I have a question for ya'll. I took my 1894 in .44 Mag and shot it with 240 gr SWC cast bullets. I was using 9.0 gr Unique and a CCI 300 primer. The bullet sprayed the target with a buckshot style "group" at 50 yds., with a couple of bullets keyholing. I have shot the same bullet and the "Keith" load of 21.0 gr. Alliant 2400 and CCI 350 with similar results. The gun shoots fine with 240 gr jacketed bullets. It is a 20 year old rifle that has Micro Groove rifling. Is this type of rifling not conducive to good accuracy with cast bullets? Should I stick with jacketed? Does anyone think that paper patching cast bullets is the way to go with this type of rifling? Any info would be helpful, as I would like to shoot cast bullets in this rifle. Thanks.

mike j
I have the same rifle as you do.
All I can say is after years of floundering around and reloading the best thing I found is the Beartooth Bullets Technical Guide.
It is full of all the info. that one needs to know to really reload a great Cast Bullet.
The accuracy that I obtained from following the simple steps is astounding.
I believe every cast reloader should have a B.B. Tech. Guide.
For awhile I was reading it more than my Bible.

Good Luck

Webfoot

Sounds like the bullets are stripping the rifling; make sure it's really, really clean. Use copper solvents..... you didn't say what your alloy was, could it be too soft?

I'm using wheelweights, which is usually pretty hard. I'll try come Barnes CR-10 in the bore and see if that makes a difference. I'll also look for the Beartooth book. Thanks.

mikej,

Had one years ago. Had the same experience as you. The place I was shooting at then was used as a dump by the locals, and there was a full size refrigerator had been left.

Using commercial cast copper washed bullets the gun wouldn't stay on the refrigerator at 100 yds. Going to my own hard bullets it would shoot around 1", or about the same as jacketed. The secret is bullets .001 over groove diameter, and quite hard. Mine were probably at least 18-20 Brinnell.

Yes, I did say 1"! I won't bet yours, or many will shoot that well, but that one did. For years, everytime I thought of selling it I would think "But it shoots so good!" Finally sold it, and, yes, I still regret it!

Indeed bullet diameter and hardness are the issues with your Marlin 1894 in .44 mag with the MicroGroove rifling.

Those guns typically have .4312"-.4315" groove diameter barrels, and the shallow rifling in them doesn't give much purchase on undersized bullets. For jacketed pills they work admirably, but undersized cast bullets are a disaster waiting to happen in regards to accuracy.

Shoot some well designed, hard, gas-checked bullets sized to a full .432" and it will be hard to do anything wrong in load development in your rifle.

The afore-mentioned advice on the Technical Guide is well placed, and I think it will clear up many of the questions you have regarding getting this rifle to shoot cast well.

Here's the link to the Tech Guide:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/book.htm

Hope this helps. Do keep us posted on your progress.

God Bless,

Thanks fellas, I measured the bullets that I'm shooting and they're .430" on the dot. I'll try a larger, harder bullet and see what happens.

mikej,

Had one years ago. Had the same experience as you. The place I was shooting at then was used as a dump by the locals, and there was a full size refrigerator had been left.

Using commercial cast copper washed bullets the gun wouldn't stay on the refrigerator at 100 yds. Going to my own hard bullets it would shoot around 1", or about the same as jacketed. The secret is bullets .001 over groove diameter, and quite hard. Mine were probably at least 18-20 Brinnell.

Yes, I did say 1"! I won't bet yours, or many will shoot that well, but that one did. For years, everytime I thought of selling it I would think "But it shoots so good!" Finally sold it, and, yes, I still regret it!
Hey Alk, I too am a member of the gun lovers moron club, as are many, many others. I sold a beautiful, old model 70 feather weight, in 257Roberts, that shot like a target rifle with 100gr Sierra's.It gives me nightmares, and flash backs, of all the game thats fell to that rifle. I know your pain brother, har har har!!!!