Ruger 77/44 44 Mag bolt action carbine

Vanity | self

[Beagle8U]

I just picked up a new Ruger 77/44 bolt action and wondered if anyone here has any experience with them, or favorite loads/reloads for them?

It is a SS 44 Mag bolt action carbine with an 18 1/2 inch barrel and Synthetic stock.

Michigan just passed a law that will allow pistol cartridge rifles to be used for deer hunting in the 'shotgun zone', so I plan to use it for hunting deer.

I'm thinking 240 grain semi-jacketed softpoints should do the job out to 125 yds or so.

[Doc91678]

the .44cal magnum round is a great deer gun in heavy brush. 50 yard shots are deadly to deer, hogs, and even black bear.
Ruger used to make a semi-auto carbine. We used to call it the guerrilla killer.

[Beagle8U]

I read somewhere that the hornady flex tip doesn’t feed well in the rotary magazine of the 77/44.

[TexasRepublic]

“I’m pretty sure Alliant bought out Hodgen.”

No mention of that on Hodgdon website:
https://www.hodgdon.com/history.html

[edpc]

Ooops...my mistake. I copied the 30-30 ballistics info by mistake. Their 225g .44 would be traveling 1416 fps and have 1002 ft lbs of energy at 100 yds from a 20” barrel. The flex tip design reportedly offers more consistent expansion and bullet performance.

[Iscool]

Shot my first deer with a 44 semi-auto...Dropped it on the spot...

[Beagle8U]

Pretty cool poacher’s gun.

I doubt the MI DNR would find any humor in it though.

[MileHi]

I killed a 300# bear with that load in an 8” wheel gun. A few deer met the same fate. None ever went 30 yards.

[Beagle8U]

Good article, thanks!

[Beagle8U]

No problem.

[MCF]

H110 and Winchester 296 are basically the same powder. The other good powders to use are 2400, Accurate Arms #9, and 4227. All with 240 grain bullet.

[Beagle8U]

I don’t know for sure, but all the reloading websites said they were bought out by Aligiant. (SP?)

[Beagle8U]

I had pretty much decided on 110 or 2400 for powder, but wanted to run it by FReepers for input.

[Beagle8U]

I’m hoping to get the 240 gr SJSP up to about 1800 fps at the muzzle, or a tad more.

I think the bullet has a BC of .16 or .18.

That should grind their grits pretty good at 100 yds.

[T-Bird45]

Thanks for the extra info and good luck with your load development!

[Beagle8U]

I haven’t even sighted it in yet, just got it this afternoon.

[reed13k]

Ohio just did something similar with straight jacketed rifle shells. Goes into effect this fall.

[Beagle8U]

Yup, MI, OH, and IN now have pretty much the same law for deer guns.

MI does allow regular rifles up north though.

[MileHi]

...straight jacketed rifle shells.

What does that mean?

[JimRed]

More important, can it penetrate a blue helmet at 125 yards?

[Beagle8U]

I’m sure he means straight walled pistol cartridges used in a rifle.