Description

WHAT this bullet is

The Gold Country Rhino 265-grain Flat-Nose (.429) is a controlled-crush bullet designed to occupy the functional sweet spot for .44 Magnum lever-action rifles, while remaining fully compatible with revolvers.

It balances mass, velocity, and feeding reliability in platforms where predictable behavior matters more than spectacle.

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WHO this bullet is for

This bullet is intended for shooters running:

• Marlin 1894 / 1894 SBL rifles (1:20 twist)

• Other lever-action .44 Magnum rifles

• .44 Magnum revolvers seeking heavier, stable bullets

• Shooters who want one bullet that behaves consistently across rifle and handgun platforms

This is not a specialty experiment.
It is a working .44 Magnum lever-gun bullet.

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WHY 265 grains matters in .44 Magnum

The 265-grain weight sits between two common extremes:

• Lighter 240-grain bullets favor speed but give up penetration

• Heavier 300-grain bullets favor mass but sacrifice velocity and flexibility

At 265 grains, this bullet delivers:

• Meaningful momentum without excessive recoil

• Reliable penetration at rifle and handgun velocities

• Stability in common 1:20 twist lever-gun barrels

• Predictable behavior across mixed use

This is the balance point many .44 Magnum shooters have been missing.

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WHY a Rhino flat-nose

The Rhino uses a wide exposed-lead flat nose (meplat) designed for:

• Absolute tube-magazine safety

• Reliable feeding in lever-action rifles

• Immediate crushing force on impact

• Straight-line penetration without reliance on tip expansion

The bullet advances intact, then deforms under resistance — producing controlled tissue crush rather than fragile mushrooming.

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HOW it is built

• Thick, uniform copper jacket

• Soft lead core supported to resist jacket/core separation

• Cannelure for consistent crimp and ignition

• Flat-base geometry for stable pressure behavior

This architecture allows the bullet to tolerate rifle velocities while remaining predictable in revolvers.

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WHERE it performs best

• Lever-action .44 Magnum rifles

• Revolvers chambered in .44 Magnum

• Woods hunting and practical field distances

• Situations where penetration and reliability matter more than expansion theatrics

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WHAT this bullet is (and is not)

✔ Built for penetration and crush
✔ Designed for real hunting distances
✔ Stable across velocity variation

✘ Not a rapid-mushroom showpiece
✘ Not a thin-jacket handgun bullet

Experienced shooters already understand the tradeoffs.

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Referenced In

• Gold Country Bullet Systems

• Gold Country Rhino Bullet System

• Lever-Gun Ammunition System

• .44 Remington Magnum — Lever-Gun Bullet Selection & Platform Guide

• Referenced In:

  • The Gold Country Rhino Bullet System

  • The Model 1894 Shooter’s Lever-Action Journal Issue No. 1

  • Range Report
    The Forgotten Heavyweights – .429 Magnum and Beyond

   

  Related Chapters & Technical Notes:

  Chapter 7 — Accuracy & Precision Expectations

  TN-17 — Rifle vs. Revolver Loads: Mechanical Realities

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Cross-Reference

For shooters running .444 Marlin, see the dedicated 265-grain FN listing engineered specifically for rifle-velocity performance.

 

THIS IS NOT LOADED AMMUNITION

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Gold Country Ammo

• Bullet Line: Gold Country Rhino™

• Diameter: .429

• Weight: 265 Grains

• Profile: Flat Nose (FN)

• Base: Flat Base

• Jacket: Copper

• Core: Soft Lead

• Intended Platforms: .44 Magnum lever-action rifles & revolvers

• Magazine Compatibility: Tube-magazine safe

• Manufacturing: Hand-swaged

• Origin: Made in USA

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No profile found for this bullet.

Cartridge	Powder	Charge	Velocity	COAL	Source
444 Marlin	IMR 4198	40.0-42.5 gr	1950-2100 fps	2.535"	Hornady Manual

 

Gold Country Load Data – 444 Marlin Rifle

Gold Country Rhino FN

Weight Grains

Powder

Start Grains

Max Grains

COAL

Min/Max COAL

FPS

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

H-4198

37.0

46.0

2.540

2.540-2.570

1700-2100+

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

Vihtavouri 130

39.3

48.0

2.550

2.550-2.570

1700-2100+

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

Alliant RL 7

34.9

44.0

2.550

2.550-2.570

1700-2000+

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

IMR 4198

32.8

42.8

2.560

2.560-2.570

1573-2096

***Can use same load data as 265 grain Hornady FP

 

 

Gold Country Load Data – 44 Magnum Handgun

Bullet

Weight in Grains

Powder

Starting Grains

Maximum Grains

COAL

Min/Max COAL

FPS

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

W296

19.5

21.0

1.6

1.60-1.61

1295-1421

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

H110

19.5

21.0

1.6

1.60-1.61

1295-1421

Gold Country Rhino FN

265

Alliant 2400

15.6

17.0

1.620

1.60-1.61

1204-1300