Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger 44 Carbine

For a while I owned a beautiful example of the tube fed Ruger 44 Carbine. I thought it was a great rifle but I sold that one after hearing that they were prone to having a tab on the bottom of the action break, rendering them useless. How common is this problem? I ask because my daughter shoots her Ruger 10-22 Compact really well and would likely love one of these as a first deer rifle. She is eight years old and has gotten into rimfire PRS type matches and she is shooting very well. I think that with a 44 Carbine and a spare Weaver 1-3x20 mounted on it she would be in business.

You might try the Ruger Forum site and ask there....

Trying to wrap my numb brain around the idea of a youngster out in the woods by their own self with an autoloading CF rifle, but can't. And the .44 mag thumps on both ends. There are alternatives....more suitable IMHO.

This part?

http://www.wisnersinc.com/model/44-carbine/

They made a change to the trigger housing, but dunno when that was.

That and stocks cracking, are two probs.

They do have a bit of thump to em.

Id still run 240gr stuff to lessen risk to gun.

Triggers on em suck. And accuracy aint a sure thing.
But the cool factor is there......well, it is if you shoot a sporter

I wouldn't have my girl off by herself like that. She would be beside me in a blind or a stand with a rifle that would be familiar. As for there being alternative I agree with you there and at the moment a CZ 527 is also a consideration.

Might give this a look.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wi...perfect-for-the-range-or-deer-woods/amp/

Yep. I glass bedded the recoil block to the stock. Mine shoots both the 270 gr Speer and 250 gr Partition at 2 1/2" or so at 100 yards. They are little thumpers destroying a mint old El Paso 1.5-4X Weaver in a handful of shots. It wears an old 1.5-5X Leupold now which as been fine after a number of rounds. My neighbor got whacked above the eye shooting it.

If anyone thinks a semi auto 44 has a thump to them must not like the recoil of a .410 either.

I think it would be a great first deer rifle, light, short, minimal recoil, and if someone is worried about it being semi auto you can just load 1 or 2 rounds in it.

I've wondered about the possibilities of using a .357 carbine but I hear mixed things online and I don't personally know anyone who has ever hunted with one. Is this an area where you have experience?

I had one and traded it away back in the early 90’s. I wish I still had it. It had some for little gun.

Yes, I have experience. At reasonable ranges from a rifle they are quite effective. My suggestion is based on the thought that children will fare better with light recoil. I was 7-8 years old first time I shot a scattergun. Single shot .410 that didn’t hurt in a conventional sense, but I wound up on my butt after the fact.

Here today I’m mostly immune to recoil, but still recognize it when it happens. Have a 77/44 and there is no way in hell I’d let a youngster jerk the trigger.

You know the details far better than me, it’s just a suggestion based on my experience. You know as well as I that a single well aimed shot is more effective than sprayin’ and prayin’.

Its not an issue of manliness.
Have owned 300 winmags and shot bigger and still say the 44 mag Ruger has bump.

But for the know it alls, be sure to put fuggin see through rings on it LMFAO.

We had one when I was a youngster. Brother shot his first deer with it. Kicked a lot more than you would think it would. Poorly shaped stock. NO buttpad. A 240 gr bullet at 1600 fps.

Unless you’re in a state that requires straight-wall or pistol cartridges, a 243 will do a better job, with less felt recoil and it’ll do it at 300 yds and more, while the 44 mag is about done at 100, and certainly by 150.

Also, the old 44 carbine was tube fed, not mag fed, so it’s pain to unload and keeping track of “loaded” status with kids.

Not to rain on your parade....

The triggers suck and dunno what all can be done to help em.

Shot my first 44 carbine back in 6th or 7th grade.
Fun rig.
But I had been shooting quite a bit before then.

Personally I absolutely detest the 10/22 and .44s in standard stocks.

Never felt good to me. Fingergroove makes em pretty nice.

A work buddy's Dad who is a retired dentist was selling off a bunch of his guns 5 or 6 years ago. My buddy told me his Dad had a Ruger 44 autoloader for sale, so I asked him what he was wanted for it. Since I was a cop who worked with his son, he sold it to me for $400. I've wanted one for years and bought it immediately. Mine was made in 1967 and is in excellent shape. I may try to shoot a deer with it next year.

Ron

Too funny.

Pops has a minty '66 Sporter.
When IN first allowed pistol cartridge rifles I whapped a deer w old Norma 236gr JHP.
Shame my '70 10/22 sporter shot like crap.

Seriously, the sporter stock is the only choice for me.
Dunno if anybody makes repros nowadays.

By all means get the girl something, almost anything, else. My Browning .44s, a 92 and an 1885, both come back pretty good, especially the 92, which has a buttplate shaped a lot like the Ruger. Add in the crappy triggers, and uncertainty associated with finding a good used specimen, and the 527 or a Howa Mini .223, 6.5 Grendel, or 7.62x39 would be far better. For an 8 year-old, .223 all the way, and don’t scrimp on the bullets.

Recoil and noise are a pretty big deal to small kids. What you choose may determine whether or not she sticks with hunting or moves on.

No hammer guns either. Little kids’ hands aren't strong enough to consistently manipulate them safely.