Ruger 44 mag carbine at the range

I picked up a 44 carbine about 3 yrs ago. 1964 vintage. Guy used it up in the Adirondack Mt region of NY. For a long time that was the only part of NY that you could use rifles for deer hunting. It had a 6X Nikon scope which made it a 150yd deer gun. I decided i wanted to go old school and got a Skinner Peep Sight. I also had to put a taller front post on it. While I can get pretty good groups at 100yd I limit myself to about 75yds. After the buck tags are filled it’s my go to doe rifle. I also took a coyote with it. Best shot of all was probably the one my son made at 50yds on a problematic Muskrat, that was tearing up the banks of my pond. Is shoot plain old Winchester white box 240gr. Had to sneak in pic of its 629 companion…… the 44 carbine was also in a 70s Bigfoot movie. I think it was Legend of Boggy Creek. The main character managed to shoot the mighty beast at the end, but the 44 mag was no contest as Bigfoot walked off into the woods.
 

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If they were made again, 44 & 357, 357 Maximum & 445 SuperMag and 460 & 500 S&W. I know I’m dreaming, I’m happy I have the 44 carbine.
 
The problem is they cost so much to manufacture. But people are desensitized to high gun prices, so it might sell. I don’t think I’d take less than $2k for mine. NOT because it’s worth that much. I just like it that much.
 
My sister took up deer hunting with a passion when in her forties. She carried a borrowed rifle for years. Then my three brothers and I chipped in $100 apiece and I went to the local Walmart and got her a Ruger .44 carbine lever action. She has been carrying it ever since.
Yes they do kick a surprising amount.

I wrote about one hunt with my sister here:

Pops must be smiling. A Yuletide Story II
 
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Thanks for the nice pics. Often heard the original required a lot of expensive machining. For the price of $119 sure sounds like a good deal even back then. Recall seeing one made in 1976 I believe marked "Made in the 200th Anniversary.
 
When these first came out, my grandfather bought one for my uncle, who shot many deer with it. Fast forward to 1976, my uncle took me hunting for the first time at age 10. He let me use the .44, and I proceeded to shoot my first deer with it that year.

I’ve bugged him for many years to sell me that gun, but he won’t. I really don’t blame him, as he has sons and grandsons who should have it.

A few years back, I get a call from my friendly LGS, saying they had something I might be interested in. Yup, a .44 carbine. Needless to say it came home with me. Other than badly needing a stock refinish, it is in good shape.
 
took my 44 carbine to a state range today with a shooting buddy, and with him spotting, with a 4X Leupold AR scope on it, took only a few rounds to precisely zero for 100 yards. I don't hunt, and my range only goes out to 100 yards, so for fun and "consistency" that is what I zero all my rifles for. I think next trip, will see what the trajectory of my 240 Hornady XTP's is at intermediate ranges, just for fun. Loaded Win 296.

Made up 15 rounds of 357 with Extreme 158 plated and shot them for the first time in my 4 inch 28-2, the first time I have ever shot 357. Worked fine, so came home and made up about 150 more with 14.5 gr of Win 296.

After two days, could not find a consistent zero with a new Vortex Spitfire dot on a PSA 5.56. My shooting buddy couldn't either, the click adjustments were wonky, so Vortex said sent it back, so going back to them. Strange....

NV
 
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When I read my gun magazines and the writers talk about shooting this or that game, usually with pictures, to test this or that firearm or ammo, I have a sense of ill at ease about that. I used to hunt pheasants, great comradeship, with friends and sons. But we ate them. I have no problem with hunters who seek game and then use them for food and sport. And on the island we have a cottage down by Charleston, about every two years they cull some of the deer to ensure enough forage for them to thrive. Necessary, as is needing to reduce a predator population, like coyotes. In some places, hunting is essential to lay in enough meat for a family to get thru the winter.

Some countries really need the income from hunting licenses for exotic animals. Or to balance their wildlife, or for removing dangerous animals. Or culling a diseased population. And testing ammo on gelatin isn't going to give real life information like testing on game will. Heck, here in the South, wild pigs cause great damage to crops, and removing them is vital.

