Ruger 96/44

[Hobie]

I was looking around and suddenly, like out of the blue, I had this notion... I need one to compliment my Savage 99A.


Geez...

[Lefty Dude]

A very nice rifle.

How hard are they to find ?

[2ndovc]

Those are pretty neat rifles. Can't wait to hear how it shoots.

[Hobie]

Those are pretty neat rifles. Can't wait to hear how it shoots.

Haven't bought it, just had the thought...

[Nath]

I feel that that is the only 96 I would consider personally.
Nath.

[Hobie]

I feel that that is the only 96 I would consider personally.
Nath.

I don't like the .22 receiver's myself. Never could bring myself to buy a 10/22 either. But the .44s have a steel receiver and CC lever. AND yes Virginia, there is a Foolproof receiver sight for the guns.

[t.r.]

Hobie:

I've owned this Ruger 44MAG since 1998. First magazine popped out at each shot. I phoned Ruger and they sent a replacement at zero cost to me. No further problems.

This carbine shoots 240 grain 44 Special into a ragged hole at 25 yards. With no scope sight adjustment, it shoots 240 grain 44 MAG Hornady ammo into a 2-3 inch circle at 100 yds!

I've taken just this one buck with the Ruger but several dozen porcupines have been toppled from pines during night time forays into the forest. 44 Special is quiet but deadly. Porcupines girdle pines and for this crime, they must be terminated. Hey, crows gotta eat too.

Stock is plain birch which seems odd considering price of this carbine.

TR

[HEAD0001]

Don't do it. I owned one and shot two more of them, after the one I owned. They shot terribly. I mean terribly. I really liked the idea, weight, and especially the magazine. But the accuracy was horrendous. Tom.

[dr walker]

I owned one when they first came out. I had a dealer order one, paid for up front, The first thing I noticed was I couldnt use the sights. my face is too big or there is not enough drop on the stock. With a scope mounted it was fine. My 96 also had issues with accuracy. I sent it back to Ruger after I noticed a bad area in the bore and a burr at the crown. They took care of it and upon return I traded the rifle away.

[Noah Zark]

used to walk right by Ruger leverguns without so much as a second glance.

Then I made the "mistake" of picking up a 96/44 at a show once, and made the second, more serious mistake of setting it down "to think about it" -- translation: "To talk myself into spending the $400."

Sure enough, I go back and some guy's doing the paperwork.

Some time passes and I'm in a local shop shooting the breeze and got to the subject of lamenting that Ruger discontinued the 96/44 and discovering it late. Turns out the shop took one in trade that morning, near new and well cared for without a mark on the stock. $385 OTD.

And what a shooter. No accuracy problems, it puts them one after the other into the same spot on the 100 yd berm. On paper, it does between 2.5" and 3.5" groups depending on the ammo and what form I'm in on a given day.

I replaced the gold bead front sight with an ivory bead, and picked up four extra mags. I take it to the range quite frequently, and it often rides in a locked case in my vehicle on trips, especially on business trips to handgun-unfriendly NY and CT.

Noah

[allen1980]

hey didnt they have a simi auto 44 mag that was similar to this lever i think it was called the deerfeild or something?

[rjohns94]

never owned one. hmmmmmm

[Bob Hatfield]

I bought one in 97 and wish I still had it..........It would shoot the White box Winchester240gr soft points under 3 inches at 100 yards with a Weaver 2.5X scope..........My handloads with 240gr XTP and 24gr of 296/110 did between 3 and 4 inches..........Speer 240gr Unicores did better than the XTPs but not as good as the Whitebox Winchester...................Bob

[Rusty]

It's a .44 and it's a Ruger what else could you want?


They aren't heavy bullet friendly due to the magazine. If you keep the OAL in reason they work out fine.

[cas]

I was looking around and suddenly, like out of the blue...

Well it must not have been hard to spot, laying on that red sheet like that.

[clubkey]

hey didnt they have a simi auto 44 mag that was similar to this lever i think it was called the deerfeild or something?

Allen,

The rifle you refer to was called the Deer Stalker. I owned one back in 65 and what a gun it was, but back then being young and stupid I regrettably traded it away for one of those fast shootin magnums. You know the kind that all the gun rags at the time said was so necessary, but was definitely not needed to kill whitetail at 50 yards or less in heavy woods. The magnum went and with no regrets after my first sight in session, but oh how I do miss that little 44...

[95fan]

hey didnt they have a simi auto 44 mag that was similar to this lever i think it was called the deerfeild or something?

Allen,

The rifle you refer to was called the Deer Stalker. I owned one back in 65 and what a gun it was, but back then being young and stupid I regrettably traded it away for one of those fast shootin magnums. You know the kind that all the gun rags at the time said was so necessary, but was definitely not needed to kill whitetail at 50 yards or less in heavy woods. The magnum went and with no regrets after my first sight in session, but oh how I do miss that little 44...

The deer stalker was released several years later and renamed the deerfield. IIRC they resumed production sometime in the 90's. I have had one since 99 and they are superb little guns. They will not cycle light loads , not a problem for me . The operating system is almost identical to an m1 carbine and has never failed once i realized that it needed a heaver powder charge to generate enough pressure for blowback. Mine will shoot 240 grn hornady xtp's into an 1.5" circle at 100 yards. Strangely enough with my nosler sp loads the group grows to almost 4" . I guess I'll stick with the hornady's for this one.

[Mtnfolk75]

IIRC, the Deer Stalker was released in 1963 and was renamed simply the 44 Carbine sometime in 1964 due to complaints from Ithica that it was too close in name to thier Deer Slayer shotguns.
I have a 1969 model that is a superb shooter, runs WWB 240 JSP's into about 2.5" at 100 yards. Mine has a Williams Peep Sight with a Millett Orange front blade.
I also have owned two of the 96/44's as well as 2 of the 96/22 Magnums, they were all good shooters but just couldn't replace my 69 Carbine. I wouldn't mind having another 96/44 if the right one came along.
I have never handled or shot the newer Deerfield version, that used the detachable 4-shot magazine.