Load work up for a Ruger 44 Mag Carbine??

[joshb]

I shot this gun last year with my favorite pistol load with 240 grain jacketed and got some 4 inch groups at 100. I’m sitting here wondering if it’s worth doing some load work up to tighten it up. Might be a waste of time and components? Has any one owned one of these and gotten better results? It’s a handy little rifle and easy to carry. I may have an invite for a hog hunt in the near future.

 

[1K6BRA]

I’ve kind of wanted one of these rifles but never bought one. I’ve never heard how they shoot but they do seem like they would carry well. If all your shots are 100 yards or less I would say you have a 4 MOA hog rifle there. I seriously doubt any hog would know the difference if it would shoot 2 MOH (Minute Of Hog) or 4

 

[0.1 Aggregate]

Which .44 Mag carbine does the OP have? First gen autoloader? Second gen auto? Lever action? Bolt action? It matters.


.

 

[DocBII]

I shot this gun last year with my favorite pistol load with 240 grain jacketed and got some 4 inch groups at 100. I’m sitting here wondering if it’s worth doing some load work up to tighten it up. Might be a waste of time and components? Has any one owned one of these and gotten better results? It’s a handy little rifle and easy to carry. I may have an invite for a hog hunt in the near future.

joshb,

I use VV N-110 with 300 gr. XTP bullets. 1st gen auto-loader. The load functions reliably, doesn't have terrible recoil, and works well to about 150 yds. N-110 is the slowest version of the 110 powders I found. Your group size sounds a little bit large, but this is a close in hunting rifle, not a F class distance rifle.

HTH,
DocBII

 

[joshb]

It’s an older autoloader.

 

[mharp]

I had one of those rifles that shot about like yours. Put a scope in it and was shocked at how it was full of rings from the hammer hits. Embedded lapping compound in some soft lead bullets. Shot about 10 at very low velocity. Easily an inch to inch and a half gun after that. Oops, also dI’d a trigger job.

 

[Tommie]

Those rifles were manufactured when Ruger’s barrels were, shall we say, sketchy. That 44 carbine is a badass short-range freezer filler. If I were lucky enough to own one, bullets would be used on game not paper targets.

 

[MikeT124]

In my experience it is a good solid 50 - 75 yd. reliable rifle. My brother owned one and shot it to death, last I heard it was a single shot. I have two and enjoy shooting both.

Mike

 

[FNSafari]

I used to have a Ruger carbine in .44 Mag. I put a williams peep sight on the back of the receiver and could get 3" groups at 100 yds with it. I couldn't do that today but prolly could with a scope. I think that's about all you can ask of that rifle.

 

[pepper51]

I have a full stocked Ruger carbine in 44 mag. Factory Winchester 240 gr. jacketed soft points were not good with 50 yard groups in the 2 inch plus range. Loads with Hornady 240 gr. hollow point, 21 grs. 2400 powder, Winchester primer produced 2 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. 50 yard zero were 3 1/2 inches low at 100 yards. At the time I was using a 4 scope with post reticule. Now wears a 2 1/2 power scope with post reticule. Neat little woods rifle.

 

[farmerjohn]

Friend brought me one back in the 80s and ask me to help him find something that it would shoot, tried a lot of different loading combos and never got it it to do much. There was some talk back then about the twist rate and some fokes rebarreled with limited success. It was for his wife to deer hunt and he swapped it for a 742 in a 243, I scoped it up for him and it would do an inch with factory shells. They are all passed now but her son still hunts with the old 742 .... John

 

[joshb]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I’ll do a quick work up with it and see if I can find a better load. What the heck, I do it for all my other guns. Maybe I’ll get lucky.
If not, I have some other choices. Winchester in 45/70, an old Swedish Mauser. Maybe I’ll take my father’s 35 Remington Model 14. I never shot a hog . Just not sure what’s best.

 

[Cloudchaser]

You might want to try some 265gr Hornady soft points. I like the 2400 powder, but H110 works good also..

 

[tiny68]

H110 (max. end of load table), 240 gr XTP, Win LP primers worked well in my FIL's Gen 1 Ruger Carbine autoloader. Open sights, but sub 3" at 100 yards. Use as his carry gun on his 4 wheeler.