A few years back I acquired a NIB Marlin "Guide" in 444 Marlin. I really enjoy this compact design . I have taken deer and feral hogs from about point blank out to 150 +/- yards ... no problem. I switched from the factory Reminton loads, which I consider pretty lame, to hand loading for accuracy using Gold Dot bullets. This combo worked great. I now use Hornady factory Leverlution ammo. This ammo performs extremely well out of this particular rifle. Consistently very tight groups and excellent results in the field. I suggest you give it a try.