Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
You never shot my modified Marlin .444. Not sure that we are really communicating well here. I don't have a standard .444. It weighs over 9 pounds, and has a Limbsaver on the stock and a Kick Killer cover over that for nearly an inch of shock absorbing rubber on my shoulder. My perception is that it is like shooting my 20 ga. I no longer own any 12 ga to compare it to directly. Once again, I have a medical condition in my left arm that I must take into account to avoid complications from shooting high powered rifles.
Alright.... but that's not the same as what you said before.... I can make a 12ga heavy enough and add enough padding that it kicks like a 20ga too.
Point being, to stop a bear charge at point-blank range, the 444 has no advantage over a 12ga. YOUR 444 may have an advantage over MY 12ga, but that's not the point.
In your specific circumstance, with your specific gun, you have an advantage, but it is not a generic advantage for the 444 over a 12ga. Quite the opposite actually.