thoughts on ruger 44 carbine

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mike t

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Im thinking of getting a ruger 44 carbine to use while dogging the woods for deer any experience with this firearm would be appreciated
 
I have a bolt action 77/44 if this is what you are thinking of.

Stainless/synthetic.

Strong action and you can load the 44 mag rounds hot if you are a reloader.
Not spectacular fit in the stock but certainly acceptable.

Light and short. Only about 2 inches longer than a 10/22, and a couple pounds heavier.

Same sights as a 10/22, mine came with rings from the factory.

Fun gun to shoot.
 
Here's an associated thread.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=678039

The Ruger .44 autoloader is another of those guns people didn't notice much until they were gone. The original tube-fed version was discontinued due to lack of sales, and then reintroduced as a clip-fed version years later. And then discontinued again.

I've only ever fired a couple. For what you want, it's a great rifle. It just may be hard to obtain, and expensive, especially if you want the box rotary magazine model.

They did make the 96/44 for about 10 years, a sort of Savage-99 reminiscent lever rifle, also sadly ignored to death. Also a hard one to lay hold of now!
 
I wanted to buy one 20 year ago but 3 things stopped me:
  • it was very expensive
  • 44 mag is a short range cartridge with limited utility compared to even 30-30
  • one of my friend lost a deer when hunting with a 44mag lever action
I was a fanatical handgun silouhettte shooter at the time and can assure you that 30-30 is 2-3 times better than 44 mag past 100 yards.
44 magnum is an awesome revolver cartridge but only a good short range rifle cartridge.

Alex
 
i had one, trigger housing cracked and then i had a single shot that couldn't be fixed, but if you have that works it should give you years of use
 
Had one, it worked well, was accurate at 100 yards (had Williams Peep sight on it), but ended up selling it as I felt it limited me for where I shoot.
 
I would not part from my Deerfield rifle, it is unique reliable and so cool, my 77-44 is a lot more accurate but for the fun factor nothing equal it, many whitetail have fallen to it, would not be surprised at all to see a mint condition one sell for over 1K... JP.
 
I have what your looking for a Ruger semi in 44 mag and use it for dogging and dense bush, and chicken coup protection. I put a bushnell halo sight on it because my eyes don't do open sights anymore.
Great little gun very light and quick to handle. I have it sighted in at 50 yds. Your lobbing rounds at a 100 yd target. I did put a coyote permanently on his butt at 110yds. It was more good luck than management though

I missed a deer this year standing at about 80 yds distant out of a tree stand. I put the dot on the top of the deer above the shoulder, the 240 gr. passed cleanly under the deer and plowed a little trench through leaves and dirt. Deer jumped about 2 feet straight up, ran about 40 yds stopped and looked back with this bewildered look on his face like what and hell was that all about. Missed her clean, no harm done .

Point is the Ruger 44 semi is a great little gun. But she's a 50 yd set up unless your well practiced at the hold over for longer ranges which I was not.
 
Ruger Carbine 44 Mag

I used to have one

Great little bush rifle
the 44 Rem Mag has it's limitations ...just be aware of that

accurate within 100 m with open sights, red dot or mounted scope

I used it for deer and bear

I definately would be great for dogging on deer

Mine was an original tube feed and was fun to use
I sold it a few years back and now have a Marlin 1894 stainless in 44 mag along with the Chippa Mare's leg in 44mag

I wish I'd kept the Ruger also ...but can't have them all

Denis
 
I have taken quite a few deer with a ruger 44. Handy tight woods rifle out to 100yds.




mrgoat said:
Point is the Ruger 44 semi is a great little gun. But she's a 50 yd set up unless your well practiced at the hold over for longer ranges which I was not.
Click to expand...

LMAO....Bang on @ 50yds is only 2'' drop @ 100yds...Your miss is on you, not your equipment.
 
