Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

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Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by CAVEMAN » 12 Aug 2020, 7:15 pm

Evening all

Picking up a 1894 marlin 44 Mag soon. Starting to shop for ammo and looking for anyone's recommendations on anything that feeds well or such. Haven't had much experience with lever center fires so mainly looking if there is anything they don't like.

Short list of what i can source local are.

PPU 240gn
Magtech 240gn
S&B 240gn
Geco 240gn
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 12 Aug 2020, 7:27 pm

CAVEMAN wrote:Evening all

Picking up a 1894 marlin 44 Mag soon. Starting to shop for ammo and looking for anyone's recommendations on anything that feeds well or such. Haven't had much experience with lever center fires so mainly looking if there is anything they don't like.

Short list of what i can source local are.

PPU 240gn
Magtech 240gn
S&B 240gn
Geco 240gn


The only factory ammo I've tried in mine is Federal American Eagle 240gn JHP, but it shoots very well, 1760fps and holds around 40mm at 50m.
I get the occasional Marlin jams due to the round falling off the lifter, but I doubt it's due to any particular ammo as I shoot different stuff, cast and jacketed, 180gn to 265gn bullets. With the .22's I lean the rifle to the right and eject the case straight into my dump pouch, I have to remind myself not to do that with the Marlin as it's not controlled-feed like the Rossi, Uberti or Winchester.
Last edited by bladeracer on 13 Aug 2020, 7:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by CAVEMAN » 12 Aug 2020, 7:47 pm

Mine will probably go flying, i'm used to running a lever shotgun. And the only way to do that is like someone coming down off a meltdown.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 12 Aug 2020, 9:02 pm

CAVEMAN wrote:Mine will probably go flying, i'm used to running a lever shotgun. And the only way to do that is like someone coming down off a meltdown.


Yes, running a lever can be a little energetic :-)
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by boingk » 12 Aug 2020, 9:05 pm

Hi mate, I've heard nothing but good things about the standard PPU loads. A mate ran that through his up North a while ago, took a bunch of crazy stuff with it too.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by Bugman » 13 Aug 2020, 7:35 am

I have also used the Federal ammo with good success.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by animalpest » 08 Sep 2020, 11:37 pm

Magtec or S&B would be my choice between those. I have found PPU to be ordinary in my Marlin 44 Mag.

I recently tried Eagle, Federal and a couple of others. The Federal shot one inch 3 shot groups at 100.

All are 240 grain
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by straightshooter » 09 Sep 2020, 8:25 am

bladeracer wrote:....... as it's not controlled-feed like the Rossi, Uberti or Winchester.

Are you suffering from lock down fever?
Try operating your Rossi, Ubeauty or Winchester slowly upside down and tell us what happens.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by straightshooter » 09 Sep 2020, 8:55 am

CAVEMAN wrote:Evening all

Picking up a 1894 marlin 44 Mag soon. Starting to shop for ammo and looking for anyone's recommendations on anything that feeds well or such. Haven't had much experience with lever center fires so mainly looking if there is anything they don't like.

Short list of what i can source local are.

PPU 240gn
Magtech 240gn
S&B 240gn
Geco 240gn

I have reloaded Winchester brass in my Marlin over many many years without significant problems. It all started out as factory ammo.
These days I prefer 180 grain jacketed hollow points for full power loads or self cast 240 or 200 grain for light loads.
Recently I reloaded some once fired PPU, S&B and Geco brass for somebody and the PPU were no problem but the S&B and Geco needed the primer pocket entry radius chamfered to prevent crooked distorted primers. The S&B were more troublesome than the Geco but both had no further reloading problems.
Don't be dazzled by claimed ammunition accuracy.
You are dealing with a 100 to 150 meter rifle generally used for larger game, so the only thing that really counts is shooter accuracy.
I don't know about newer Marlin 94's but there is a problem with older rifles like my 1970's unit has experienced, that will sometimes suffer from a jam when the lever is operated slowly and quietly, such as when you might be sitting on a dam at dusk and a mob of pigs turn up for a drink.
Doesn't happen if the lever is operated briskly and it means you will have to remove the lever and bolt to clear the jam.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 09 Sep 2020, 2:22 pm

straightshooter wrote:
bladeracer wrote:....... as it's not controlled-feed like the Rossi, Uberti or Winchester.

Are you suffering from lock down fever?
Try operating your Rossi, Ubeauty or Winchester slowly upside down and tell us what happens.


Okay, going to take me a while to dig out all the rifles and all the ammo.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 09 Sep 2020, 3:19 pm

bladeracer wrote:
straightshooter wrote:
bladeracer wrote:....... as it's not controlled-feed like the Rossi, Uberti or Winchester.

Are you suffering from lock down fever?
Try operating your Rossi, Ubeauty or Winchester slowly upside down and tell us what happens.


Okay, going to take me a while to dig out all the rifles and all the ammo.


What a nightmare that was, digging the rifles out of the safes, then getting ammo each stored in its own double-padlocked MTM crate :-)
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The Henry 001 feeds fine while laying on its side, very good controlled feed with a fully-enclosed lifter like the 1866.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQYZ-rTrw0k

The Winchester 1894 .30-30 feeds fine inverted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zB7kvTuGMg

The Uberti 1866 .38 Special feeds fine inverted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOByGtygYBI

The Rossi 92 .357 Magnum does not feed inverted, or laying on its side, at least not with .38 Special ammo. The round is secure until it moves forward about 3mm, so .357 Magnum _may_ feed okay inverted, I'll have to try that one again sometime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrwh7iCfBk

The Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum does not feed laying on its side, the rounds fall out the ejection port.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s4aHSLAveQ
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 09 Sep 2020, 3:21 pm

straightshooter wrote:I don't know about newer Marlin 94's but there is a problem with older rifles like my 1970's unit has experienced, that will sometimes suffer from a jam when the lever is operated slowly and quietly, such as when you might be sitting on a dam at dusk and a mob of pigs turn up for a drink.
Doesn't happen if the lever is operated briskly and it means you will have to remove the lever and bolt to clear the jam.


