Tigerman
New member
( meat and potatos 4 paragraphs down)
Hi all, short-time lurker but long-time admirer of the craft. My “obsession” (not a word chosen by me) began in my late teens with the book Double Barrel, by Norbert Klups, and over the years has percolated into something tangible. However, book learning and idle mathematic sketching fall short of the monumental experience this forum has displayed to me.
In my head, I began to see the shape of the rifle take form. I found the .444 marlin as a desirable choice when I discovered SIACE, as I have a ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter for both real and sillhouette targets, and the thought of having hard castable bullets for either the revolver or the rifle was appealing. I desired this rifle to be able to take up to Bison/Water Buffalo and down to big Texas Hogs.
I soon discovered that Marlin, in originially designing the .444, they woefully underpowered it, until some internet digging uncovered some articles on Beartooth bullets (now defunct) had some experience on heavy & fast marlin loadings. Similar digging found that a shooter on the marlin forums developed a “Safari Grade” .444 by backing out the heavy 405 gr bullets by .100 of an Inch. This led to a Taylor KO of 53. A ray of hope from on high.
Now, on to accuracy. I have read on the rule of 75%, and figured that 320gr down to 240 grain works, but my concerns lay with loading up to 125% of the bullet weight at 400 grains. The starting point for regulation is a stuck point for me, and I am unsure if SIACE would even accomodate me supplying my own ammo for regulation.
My main questions are so-
What is the general consensus on the SIACE Alaska model?
Is there a 125% rule to go along with the 75%, or is there a good option to loading down from 400 grain to 240?
How well do Doubles work with Hardcast?
Is it unheard of to supply your own loading for regulation?
What does importation from Italy to the US look like?
Thank you all for your time, knowledge and consideration. And thank yall for keeping the dream alive
Hi all, short-time lurker but long-time admirer of the craft. My “obsession” (not a word chosen by me) began in my late teens with the book Double Barrel, by Norbert Klups, and over the years has percolated into something tangible. However, book learning and idle mathematic sketching fall short of the monumental experience this forum has displayed to me.
In my head, I began to see the shape of the rifle take form. I found the .444 marlin as a desirable choice when I discovered SIACE, as I have a ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter for both real and sillhouette targets, and the thought of having hard castable bullets for either the revolver or the rifle was appealing. I desired this rifle to be able to take up to Bison/Water Buffalo and down to big Texas Hogs.
I soon discovered that Marlin, in originially designing the .444, they woefully underpowered it, until some internet digging uncovered some articles on Beartooth bullets (now defunct) had some experience on heavy & fast marlin loadings. Similar digging found that a shooter on the marlin forums developed a “Safari Grade” .444 by backing out the heavy 405 gr bullets by .100 of an Inch. This led to a Taylor KO of 53. A ray of hope from on high.
Now, on to accuracy. I have read on the rule of 75%, and figured that 320gr down to 240 grain works, but my concerns lay with loading up to 125% of the bullet weight at 400 grains. The starting point for regulation is a stuck point for me, and I am unsure if SIACE would even accomodate me supplying my own ammo for regulation.
My main questions are so-
What is the general consensus on the SIACE Alaska model?
Is there a 125% rule to go along with the 75%, or is there a good option to loading down from 400 grain to 240?
How well do Doubles work with Hardcast?
Is it unheard of to supply your own loading for regulation?
What does importation from Italy to the US look like?
Thank you all for your time, knowledge and consideration. And thank yall for keeping the dream alive
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