration four blades are engineered to shear off and radiate out in a star pattern while the Blunt Trauma Base continues to penetrate 20 - 24" in ballistic gel. This action greatly increases trauma and stopping power.
Click to expand...
 
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