Ammo for Ruger .44 Magnum Carbine

I often hunt with my Ruger 96 which is a 44 MAG lever action carbine. No problems with Hornady ammo.

TR

Personally I reload for my Ruger .44 Auto Carbine, using 240 grain (either the soft point or hollow point) exclusively using H110 or WW296 powder and a Federal Large Pistol Magnum Primer. It shoots to POA and I have never had a cycling problem using those loads. The other loads I've used are the white box Winchester .44 Magnum 240 grain hollow point seem to function alright. I've never tried hunting bear with the carbine, but I've shot a number of feral hogs, and whitetail deer using the soft point projectiles, as well as hand cast 240 grain with a gas check on the feral hogs. The latter really put the stop to the hogs in there tracks, although shooting lead thru that carbine is not recommended, using a gas check I haven't seen any problems as of yet.

Basically any factory load up to 270gr should work fine. The issue here is not powder type or "power" but length. Factory .44Mag loads are typically loaded with a powder that will yield the highest velocities, regardless of barrel length. Such as W296/H110 or a non-canister variation like 297.The loads Tim Sundles refers to as over 270gr are simply too long to cycle in the rifle's action.

I use 240 grain soft points in mine, and as it's only used for "hunting", (read shot very little) I don't put any reloads through it...

IF I was going to shoot a bear with mine, that's exactly what I'd use...

DM

I found the jacketed and well truncated 180 grain Ammo sold by several manufacturers to really work well in my 60s gun when it came out. I had been rolling my own similar loads with Win 296 long before. The similar profile 240s work well too, but kick a whole lot more. If you are not shooting big stuff the 180s really have quicker knock down on the sub 200 pound deer and similar hogs I shot with it since the 80.s I was surprised to see the 180 sub max loads very near 2000 FPS, the extra velocity helps expansion greatly, has a flatter trajectory to 150 yards and all your current factory loads like xtp hold together all the way thru.

Pictured in the foreground when I hand load I load JHP or JSP and always 240 grain bullets. Never used the 300 grain bullets in the rifle. I liked powders like H110, W296, and 2400 all used with magnum primers. Commercial ammunition about the same as to 44 Magnum JSP or JHP 240 grain bullets. That little rifle served as an excellent little deer rifle for many seasons in W. Virginia. While I have not hunted in years I still love that little rifle.

Ron

The gas system in a 44 carbine is not adjustable. I got my 1961 carbine in 2001. Cast bullets followed by jacketed bullets split my muzzle. I put on a Marlin 444 barrel. Now I have the heaviest and most accurate carbine, and it has micro grooves. Mine was adjustable at the moment the gas hole was drilled. The bigger the diameter, the wimpier the ammo. If the cases eject to far and the bolt is slamming the receiver, the loads need to be cut back.

when i had one of those rifles i used remington 240 gr. hollow points. the round nose of the rem. ammo eliminated jams in my rifle.

Hornady xtp bullets usually cycle in finicky weapons. They are basically shaped like a fmj that’s folded in.

H110/296 is usually a good powder for cycling gas systems.