Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger 44 carbine

What makes these so pricey?

People want them and they are not making anymore of them would be my guess.

This ^^

One of the ultimate walking Rifles...

I’ve only seen one

When I was a kid, I wanted one badly. Still like the idea, but after reading shaman’s tale of woe, I lost the urge. There are other options.

wish i had bought one when i had the opportunity. instead i bought a marlin 336 in 30/30. that was as brilliant as some some of my financial investments!

I bought one 20+ years ago from a coworker who was selling everything and going on a church mission. I think I paid $300 for it. It's an early model and had some light rust and a couple pits from being stored in a soft case.

It's not especially accurate, but I took my first bear with it and my oldest nephew took his first buck with it. It'll end up going to him, as my kids show very little interest in shooting and hunting.

Got my chuckle for the morning, thanks.

During my early days of deer hunting, a friend of mine used his dad's; I carried it several times.

I'd like to have one for nostalgia's sake, but it's hard for me to justify the cost.

I have shot a few. Not impressed at all. Even 50 yard accuracy was abysmal. I would take a lever 44 mag carbine anyday.

I've always wanted to try one, but it doesn't look like it'll happen.

I'd be curious what folks would suggest for a more economical and accurate alternative for fast short range shots on deer and hogs in areas with lots of cover. AR?

One would seem perfect for where I hunt, but price, durability, and iffy accuracy are off putting.

Thanks.
Ella

In addition to the fact that they haven't been made for awhile, they are a great choice for the still-hunter or tracker. Light to carry, not much recoil, and accurate enough for their intended purpose.

I've had a 44 International for over 50 years. Like every other semi-automatic rifle they need to be kept clean and properly lubricated to be reliable. My 44 International will reliably put 5 240 grain factory loads into 3 MOA at 100 yards. I only use it for still-hunting in cover where most of the targets are closer to 50 yards than 100 yards. My other preferred still-hunting rifle is the Winchester 100, another design that needs to be kept clean and properly lubricated and, like the Ruger 44s, seems to produce polar opposite feeingls among shooters.

Yes an AR in .350 L or .450 BM would be where I'd look first if you want a semi auto. Then add a RDS and a FTS magnifier and you'll be set. It won't look like a traditional deer rifle, but it'll be effective.

I would go AR as well. I looked into the Ruger 77/44 a while back but saw plenty of accuracy complaints as well. I know a guy with a Thompson,I forget the model (the light weight one) single shot 44 mag with 16" barrel. He showed me a 100 yard target with 5 in less than an inch. It did shoot like crap though with the first ammo he tried. He says it weighs less than 5 lbs.

With so many shotguns coming from the factory drilled and tapped now, I’d consider a 20ga AL as well. Downside might be ammunition cost, and sometimes availability. Smoothbores can go to 100 with good slugs like Brennekes. Rifled ones can go farther.

Did they all come with walnut stocks or did some have the cheap birch stock?

100% Walnut

I’ve owned two. The first one was a long time ago when they first came out. I was frustrated that they wouldn’t wok with the Keith style cast bullets it was the tube feed model. The next one was. The later model. I have no need for a 44 that won’t feed cast bullets.

Looking at one that has been painted camo by bubba, doesn’t look beat up and was made in 1980. I’m sure I can get the paint off with a little patience. They want 660 out the door. Are there any years that were better or worse than others? Trying to decide if I want to get it.

For $660 you could buy that, clean it up and if you don't like it, sell it and make a few hundred bucks.

This one eats ‘em all….

The most knowledgeable Ruger guys who I ever met were the Rodischin brothers, Bill and Henry, who had worked for Ruger and then opened Rody's Gun Shop in Newport, NH, just down the road from Ruger's Pine Tree Casting plant. They told me that using cast bullets in the Ruger .44 carbines was a sure way to plug the gas port over time, so they recommended only using jacketed bullets, both in factory ammo and reloads.

owned one years ago. I sold it because of mediocre accuracy and the 240 grain bullet limitation. Went with a Marlin 1894, which is a far superior rifle.

THIS...

Mine are fairly accurate - 2 1/2" off a bag at 100 yards with open sights... I can't shoot better than that with the original Irons.

For that small niche of still-hunting or tracking whitetails in heavy cover where a majority of shots are likely to present themselves at close range on an animal that is already on the move, a semi-auto allows the shooter to put lead on target as fast as he/she can keep the sights on target and squeeze the trigger. While lever and pump actions allow for faster follow up shots than bolt or single shot actions, none of them are as fast or less disruptive to the sight picture as a semi-auto. While a Marlin 1894 might be a superior rifle for some hunting scenarios, I don't think that it is in this specific niche. As far as bullet weight goes, the common jacketed 240 grain factory loads that I shoot are accurate enough, around 3 MOA, and penetrate well enough such that a whitetail shot through the lungs is a dead deer. I have a lot of lever and pump action rifles, but when I'm still-hunting whitetails in heavy cover I reach for the Ruger or one of the Winchester 100s. At least that has been my experience.

I still remember the stricken look on my buddy’s face with the .44 Carbine when he was asked to cover an opening about 300 yards long.
You can shoot a close deer with a cartridge that shoots far, but you can’t shoot a far deer with a cartridge that shoots close.

Supposedly the late production as there was a part redesign . As I remember the early ones have a part (trigger guard?) that is prone to breakage and no parts are available. This is from a aging memory so do some checking. I sold mine a year or so ago, it was a late production gun. Wish I had kept it.

Tried a buddys and never could hit anything with but he couldnt either I think he sold it rather quickly.

