Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ruger Carbine .44 Magnum-Worth and Uses?

0.9" 3 shot group 100 yards

In 2000 I paid $180 for this 1962 Ruger.
Then I blew up the muzzle with Lead fouling.
I could not find a new barrel.
Then I saw Marlin 444 micro groove barrels, new old stock at Numrich for cheap.
I realized that if I cut the rear off the chamber, the part that was left was close enough to a 44 mag chamber.

So cut off some breech, drill a gas hole, and voila, I have the world's heaviest and most accurate 44 carbine.

I no longer shoot cast bullets in it. Now it is a steady diet of 240 gr JHP 24 gr H110 and a mean roll crimp.

I am old enough to remember the magazine article when this rifle came out. It said that the carbine could take high velocity ammo, but the revolver could not. They are doing just fine with the same handloads now.

The newer model "Deerfield" has a faster twist and shoots a little better, or so I'm told. I have a Deerfield and love it. It's at worst a 2" gun at 100 yds with 240gr XTPs

I've had two of the older model; one purchased new and one used. Others have already covered major aspects of these guns, but I'll add that they shoot cast bullets about as accurately as they do jacketed ones. Other sources commonly mention that cast bullet shooting fouls the gas port in the Ruger carbine, but I never had such a problem. The drawback to cast bullet use is that the heavier bullets of 240 grains and upward, depending on bullet design and length, must be seated quite deeply to feed properly in the Ruger.

Haven't seen one for less than $600 for years. Cute rifle, but too limited for me, and there are a lot of other rifles for which I'd rather spend $600. The neighbor lady has used one for many years and still does. My wife thought she wanted one years ago before she learned about the range limitation. A 44 mag handgun kills game handily, but if I'm going to carry a rifle, I want something with a little more reach (like a 7x57 ).

Yes, BigRed,
In 2000 when I got mine, the typical price was $400, but they were all nice ones. My $180 shooter had a scratched up stock and had been drilled by bubba for a rear peep sight.

$400 was a lot of mula in 2000 for a rifle that could barely hunt.

Back then $400 would fetch a Ruger #1, which is an excellent hunter.