Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire what about the ruger 44 carbine,any good?

My wife's uncle hunted deer with one for about 20 years. 'Shot one heck of a pile of whitetails with that little gun. Minute of deer accuracy was no problem in the Minnesota Northwoods where shots were usually well within 100 yards.

I bought a Ruger 44 Magnum Deerslayer International (Mannlicher stock) around 1980. Nice rifle, I wish I still had it.

frankly, a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag is a far superior rifle. Costs less, is much more accurate, does not have the jamming/feeding problems of a Ruger, and just plain looks better.

Nice.

Owned one probably 25 yrs. ago. Nice little piece. Very accurate with the receiver sight that was on it. Never jammed. Zero issues. Killed a couple of wild hogs with it. Ended up selling it, and many times I wish I had it back, but not at the ridiculous prices they are asking for them, now. Gotta disagree with Mannlicher. I just sold a Marlin 1894, 44 mag, back in Dec. It was basically a POS, accuracy wise, and my old ruger would have shot rings around it.


maddog

obviously our experience with the same guns varies. Of course, I am correct.

One point does seem worth mentioning. I am not sure of the twist rate on the Ruger, but the Marlin is 1:38. That twist will not really stabilize a bullet heavier than 270 grains.
Maybe the Ruger has a different twist. I don't know what weight bullet maddog was using.
I use a 270 grain Speer Gold Dot SP, and get accuracy at 75 yards that hovers +/- an inch. At 50 yard, it will cut clover leaf patterns.

Sam, I shot both factory and handloads thru mine. 240 gr. jkted softs, 270 gr. gold dots, 225 gr. Hornady FTX and Hornady 240 gr. XTPs. Accuracy out to 50 yds., was decent 1-1 1/2". But once you got out to 70 yds. and beyond, it would open way up. So I sold it. Guess we just agree to disagree...


maddog

I'll take it if you decide to pass. Used to have one, sorry I let it go.

I've got the Marlin .44 mag carbine as well. Mine is extremely accurate. I have a 4x Leupy on it and have no problem shooting clay birds at 200 yards. I even shoot it a lot at 300 yards. It drops a little, but still hits where I point it. I like the old Rugers, but will still take the Marlin. Flinch

I have a Ruger 44 International, the mannlicher stocked version, with a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x20 in a Redfield turn-in mount. I think that it is a fine short range deer rifle. I generally shoot Remington 240 grain JSPs or JHPs. The downside is that Ruger 44 carbines have a reputation for jamming, particularly "stove-pipe" jams, so I would suggest, if possible, that your fire a couple of full magazines through the rifle before you buy it.

I think that my mannlicher stocks Ruger is easily more eye pleaseing than any Marlin lever gun that I've seen, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

JEff

That Bisley Vaquero a 44 mag too?

yep. Thats the hunting trio I take most of the time. The knife is a Randall #11.

Nice trio.

EDit:
I know I would prefer the Marlin too, not that Ruger carbine isn't a good gun (never shot one).
Didn't care much for a 44 Mag SA until I picked up a Bisley Vaquero, I really like it.

agreed!

If the original Ruger .44, can't recommend for rough hunting. Bought two for bear w/hounds. Always having problems with them. Dumped one, kept the other for extra loaner. 2nd got run over by truck back in the day. Never bothered to fix it. Both were very finicky about feeding ammo from the magazine.

Compact little carbine for rough country and easy carry, but too many issues of this and that crop up for rough hunting.

'94's much better choice for hunting.

Five different Ruger 44 carbines:

Semi-auto: looks like 10/22

Semi-auto: looks like Mini-14

Lever action

Bolt action

Single shot

I wonder sometimes about this place. The first part of the thread is all complimentary,then it becomes a bash Ruger 44 mags...I have one of the older ones, had it for years now. I never had a glitch with ammo "designed" for it, including reloads. You want to try to feed nose heavy 270/300 grain loads through it,well,it wasn't designed for that.
In any event, I find mine very accurate, it fact it will shoot circles around my Mini-14 which is a waste of ammo.
I will be selling mine soon as I am kicking the hell out of getting to be 70yo. I just don't use the gun. It would be better with someone that will actually use it.

That's funny! I read once about about hunting in Africa and how hunters are often encouraged to shoot all the baboons they can. The writer said some hunters can't shoot shoot the baboons because baboons are so much like people. He said other hunters couldn't shoot enough......because baboons are so much like people!

Expat

Frickin' Texans!

Some years back used to hunt elk with a friend who used a Ruger .44 carbine. He used the Norma ammo that had a mild steel jacket. It was no benchrest rifle. He used to sight it in by shooting at rocks, stumps, etc.. He would regularly get his elk. I recall him filling his cow tag one year using the Ruger. One shot at about 50 yds. Completed penetration. Does Norma still market that ammo?