I have one I bought used when I was home on leave from the Navy in 1968. It was the receiver sight model and it has a 4 digit serial number. I had wanted one since they first came out and I'd seen the Ruger ads, something to the effect that, "This is the 5 pound carbine that will put its 240 grain bullet through a 6" pine tree and still kill a deer". The ads with the guy showing the gorilla he'd killed with one really cemented my lust for it. I never got to do anything with it until I returned from SEA in the early '70's. Accuracy was always disappointing, even though I shot Norma's "Carbine Load" ammo in it. I did kill some deer with it however, it was perfect for hunting in the woods, on foot as we used to always do. Eventually I read an article in Rifle magazine about accurizing it. I discovered the stock through-bolt to the rear receiver nest was loose so I tightened that and glass-bedded the gas block. After that treatment, with a 1-4 Bushnell Banner, it would shoot under 2" at 100 yards. Later I put an Aimpoint red dot on it with which I killed probably the biggest bodied deer I ever killed at 200 yards. It sits in the safe at my son's house now. I should get it and put it back into service.

Yes, there was a redesign due to trigger housing breakage. I also don't know the year. There have been stock breakage problems as well, whether it's 1st or 2nd gen isn't known to me either.

Yes, No cast bullets. Will clog gas system over time & nearly impossible to correct.

I had a new 44-R(factory equipped with a Williams peep) & it was a neat rifle that was fun to shoot. But the no cast bullet thing, plus it throwing a lot of my brass away had me soon losing interest.

Thinking the fact it's discontinued is likely pricing them about double their worth IMO. .

So what about the Deerfield Carbine models? They went poof from the catalog pretty quickly. Poor sales or crap design?

Good question Pappy. They came & went so quick I never learned anything about them..

I agree. I have a Glenfield lever 30-30 that I hunt with, but at the ranges I often hunt it's too noisy for a follow up. A deer will often stand after a miss but as soon as you work the bolt or lever it's gone. A semi would allow a quick follow up without the noise.

I never shot one, but I did handle one. It was based on the Mini-14, IIRC. I recall complaints about it ejecting brass a bit skyward, often hitting the scope if equipped. Ruger offered a leather protector that sort of strapped around the underside of the scope turret to help with the issue.

Seen & shot several and carried a friends for a few hunts many years ago. Wasn't impressed with the accuracy at all! IMO they are way overpriced for what they are.

As with any other rifle, you MUST shoot several types of ammo to find out what the gun likes. All mine love 240 Jacketed Solid Tips... The 200 gr were not as accurate and the 185 gr were zippy but not as accurate.

Bought one in 1982 , it did not seem as solid as my Buddy's older model 44 . I think they went from milled steel to investment casting . He killed a boatload of bucks in NY state with his. From what I understand parts are hard to find and Ruger no longer services them.

When younger, I couldn't leave anything alone.

Tee that is a fine looking piece. I have debated putting a red dot in the back dovetail on one of mine...

My brother had one from that era. It didn't seem as solid as my old one. The guy he bought it from included a bunch of 180 grain loads with H-110 that shot really well in it. I almost want to say it had a "hardwood" stock rather than the walnut mine had, but I don't really remember. I don't think my brother kept it more than a couple of years.

I wanted one since I was a kid. A few years ago a guy I worked with told me his Dad was getting rid of some of his guns. He told me he had a Ruger .44 carbine. He wanted $600 for it, but sold it to me for $450. Excellent condition. It was made in 1967. I’ve only shot it maybe 20 times. Cool factor is why I bought it.

Ron

You got a buy on that one. It is all one needs for northeast woods hunting at typical distances. If PA had allowed semis Ruger would have sold a lot more.

I've had a number of 44 carbines over the years, two of them broke the trigger housings internally. I eventually got rid of all of them when I landed a mint early "deerstalker" model. I know for a fact, the guy I got it from regrets his decision to let it go!

I've had two of these (the orginal model); one I bought new the other used. I don't know what the attraction is. Mine are long gone. Lots of other 100 yard deer rifles out there.

I'm just a fan of the 44 mag rifles. Aside from the Ruger carbine, I have a number of Marlin lever actions in 44 mag. One that I don't have is the Ruger 77/44. Had a stainless one and sold it. Then wished I didn't.

Why did you buy two of them?

Palmetto State Armory should start making these since they are off patent. They would sell like hotcakes

Reading a link that was in another link posted here I saw a list of the 5 worst rifles and the Ruger Deerstalker was right behind the Savage 340 pop metal supreme. 😀

I hunted west side Blacktail one year with a Deerstalker and it was a pleasure to carry. I wanted a buck and didn’t settle for a doe so I didn’t get a shot but based on my previous experience with it at the range I was comfortable with shots under 75 yards. In the environment I was hunting I wasn’t concerned with shots over 75 yards anyway.

Lead bullets are not recommended since the lead can “shave off” and plug the gas ports.

Dont have the semi auto but just picked up a stainless 77/44

Will satisfy the goofy Michigan straight wall requirement in the southern part of the state where I recently gained permission to hunt

Has a 2-7 Leupold on it.

Hoping it will be minute of deer at 75 yards, which will be a typical shot where I have access

I would love to hear how accurately it shoots when you get to try it out.

I just got home with mine, a friend who recently passed daughter let me pick a couple out. I'll hopefully get some better pictures in daylight tomorrow.

Sorry about your buddy, but nice that you got a couple of guns to remember him by.

Thank you.

Not really better pictures but the best I could do this morning before heading to the tire shop.

Ive shot the standard and the sporter, but never an international.

Pops had a decent sporter and a couple standards.
Sold the standards to buds way back.

Pops still had the sporter, '66 model and I took a deer with it when they first allowed PCR.

Trigger housings and stocks can crack. Wasnt gonna risk it, or mod to help reduce risk. So didnt purchase it from dads estate.

Have handled 1022 and .44s in all three configs. Sporter (fingergroove ) is the only one I like.