Ruger 77/44
#11
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1
Good Choice
I have a Ruger Deerfield and my hunting partner uses a Marlin 1894 both in the 44 mag and we hunt in Indiana. I reload 240 grn. Hornaday full metal jacket bullets with 24.5 grns of W 296 or Hogden 110 powder for the Marlin. My partner is 10 for 10 with his Marlin with shots on a field that have ranged from 100 to 200 yrds. All deer have well placed shots and in all cases the bullets has passed through the deer utilizing all the available energy. Penetration is why I chose the FMJ. This yea'rs buck was shot at 200 yrds hit in the kill zone and traveled 25 yrds. The internal damage was impressive. The Deerfield has difficulty extracting the heavy loads and I load them down to about 23.5 grns. with 240 grn jacketed hollow points. I generally hunt in a woods with shots ranging only out to 100 yards. We are extremely pleased with the 44 mag and it has demonstrated effective range to 200 yards. The K77 should be able to handle the full load as the Marlin and I expect the performance to be similar. I have read many accounts of the effective range being 100 yrds. If you are an experienced hunter that chooses good shots, 200 yrds. is no issue.
#12
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 5
Detailed gun info
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#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,143
#14
My father has an older Ruger 44 rifle. Between the two of us we have taken several deer with it. He has had it for around thirty years now.
Our take on the 44 is that it is great gun. We have taken many deer up to 100 yards, but not many over that. The caliber can take a deer safely up to 200 yards, but you need to know your gun and have good optics to go reliably over 100 yards. My father never did put all that great of a scope on it, and would not let me buy a better one for it.
That being said, now that we are hunting in big timber country instead of the swamplands we used to the 44 has become a backup gun. With having to more room to shoot, we prefer to use something with more oomph and immediate killing power. We did have to chase many of the deer we hit, but they did die. It makes one heck of a hole and tears anything it hits up badly.
If something happened and I had to go to the 44 over my 7mm 08 I would not be afraid to take a deer with it.
I used 240 gr hollow point ammo with it. It worked extremely well for me.
Our take on the 44 is that it is great gun. We have taken many deer up to 100 yards, but not many over that. The caliber can take a deer safely up to 200 yards, but you need to know your gun and have good optics to go reliably over 100 yards. My father never did put all that great of a scope on it, and would not let me buy a better one for it.
That being said, now that we are hunting in big timber country instead of the swamplands we used to the 44 has become a backup gun. With having to more room to shoot, we prefer to use something with more oomph and immediate killing power. We did have to chase many of the deer we hit, but they did die. It makes one heck of a hole and tears anything it hits up badly.
If something happened and I had to go to the 44 over my 7mm 08 I would not be afraid to take a deer with it.
I used 240 gr hollow point ammo with it. It worked extremely well for me.
#16
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Barron county Wi
Posts: 169
[quote=hookeye;3761962] but that's a small hole and doesn't put much red on the ground.
Keep the shots at 100 and in and break a shoulder.
Seriously: a small hole... a 44 caliber bullet that doesn't expand at all is still bigger than a fully expanded 30 caliber one. I have a 77/44 and personally wouldn't shoot much past 100 yards (most shots where I hunt are actually 50 yards or less) but the reason certainly isn't because of the size of the hole. And also a hard cast bullet will break both shoulders well past 100 yards.
Keep the shots at 100 and in and break a shoulder.
Seriously: a small hole... a 44 caliber bullet that doesn't expand at all is still bigger than a fully expanded 30 caliber one. I have a 77/44 and personally wouldn't shoot much past 100 yards (most shots where I hunt are actually 50 yards or less) but the reason certainly isn't because of the size of the hole. And also a hard cast bullet will break both shoulders well past 100 yards.
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MN USA
Posts: 1,392
I agree with a prior post... I consider .44 mag out to 100 yd. in a rifle only. It's not a 200 yd. load. It's going to be dropping off fast below center, velocity and energy beyond 100yd.
If you look at most ammo mfg. charts for .44 mag they don't even give ballistics beyond 100 yd.
It's a great caliber for pistol and pretty good in rifle within 100 yds. Just don't try to use it for something it wasn't designed for and you'll be fine with any scope/rings that hold center within 100 yds.
If you look at most ammo mfg. charts for .44 mag they don't even give ballistics beyond 100 yd.
It's a great caliber for pistol and pretty good in rifle within 100 yds. Just don't try to use it for something it wasn't designed for and you'll be fine with any scope/rings that hold center within 100 yds.
#18
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1
I have been reading the reviews for the Ruger 77-44 and the question of 200 yd shots....I hunt in Indiana on my property and have taken whitetail from a field edge tree stand @ 165, 145, 120 and 100 yds with a Savage 20 guage that I sighted in @ 200 Yds it is cheaper than the Ruger and they all ran less than 20 yds the 220f bolt action with a 3-9 Leupold $250 cheaper ....I'm not sure why you would want the Ruger although tje Ruger is a pound and a half lighter and 4 inches shorter...from a tree stand doesn't matter spot and stalk may make a difference
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