Yep, my 2014 Marlin 1894 has given me a few jams where the round has come adrift of the lifter.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by CAVEMAN » 02 Oct 2021, 1:24 pm

So a bit of follow up and observations.

I've tried Magtech 240 grain flat point, S&B 240 grain flat point and PPU 240 grain hollow points.

The Magtech and S&B functioned and grouped very similar (similar projectile styles) also mild recoiling. Sighted inn for these for around 2 inches high at 50m. I'm thinking of sticking with S&B as they are relatively accessible.

The PPU on the other hand seems like a lot hotter loading. Its jumping around 4-6 inches higher than the other two loads plus its recoil is allot more apparent. As well it gave me 3 rounds out of a box of 50 that needed to be knocked from the chamber with a cleaning rod. Unsure if this is the case jamming from high pressure or something else.

Now investigating advertised velocities I found the following.

S&B is advertised at 1280fps (150mm barrel).
https://www.sellier-bellot.cz/en/produc ... etail/269/

Magtech is advertised at 1617fps (210mm barrel).
https://magtechammunition.com/products/ ... sjsp-flat/

PPU is advertised at 1541fps (no barrel length listed).
https://www.prvipartizan.com/search_hb.php?id=A-156

I'm not sure if anyone can give any more info to my thinking that the PPU is a spicier loading than the other two. Curiosity has bittern me and I'm think I may need to organise a chrono to do some more testing on them in a 20 inch barrel.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by Oldbloke » 02 Oct 2021, 2:20 pm

You could try "Home Brand" ammo. :D

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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by CAVEMAN » 02 Oct 2021, 3:06 pm

Oldbloke wrote:You could try "Home Brand" ammo. :D

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Im more of a buy in bulk person. Then ive got the ammo to blame for my less than stellar shooting skills.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by bladeracer » 02 Oct 2021, 4:17 pm

CAVEMAN wrote:So a bit of follow up and observations.

I've tried Magtech 240 grain flat point, S&B 240 grain flat point and PPU 240 grain hollow points.

The Magtech and S&B functioned and grouped very similar (similar projectile styles) also mild recoiling. Sighted inn for these for around 2 inches high at 50m. I'm thinking of sticking with S&B as they are relatively accessible.

The PPU on the other hand seems like a lot hotter loading. Its jumping around 4-6 inches higher than the other two loads plus its recoil is allot more apparent. As well it gave me 3 rounds out of a box of 50 that needed to be knocked from the chamber with a cleaning rod. Unsure if this is the case jamming from high pressure or something else.

Now investigating advertised velocities I found the following.

S&B is advertised at 1280fps (150mm barrel).
https://www.sellier-bellot.cz/en/produc ... etail/269/

Magtech is advertised at 1617fps (210mm barrel).
https://magtechammunition.com/products/ ... sjsp-flat/

PPU is advertised at 1541fps (no barrel length listed).
https://www.prvipartizan.com/search_hb.php?id=A-156

I'm not sure if anyone can give any more info to my thinking that the PPU is a spicier loading than the other two. Curiosity has bitten me and I'm think I may need to organise a chrono to do some more testing on them in a 20 inch barrel.


The Federal American Eagle 240gn JHP is 1230fps on the box (it's listed as handgun ammo), and makes 1760fps out of my 20" Marlin.
Haven't tried anything else.
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Re: Factory ammo for 44 Marlin 1894

Post by CAVEMAN » 02 Oct 2021, 4:56 pm

bladeracer wrote:
CAVEMAN wrote:So a bit of follow up and observations.

I've tried Magtech 240 grain flat point, S&B 240 grain flat point and PPU 240 grain hollow points.

The Magtech and S&B functioned and grouped very similar (similar projectile styles) also mild recoiling. Sighted inn for these for around 2 inches high at 50m. I'm thinking of sticking with S&B as they are relatively accessible.

The PPU on the other hand seems like a lot hotter loading. Its jumping around 4-6 inches higher than the other two loads plus its recoil is allot more apparent. As well it gave me 3 rounds out of a box of 50 that needed to be knocked from the chamber with a cleaning rod. Unsure if this is the case jamming from high pressure or something else.

Now investigating advertised velocities I found the following.

S&B is advertised at 1280fps (150mm barrel).
https://www.sellier-bellot.cz/en/produc ... etail/269/

Magtech is advertised at 1617fps (210mm barrel).
https://magtechammunition.com/products/ ... sjsp-flat/

PPU is advertised at 1541fps (no barrel length listed).
https://www.prvipartizan.com/search_hb.php?id=A-156

I'm not sure if anyone can give any more info to my thinking that the PPU is a spicier loading than the other two. Curiosity has bitten me and I'm think I may need to organise a chrono to do some more testing on them in a 20 inch barrel.


The Federal American Eagle 240gn JHP is 1230fps on the box (it's listed as handgun ammo), and makes 1760fps out of my 20" Marlin.
Haven't tried anything else.


That's why I'm intrigued by the PPU, I think its going down range hot. Read a few posts on other forums and guys have found its moving quick even out of a revolver. Only thing I could think of to make the POI change so much. And punish the shoulder so bad.
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