Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger 44 Carbine

Anyone still using one of these for hunting? I was gifted with one last week, it was made in 1977. I downloaded the Ruger manual; learned that there are two versions (early and late), mine is late, don't know the difference. Any tips for loads, etc. Thanks, Odessa

There are a couple of spots on the farm I hunt where a Ruger 44 carbine would be the cats a$$.

My grandfather had one for a while when I was a kid, but he traded it for something else before I got a chance to hunt with it.

I'd likely try to put together some cartridges with the 270 grain Speer, zero and prepare to have fun.

Good luck with your rifle!

agree on you getting a great rifle. One is on my bucket list for some places I hunt.

A friend was given one upon his retirement. Never really used it much because he always hunted with his .308, and he just did not warm up to it using pistol loads. But it handled very well and accuracy was pretty decent.

But he was going on a hog hunt in Johnston county and decided to try it for grins and giggles. Since I load his .308 rounds he wanted me to try and come up with a better load for it. I had been shooting the Hornady Lever Revolution stuff in my .45-70 and decided just to try a box of the flex tip .44 mags to see what they would do.

Long story short, it shot superbly with it and he rolled two hogs at 80 and 110 yards. One shot each. He still uses the .308 mostly but if headed to a stand where he knows his shots are limited he will take the Ruger Carbine.

Any tips for loads

As with any tube mag rifle, but especially 44s, you need a good solid crimp to keep the cartridge from shrinking

H110, 240 g XTP

I have one. Great little rifle. We keep it in the camper for discouraging intruders. I keep it stoked with the Hornady 265 grain bullets over 21.5 grains of H110.

Growing up back east, my mentor had one. It was his go to deer rifle. We hunted fairly heavy timber back then and shots were rarely over 100 yards and more often than not under 50 yards. He had a gun cabinet full of nice rifles but I never saw him grab any other rifle for deer hunting.

No cast bullets. From what I'm told they don't like them. The lube tends to gunk up the gas system. I haven't put that to the test and don't intend to. I love cast bullets but I'm fine with running only jacketed bullets in this rifle.

I tried 2400 and IMR4227 but got the best accuracy with H110.

Mart

The rifle was designed for 240 gr. jacketed bullets.

Others may work, however they will damage the operating system eventually.

I have used mine for 30+ years for Alabama whitetails and it is very effective within 100-125 yards. I have never had any cycling issues as long as I use full power loads. The gun was designed around a 240 grain bullet, so that's what I have always used. Never lost a deer with it and most go down quickly. Currently I am using Hornady 240 xtp factory loads which the gun will hold to a 2-1/4 group @ 100 yards if I do my part. This load is effective but sometimes I don't get an exit wound. When I reloaded I used Speer soft points and always got 2 holes. You will have fun hunting with the 44, it's just like a 10/22 on steroids.

JMSharp

These rifles have a fairly slow twist of 1-38" and I've had problems with longer bullets such as the 300 gr XTP not staying stable past about 50 yards. I'm pretty happy using a good bullet from 240 grs up to the Speer 270 gr Gold Dot soft point over 21.5 grains of H110.

My example of this carbine is an early one. Accuracy is a bit erratic, but is still minute of ribcage out to 100 yds.

Basic instructions for a lifetime of good service are, keep the action reasonably clean and lightly lubed, avoid cast bullets that can clog the gas port and enjoy.

Thank you very much gentlemen! I have a decent supply of the Hornady XTP and the Nosler JKT/FP in 240 grains - and some H110 - looks like I'm in business.

I just got one. My first two groups after sighting in. 265 Hornadys with H110 on the left 240 XTP and 2400 on right. Shot at 35 yards. Really fun rifle.

I must be unlucky, because I have owned 3 of them over the years and none of them would reliably function. If you get a good one, cherish it.

The 3 I owned were so unreliable that I stopped monkeying around with them.

That is what I have heard as well. I went with the Marlin 1894S lever .44 mag carbine, and use the Speer 270 grain Gold Dot Sp, over WW296 poweder.
Simply deadly on hogs, and works very well on Florida and Georgia deer as well.

I have owned four or five of the 44 Rugers and they are great rifles in the woods, but never really got attached to them due to the limited range when i had other rifles that covered the short and longer range of shooting deer.

One of my first CF rifles is a 1967 vintage 44 International. It has been very reliable, but the Ruger 44 Carbines were well known for their failure to cycle reliably and for "stovepiping" while you were cycling the ammo through the action while unloading them. I haven't shot it a lot, maybe five hundred rounds in forty-two years, and can't recall ever shooting anything through it except 240 grain JSP/JHP factory ammo.

I specifically remember my Father and Bearrr264's Father hunted with Ruger 44 Carbines for a couple of years during the 1960s. I have a picture of them posing with two large northern NH whitetail bucks loaded on the roof of my Father's Jeep Super Wagoneer that is noted "Colebrook-1967" and a picture of them posing with two more big whitetail bucks on a trailer behind an old I-H Scout that is noted "Dummer-1969"

If you ever need work on a Ruger 44 Carbine, the guys who really know how solve your problem(s) can be found across the street from Ruger's Pinetree Castings plant at Rody's Gun Shop in Newport/Guild, NH.

603-863-3356

The 44 carbine was made from 1961 to 1985. It has a 4-round tube mag. In 2000 they started making a 44 Deerfield that had a box mag & resembled a mini 14.

As mentioned the 44 carbine was designed around a 240gr jacketed bullet but I suspect sensible reloaders could tinker with that a bit. Lead bullets will clog the gas port, but it is fairly easy to take apart & clean. IMO a modern dry lube type cleaner like Prolix is the cat's meow for this gun.

Mine doesn't like some types of ammo. I shot some 240gr JSP's from PMC out of it & it shot all over the place. I have had flawless results with these:

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_35&products_id=117

Below target is from 2-weeks ago - the first 3 shots my 14yo daughter ever shot from a centerfire rifle - 1963 Ruger 44 carbine @ 50 yards:

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I use the 270 gr Speer in mine without issue. I believe it and the discontinued 250 gr Partition (which I have a stockpile of) are the two finest bullets for the little carbine. Use the Williams WRGS on mine with a taller gold bear front Marbles. Had a 1-4X Leupold but the rifle just lost its handiness.

Ran into a guy checking a huge 10-point at a local market several years back.

Asked what he used and he pulled a Ruger .44 Carbine with a Low power variable outta the cab of his Chevy pickup.

Said he'd zeroed it 25 years earlier w Federal 180 JHPs and had killed more than 3 dozen bucks with it in his thick and tangled hunting area.

One shot each, every one a rag doll in its tracks drop w heart-lung shots.

I believed him, but it's an itch I've still not scratched.

Like to find one in good shape and grab it; that baboon gorilla ad tickled hell outta me when I was a kid...wanted to shut Lancelot Link up permanently.