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View Poll Results: If you had to pick one lever rifle to keep would you keep the .357 Mag or 45 Colt?

Voters
288. You may not vote on this poll
  • .357 mAG

    155 53.82%
  • 45 Colt

    133 46.18%
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Thread: If you had to pick one lever rifle to keep would you keep the .357 Mag or 45 Colt?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    IMO a .357 would be the second choice to .44 Mag.

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Dec 2013
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    I voted 357. Its a downright stingy caliber to reload. Brass is either free or dirt cheap too.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master Jack Stanley's Avatar
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    South of the north pole in the land of the falling waters
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    .357 is a pretty easy choice .

    Jack
    Buy it cheap and stack it deep , you may need it !

    Black Rifles Matter

  4. #24
    Boolit Master claude's Avatar
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    Sep 2014
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    I would pick the one that could tell me how many pounds of wheel weights are in a 5 gallon bucket, full to the top and struck off.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    Feb 2009
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    It's a tough call for me. The 357 with a hardened heavy wfn at full throttle can bust both shoulders of a bull elk and exit, or it can be loaded with fun & great practice rounds at 6-7 grains of powder. Easy on the shoulder, and quiet too. A handful of cartridges out of the pocket goes further than that of the bigger bores.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
    A pause for the COZ's Avatar
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    Sep 2011
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    633
    Good poll except neither one is the one I am going to keep. Finally have my hooks into a lever action in 327 magnum. Henry in this case.
    When I die my grandson is going to get a Single 7 and a Henry in 327 magnum.
    As a matter of fact my 357 magnum wont make it another month or so. Then its gone.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master

    Loudenboomer's Avatar
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    Nov 2007
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    I'd be a neither also. I'm quite fond of the .35 Rem and have a couple waffle top 336's. I've got Plenty of .35 rem brass and Grumpa has allot more if I need it. Easy to load 38 special type loads and still have the ability to spice it up to extend the range a bit.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master scattershot's Avatar
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    Sep 2011
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    It would depend to a large extent on your companion pistols. Off the top of my head, the .357 offers more versatility for shooting and general plinking, is cheaper to reload, and you can still hunt with it.
    "Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"


    Disarming is a mistake free people only get to make once...

  9. #29
    Boolit Master veeman's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    44-40 of course, as it should be. But if I had to choose, 45 colt.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Aug 2009
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    gardners pa.
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    .357 because I already have one. it uses .38 spl. brass which I have many of. nickel plated get the hot loads. the brass gets the lighter loads. it goes well with my ruger Blackhawk and security-six.

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    58
    were I to pick a pistol caliber, lever carbine, it would be a,
    model 1894 Marlin, in caliber .357 Mag.
    .
    That rifle, in the 357 caliber; will hit hard, ....shoot flatter than the 45 colt,
    and kick less.

    And it will do pretty much anything you want a pistol caliber lever carbine to do,
    anytime you want to do it.
    .
    .
    Were I to puck a good reliable reload, it would be a 357 Mag case, 2400 powder, and a cast, gas check bullet of .358 diameter, at around 160 grains, with a blunt nose, driven to about 1700 fps.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    Feb 2017
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    NWO sunset country
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    716
    45 colt because I already have moulds checks that would work but I bought 45-70 because it will do everything that I will ever call on it to. 357 would be just a plinker , not really enough for bear, moose, elk, probably not enough for our big whitetails either.

  13. #33
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    Central PA
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    45
    45 colt

  14. #34
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Florida Panhandle
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    Easily the .45 Colt. I have rifles in both calibers and while the .357 is one of my favorite plinking guns, the .45 hits harder past about 50 yds and if you cast your own bullets the difference in cost is minimal.

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    The difference in cost is minimal for powder and lead, true. I consider the cost of brass too. I dont have any 45 colt brass from my scrounging. But I have a coffee can full of 38s and another full of 357. Another consideration for me, is the availability of factory ammo. Not that I buy a lot, but things happen, and its nice to be able to pick up a box if needed. 45 colt ammo is like.... a dollar a shot?

    None of my friends reload. When they trade guns, I routinely get 38/357, 45 acp, 30-06 factory ammo. Wish they traded in 44s, 45 colt, and 45/70!

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    106
    Don't waste time, just get a 45-70....load it lite so Wimmen and Kids can shoot, or top end that Very few will want to shoot. The sweet spot is in the middle. I hot-rodded a .45 colt for several years and one day woke up with two 45-70's.

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
    Rick Hodges's Avatar
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    Feb 2006
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    Taylor, Michigan
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    I picked the .357 Mag. As much as I love the 45 Colt, I don't like that small rim in a lever rifle. I would keep the Mag.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    Nov 2007
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    945
    .45 Colt any day of the week and twice on Sundays
    Failure is not an Option

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy hornady308's Avatar
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    Apr 2009
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    North Carolina - in the Piedmont
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    Both are great, but I'll go with the 357 simply because it is so cheap to shoot and I have had a much easier time finding accurate loads in the 357 Rossi as opposed to the 45 LC Rossi.

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    barry s wales uk
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    357 is my pic ,low recoil and noise ,cheap to reload. whats not to like ? If I want to use a 45 I'll use my 45-70 it will do anything a 45 lc will do and more.just stirring things up guys.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check