Question about Marlin 444 accuracy

[Dastook]

I was at the range yesterday with a friend of mine. He was shooting a Marlin 444 with factory ammo getting ready for a bear hunt. The best he could do was about a five inch group off a bench with scope at 100 yrds. I looked at the bore and it looked a little pitted. Do you guys have any suggestions on what he might do to get better accuracy? I suggested trying different ammo as he doesn't hand load. Also he doesn't have very much time before he goes on the hunt and needs to make a decision about taking a different rifle.

[Hobie]

Are these bears to be shot over bait or run with dogs? If so, the 5" at 100 yards groups aren't important because he'll be very close to the bear when he shoots.

[Dastook]

I didn't think to ask if they were going to hunt over bait or with dogs. He is hunting them in NC so it could be either way. He is a real stickler for accuracy, and he might be thinking of buying this rifle. I told him he should be able to get about 2 1/2 inces at 100 yrds. Would that be about right?

[Ravenman]

Maybe some scope or mount problem. But if time is a great factor I would use an other gun. Confidence is half the hunt!

[Thunder50]

I would think the gun should go 2" or less. Try a different ammo if he can get some.

[buckeyeshooter]

Have him try the hornady leverevolution ammo and also the hornady 265 grain load. Rarely does a 444 not shoot one of those well.

[AJMD429]

I would think the gun should go 2" or less. Try a different ammo if he can get some.

That's what I'd guess as well, but like noted above, 5 MOA may be plenty good; it is the 'big hole' factor that will matter, and the exact position of that hole are not going to be critical.

[Blaine]

My older, MG .444 shoots ORH at 40-50yds with 240 Greenbox and factory sights. Just love it. A .44mag on super juice

[Jayhawker]

I'd suggest starting with a good barrel cleaning. Then, check the tightness of all the screws. If he's using a scope, is it possible to swap it out temporarily with a known good one? Even with iron sights, it shouldn't be shooting that bad. The worst I've seen the Hornady Light Magnum stuff shoot into was about 2.5". If he's really doing worse than that with a clean tight gun, then he might try the Remington brand.

He's not flinching, is he?

[tman]

try it with iron sites from a good solid rest. it should group better. if it does, suspect the scope and mounts.

[Dastook]

I was there with my 86 Japan Winchester 45-70 with iron sights and was shooting groups as good as he was with the scope on the 444. He is a good shot. We take our scoped 30-06's and 270's and shoot golf balls at 100, tennis balls at 200 and clay pigeons at 300 at send them flying all day long. I gave him some info on some good barrel cleaners. He's going to check the scope out, and try some other ammo. That a good suggestion to change the scope out. We got enough of them to do that. We'll try that if the rest of this doesn't work. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[AJMD429]

He probably knows from experience what magnification scope he needs, but for me, if I only have a 4x or thereabouts, I'll be lucky to get a ten inch group at 100 yards (do far better with peeps than a 4x scope except maybe at twilight).

Give me a 20x, and I'll do a far better job.

Most people don't like the magnifications that are higher, and I've never really figured out why. Certainly for offhand vs. bench, you can't hold as 'still' with the higher magnifications, but I do OK with a 10x from a standing position. That's why I like the 5-20x scopes - 20x gets me sighted in and 10x will do for most hunting, but if I really needed to shoot something moving (and I'll admit I haven't needed to shoot anything moving, OR with fangs, OR that weighs ten times my weight), the 5x would do for me (because I'd be chicken pooping along in some unreachable stand if I had to shoot something which might eat me ).

Anyway, I always check the GUN out with a high magnification scope because I can't SHOOT a 1" square if I can't SEE a 1" square.

After that, if I know the gun is ok, and have CONFIDENCE in it, I may go to peep sights, or a 2.5x even, but not until I've used a high magnification scope off the bench to see what the GUN and AMMO is capable of.

[O.S.O.K.]

If he's thinking of purchasing and its got a pitted barrel.... pass!

Does he not have access to another rifle? Or can't find a suitable one at the shop?