.38 special rifle or .45 long colt rifle?

[bensonwe]

I got the itch to buy another rifle. I'm struggling between the .38 and .45. Most likely they will be in the Rossi version but that is not etched in stone. I presently have both calibers in pistols but neither in rifles and thought this would be a fun toy to have. I would not hunt with the one I choose but just shoot paper and stumps on my land. I would however cast for it. Any thought or comments on which one I should choose or the rifle make? I guess it would be fair to say that I'm slightly leaning towards the .38 special/.357 magnum in the 26" blued Rossi but only slightly. I can be swayed if someone has other idea.

[d_man2]

My dad has a Marlin .38/.357. Personally I would go for that. Brass is much easier to find and you have a LOT more loading options. If all you would be using it for is shooting some lead it would make more sense to go with that as well as you will be shooting less of it...less waste means more shooting! With the 357 it should make a big enough bang for what ails you! I have taken two deer with rifle with no problems. .38 special surplus brass can still be found as well.

[Sensai]

I love my 45 Colt Puma, but if you're just going to keep the countryside safe from rogue stumps and rampaging paper the 357/38 Special will be a lot cheaper to feed. I cast and reload for both and the 45 has a real hunger for both lead and powder. I think that the fun factor will be very close to even. Now if you think that you might hunt with it the comparison takes on a whole new complexion.

[fishnbob]

I bought the .38/357 in a Marlin and the .45 Colt in a Rossi. I had to send the Marlin back to have another barrel put on to get the front sight lined up in the middle of the barrel. This was done timely and when I got it back, the sights hit the target on the first shot and never had to be adjusted. Thanks Remington. On the Rossi, I had to replace the front sight with a taller one to get on target. So, I guess you can expect some faults with all of them. I wouldn't say that my experience is typical. Some folks own all types and never had to tweak any of them. I really like my Marlin 357 which is what I fire in it. I'm not sure about shooting a shorter cartridge in a longer throat although I've done it in mine. The accuracy is better using the .357 cartridge than the .38 although the .38 is fun in itself. Long story short, I like 'em all! As Col. Townsend Whelen said, "Only accurate rifles are interesting." But accuracy is only relevant to the rifle type.

[TXGunNut]

I'm in the same boat, have tons of old .38 brass but no moulds. Have a fair bit of 45 Colt brass and really enjoy casting and loading for that cartridge. I think I'd enjoy the 38/357 more because it would be pleasant to shoot and uses less powder & lead, no small consideration these days.
Are you set up to cast and load for either cartridge? Getting set up for a new cartridge is a significant expense for me, I consider it when toying with the idea of a new rifle. I've considered a Rossi but haven't ruled out an old Winchester or Marlin.
Good luck in your quest, this question has had me stumped for awhile.

[jmort]

Used to be hard core .45 Colt guy, now hard core .38/.357. You can't go wrong either way.

[Outpost75]

Read the thread on the. 38/.357 rifle-revolver combo in the Prepper section of Outdoorsman.

[starmac]

I think a 38/357 would handle most if not all the paper,stumps and coke cans I have ever come across. That said I do not own one, but have picked up a 45 cowboy.
Just looking for a fun plinker, I don't think you could go wrong with either one, but like has been said less powder and lead for the 38.

[pietro]

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Paper-punching is definitely more .38 Special territory then .45 Colt.

Plinking = 50/50.


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[1Shirt]

Both good, but you will save lead with 38.
1Shirt!

[blackhawk44]

The .38/.357 is far handier due to availability of brass and bullets. It makes little difference whether you have a handgun to match since accurate loads in one will seldom be equal in the other.

[Gray Fox]

I have Rossi's in .38/.357, .44 Mag and .45 Colt. As a cheap plinker, the 16" .38/.357 is the ticket. It also functions as a good car/truck gun, too. Ranch Dog has done has done an analysis of the chambers of current production Rossi rifles and they pretty much match industry specs which makes it easier to match boolits to bores than some Marlins. Rossi rifles are less expensive, too. As with anything, practice makes perfect and it/s a lot cheaper to do with this caliber. Low recoiling .38s also make it easier to get kids and spouses involved, too, if that is a consideration. GF

[bob208]

I would go with the .38-.357 rifle. there is still a ton of .38 brass out there. that way if you lose some in the weeds no big loss. the 358429 over 12 gr. 2400 in my rossi carbine will do just fine on anything I run into on the farm. groundhog to deer. I would even use it on hogs if we had any.

[bangerjim]

I own and love to shoot both cal's in lever action.

I have a ton of 38/357 and 45LC brass from previous days, so that is not a problem for me. 45 is rather hard to find and is costly. I NEVER find it at the range! I just picked up over 250 rounds of 38SPL & 357 brass last week at the range.

I shoot 45LC's all the way up to 300g, with 5 other mold weights under that. I have many molds for the 38cal and really enjoy shooting it.

Both cals ....... I use lighter loads for fun and minimum noise/kickback/recoil. I cast, load, & shoot for fun. When I want to eat meat, I go to Outback or ClaimJumper!

You will enjoy either cals in a rifle!

bangerjim

[Char-Gar]

With your parameters, I would go with the 38/357 and never look back. If you don't need a big 260 grain slug to do something to what you hit, then why fling it that way in the first place.

[Dirty30]

I have a 38/357 and it is a hoot, the one thing to keep in mind is to load the 38's to your max OAL, and use round nose boolits for ease of feeding. Others may have experienced different than me, but short cartridges loaded with SWC's hang up from time to time. You don't want that when blazing away at a bounding jack rabbit.

[JakeBlanton]

Since you're just shooting paper and such, I would go with the .38/.357 since it will use less lead. Using the Lee 6-cavity molds as a base, you can get a 105 gr bullet for .38/.357 and a 200 gr for .45. That's nearly half the cost of lead there.

[HDS]

I too went with a .38/357 because of brass availability as well as saving powder and lead. I would have liked .44-40 myself for authenticity but 38spl works real nice.

[searcher4851]

I have 2 in .38/.357 and they are my favorite levers to shoot just for fun. I can darn near reload the .38 specials for the cost of 22LR, IF I can even find 22's anyplace. If I'm lookin bigger bang, I've always got .44 mag, 30-30, or 45/70 in levers, but the .38/.357 get more action than all the rest put together. BTW, I have Rossi 92's. One 20" round and the other is the 24" octagon.

[HATCH]

with the exception of the "judge" series of pistols, 45 LC hasn't been that popular as compared to 38sp/357 mag.
Heck I load both rounds and I have more 38sp loaded then I have 45lc.
I have pistols and rifles for both rounds.