Hunting 44 mag rifle?

I don't hunt with a rifle but have taken lots of deer with a 44 Ruger Blackhawk and some were out past 100 yards. So if a revolver does the job the rifle will do a great job. Get one and enjoy. Deer season is over this year but it is not too early to get ready for next year.

buck460XVR said:

Not in my state, not when transporting them. Not in a car, on a ATV/UTV or in a boat. On those days when we used to drive several small parcels in a day, this could mean loading and unloading half a dozen times a day, or more.

.........as I said before, what works well for one, ain't always the bug's ears for someone else. How we hunt and what we like to hunt with is like tastes in women and whiskey, can and do vary. Many times I like something just because it's different than everybody else.

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Can't argue with that.

I can keep my rifles loaded, to and from hunting, as it's covered under my handgun permit.
Do not do it for safety reasons. If it aint on my hip, it aint loaded.
Long day of yote hunting, hit the road walking back to Jeep. Gravel, old, and county road turns into DNR access.........dunno where the legal line is, but on the road, guns empty (buddy and I had rifles). Of course that's when a coyote decides to trot across.
Oh well.

Had my ruger 96/44 out deer hunting this year, in a 100yd max situation. Didnt see anything though.

I've also got the newer ruger Deerfield carbine that's 44 mag.

Theres also the TC contender too

A pump 44 mag would be fun. Bet a 410 pump could be converted relatively easily...

If I could, can't as I'm in the People's Republik of Illinois, I would use either my late 60's 94 Win 44 mag or my late brother's Marlin 44 mag. If you look down the barrels of each, the rifling looks almost identical. I'd never seen a Win with what looks like "microgroove" rifling but it acts like it. Lead bullets have to stay fairly slow (I haven't done a lot of experimenting) but jacketed stuff is really accurate out to 100 (some old Norma is fantastic). The Marlin is an accuracy clone of the Win. (I guess I'd leave both home and use my Winchester 92 we rebarrelled to 357 back in the old days.

The mighty 44 MAG can easily topple big game with the right bullets. For thick brushy areas, I like to hunt with a hand load featuring the Speer 270 grain soft tip. Good accuracy and heavy blood trail when I do my part. This is a very good bullet for wild hogs, too.

TR

Hookeye said:

44 mag, being rimmed..........the Ruger #1 would be my choice

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Really?
That's a lot of coin for what is basically a 100 yard cartridge in that rifle...., I think a used H&R Handi Rifle in .44 mag with the 20" bull barrel and a scope would be better. Accurate and about 1/4 the cost.
LD

BigBlue 94 said:

Had my ruger 96/44 out deer hunting this year, in a 100yd max situation. Didnt see anything though.

I've also got the newer ruger Deerfield carbine that's 44 mag.

Theres also the TC contender too

A pump 44 mag would be fun. Bet a 410 pump could be converted relatively easily...

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IMI Timberwolf

Loyalist Dave said:

Really?
That's a lot of coin for what is basically a 100 yard cartridge in that rifle...., I think a used H&R Handi Rifle in .44 mag with the 20" bull barrel and a scope would be better. Accurate and about 1/4 the cost.
LD

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I get how some folks see deer hunting as cheap freezer filling.
Never subscribed to that myself.

I'd drop a couple of K for a Merkel Helix Alpinist, for a woods rifle (if I had the coin).
Current woods rifle is a worn '63 Rem 760 in .35 rem w a minty 4X Leupold compact. Cost me $700 total.

Prev woods rifle, killed deer at 50 yards.........was...........
View attachment 823137

Don't like break opens for deer hunting.
Cartridge limitations are not price limitations in my book.

Love Ruger #1's. Think they are worth the price (if of decent wood). Buying used can save some coin.
My RSI was bland wood and I got it for $650 (no rings). Had right around 800 in it as pictured.
Sold it for more than that.

Purchased to rebarrel to #1A config in .35 rem. That was gonna cost me another 600 bucks. But then IN deer regs changed and I could hunt with it
as is. And it shot very well, so the project got scrapped. Esp after I shot a '63 760 ADL in .35 rem that made a ragged hole w 3 shots. I bought that for 500, messed up. Fixed it and slapped a used Leupold 4X on top.....am in $700 on that beater.

Shot my deer last yr on the run with it too.

BTW, I have never liked H&R break open rifles or shotguns, ever.

I know some folks that would rather have a new cheap gun than a more expensive rig used.
To each his own.

Like what I like, it works well for me, and unfortunately seems to cost a bit LOL

Had a line on a custom break open .25-06.
Belgian. Was a bargain at $1500.
Knew the prev owner (had it for decades).
Cool rig..............but a break open.
No thanks. Not on a deer rig.
Falling block is my choice if going single shot.

FWIW I don't have a .44 mag rifle anymore.
Pops has a minty Ruger sporter (fingergroove). a 1-4X Leupold on top of that would make it perfect.
Did borrow it yrs ago and pop a deer. It shoots OK, nothing great.
But cool factor for me is up there.

I'd rather have the .460 S&W than the .44 mag in the #1. But they're silly priced.
Passed on a couple of good deals, .45-70 #1. Buddies owned some. I shot em.
Just don't care for the look of the cartridge.
Rather go .460 Smith.

Silly maybe, but that's my thing.

Nobody offers a new .44 mag rifle I want

Mark MCMAHON said:

I live in Michigan, most shots taken here at deer are 100yrds or less, thats why I love my Ruger 44 mag carbine, it's light fast and hammers those deer, great choice!

