.44 mag for Ruger Carbine

[Saint Dennis]

I have the old style (tube fed) Ruger .44 Mag carbine. I want to load some 240 gr. soft point bullets for deer hunting loads. My question is, is there some powders that work best to produce a pressure curve that is appropriate for that rifle? The only other autoloading rifle I have loaded for is my M1 Garand. My reloading manual lists Garand specific loads so that is easy.

 

[spaniel]

In a lot of ways, the same issues apply as for the Garand. You need a powder with an appropriate pressure curve for the location of the gas port. People often think these guns are broken because they won't cycle with factory loads, but factory loads are for pistols and use fast-burning powder. Try a stout (but safe, work up) load of H110 or 2400 and your gun will perform well for you. They love the slower-burning powders. I use both, slightly under book max, and have yet to have a failure to feed in a gun which the prior owner thought was nothing better than a single shot because all he shot was factory ammo.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

I use to use 296 & Blue Dot for mine. Both are reasonably clean burn pistol powders when purposely ignited with Mag primers and having heavy crimps. Had no problem with cycling or having to clean my rifles gas port when using either powder. Frankly my rifle did not like lighter weight bullets >(period) and I always shot jacketed only. Never cast under any circumstance.

 

[Clark]

I am using 240 gr JHP 24 gr H110 heavy roll crimp and that works well for me.
My gas hole was drilled to be ~ the same size as a stock old Ruger carbine barrel.

With a non adjustable gas path, you want enough powder to make is cycle reliably, but not so much that the bolt slams the receiver.

 

[jtmckinney]

I have one and use mostly 240 grain jacketed hollow points or soft points. Like Clark I also settled on 24 grains H110. Hornaday manual shows 24.8 grains as max but I was getting ejection marks on my brass, dropped to 24 grains and marks went away.

Hornaday manuals have a couple pages in their rifle section where they used the Ruger Carbine for the test firearm. Bullet weights from 180 thru 300 grain.

Mine started to give me cycling problems so I bought a set of replacement Wolf springs but haven't put them in yet, I need to get around to that.

 

[chiefr]

Been reloading for the carbine for many years. 110/296 are my favorites. IMHO, they burn cleaner than 2400/4227 and I have never achieved the accuracy I demand with anything other than 110/296.
(interestingly, 2400 gives me better results in the hand guns)

Concur on heavy crimp. I insist on using cannelured bullets only for the carbine and lever guns.

Also keep in mind the Ruger manual said do NOT use cast or lead bullets in their carbine. Jacketed only.

 

[WESHOOT2]

AA9.

 

[Clark]

In bottle necked cartridges I get the best accuracy from jamming into the lands, but in 44 mag and 45 Colt rifles with H110, I get the best groups from heavy crimping into the cannelure... a long way from the lands.

I could make up some reasons, but I really don't know why.

 

[Armed_Chicagoan]

I've found that I had to adjust the piston plug set screw to match the load... if it ejects the fired case but fails to chamber the next round back it off a bit. If it ejects the fired casing along with the next round screw it in more.

For some reason these carbines (or at least mine) are very sensitive to reloads, it loves American Eagle factory 240gr ammo though!

 

[chiefr]

I've found that I had to adjust the piston plug set screw to match the load... if it ejects the fired case but fails to chamber the next round back it off a bit. If it ejects the fired casing along with the next round screw it in more.

For some reason these carbines (or at least mine) are very sensitive to reloads, it loves American Eagle factory 240gr ammo though!

You are spot on.
Reloads must near factory loads as far as pressure and FPS or the carbine will not cycle. WW uses 296 in its factory loads. That is why I obtain 100% reliability with 296 or H110. H110 is the same powder as 110. If your loads duplicate factory, no adjustments are needed.

Also read on another forum some time ago where a gunsmith had worked on a number of 44 Carbines for various issues. The gunsmith related all of the problems were a result of firing lead bullets.