Ive had a RUger Deerfield and Henry Big Boy in 44 as well as a couple Super BlackHawks.
Nothing wrong with the SBH's except you should be able pack them on private property when hunting. THe Deerfield is pretty cool, feels for all the world like a 10-22 and packs a 240 grn JHP. I really didn't like trying to unload that tube mag as the last round would always jam. Other than that very cool little gun.
 
mrgoat said:
I have what your looking for a Ruger semi in 44 mag and use it for dogging and dense bush, and chicken coup protection. I put a bushnell halo sight on it because my eyes don't do open sights anymore.
Great little gun very light and quick to handle. I have it sighted in at 50 yds. Your lobbing rounds at a 100 yd target. I did put a coyote permanently on his butt at 110yds. It was more good luck than management though

I missed a deer this year standing at about 80 yds distant out of a tree stand. I put the dot on the top of the deer above the shoulder, the 240 gr. passed cleanly under the deer and plowed a little trench through leaves and dirt. Deer jumped about 2 feet straight up, ran about 40 yds stopped and looked back with this bewildered look on his face like what and hell was that all about. Missed her clean, no harm done .

Point is the Ruger 44 semi is a great little gun. But she's a 50 yd set up unless your well practiced at the hold over for longer ranges which I was not.
Click to expand...



I've hunted exclusively with the ruger .44 for a decade....in that time somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 deer and as many black bears have fallen to it at ranges from "real close" to 119 yards.....most in the 50-100 yard range. I've never shot under an animal and never lost one either. I don't think you should be blaming the cartridge ;)

Sight your rifle for 100 yards....you'll be well within the kill zone from 20-120.

WW
 
Slow down gentlemen and draw your horns in Iam in no way blaming the 44 and the rifle for missing a deer. Except for the Coyote everything I have shot at with this set up has been 50 yds and under, mostly under.

Everybody misses deer and I have probably done more than my share. All I was trying to relate to the OP was that the 44 has its limitations and the trajectory is not as flat as say an 30-06 and that the whole set up takes some practice and getting used to. If you take the time to read the last line of my previous post I thought I was fairly clear one should be well practiced at ranges over 50 yds.

Put it this way, my Ruger 44 is not for sale. Probably never will be until Iam gone.
 
mrgoat said:
Point is the Ruger 44 semi is a great little gun. But she's a 50 yd set up unless your well practiced at the hold over for longer ranges which I was not.
Click to expand...

You held on top of shoulder & missed under a deer & blame it on not "well practiced at the hold over" then proceed to blame the cartridge.

You missed the point of only 2" drop at 100yds...so no hold over required
 
My father had one of the first versions of the Ruger .44 with the tube magazine.
He shot quite a few deer and alot more partridge with it. (headshots on the partridge)
He ended up getting rid of it because several times when shooting at deer it would fail to chamber the 2nd round from the magazine, so he basically had a single shot semiauto?
He took it back to the Ruger repair shop in his location several times and they were never able to get it working properly.
He ended up trading it for a pre 64 model 94 Winchester.
HTH
Eric
 
mrgoat said:
Slow down gentlemen and draw your horns in Iam in no way blaming the 44 and the rifle for missing a deer. Except for the Coyote everything I have shot at with this set up has been 50 yds and under, mostly under.

Everybody misses deer and I have probably done more than my share. All I was trying to relate to the OP was that the 44 has its limitations and the trajectory is not as flat as say an 30-06 and that the whole set up takes some practice and getting used to. If you take the time to read the last line of my previous post I thought I was fairly clear one should be well practiced at ranges over 50 yds.

Put it this way, my Ruger 44 is not for sale. Probably never will be until Iam gone.
Click to expand...

What I don't understand (at all) is exactly how you shot UNDER the deer?

With a 50 yard zero, a 240 gr. .44 is 1.8"-2.4" low at 100 yards..... if the shot played out like you said, at the 80 yards you shot at the bullet would have only dropped about 1.5".........yet you said you held at the top of the deer and the bullet made a trough in the ground UNDER the deer....that's like a 44" drop! You sure the deer wasn't at 220 yards?
 
I started deer hunting with a Mod. 92 rifle in 44-40, then converted it to a 44 Mag.
Later acquired the old style 44 Ruger with the tube magazine and later a Marlin 1894 in
44 Mag. All took several deer and a couple of bear.

I favoured the Ruger with the aperture sight for dogging ... and did I'm sure my share, when the legs were younger ... both with the hounds & "man-dogging". The Ruger was light, very fast, reliable and easy to carry. I tend to agree it's a calibre best suited to a 100 yards or less. Mine was effective enough I suppose, that two others in camp tracked down old Rugers and are still using them !
 
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