Ruger 44 mag carbine

[papalobster]

I picked this up last week from a coworker that was moving away. Been wanting one since shooting a Deerfield quite a few years ago. Anyone have any exoperince with favorite factory ammo, or boolit loads? I just started casting and have the Lee 240 GC mold that I shoot out of my SBH Hunter.

Will the carbine take the hot loads like the SBH? Do I need to keep them tame? Am I stuck with using factory or jacketed bullets?

Yeah, I know lot's of questions. I brok my wrist last month and still have a cast. No shooting at all and I'm getting kind of antsy.:cry:

Shown here with a 10/22 for comparison.
http://papalobster.smugmug.com/Other/Random/i-JRCFvRF/1/L/DSC01129-L.jpg

[ReloaderFred]

I had one and sold it. There was too much recoil for a pistol round in the carbine. It wasn't fun to shoot at all. On the other hand, I shoot my .44 Magnum lever action rifles all the time, and the recoil doesn't bother me at all with them. There was just something about that Ruger that kicked the snot out of my shoulder, and I'm not generally recoil sensitive. I shoot a .45-120 Sharps that doesn't hurt like that Ruger did and my hunting rifle is a Marlin 1895 in .45-70.

I only shot jacketed bullets in my Ruger, both factory and my reloads. I kept my reloads at factory levels.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[hicard]

I have one and am told that you have to keep the pressures up to factory but found that is not necessarily true. I have backed down loads considerably and found them accurate and very comfortable to shoot. Try 17-17.5 grs of 2400 with that bullet. I think you will like it.

[starmac]

I owned one and found the recoil to be exactly opposite to that of reloaderfreds.

I don't have a clue how hot a guy can go, but mine would not cycle 44 special loads, but did not reload during the time I owned it.

I found it a fun plincker with factory loads, and as accurate as I am offhand, up to a hundred yards.

[Reload3006]

I have one and use 240JHP bullets that I swage myself over 24.0 grains of H110 and a LP primer works great and lots of venison in the deep freezer from it. Good luck. I have never shot Cast or Swaged PB out of it because of Rugers admonition not to. Dont guess I would be too worried about it but I didnt want to void my warranty.

[firefly1957]

I have had mine many years it is quite accurate does not recoil harshly and really knocks down deer. I have had it apart two times to free up the little piston for the gas system first time was in the late seventy's last time the 1990's I suspect it was the old 3inone oil that caused that problem. I have shot many factory and reloads though it all 240 gr they all worked great. My current load is the same as Reload3006 with a Nosler 240gr H.P. bullet it does destroy a lot of meat!and stops the deer right there!

[Roosters]

I have one from around 1970. I use Hornady 240 gr XTP with 21gr of 2400 works great. Never tried cast in it.

[pietro]

IMHO, only a masochist would run lead boolits through that Ruger .44 Auto, since it is notorious for glogging up the gas port & cylinder, turning the autoloader into a single-shot, tuit-suite'.

While not a day-long project, they ARE a PITA to disassemble & scrub out. ( I've owned 6 of them at one time or another)

I hate to say it, but "J's" the word (boolit). :groner:

While you have it apart, be sure to inspect the TG housing's front lip for cracks or missing parts, since a replacement part is unobtainium & it's irrepairable via welding.


.

[papalobster]

Alrighty. J bullets. Scrub er good. Shoot it a lot.

Can anyone point to a website that has disassembly instructions, or perhaps a publication I can buy to do the same?

[Goatwhiskers]

Remove front barrel band, pull op handle to rear and lift assembly out of stock. IIRC there is a pin to allow removal of TG, remove pin and slide group to rear to disengage dovetail at front. DO NOT disassemble trigger group unless you're a masochist. I had one brought in years ago completely disassembled--I got it but a couple of slugs of Jack Daniel were required. Don't recall bolt removal--my book is out in the shop--just that it was obvious. Hope this helps. Goat

[Roosters]

Try this http://www.ruger.com/service/productHistory.html# click rifle a page opens with date of manufacture by serial number and in upper right corner click owners manual.Opens in PDF. Fix you right up !!:drinks:

[crashguy]

A good website for the ruger 44 carbine is http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/ig/Ruger-44-Carbine-Instructions/Ruger-Carbines-1.htm

[Uncle R.]

I shoot cast in mine without trouble - but I cast them very hard and use gas checks. I suppose that might help. No piston or port clogging so far from perhaps a few hundred rounds, and pretty good accuracy. It's a fun range gun and a good little deer drive rifle for the thick brush. I think mine kicks noticeably LESS than my 94 Mag. Winchester .44 with the same loads.

