Older 44 Carbine accuracy

[rlelvis]

I picked up a mint Ruger 44 carbine this year, ’65,  and would like to know what off the shelf ammo seems to be most accurate.   I took it to the range the other day and was getting 8in at 100yds with AE 240gr HP.  This was open sites off the bench and my eyes are not what they used to be.  It seems to me that this rifle should be capable of sub 3in at 100yds with the right ammo.   I will not scope this one so with my eyes that limits the accuracy to a point.


Any thoughts or am I expecting too much. 

Thanks

[john keyes]

I have one of the old ones, probably not that old, but I put an old K4 wire reticle on it and though I have never measured the groups it really slings em in there with the venerable H110/240 or hornady265 load.

I just hate lookin for the brass.

[targshooter]

I owned two of these in the late 60s and early 70s. One shot about the like the one you have, the other was a 3MOA rifle. I remember getting pretty good results from Remington 240 grain factory. This shoots well in my Deerfield also. The original 44 Carbine does not like lead bullets, and Ruger warned about this in the user manuals. Make sure all the action screws and the barrel band are tight and keep the screws at a uniform tension by recording the settings and you will get better accuracy. I do the same with the Deerfield and it is capable of 2 MOA off a bench at 100 with a 4x Cabela's Pine Ridge scope using either the Remington load above or the Speer 270 grain Gold Dot. I believe you can get a PDF copy of the original user's manual for the 44 Carbine on the Ruger site. The ammunition was limited in OAL due to the magazine lifting mechanism if I remember correctly. Anyway, the 240 grain Remington facory loads worked well.

[Rangr44]

[It seems to me that this rifle should be capable of sub 3in at 100yds with the right ammo.   Any thoughts or am I expecting too much.]

IMHO, your expectation is very reasonable.

This 100yd group is typical of my Ruger .44 Auto, with a peep sight. (the target rings are 1" apart, I am in my mid-sixties and use glasses for reading)

I generally use the cheapest "price leader", or "on sale", 240gr JSP ammo that's  available when I run low on ammo - IIRC, this group was shot with Mag Tech (Brazil) ammo.





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[nrb]

First, I would check the crown of your 44mag to make sure the barrel is working well.
I have used a Ruger 44 carbine since the mid 70s and think it is the best woods hunter I own. My findings with reloading for grouping is that the Ruger 44 carbine likes only heavy bullets. Testing bullet weights from 180gr to 300gr, I found the Ruger gave 1 inch groups at 100 yds only with bullets 240gr or heavier. Any bullets lighter than 240gr would not group well.

best,            nrb

[rlelvis]

Thanks.  

I will not scope this one or even add a peep so I have limited myself from the get-go.  I will try other ammo and check the stock fit/installation.

Glad to see good groups from others.  Might just need a bit more time with it.  I relay think it more a case of vision and open sites then anything else.  My 19yo son has been outshooting me with open sites and even with his surp SKS will outshoot my Win 94 or surp K31.  Heck he shoots the K31 better at 100yds then I do with a scope on most days.  

...now where did I put that number for the eye doc.

[rlelvis]

First, I would check the crown of your 44mag to make sure the barrel is working well.
I have used a Ruger 44 carbine since the mid 70s and think it is the best woods hunter I own. My findings with reloading for grouping is that the Ruger 44 carbine likes only heavy bullets. Testing bullet weights from 180gr to 300gr, I found the Ruger gave 1 inch groups at 100 yds only with bullets 240gr or heavier. Any bullets lighter than 240gr would not group well.

best,            nrb

I have inspected the rifle very closley and it is 95%+, no damage to the crown or bbl in any way.  I do plan on getting around to hand loading for it at some point.  I see you have used the 300gr in yours, how did it shoot?  I have a few hundred 300gr SP I have used in my pistol for black bear and deer and was considering these in the carbine.  What powder does it seem to like the best and do you seem to get better accuracy close to max load or backed off a little bit? 


BTW I was shooting AE 240gr JHP.

[adirondacker]

mine all seem to shoot M.O.D  {minute of deer} 240 grn xtp are my bullets of choice.

[OLDHandgunner]

I have a couple of the old Ruger Carbines and they shoot very tight groups with my loads. I use Hornady 240gr XTP's and IMR 4227 powder. Also have used 296 ( H-110 ) powder with good results.
I have never shot any factory rounds through mine but everyone seems to agree that the 240gr and heavier bullets shoot best.
I have 2 1/2x Lyman All American's scopes with a post mounted on my 44 Carbines and if you're going to stick with open sights on your gun I would shoot my groups at 50yrs not 100yrds. Most of your shots in the woods and heavy cover are not much more than 50yrds and sometimes alot closer.
Good Luck.

[rlelvis]

I have an old can of H-110 and some 240 and 300gr Sierra, I think, laying around and was considering trying them in the spring.  Not sure if the H-110 is still good as I have had it for a while but it has been sealed and in a controled enviroment.  I will put it through my revolver first and see how it perfroms.   I also think I have some 4227 laying around so I will have to get in the books for lead data.

I have always used a VERY HEAVY and tight crimp on my pistol rounds, shortens case life but seems to increase accuracy and consistancy on the chronograph a bit.  What have you found to work as far as crimp on your reloads?

I agree on the shorter ranges 50 -75 yards with open sites.  I do not want to mount a scope on this one, maybe one day I can find one that shows a little more use and then a scope will be in order. That is the range that I expected to use it anyway so if I can shoot the 300gr sp through it I will be fine.  I have used them up to 40 yards from my pistol on black bear and they were excelent.

Thanks in advance

[federali]

I have a .44 carbine acquired around 1970. With a low end variable, I've gotten some 1.5-2" groups at 100 yards (three-shot groups). When the carbine was introduced, the 240 grain jacketed bullet was the only game in town and Ruger designed the gun with this round in mind.
Recently fired the gun at 50 yards and groups were all over the place! Turns out the 40-year-old Redfield scope atop the carbine gave up the ghost. I'm looking forward to putting a new scope on the carbine and using it next year.

[SM Bob]

I used to have one years ago. It was pretty accurate with 240 gr JHP's
and H110. It was about the same as Federali's. I sold mine because it
launched the brass about a mile and I got tired of looking for it. Sometimes
I wish I still had had it. In spite of the brass launching issue it was a really
fun little rifle to shoot. I never hunted any deer with mine. I did use it to
blast a few jackrabbits though. When one of those 240 gr JHP's connected
with a rabbit looked like someone stuck a M-80 in it and lit the fuse!

                                      Robert