Thoughts on a Rossi .357 lever?

[John in WI]

I have my dad's .30-06 for longer distance deer, but have been kicking around getting a .30-30 for years now. I have not been seeing them turning up at gun shops. Now I'm thinking, for the kind of ranges the rifle would be used for (thick woods deer) a hot .357 would be enough. People take them with handguns all the time. I'm a big fan of .357's, and out of a 16 or 18" barrel, you can really get them smokin'.

It would also be a nice overlap to reload for one caliber instead of 2.

How are Rossi's? I looked into them a few years ago, but the word at the time was that they were kind of hit or miss. If you ended up with a good one, they were great shooters. Others had feeding problems and gritty triggers.

What do you guys think? Seems to me a lever .357 would be a good brush gun/HD gun/truck gun. And being able to down-load it with .38's would open up some cheaper, lower noise plinking.

Just not sure if the $425 price tag on a Rossi is worth it or not.

[wilded]

I have the 24 inch octagon barrel model 92 Rossi in .357/38. I shoot 38 special in it for hogs and varmints and step up to .357 for deer. I have only shot three does with it but they all dropped in just a few yards. If I had been using jacketed bullets the performance might have been a little better, but when all three dropped in sight with a cast bullet what else can you ask for. My rifle is accurate and points very well.

[Lead Fred]

The 1895 and 1894 designs are superior to the 1892 design.

I'll take an American made Marlin or Winnie over a Rossi any day of the week.

Any of the new ones are not worth owning, thats why the prices for the older ones are sky rocketing.

The pistol calibers are slower and shorter ranger than the 30-30, I see no reason for them, if you already own a 30-30

[helice]

I picked up a Rossi 10 years ago and all I can say is "they are fun." Mine is in 45Colt. My brother's is in 357. When the M-92s come out, the one that gets shot the most is the 357. It's comfortable to shoot, there's ammo available everywhere, it seems to shoot those 125 gr. pills pretty good and it handles the 180 grain thumpers just fine. I've taken no game with it (bigger than trecherous golf balls and dangerous beer cans) but there are many here who have. I don't think you can go wrong unless you've got something against having a ton of fun. That gun ain't just for deer hunting.

[gon2shoot]

I have bought several of the 1892s (the earlier ones), they keep walking away ( wife, kids, new shooters etc.)
The ones I bought were a little rough starting out but, with a little work made darn nice shooters. I really like the 92 actions and wouldn't be found without a few of them around.

[fecmech]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=152347

[Four Fingers of Death]

The rifle in my avitar is a 38/357 Rossi. Brilliant rifle, it has had thousands and thousands of shots through it and has never missed a beat. It would have to be close to being the best rifle I have ever owned. They might be a bit gritty at first, but a little attention and they are fine.

They are also hell for stout. A lot of shooters will look at other leverguns as being superior/stronger/better finished, etc, but I don't see any of those brands being chambered for 454 Casulls. Strong, simple, cheap, reliable, whats not to like?

They might need a bit of elbow grease to get smooth (hey! the mighty Marlin 1894 is in this category now!), but they are definetely worth it.

[Lonegun1894]

I have three of them, 2 .357s and a .45, and am seriosly thinking about picking up a .44 next just cause I have a ton of brass for it. The 3 I have all shoot great. Granted, they were a little stiff fresh out of the box, but any new gun usually is. As to the strenght, I have read a lot of articles, both online and in books, stating that the '92 action is stronger than the Winchester '94, the Marlin '94, or the Marlin '95. And as Four Fingers of Death said, look at the calibers available in these actions and I think this is pretty much proven. I'm not saying those kind of pressures are needed, but it's nice knowing the '92 can take them and keep on going.

[Old Ironsights]

I have my dad's .30-06 for longer distance deer, but have been kicking around getting a .30-30 for years now. I have not been seeing them turning up at gun shops. Now I'm thinking, for the kind of ranges the rifle would be used for (thick woods deer) a hot .357 would be enough. People take them with handguns all the time. I'm a big fan of .357's, and out of a 16 or 18" barrel, you can really get them smokin'.

It would also be a nice overlap to reload for one caliber instead of 2.

How are Rossi's? I looked into them a few years ago, but the word at the time was that they were kind of hit or miss. If you ended up with a good one, they were great shooters. Others had feeding problems and gritty triggers.

What do you guys think? Seems to me a lever .357 would be a good brush gun/HD gun/truck gun. And being able to down-load it with .38's would open up some cheaper, lower noise plinking.

Just not sure if the $425 price tag on a Rossi is worth it or not.

In a word, Yes, it's worth it.

In a picture:



Taken at 110yds

As for the damage a 180gr .357 @ 1800 (the Buffalo Bore 180 WFN or eq) will do (@ 110yds, hit the ball of the shoulder joint):



I've taken 5 whitetails with mine at ranges from 30yds to 110 yds, both stationary and on the run.

Couple it with your .357 handgun and you have an almost unbeatable combo.



PLUS, the .357 1892 (any brand) makes for a FINE "Politically Correct" Urban Assault Rifle/Zombie Gun...

