After this deer season my wife has decided to try deer hunting next year.  Looking at ideas for a light rifle with not too much recoil.  I keep looking at the ruger 77/44 with a 2-7x on it I think would fit nicely.  Shots be well inside 100yds here in Indiana for whitetail.  I handload so I can keep them mild but how is the recoil on this rifle?  My wife is about 135lbs and not big on recoil.

It doesn't kick too bad, but I was surprised at the range this year. I put about 50 rounds through mine and I had a bruised shoulder. Mind you, I was only wearing a light shirt.

Look at what calibers are allowed by your state. A 44 mag is not a bad choice but a .357 might be a better choice for her.  A .243 is a traditional choice of calibers usually legal for deer in many states. .223 is absolutely capable of taking deer but often not allowed depends on the state.  A 300 Blackout would also be a fine choice.

I have thought about the 357 and it is legal here.  243 and 300 blackout are also legal but any bottle neck cartridges are limited to private ground only and I hunt public probably 75 percent of the time.  I was just looking at the 44 cause I'm looking for a new challenge and want to hunt with a ruger super Blackhawk hunter in 44 next year.  That's gonna be my future purchase.

I bought a 77/44 for deer hunting, mostly for my kids. Recoil is kind of subjective and everyone is different, but I was surprised by how much it kicks with full power 240gr loads. The gun very light and the recoil pad sucks (replaced it with a Limbsaver). My 9 year old would definitely not like it with full power loads. I also reload so I loaded up some 200 gr XTP's with a lighter charge and it was noticeably better. My Silencerco Hybrid finally cleared and it reduces recoil even more.
Accuracy is so-so, about 3"-4" 5 shot groups at 100. Since the accuracy sort of limits the range I'm not sure the extra power of the .44 is an advantage over the 357. I wanted a .44 so I could shoot 300gr subsonics, but if it wasn't for that I think maybe the .357 would have been a better idea for the kids?

Thanks for the input

They are pleasant to fire with light or medium loads - mine even feeds well with .44 Spl. I wouldn't recommend it with magnum loads for a recoil-averse shooter. It doesn't bother my shoulder, but the angle of the comb does catch my face. I'm very pleased with the build quality and reliability so far. An extended magazine release and more mag capacity would be nice.

I have one of these and loaded some 240 cast bullets over a light charge of unique for my buddy's son to use this year. These are my plinking loads for a handgun and are very mild. You get more juice out of the rifle barrel but not really any recoil. Ask around and see if someone can load up a box for you.

A buddy of mine has one.  I have shot it and instantly fell in love, great rifle.  If we could hunt deer with them here I would have ordered one the same day.  Very manageable to shoot in my opinion.

I had a 77/44 several years ago. I was surprised how much the gun kicked with full power loads. Gave me a pretty good smack to the cheek with each pull of the trigger because of the design of the stock. The 357 magnum version has much less recoil and is very comfortable to shoot with the hottest magnum loads.

It is a fairly light gun and with full power loads there is some kick.  Nothing a seasoned shooter or hunter would think twice of.  If it's for someone that is recoil sensitive they may not want to go shoot a box of ammo very often but they should be able to handle a few rounds easily I would think. If you are reloading maybe a 200-225 gr bullet would be a good starting point.