With Ruger's recent release of the Mini-300 (Mini-14 in 300 BO), there have been lots of threads considering other calibers for the Ranch Rifle / Mini platform.  I posted a thread positing a Ranch Rifle in 500 S&W Magnum as a real bear of a round (mostly tongue in cheek).  While not likely, I consider a real possibility to be a Ranch Rifle in 357mag and 44mag.  





Consider that the Ruger 99/44, a semi-auto 10/22 look alike that was sold in 44mag caliber, had in fact a Mini-14 action on a 10/22 style stock, i.e. they have the action and the barrel.  All Ruger would have to do is adapt the Mini-14 mags to hold the rimmed 357mag brass (a mag like their Mini-30 would accommodate the rimed cartridge) and then chamber it in 357mag and 44mag.  Something very inexpensive and very, very doable for Ruger as they in fact have already done it.











Consider the ballistics of the 300 BO and compare those to those of a
357mag and 44mag in a 16" - 18" carbine.  True, the 300 BO has a pointy
bullet for better supersonic longer range performance out more than
200yds, but for a fun gun to shoot, with a
caliber that has similar performance out to irons ranges, and one that's

considerably more economical to shoot in both commercial and handloaded
ammo, take a look at the performance of both the 357mag and 44mag in a
carbine.  





Consider
the ammo.  All three calibers (300 BO, 357mag, and 44mag) use the same
powders for handloading; magnum pistol powders like H110, W296, Lil-gun.
The 300 BO and 357mag have similar case capacities and they have a similar range
of bullet weights in light to medium weights (90grn to 180grn).  The 300
BO and 44mag comparison shows that the 44mag case holds more powder and
therefore produces higher velocities than the 300 BO in medium to heavy bullet weights (165grn to 300grn) than the 300 BO.





Why
the
357mag caliber you say?  Because
comparing the supersonic 357mag to the supersonic 300 BO in 125grn
& 140grn bullet loads using Nosler's data for the 300 BO HERE vs Hodgdon's 125grn and 140grn bullet loads HERE
shows a very similar performance in a carbine.  Because
supersonic 357mag commercial ammo is readily available from 90grn to 180grn while 300 BO isn't.  Because
it's considerably cheaper to buy commercial 357mag
ammo than commercial 300 BO.  Because it's cheaper to produce handloaded
357mag ammo
than 300 BO in similar bullet weights.





Why the 44mag you say?  
Because for suppressed use, a subsonic 1,000fps, 300grn,
.429" bullet (44mag) produces 666ft/lbs muzzle energy while a subsonic
1,000fps,
220grn, .308" bullet (300 BO) produces only 488ft/lbs muzzle energy.  
That's only 73.3% of the 44mag muzzle energy and a huge difference in
short range performance. Because
it's considerably cheaper to buy readily available commercial 44mag
ammo in bullet weights from 165grn to 300grns than commercial 300 BO.  
Because it's cheaper to produce handload 44mag ammo
than 300 BO in similar bullet weights. Because 44mag subsonic ammo can
be produced in many bullet weights higher than the heaviest (220grn)
bullet of the 300 BO.
 

IMHO, the .357 Maximum would be better but stands a snow ball's chance in Hades of being done.

I'd buy one!

Things didn't work out so well the last time Ruger chambered anything for Maximum.

 

I'd buy a mini357.

Unfortunately I have to agree primarily because it's a handloader's round and not normally available commercially.  But you're right, it would make a hell of a round and if Ruger ever came out with a 357mag version, I'd bet that someone would convert it to 357 Maximum.





       

One can only dream, however, sending in your thoughts to Ruger's CEO directly via their form wouldn't hurt.  Tell The CEO




 
 

Rimmed revolver rounds suck in standard semi auto magazines. My Deerfield 44 is awesome, but only holds 4 rounds due to the need for a rotary magazine to get around the rimmed case. A 44 Automag version with a 10 shot magazine... now that would rock.

Tube mag plus semiauto would rock for anything 357/44.

Wouldnt know about 500 though due to some bullet designs.   Some idiot would likely figure out a way to chain detonate the tube.

Don't hold your breath.  The ONLY reason a 300 BO was made was because it took relatively little retooling, and virtually no re-engineering.  Won't happen with anything else.

Doc

I would buy one........today...........right effing now.

A Mini-30 based action with it's heavier curve to the magazine (to accommodate the tapered 7.62x39 cases) might be the ticket to the magazine basis to develop one to feed rimmed calibers like the 357mag and 44mag.  



For it to be popular, I think that it would have to 1) be available in 357mag at a minimum and, 2) have a 20 rd mag.  



If Ruger could pull that off, especially using what appears to be their even thicker barrel they are using on the 300BO, I think it would become an awesome seller.  I would buy the 357mag version the first day it was available, sight unseen.



 

10mm Why not?

While I love my 10mm and 45 Super, their small cases with fast burning powders (even powders like Power Pistol) are still optimized for short pistol barrels while cases like 357mag, 41mag, 44mag, 45 Colt, and 500 S&W use larger cased cartridges that can hold larger amounts of slower burning magnum pistol powders that also work well in longer rifle length barrels.



 

They made a 44 magnum rotary magazine rifle years ago.

A 50 beowulf would make a better choice than a 500 S&W due to it's case head.  Other than that their specs are pretty close.

Edited to add:  IIRC a .44 Automag used a chopped down .308 or similar case as it's basis, and that wouldn't have any trouble with a semi-auto bolt and extractor.

Yes, see original post.



 

Yes, I agree as far as bolt compatibility, magazines, etc. is concerned, however, the 500 S&W has better performance and what the heck, if I'm dreaming then why not dream big!!



 

I was thinking tonight a Mini chambered in .327 Federal Magnum would be a fun rifle, analogous to a M1 Carbine.

How about just making me a Mini in 30 carbine? But 357 would be fine with me too. It could share rounds with my revolver.

Make me wonder if a .223 case can be cut and resized into a rimless version of .357 magnum?

My issue with that is that Auto Ordnance already makes a walnut stocked M1 Carbine that Bud's Guns sells for $670.  The 15rd mags cost $10.



 

Tromix did a Mini in 458 Socom, and Accuracy Systems used to do a mini in 50 Beowulf.  Either would be pretty slick.

Robbie Barkmann/Robar did a conversion of the tube-mag .44 carbine to .50 AE about twenty years ago.