44 carbine, fingergroove sporter (no barrel band) and a buddy of mine has a standard one (also old model). Lever guns with scopes.I think look better with peep sights. The stock was still setup for iron sight usage and a scope up top, as low as I could get it, was still a bit too high. I had a Marlin 1894, it shot pretty good. The one knock i have on the 77/44 is its action is so short that if you wanted to shoot 300gr I think you would have to seat them pretty deep. I don't know what info you need to help make your decision I am comfortable with a bolt gun and can run the bolt as fast as needed I have put 2 rounds in a running deer more than once (good shots not blasters) The 44 ammo has all the power you need, I've had 100% of my bullets go all the way through. I am sold, I had some of the Hornady leverevolution ammo 225's left over from the levers and tried them and they shot very well, I put a burris Fastfire2 on the rifle and absolutly have found my rifle, Its very light, easy to carry easy to sight in the woods And I did, I had to be one of the first people in Indiana hunting with one. Then I saw the 77/44 at a NRA convention, I vowed at that time to buy the first one I could. I had an uncle with one of the OLD ruger 1044 carbines but it's accuracy was below the level of the levers. But the main thing that killed the Lever's for me was I'm just not comfortable with them they seem to thin and tall for me, I used red dots and a 2x in both the conventional and the scout (forward) position. Especially if I am tromping around a cedar swamp somewhere.I've deer hunted for over 30 years (not that I've ever done it right) but I've carried a lot of guns in the woods, for the first 20 years (or whenever they changed the law to allow pistols) I used a 20 ga 870 and then a 12 ga 870 and with the 870 I used the saddle mount and a red dot and done well but they are somewhat heavy, after I got a few with the super redhawk I went to the lever actions first was a pre safety 1894 marlin, I never got the accuracy I wanted then I got one of the short lived Puma scouts in 44, it was about the same accuracy as the Marlin but just not the ticket. I wouldnвЂ™t hesitate to use the Ruger 44 carbine on deer at any reasonable range. I could not find a lot of information on this but I donвЂ™t doubt that the. When this gun first came out Bill Ruger apparently took it to Africa and used it to take several animals. That buck ran a short distance before falling. 44 Mag & 240 grain JSP from a rifle (not a Ruger). I did watch as a my nephew took his first deer, an eight point with the. If you are over 50 and donвЂ™t need glasses I envy you.ДЄs far as the 44 magnum performance on deer size game I have only used it on two average size deer myself and that was from a handgun. The front bead is small and I have a hard time picking it up. I personally have a problem shooting this rifle with open sights. There are a couple of options for peep sights that would work also if you didnвЂ™t want to mount a scope. A reflex type sight commonly used on AR platform rifles may be a good option in place of open sights. I would probably try to find a scope as compact as possible to keep the gun doing what it was clearly designed for. The only concern may be the possibility of longer shots in some of the open farm areas. Another situation where this semi-auto is ideal. Michigan recently changed the law to allow hunting in the lower 3rd (shotgun only area) with the use of straight wall cartridges for deer hunting. I am not sure what the current value is because I have not seen one for sale recently, not locally anyway. I am sure those first guns are worth a lot more than that now as long as they are in decent shape. Back in 1961 they sold for a little over $100.00 dollars. She didnвЂ™t want to give it back.ДЇirst made in 1961 and discontinued in вЂ85, there were around 250,000 made. A friend of mine used one of these successfully from his pop up blinds until his daughter started deer hunting. It has an 18 1/2 inch barrel and holds 4 rounds in a tube magazine that loads from the bottom similar to a pump action shotgun. It is only a little longer overall than a yard stick and weighs about 6 lbs. especially if you hunt thick cover or from an enclosed blind where room to move is limited. This little semi-auto carbine is easy to carry and fast to get on target.

Ruger 44 mag carbine