Single shot Rossi range test.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I went out yesterday and tryed a number of loads ie, different boolit weights and different powder charges. Most of them shoot good in my Smith 44 Mag. I think there were 6 different loads. In the Rossi the best it would do was from 3" to 5" 10 shot groups at 25 yards. The 44 Rossi has a .4295 barrel as best I can tell by slugging it. All the boolits (aircooled) I shot were .431. I am wondering if hardening them by water dropping will improve them any. Or do I need to shoot larger diameter boolits, like .432 or .433. The boolits I tryed were Lee 214 gr. PB, Lyman 215 gr. GC,
Lyman 240 gr. PB, and Lee 250 gr. PB.

[possom813]

I had 2 of the Rossi single shots in .243. Key word 'had'.

I took both out on different occasions.

The first rifle was the Rossi Trifecta. .22, .243. and 20ga. I bought this for my oldest daughter last year for Christmas.

We took it out the first time, without a rest to zero the scope, so we just played with the .22, and fired a handful in the other barrels just to make sure it went bang.

I took it out a few weeks later by my lonesome and set it up to zero the scope. I started at 25 yards, and was throwing a 3" group with the 100gr factory ammo that I took with it. I called it a day, and blamed the ammo.

I picked up some more ammo, and loaded up quite a bit. The next time it went out was 3 or 4 weeks later. I put everything I had through it, and cleaning the barrel after every 10 shots(changing ammo).

The best group I could get at 25 yards was just about 1.5" shooting a factory 70 grain Winchester bullet.

At 100 yards, that group opened up to just over 6 inches.



Rifle 2, I bought, thinking the first one was a fluke. It was the rifle only, and I should have done more research. I swapped of a H&R .25-06 for it [smilie=b:

It did almost the exact same thing as the above. The only difference was it like the 105gr better than the other weights. I could get a solid 5 inch group at 100 yards with the 105gr bullets.


As it is now, I traded the single rifle away for lead, that fellow said he was just going to keep it in the farm truck with a box of ammo in case coyotes showed up. He said worst case, he'll at least hit close enough that they'll turn and run.

And the trifecta was sold to a gentleman who swore he could make it shoot right, and it was just that I wasn't using the right ammo.


I'll never own another piece of metal with the word "Rossi" on it anywhere.

[44man]

Lead toughness is critical in a revolver but not so much in a rifle.
With a 4295" groove I would think a .430" boolit is best. There is no sense going too large.
What is the twist rate in the Rossi?
Any .44 that will ONLY shoot one boolit usually has a twist problem.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Lead toughness is critical in a revolver but not so much in a rifle.
With a 4295" groove I would think a .430" boolit is best. There is no sense going too large.
What is the twist rate in the Rossi?
Any .44 that will ONLY shoot one boolit usually has a twist problem.

The twist rate is 1 in 30 according to Rossi.
I have had a Rossi 92 45 Colt for about 15 years and it shoots great, I also "had, I wish I had kept it" a Rossi 92 in 357 and it shot great. Of course all I ever used them for was plinking and Cowboy shoots. All of the shooting in the Cowboy shoots was off hand, and I could hit the 40 yard targets every time with either of those rifles. I think they shot as well as my brothers Marlins.
I guess I should have spent the extra money and gotten the H&R.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I checked the trigger pull on the Rossi single shot and the best I can tell is it's more than 4 1/2 lbs. but less than 5 lbs. I would rather have it around 3 lbs. but I can live with what it is. Is 4 1/2 lbs excessive?

[Iron Mike Golf]

30 inch twist. Are you pushing them fast enough?

[45-70 Chevroner]

30 inch twist. Are you pushing them fast enough?

I shot some Lyman 215 gr. GC with 22 gr. of 2400, they were kind of hot. Maybe I should try some 240 gr. with an upper end 2400 loads

[jlchucker]

I shot some Lyman 215 gr. GC with 22 gr. of 2400, they were kind of hot. Maybe I should try some 240 gr. with an upper end 2400 loads

That boolit is one of my favorites. I used to load them between 18 and 21 grains of 2400. Never got them up to 22, and for several years would plink at clay pigeon fragments out at 75 and 100 yards, rarely missing. I was shooting them out of a Winchester 94 trapper--a rattle-ly little gun that was my go-to truck gun--an angle eject version that came out just prior to tang safeties. Later on I got an EMF 44 mag 92 rifle, and that boolit wasn't as accurate. I haven't fired the 92 nearly as much, and need to do more experimenting with it. The Winchester had a 1:38 twist, and favored that 429215 boolit over heavier ones. If you know someone with an RCBS mold that is sold as a 225 grain SWC it may be worth getting some of those boolits and checking them out. Your 1:30 twist is a little faster than my Winchester was. I think I read somewhere that 1:38 was the standard twist for the old 44-40 Winchesters, and that one used to use mostly 200 grainers. That slightly heavier 225 grainer may do it for you. Just speculating. Good luck.