[Franklin Zeman]

I shot a few cast in mine with no adverse effects. A friend shot a lot of cast in his without any trouble. He used lighter loads which worked because he had an extra recoil spring he had snipped back a bit. I recall he even used round ball loads at times for plinking.

[Bret4207]

I shot the heck out of one of the originals back in the late 70's. I should have bought one when they were to be had. Great little guns and I never had a problem shooting cast. Don;t know squat about those new ones.

[Kestrel4k]

I had one for a number of years (mid-70's mfg IIRC?). I finally traded it off due to consistently poor accuracy (4" @ 50 yds no matter what - I never did come across loads that it liked). If I still had it I would try out 200gr bullets as a comparision, the relatively slow 1:38" twist might be borderline for 240's? YMMV of course.

[6pt-sika]

I got my first Ruger 44 Carbine in 73 or 74 for Xmas when I was about 12 or 13 . I killed a good number of deer with that one shooting factory WIN and Federal 240 grain JHP's . In a fit of stupidity I sold it to a close friend when I was in my mid to late 20's (he still has it) . This one incidently was old enough that it still had the pot metal buttplate instead of the later plastic one.

Myabe 10 or so years later I acquired another that had been used a good bit . I loaded for this one with jacketed only . Gun shot nicely with the 240 grain handloads but wasn't quite a nice with the 200 grainers . This gun was worn a bit more then I personally like my firearms to be so I eventually sent it down the road .

About 4 years ago my maternal grandfather passed from this world and I became the owner of another Ruger 44R Carbine . We had given this one to him for Xmas in 1977 I believe . This one is a later model and has the plastic buttplate . While he owned it I borrowed it several times and killed several more deer . It still wears a Weaver K3 we gave him that same Xmas . Year or two ago I bought 4 boxes of the generic Winchester white box 240 grain JHP load , thats 200 rounds that should be plenty to kill all the deer I'll ever use that rifle for .

[6pt-sika]

In reference to the newer Ruger 44 Deerfields . We've sold several used ones thru our shop and never recieved a complaint . I even took one of them to the range and sighted it in for a customer . While they seem nice enough and shot well enough for what our custmoer was going to use it for I never really cared for the newer one as much . Maybe partially because of that non wood thing over the barrel .

Anyway I for one have a Ruger 44R thats pre 1980 that will stay with me until I leave this earth .

[Seasons44]

I have a ruger 44 in the sporter version, made in 71 or 72, it doesn't have the barrel band . The gun is a dream to shoot and carry, I like heavier bullets for hunting and have found the 270 grn speer deep curls to be extremly accurate, I have used 296 and 300mp powders, I found the 300mp my dispersion was less, so thats what I stuck with.

I have not shot any cast through it, just never wanted to mesh the gas system up. Mines getting shipped out tomorrow for some trigger work and some action smoothing.

Hope this helps

[OverMax]

Am I stuck with using factory or jacketed bullets?
I've had one for many years parked in a closet. Under powered & over rated. Your stuck to using jacketed boolits in this pumpkin thrower. Gas port will likely plug over time if your intending to use cast in it. And in doing so, you'll spend the better part of a day clearing its gas port and piston. (its a job!!) If your still in the mood to shoot yours. Just a suggestion is all. Jacketed 200 grain weight will offer some resemblance of accuracy out at 100 yards. But for all intent and purposes think 75 yards max for your Bill Ruger's mystery stick. Using 240 grain H.P. boolits the animal will have to be directly below your deer stand or there about's. With 180s you'll wonder "Oops where did that one go now." I'll be honest. I'm not disappointed with the 44 I have. It's just I wouldn't want to own another because I'm out of closet space. Like I said: Everyone should own one once.

[papalobster]

Here I am following up. I carried it for the 2012 deer season, but didn't get a shot at anything.

A couple things of note. It may cycle once or twice, but it will never run through all the rounds carried without some help on the bolt handle. It does not hold the bolt open after the last round. On occasion, the rounds will leave the magazine tube and rattle about under the bolt.

I adjusted the gas piston per instructions, and am shooting full load of H110 (using 2400 didn't change anything)behind a 240 grain XTP. Accuracy is right around 2-3 inches at 100 yards. Just fine for whitetails in the woods where my furthest shot to date is about 20 yards (closest is 7 feet). It's a joy to carry in the woods and marsh, recoil isn't bad, but I'm on the fence about either having it repaired or selling it. I'm not one to sell it if I have issues though. I'd rather fix it first then sell.

I've tried several factory loads to no avail. I'm guessing the bolt is not cycling fully. I've seen references to a gun shop in Rhode Island that works on these, but I can't seem to find any contact info.

[TheGrimReaper]

I had 2 of them. Couldn't get them to shoot for the life of me. My cousin has one left to him left by our late grandfather that shoots like a house on fire!