Does anybody have any experience hunting deer with the 265 grain Ranch Dog designed bullet fired in a Marlin 1894 44 magnum with microgroove rifling?
If not hunting, has anybody shot it for accuracy?
Can it be loaded to touch the lands without exceeding a length that works through the action?
What is reasonable accuracy to expect?
Any field experience with performance on deer?
John
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John,
Don't know about the Ranch Dog moulds but I do have a 280 gr. LFN mould gathering dust that you're welcome to use for the season if you're interested. Casts .432 out of WW and I used to load it over 19.5 grs of AA #9 with Blue lube for use in my Marlin. Never took a deer with it but imagine it would have done the job.
PM or email if you're interested and I'll send it along.
Pat
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John I have a 260 gr. WFN @ .430.. Have you slugged it to see what the bore diameter is? I could send you some or bring some to the nats..
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Jeff,
I haven't slugged either one of my 44s yet but will soon.
I would appreciate it if you would bring a few to the nationals. That is plenty soon enough. I should be tending to the 223 instead of fiddling around with these things so far from hunting season.
Thanks for the offer.
John
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John,
It's funny you should ask. I just got back from the range. I shot some of the Ranch Dog 300gr out of my 44mag 1894 Marlin. They shot fantastic! I loaded them at 1.60col with a heavy crimp, I used 18gr of H110. I did not chrono them but the data I used said approx 1400fps. They 5 shots into one ragged hole at 50yds, I did not shoot at 100yds because the 100 yard range was flooded. I had been shooting 300gr XTP's and these shot MUCH better!
Hope this helps,
Joe
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I have and old Marlin 336-44 of 1967 vintage that is micro grooved !
I have been shooting the Ranch Dog 432-265 and 432-300 in it with very good results !
I load the 265 grain bullet with 23 grains of H110 !
And load the 300 grainer with 21 grains of H110 !
I have a old Weaver K2.5 mounted on top my 336-44 and it does nicely !
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RD sent me some pic's of a hog he shot at 100 yards??? and let me tell you that the entry and exit hole was very impressive.
I have both the Rd 265 and the LBT WFN 250 grain loaded up and both shoot great in my 1894 44 mag marlin. I just have to sit down and think of which one I want to use in the feild. RD or WFN????
Off a rest I can put 5 RD in a 2 inch circle. I think that has more to due to my ability to shoot than any problem with Rd's bullets. I know Rd can shoo them into a tighter group than I can. MY wfn shoots about the same.
The RD is loaded over 23 grains of W296 and the WFN loaded over 24 grains of W296 both sparked with WLP primer.
I am sure both bullets will puncha big hole thru any deer/black bear.
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I shoot the 265gr 44mag RD bullet in my Contender. It is a great bullet for hunting, I make them the way Ranch Dog lists on the Marlin Website.
Jerry
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John,
I'm just getting caught up on posts, been away for awhile.
I have both a 336-44 and an 1894P so that gives me both a Micro-Groove and a Ballard barrel. I've had no problems with either barrel or either of my 44 caliber bullets (265 or 300). With out a doubt the best load advice I can offer is maximum charges of H110. 23.0-grains for the 265-grain bullet and 21.0-grains for the 300-grain bullet.
I have pressure and accuracy tested the bullet with H110 but also H4227 and Lil-Gun. The latter two are unacceptable.
Some fellows get all rapped up in the rate of twist/type of rifling/Greenhill formula, etc. and declare that big or long bullet is not stable in the Marlin product. It is all theory and I've proven it to be BS. Take a well designed bullet that fits and push it hard from the start and when it goes subsonic it will still be stable. These bullets at the loads I've offered go subsonic at 250 to 300-yards. I've shot both rifles at that distance and they do a wonderful job despite about 100” of bullet drop! I've documented this on Cast Boolits with the load data and images over several posts.
With these bullets and H110, this is about the best no-brainer in the cast bullet, levergun lineup. Nothing to it.
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I didn't answer your original question. I've got quite a bit of big game hunting experience with the bullet and it knocks a big hole through critters that kills them quick. Very impressive.
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Hi, RD, glad things are better.
I get decent accuracy out of my Marlin with the boolit and I have tried everything else. I even made 3 molds for oversize boolits and the RD 165 shoots best.
However guys, be aware that the RD boolit also shoots very, very well from the revolver too. I had 5 in 3/4” at 100 yd's once from my RBH and my friend loves the boolit in his S&W.
I use Felix lube on them though because I hate LLA snot.
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Hey RD, we did a penetration test with all of our guns. We used soaked phone books and news paper.
Whitworth shot the RD boolit out of his S&W but I don't remember the barrel length, 6” I think.
Anyway the darn thing went 33” without damage and the path was perfectly straight.
The only thing that beat it was a 420 gr, WFN, .475 boolit that went 37".
We were running out of paper as we kept replacing the damaged front books. When we got down to 36", the .475 boolit went through and stuck full length in a piece of fire wood in my wood bin. It split the wood too.
Every jacketed bullet we shot barely made 11", the larger calibers made as much as 14", some broke up.
But the real surprise was entrance damage. All jacketed bullets just made a hole but all of the cast boolits puckered out a huge crater that had us replacing books fast.
It goes to show how much better a flat meplat is.
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wimilkman
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Tom Acheson
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pat i.
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Aaron
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BRatigan
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MarkinEllensburg
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Ed Harris
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porthos
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mashburn
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joeb33050
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