Well, after about a 6 month wait, my 444 finally has a little brother. Walmart finally got in a 1894 marlin and I couldn't be happier. I have learned my lesson, from now on all my gun business will go to the local mom and pop style shops even if I have to pay a little more. (I got the 1894 for $395 from Walmart) Anyhow, I can't wait to get to the range to shoot this thing. Has anyone used the 240gr XTP on deer? I am toying between useing the 240 or 300gr XTP for deer, I'm also open to suggestions if anyone has found a good performing factory load for whitetails and possibly hogs. I know the buffalo bore stuff and corbon loads are hot, but thats more than I want to pay for my ammo. I'd also like to here about what everyone out there uses as far as sights, factory buckhorn?, reddot?, peep/ghostring?

Is it wrong or weird that I like to just take the rifle out and hold it and look at it? Marlinitis is a very very bad thing to have!

MattPair, my brother who lives in Arkansas has killed three whitetail deer there, using the 240 XTP rounds, in his Marlin 1894 .44 Mag.. He said they go down like a sack of beans falling off the tailgate of a pickup. I don't think you'll have any trouble with the same rounds for your rifle, if you shoot well.

There are plenty of trees and some brush where he hunts, and he told me his longest shot was about 90 yards. He uses a Williams 5D receiver sight on his Marlin.

Good luck. L.W.

Congratulations, Matt! I have one just like yours, and no, you're not weird, I take mine out to look at and fondle on a regular basis I put a Williams peep on mine, as my eyes and buckhorn sights don't get along. I did scope it for load testing, but once that's done, it's back to the peep.

As for loads, I don't think they're any need for a 300, there's not a deer on the planet that can stop a 240 soft point. I've shot a lot of the Rem. 240's, and have yet to find anything under four feet thick that will stop one.

Now if Bambi is behind a tree.......... :p

PJ

Congratulations, Matt! I have one just like yours, and no, you're not weird, I take mine out to look at and fondle on a regular basis I put a Williams peep on mine, as my eyes and buckhorn sights don't get along. I did scope it for load testing, but once that's done, it's back to the peep.

As for loads, I don't think they're any need for a 300, there's not a deer on the planet that can stop a 240 soft point. I've shot a lot of the Rem. 240's, and have yet to find anything under four feet thick that will stop one.

Now if Bambi is behind a tree.......... :p

PJ

Thanks for the info guys, one more thing though. Last night I took apart the rifle to clean it throughly (something I reccomend everyone do after purchasing a new gun) Upon removing the bolt I found that the top of the bolt had "214 T" hand etched into it. Kinda like someone had just taken a nail and carved it into the bolt. The bolt was extremely dirty. I've never run acrross anything like that before, I'm used to guns being dirty from the factory test firing them and all, but this bolt just didn't look new. I'm taking the gun to the range monday as soon as all this rain goes away and if it shoots fine I guess I'm not going to worry about it, just something about how that bolt looked felt fishy. Anyone experience anything like this before?

I'd have to look, but I think all my Marlin bolts have something scratched into them, usually a number, and I remember seeing "SS" on the bolt of my stainless 44. I wouldn't worry too much about it, how it shoots is what really matters! ;)

PJ

I'd have to look, but I think all my Marlin bolts have something scratched into them, usually a number, and I remember seeing "SS" on the bolt of my stainless 44. I wouldn't worry too much about it, how it shoots is what really matters! ;)

PJ

Well,
That makes me feel a little better, the only other Marlin I own is a 444 I picked up this fall, it didn't have any markings on the bolt and was a good be cleaner than this 1894, but just like you said, its how it shoots; and as soon as finals are done on friday I will find out.

Mattpair,

The 214 etched in your bolt are the last three digits of the rifle's serial number. If you ever have a few rifles taken apart at the same time this will make sure the correct bolt goes back into each rifle.

Mattpair,

The 214 etched in your bolt are the last three digits of the rifle's serial number. If you ever have a few rifles taken apart at the same time this will make sure the correct bolt goes back into each rifle.

well, I wish that were the case, but that string of numbers doesn't occur in that order in my serial number, thats what seemed fishy to me, like i got some other guns bolt.

Mattpair...

All three of my Marlin's have numbers etched on the bolt and none of them match the serial number of the rifle. I've always figured that the bolts have their own series of serial numbers.

Oh, and there is never anything wrong with just holding a gun at anytime!

Michael

Mattpair & RD,

You guys got me to do something very dangerous - thinking - so I just removed the bolt from my 1894-44 Mag. to double check what I said in the previous reply. The number scratched on the bolt is 440, which also happens to be the last three digits of the rifle's serial no. There is also a stamping "44" which I assume refers to the caliber, since I've noticed "45" stamped on my 1894 45 CB's bolt.

Maybe Marlin doesn't do that all the time but at least in my instance with the 44 it's true.

Gun-fondler! :eek: Think of the children!!!!

Mattpair...

All three of my Marlin's have numbers etched on the bolt and none of them match the serial number of the rifle. I've always figured that the bolts have their own series of serial numbers.

Oh, and there is never anything wrong with just holding a gun at anytime!

Michael

Gun-fondler! :eek: Think of the children!!!!

I nearly spit out a mouthful of Coke on the screen when I read that!