Ruger .44 Mag Semi-auto Deerfield Carbine

[lgm270]

Does anyone have any experiece with the Ruger .44 Mag semi-auto Deerfield carbine?

Would love to read your experiences, opinions, impressions, etc.

[targshooter]

Please go back in time on this very forum, there are several posts by myself and others. Additionally, I wrote a review on the Deerfield at the following site:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/ruger_deerfield.htm
I would recommend the rifle, as long as you are not expecting too much from the little .44 Mag (a short range cartridge for deer size game IMO, that is, 100 yards max). The rifle handles well and gives pretty good accuracy.

[Ranger J]

I like mine but would like it a lot better if Ruger had put some sort of recoil pad on it.  Because of the curved butplate I am yet to find a recoil pad that will fit it. 
RJ

[targshooter]

RangerJ,
I must admit, that slippery plastic buttplate is also my least favorite attribute of the Ruger Deerfield. It loves to slide over wet fabric and must be carefully placed on any surface (such as hard snow when leaning the rifle against a tree) allowing even the slightest amount of slipping. Last year I saw a very well done shotgun pad installation on one of these rifles. The owner was quite willing to share what he had done. He ground the buttplate flate and put a shotgun recoil pad on. He filled the top intletting with an epoxy. He also used a glue in conjunction with the screws to attach the pad, so it was permanently installed and the cut in the butt of the stock was sealed. The altered stock had exactly the same length of pull as when it left the factory. I think this was smart, as my stock, even with several internal and external applications of wood sealing oil, still soaks up water behind the buttplate if the the rifle sees a long wet day. Ruger should do a better job of sealing this stock and go to a non-slipping buttplate IMO.

[Ranger J]

Yep, Ruger’s got a dandy little gun there and it is a shame they didn’t make the few little changes that would have made it a great little gun.  I went through several ‘recoil pads’ that were made for the Ruger Deerfield, Mini 14, 30, 10 22etc. But found them all made of hard plastic.  While they did lengthen the stock some they didn't absorb any recoil that I could tell.  I finally went to a strap on shoulder pad when I’m shooting paper.  Mine is real accurate and at 50 yards will shoot 1” if I do my part.  Shot two deer with it the first year I had it with 240G SP and both dropped in their tracks.  I made the mistake of letting my wife shoot it and it then became her gun.  Factory loads didn’t seem to bother her but when I started reloading, my H 110 loads must have a little more energy as she started complaining.  Then I made another mistake and let her shoot my Marlin 1894 357, you guessed it, that became her gun.  At least I got the Deerfield back.  That fix on the recoil pad sound interesting and I may try it when I accumulate some cash.  My gun money recently went into a new computer and #1 daughter just started to college at MU so cash will be short for next few years.  I sure hope she gets through school faster than her brother did or I will be too old to shoot anything.
RJ

[tanoose]

Why dont you guys just cut out the curve.,and get a limb saver or decellerator pad put on it . If your happy with the stock length as it is, you would have to take off an inch or more anyway  depending on the thickness of the pad  and when the pad is put on your at the same stock length. I have alot of experience with decellerator pads there great but i have a new rifle with a limbsaver and this pad in my opinion will reduce recoil even more. Goodluck Tanoose

[targshooter]

tanoose,
For my part, the issue isn't recoil, but the poor utility of the butt plate as installed by Ruger. In essence, with a different recoil pad, what you describe is what the fellow did. I liked it because it did not slip and the stock butt was sealed agianst the entry of moisture, something not done in the Ruger factory installation. I will keep mine as Ruger issued, except that I removed the butt plate and sealed the butt of the stock so there will be no more moisture creeping in and swelling the stock behind the butt plate during a day's hunt in the rain. A decelerator or shotgun recoil pad will reduce any kick to nothing, as IMO the firearm has no kick to start with.

[tanoose]

Can the ruger deerfield rifles  be completely disassembled for cleaning like the ruger 10/22's can?

[targshooter]

tanoose,
The Deerfield actually fieldstrips for cleaning quite easily. The component groups; such as the trigger assembly, operating assembly, gas piston, bolt, receiver and barrel assembly, are readily accessible for a thorough cleaning.

[tanoose]

It looks like a great woods roaming rifle i take my win 94 30/30 out for walks and scouting and i just picked up an old model 92 Rossi in 44 with the kids getting older i think this would be a nice addition to the cabinet. And not only for the kids.

[cynrays]

I have one that says Ruger Carbine. It is a semi automatic.  I bought one for my son when he was 11 years old. His arms were to short for anything else. He killed a lot of deer with it and one coyote. He quit using it when he became older and wanted a longer range gun. He is now 36 and I have a 3 year old grandson that will be shooting it when he gets older.
A great gun for under 100 yards with the 240 grain loads. I take it out and shoot it once about every five years. Hope this helps...