Ruger77/44
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A good friend has one and I've shot it rather extensively on one occasion. Accuracy is quite good in this sample. I was able to pop 5 of 6 or 6 of 6 clay birds positioned as far as 100 yards when firing from a standing position.. (The carbine is equipped with a 4x scope.) Feeding was 100% with well-made handloads using bulk Winchester 240-grain bullets. From the looks of it one may have problems using anything much heavier due to OAL restrictions of the magazine. The wood is quite plain. The only thing I believe needs to be changed is the very slippery hard plastic butt plate. Chuck it in the parts drawer and install a decent recoil pad. That would alleviate the movement everyone experienced that day, as well as taming the surprisingly stiff recoil. Not unmanageable nor painful, just surprising. The added length of pull would also benefit anyone of average to taller build.
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Mine is first year production wood stocked with a rubber recoil pad. I feel very modest recoil with full power 240gr loads(in fact, my 7 yr old shoots and likes the rifle). I get sub 1.5" groups with several jacketed loads with the gun's favorite being 240 XTP's/h-110. It does not like cast loads very well. The magazine severely limits col. Forget heavy cast loads except for single loading. Overall I like the little rifle very well for woods hunting deer and boar but I wish heavy cast loads(like my lowwall likes) were an option.
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3,366 Posts
These Ruger .44's are great guns with cast provided you use the right diameter bullets! Most commercial cast bullets at .429"-.430" are dismal in the accurracy department once pressures and velocities edge towards the upper envelope. However, using a hard, gas checked bullet of .432" diameter, lubed with a quality lubricant, these guns shoot like gangusters!
As far as bullet selection with cast. Any of the WFN series bullets from Beartooth will feed and flawlessly function from these rotary Ruger magazines!
.432"-240g WFNPB
.432"-265g WFNGC
.432"-280g WFNPB
.432"-280g WFNGC
.432"-300g WFNGC
As mentioned above, if seeking top velocities, choose the GC bullets. With the selections above, you should be able to do just about anything you want with that .44 Ruger, within normal limitations of course!
Oh, and by using .44 Spcl brass, the LFN series bullets all function properly through the Rotary Ruger magazines as well, but then load development must begin afresh with the shorter case and reduced case capacity, but it does allow using the bullets with a higher Ballistic Coefficient in your Ruger Rifle as well.
Hope this helps.
God Bless,
Marshall
As far as bullet selection with cast. Any of the WFN series bullets from Beartooth will feed and flawlessly function from these rotary Ruger magazines!
.432"-240g WFNPB
.432"-265g WFNGC
.432"-280g WFNPB
.432"-280g WFNGC
.432"-300g WFNGC
As mentioned above, if seeking top velocities, choose the GC bullets. With the selections above, you should be able to do just about anything you want with that .44 Ruger, within normal limitations of course!
Oh, and by using .44 Spcl brass, the LFN series bullets all function properly through the Rotary Ruger magazines as well, but then load development must begin afresh with the shorter case and reduced case capacity, but it does allow using the bullets with a higher Ballistic Coefficient in your Ruger Rifle as well.
Hope this helps.
God Bless,
Marshall
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3,971 Posts
I too own a Ruger Model 77/.44 Magnum rifle. VERY accurate and it does have a bit more recoil than say a .30-30 Win. but worth it! I use reloaded ammo in my Ruger: 23.5 grs/H-110/240 XTP Hornady bullets and magnum LP Primer. Velocity is around 1,750 FPS. Ruger is once again making this model for '09 but it cost twice what I paid for mine back in 1999, and mine has the Walnut Stock.
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6,248 Posts
Davers-
Thats my favorite load for my 99/44, I put 5 shots into 1.5"@100 yards with that load pretty regularly. The Hornady 225gr LeverEvolution matches that accuracy but that bullet has a better BC for longer ranges.
Thats my favorite load for my 99/44, I put 5 shots into 1.5"@100 yards with that load pretty regularly. The Hornady 225gr LeverEvolution matches that accuracy but that bullet has a better BC for longer ranges.
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Thanks, mattsbox99, for the Hornady 225 LeverEvolution suggestion. I'll certainly give them a try. Back in 2007's Deer Season; I killed two Deer with one shot from my Ruger 77/ .44 Magnum rifle. A large Doe was moving about 50 yards from my stand, but I failed to see there was another Deer on her opposite side, as she was in some brush & down in a small hollow. The bullet went through the Doe and through the smaller Deer.
I regulary receive 1.5" 5-shot groups too, with my Ruger & 23.5 grs of H-110 with the 240 Hornady XTP bullet.
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6,248 Posts
I wonder how much sharper the recoil is in the bolt gun versus my autoloader... I know a lightweight carbine lever gun can hit pretty good, my buddy has a Puma 92 .45 Colt that I've shot quite a bit, and that gun is fun with the light loads, but not with the heavy loads.
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Through my 99/44 its just enough to move you off target. The operating of the action is loud, but overall recovery to time on target is pretty quick. My one complaint with this rifle is that it doesn't have bolt lock open on the last shot.
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