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I killed a doe quite dead at 80 yards with my .357 magnum lever carbine, not sure why a .44 wouldn't be more insurance.

Ole Joe Clark said:

Here is one.

Never hunted with it, belongs to my wife. It shoots old reloads very well.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

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An overgrown 10/22. I always thought owning one of those would be fun. It'd be a dandy woods rifle, too.

The old .44 mags were tube mag, not rotary like the 10/22
The last version Ruger auto .44 mag was rotary mag but open top receiver, like a Mini 14

Hookeye said:

I know some folks that would rather have a new cheap gun than a more expensive rig used.

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Never saw a rifle that shot better because of "pretty wood", polished exterior steel, or engraving.
I sure as heck wouldn't put somebody down by calling it "cheap freezer filling".
Once you get the accuracy to where you want it for the range that you are employing, the rest is mute. The deer isn't any deader, the rifle isn't any more durable, perhaps it's less durable. Why would I waste the money on an expensive platform that's unnecessary for 100 yards, when I can better use that money for an expensive platform that takes advantage of all that tech, in something like a .35 Whelen, or even better, the Ruger #1 in a .404 Jeffrey?

LD

Accuracy the same, some things do fit, look and feel better.
Maybe some folks can't see/feel the difference.
My guess is most don't want to.

Anyway, the #1 is way stronger than any H&R.

Certainly, there is such a thing as "good enough".

Guess it depends on if one is a rifleman or just a deer hunter.

Personally I really like the tang safety on a #1. Also like not having to cock the hammer.
They have a different feel, weight/balance and stock dims..........some folks love em, some hate em.

If one is woods hunting, my guess is most shots under 100 yards. So the .44 mag, in any platform, should be good enough.
Also.........the variety of factory ammo offerings is pretty decent. And if one wants even less recoil, could go .44 special.

If going cheap is how some folks have fun, so be it.
Doesn't mean a nicer rifle is a waste of money.
If they truly think that...........proly think art and music are a waste as well.

Here in Indiana, the PCR spec has a min case limit of 1.16" and max of 1.8". .35 cal and larger.
.44 mag fits in there nicely.
We can run reg HP rifles (to a certain spec).........on private land.
But PCR's are legal for private and public land

Michigan, Iowa mandate straight wall cases, max length of 1.8".
Ohio mandates straight wall case too, but I didn't see max/min case length.

So one could buy a rifle for hunting 4 states under PCR spec.
That much usage might justify something a bit nicer than average LOL

Hookeye said:

If one is woods hunting, my guess is most shots under 100 yards. So the .44 mag, in any platform, should be good enough.
.

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^^^Yep...pretty much. While there is the question of accuracy, the cartridge itself limits that as much as the platform. Regardless of platform, consistent 2" MOA @ 100 yards is going to be pretty impressive. How that platform fits the hunter and the hunter's skill level and confidence in his rig, will dictate accuracy as much as the cost of the platform.

Hookeye said:

The old .44 mags were tube mag, not rotary like the 10/22
The last version Ruger auto .44 mag was rotary mag but open top receiver, like a Mini 14

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Correct. The Deerfield carbine is the newer model that is designed off the m14/mini 14. It uses a rotary mag, that unfortunately is different than the mag for the 96/44. One fits both, the other doesn't. Can't remember which.

The thing I like about the 96/44 (and 96/17 my gramps had) is the short lever throw.

My Marlin shot 2" or under at 100 yards.
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My dad's Fingergroove Ruger does that at 50 yards. But has a peep sight and a pretty lousy trigger.
I figure it, as is...........to be a 75 yard and in gun (front bead is huge).
He won't let me scope it...........so if I use it, the 100 yard deer gets to walk.

I have used .35 rem in Contender rifle, Rem 760 and a Ruger #1 .243 as my deer rifles.....hunting the woods near home...........
my longest shot so far is 75 yards.

Work with some guys that finally admitted they've never shot a deer past 50 yards offhand. Never over 100 w a rest.
They had the opportunities.......but passed.
They simply think that stuff can't be done.

Met many a Bambi slayer with that mindset.
I dunno why, but it does exist.

And so the .44 mag being an 100 yard and in deal, rifle/cartridge...........is ideal for them.

For some it is a Fudd's cartridge LOL
Doesn't mean it's a dud cartridge

That Ruger #1..............if 22" bbl I might have been tempted to .445 Supermag

Just because.

Still looking at a .460 Smith. Off to GB to see if my heart can take the shock

No love for the Henry Single Shot? I like mine ...

Loyalist Dave said:

Never saw a rifle that shot better because of "pretty wood", polished exterior steel, or engraving.
I sure as heck wouldn't put somebody down by calling it "cheap freezer filling".
Once you get the accuracy to where you want it for the range that you are employing, the rest is mute. The deer isn't any deader, the rifle isn't any more durable, perhaps it's less durable. Why would I waste the money on an expensive platform that's unnecessary for 100 yards, when I can better use that money for an expensive platform that takes advantage of all that tech, in something like a .35 Whelen, or even better, the Ruger #1 in a .404 Jeffrey?

LD

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So I guess we should all hunt with whatever is the cheapest firearm that performs the same task and minimize our requirements so preclude anything not strictly utilitarian? That sounds like a lot of fun.

I reckon the $3000 I spent on a custom flintlock was a total waste of money then. I'm too dumb to realize I could've spent $200 for whatever is on the rack at Walmart instead.