I am no Bambi lover, and there are countless honorable reasons for shooting animals. It is often a much more humane way when necessary than other means. If I liked venison I would hunt them without any emotion.

But when killing is just for purely for sport, that is not something I could do. I was sitting next to a chap on an airplane a few years ago; he was on his way to collect a trophy leopard. For some reason, I just admire that animal. I am not a snowflake who has some sort of "spirit animal." But if I did it would be a leopard. Maybe because I imagine them as kin to our family cat.

Seeing in a magazine a picture of some writer with his trophy kill, doubting that it will be "used" just somehow bothers me, esp when the article is all about this or that firearm or cartridge.

On the other hand, killing people who's life mission is to hurt my Country gives me no remorse. All of this has no relationship to a Ruger 44 mag carbine.

SF VET
 
One of these in 357 would get my wallet open PDQ. Ruger makes plenty of companion handguns. And I read somewhere that most of the design work is essentially done... e.g. for a rotary mag version they use the 77 mag, etc.
 
SF VET said:
took my 44 carbine to a state range today with a shooting buddy, and with him spotting, with a 4X Leupold AR scope on it, took only a few rounds to precisely zero for 100 yards. I don't hunt, and my range only goes out to 100 yards, so for fun and "consistency" that is what I zero all my rifles for. I think next trip, will see what the trajectory of my 240 Hornady XTP's is at intermediate ranges, just for fun. Loaded Win 296.
Click to expand...

So what kind of accuracy did you get, group size?
 
22... good enough to keep flipping beer cans on the berm at 100 yards. We were hungry and wanted to get something to eat for lunch. Went to Nichols near Rock Hill SC, a really big "gun store."

I am going to do more precise mid and max range trajectory tests soon. If Ruger made a 357 mag companion to my 44 I would buy one in a heartbeat.

SF VET
 
Bald1 said:
The problem is they cost so much to manufacture. But people are desensitized to high gun prices, so it might sell. I don’t think I’d take less than $2k for mine. NOT because it’s worth that much. I just like it that much.
Click to expand...

In contrast, 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster, both excellent hunting rounds, can be made cheaper in the AR platform. Ruger had tremendous success selling these as factory guns which would preclude the return to expensive and complicated machining.
I’ve had both versions of the Ruger 44. Given the cult like status of these and the fact I actually like to hunt made them too valuable to actually use. I built my 2 dream deer guns in AR 350 legend complete with Leupold glass and a lifetime of ammo with the sale of the Deerfield.
 
Found another advertisement for the 44 carbine. This is from a Guns magazine from December 1963. Notice at the time it says this was Ruger's first and only rifle. Next time I fire up the time machine, think I will take some extra cash along and buy a crate full of these to bring back to the future.

 
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Great pic of the ad ajgunner. Price seems more like pocket change these days! Super handy rifles for brush or close cover. Glad I got to fire a couple of them way back.
 
Bald1 said:
The problem is they cost so much to manufacture. But people are desensitized to high gun prices, so it might sell. I don’t think I’d take less than $2k for mine. NOT because it’s worth that much. I just like it that much.
Click to expand...

I bet if Ruger started making these again they would have to run a line 24-7 to meet demand. They were such a handy rifle—woods hunting, tractor/ATV/truck gun, home defense, etc.
 
10Mad said:
In contrast, 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster, both excellent hunting rounds, can be made cheaper in the AR platform. Ruger had tremendous success selling these as factory guns which would preclude the return to expensive and complicated machining.
I’ve had both versions of the Ruger 44. Given the cult like status of these and the fact I actually like to hunt made them too valuable to actually use. I built my 2 dream deer guns in AR 350 legend complete with Leupold glass and a lifetime of ammo with the sale of the Deerfield.
Click to expand...


The problem is it’s an AR platform. I own several but they have no soul. No history. It’s a super rifle with unlimited potential but there’s no blued steel and walnut. When I pick up my 44 carbine or dads old model 12 I feel like I’m in a time warp back to when guys wore Woolrich plaid and deer hunter from the ground. By the way I still wear Woolrich red and black when it gets cold. I’m the butt of a lot of jokes at deer camp.
 
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