Just one of the reasons I reload

[Setters4life]

This is but one reason why I like to handload.

A month or so ago I went to the range with a goal to try and find some reduced lead bullet handloads that would shoot well in my old .444 Marlin w/ its MicroGroove barrel. Some posts on the Marlin Forums peaked my interest to make a light plinking lead load that would shoot. Two powders I tried initially were 700X and Blue Dot. I quickly determined that the 700X loads were not going to cut it for accuracy but the Blue Dot load of 11 grs. with a lead 240 gr. SWC showed promise at 25 yards.

25 yd. group

So I settled on the 11.0 grs. of Blue Dot load with some 240 gr. Hornady SWC's I had laying around and CCI primers. This combination printed the tightest group at 25 yds. and seemed like a great plinking load. POI is woefully off from my standard hunting load of 46 grs. of 4198 with the Hornady 265 gr. FP. Sight adjustment to raise the point of impact was necessary to get these to print on the target. But these reduced loads are a lot more comfortable on my shoulder in the summer. Rifle wears a Leupold 1.75x5 variable for optics so it's not overweight by any means. Now I'll work on final zeroing of the scope to get these to print properly so practice is meaningful.

When handloading so little powder in a big case I used a bit of polyester filler over the powder in each case prior to seating the bullet and final crimp to keep the powder close to the primer's flash hole for consistent ignition.

Last week I spent some more time at the range sighting in and managed some okay groups at longer distances with these reduced loads. Recoil is negligible compared to hunting handloads and this one is definitely a pleasurable round to shoot. Essentialy, what I'm shooting here is something in the power range of a .44 Special. It offers 742 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle and still has 500+ ft.-lbs. of energy at 100 yards. Yet recoil energy is a little more than 4 ft.-lbs. compared to the 23 ft.-lbs. of my hunting load. What I accomplished was making myself a light plinking load tuned to the rifle, that's fairly accurate, and is cheap to shoot.

Was it worth the time to tinker and test over the course of a few outings? My answer would be "yes!"

50 yd. group, maximum spread 1.654":

100 yd. group, maximum spread 2.855", MOA=2.7" (impact was off the paper due to drop but group shows

potential)

[Mr VJP]

Do the lead bullets foul the Micro-Groove rifling in the barrel?

[Setters4life]

That was one concern I had with the MG barrel. I realize the newer Ballard-style rifling and twist is geared to lead bullets but some info I picked up on the Marlin forums seemed to indicate otherwise, so I tried it.

I haven't seen evidence of leading, and those velocities are pretty mild compared to what you could go to. The 700X load I tried was in the 1400fps range but accuracy was not good. I want to try Unique next as a powder alternative. These groups were shot off a sandbag rest, nothing too scientific either. It was 95 degrees the last time I was out and it wasn't the most comfortable time I had on the bench either. I tried my hunting loads that day as well and couldn't manage anything better than a 2" 3-shot group at 100 yards. Not my best outing, for I've done better in the past.

My MG barrel has been shot a bit over the years so I am sure it's broken in and somewhat smoother than a factory new bore too.