Mine is Bead Blasted Stainless Steel. Any "rough spots" can be easily cleaned up at home following Steve Young's DVD guide & parts: http://store.stevesgunz.com/index.ph...hg8op152799lm3

[northmn]

My choice is a 30-30:
Deer hunting rounds can be had so cheaply that it almost does not pay to relaod.
The 30-30 is a rifle cartridge and will give more range and is more powerful. The Leverevolution rounds are available which add to its range.
There is a plethora of 30 cal bullet molds available and it can be loaded to about any level you want.
Most 30-30's are more accurate than the Rossi and rifles are more readily available and less expensive.
The 30-30 is a very cast bullet friendly cartridge and easy to find accurate loads for.
I have had experience with both and would only get a 357 rifle if I had a revolver and did not want to spend another $200 getting into another caliber for reloading. The Rossi I had required a bit of home gunsmithing to get to shoot and it still never would equal the accuracy of a godd 30-30. I sold the Rossi as I have a good Marlin in 32-20.

DP

[Lonegun1894]

Northmn,
I can understand the extra range given by .30-30, but at least my rifles are equal enough as far as practical accuracy goes. Out to 150yds, my .30-30s dont do any better than my .357s, but show a big difference when you get to 200yds or beyond where the .357s start dropping a lot. In the end, I limit myself to 150yds hunting with the .357s, even though I practice to 200 or further if I get the chance, but trust the .30-30 out a bit past 200yds for hunting. I do prefer to get as close as I possibly can though, with most hunting shots, regardless of firearm type used, being less than 100yds, so I dont see the .357 as a handicap in the least.

[Baja_Traveler]

I bought a Rossi .357 from Steve Young already slicked up, with the safety delete and upgraded magazine follower. I use it for pistol cartridge lever gun silhouette competitions using .357's and black powder loads. It hammers the rams hard, and is every bit as accurate as any of my 30-30's.
It also is one of my favorite rifles (right behind my Legendary Frontiersman 38-55).
Get the Rossi, and the Steve Young DVD and don't look back - it's more than adequate for your hunting situation!

[Artful]

I like my 357 Rossi but paid way less than $425 and a friend and I worked over the innards to make it work better - mine has no safety except half/cock, have used it a long time and don't regret buying it.

[wvmedic]

The Wife and I both love ours, she took her first deer with it this past season. It is fun to shoot the 38's are like a strong .22 round, we both have 30-30's as well but you can't really go wrong with the .357. Like has been said you might need to tweak it a little but I think it is worth it. I changed the follower, ejector spring and sights on ours. I haven't did any polishing on it as of yet and might not it has smoothed up quite a bit with shooting it.

Jeff

[northmn]

Northmn,
I can understand the extra range given by .30-30, but at least my rifles are equal enough as far as practical accuracy goes. Out to 150yds, my .30-30s dont do any better than my .357s, but show a big difference when you get to 200yds or beyond where the .357s start dropping a lot. In the end, I limit myself to 150yds hunting with the .357s, even though I practice to 200 or further if I get the chance, but trust the .30-30 out a bit past 200yds for hunting. I do prefer to get as close as I possibly can though, with most hunting shots, regardless of firearm type used, being less than 100yds, so I dont see the .357 as a handicap in the least.

I really do not consider the 357 that much of a handicap over a 30-30 within the ranges mentioned. I had a Rossi and I have had 30-30's. The Rossi required that I lower the rear sight as it too high with any loads I tried and I ahd to take it apart and loosen the forestock or it walked its group. As to plinking loads, I have loaded the 30-30 to very pleasant levels with 120 grain bullets for shooting and to full power for deer. The cast bullet for deer was quite effective. Also used 30-30's can be had for less expense than a new Rossi (I admit that any 357 rifle is a rare find used) Many used 30-30's also come drilled for a peep sight or even have one mounted. The Rossi was also more fussy over which loads it liked. The 30-30's seemed to like about anything I loaded for them.
357's are fun, as is my 32-20 but the 30-30 is more versatile as a rifle unless one has a revelover and wants to load for both.

DP

[EDK]

John Taffin said something to the effect that "a 357 lever gun is the third most useful firearm you'll own; first and second are a 22 long rifle handgun and rifle." I feel that way about 44s, but John is probably right. Since you own a 357 revolver, this ain't much of a question to me. AND the $425 price sounds pretty good to me.

Go over to marlinowners and read up on 357 rifles. Glenn Fryxell's article on 1894 MARLINS over at lasc.us has load data you can use. I have a NOE 360 180 WFN mould..4 plain base and 1 gas check cavity...that I would consider perfect for your use. Use the gas check for the RIFLE SPECIFIC loads and set them up according to the conventional wisdom for loading the ROSSI. Obviously, a little action and trigger work and possibly better sights would be a good investment.

I've got a M1A and a LAR15 plus Cowboy rifles in 30/30 and 45/70, but the 357 or 44 Cowboy Rifles get a lot more range time. Less expensive ammo; lighter weight
and fun to shoot....what's not to love?

[ilcop22]

I love mine. Polished up the action, replaced the sights (I don't cowboy shoot, and the sights originally on mine were wrong - go figure). Shoots like a dream... Very accurate with next-to-no recoil. 24" octagonal barrel.