Rossi 45 Colt Cast- Hunting Pigs

[AlaskaMike]

TCLouis, I'm kind of surprised your .357 model 92 isn't performing better. Mine has been great, and it doesn't matter if I shoot 125 gr .38 special loads, or full power 180 gr .357 mag loads. It really seems to like the MP 170 grain 359 Hammer from the group buy last year.

[Harter66]

TC I don't think it was lazy more likely it is a tooling , cost to retool , one set of tools thing .

The rifles are also , pardon the pun , aimed at a particular market as a high volume low power companion gun for entry level CASS/SASS gamers . Heavy and high speed are neither needed or wanted so a fly weight bullet at 800 fps is perfect .

The JM Marlin 1894C took every load I had in the Sec 6 6" 357 halved the 2 yd group at 50 yd and added 400 fps to it and it shared brass sized or not with both the 357 and the M10 Smith . But the 16" twist changes everything I shot it a few times out to 325 yd I never did hit that 8" steel plate a second time but the hold over with the back of the barrel band centered in the V and keeping the post on the plate isn't as easy as it sounds . I sent the 16" 92 away for a 20" 1-16" twist barrel with a couple of anti cowboy ......maybe nuevo-vaquero mods .........I'll get it back some day I'm sure .

[lar45]

The Rossi M92 in 45 Colt is not a weak gun. White Labs proofed them to 50kpsi.
The Puma M92 was chambered in 454 and 480, both are high pressure cartridges.

With the slow twist rate of the Rossi M92 in 45 Colt, you need to use a shorter/lighter bullet.
I shoot a 270 from Hunter's Supply with 22gns of 2400. That load gives 1587fps out of my 24" barrel and it shoots great. Pine cones on the 75yd berm don't stand a chance shooting offhand.

I think the 454 used a 20" twist. Anybody have one that can confirm it? I saw them up on GunBroker recently. If you want to shoot 300gn bullets, you could sell the 45 Colt and buy a 454...

[missionary5155]

Last 454 I saw for sale was past $1450 !
I can easily shoot our 45 Colts with the Lee 255 FNGC and fire twice if needed.

[cowboy4evr]

I have a SS Rossi 92 w/ 16" barrel . I shoot the LEE 255 gr RNFP cast bullet ( cast myself ) . Loaded on top of 8.0 grs of W231 is a very powerful load . After that I have used 13.0 grs of HS6 . I got those loads from reading John Linebaughs writings . I have often thought about loading that bullet on top of a load, slightly compressed of 3F black powder . I'm think that load would stop a hog in his tracks . If shot taken close enough , you would of killed and barbecued him at the same time . Regards Paul

[Gray Fox]

If I recall correctly John L. wrote about his wife having success with the 8.0 of 231 at 100 yards on large deer with a 4" barreled pistol If that load from a 20" barrel can't kill a hog there might be a problem with shot placement, or too big of a hog at too long a distance. This is now my standard load with the Lee 255 RNFP, but I do have the RCBS 270 SAA that I want to try, but I doubt it will cycle through either my Rossi '92 or Marlin 1894. GF

[Point452]

what is the twist rate of that gun??? perhaps it not a fast enough twist?

I believe 1:30 twist

[Point452]

I don’t think my 300gr Lee load goes transonic until about 140yds. I have considered rechambering to a bottleneck 45/480 ruger to get rid of the massively oversized chamber, but that seems overly complex/costly.

[lar45]

Last 454 I saw for sale was past $1450 !
I can easily shoot our 45 Colts with the Lee 255 FNGC and fire twice if needed.

They have new 454s on GunBroker for $750ish

[trapper9260]

I read about some have problems with there 357 92 on this posting , what I shoot in my BH shoot no problem in my Rossi 357 . I had something broke in it had it fix and my gunsmith after he fix it he tested it and shot factory ammo in it and he said it was dead on at 100 yrds hit a 6" steel plate open sight with out any problems , it is a 16" barrel . It works with 38 spl also good .

[GasGuzzler]

They're all 1:30"
Lazy? I am guessing 125 grain ammo is more common in Brazil than standard 158.
The same receiver is used for them all including the .480 and .454. The only difference is those two have a threaded in mag tube. You will not shoot apart a Rossi R92. If the Ruger will take it, the R92 will too.

[Lonegun1894]

The 1:30" twist may be a headache for some, but I have a couple of these and think the slow twist is the reason for the lack of leading in mine regardless of how slow or fast I push a plain based bullet. Now, I did get a NOE 265gr RNFP, but would have to check the exact mould number when I get home to confirm.

[jonp]

My Rossi has not like the Lee 300gr mold I have. It does ok with the 255gr stuff. Fun to shoot with 200 or 230gr lead. I'd not hesitate to take any hog with the 255gr

[AlaskaMike]

If I recall correctly John L. wrote about his wife having success with the 8.0 of 231 at 100 yards on large deer with a 4" barreled pistol If that load from a 20" barrel can't kill a hog there might be a problem with shot placement, or too big of a hog at too long a distance. This is now my standard load with the Lee 255 RNFP, but I do have the RCBS 270 SAA that I want to try, but I doubt it will cycle through either my Rossi '92 or Marlin 1894. GF

I just took my new .454 model 92 to the range for the first time and tested the RCBS 270 SAA bullet over 11.5 grains of Unique, and it handled it without any problems. I also had some .45 Colt loads using it, and also did fine with those too.

[smkummer]

Lyman’s 454190 250 grain sized at .454 shoots wonderful in a my 45 colt chamber handguns and my burgess repro carbine. That light 45-70 load your shooting in your 45 colt has got to be a supreme load for hogs of all sizes.

[olereb]

Kinda late to this party but i have the Rossi 92 short carbine and use a NOE 454-255gr with Unique(cant remember exact load)and its a tack driver. My 10yr old son picks that gun 1st since its so accurate,i have found i need a .454 to be accurate though having tried .452's and got crazy groupings.

[cowboy4evr]

I and my BIL both have Rossi 92's in 45 Colt with 16" barrels . His is blue , mine stainless . Years ago I started him out on 8.5 grs of Unique using the LEE 255 RNFP cast bullet sized .454 . Then one day I had him try a different load , 8.0 grs of Ramshot Zip using the same bullet . He was so impressed with the new load that he never wants to see another Unique powder load . That Zip load has flatter trajectory , more punch yet seems like softer recoil (strange I know ) . If a person wants more " thump " then use John Linebaughs load of 13 grs of HS6 , using the same bullet . Both of our Rossi's are very accurate using that cast bullet .

[rogn]

The Rosi '92 is a solid piece of machinery. The 454Casul runs over 50K PSI routinely. I only have one 45 mould for a 255 Kieth style bullet and it doesn't feed that well in the 92 unless you snap the lever both ways.. However the rifle likes both the 300 and 259gr XTP and both mine and my son's will group 3 shots 1 1/2--2" at 100 yds. The 300 gr with the Hodgdon published load of H110 will chronograph at 1700FPS from the 20" SS, cast should too. Trouble with 45Colt chambers is that they are specked like 0.012+" over the size of a new case. Not sloppy machining, just sloppy engineering from 150 years ago.

Best hog to date was over 400# at powder burn distance. Only one that needed 2 shots was one I shot running and hit too far back. He dropped at the shot.

[TurkeyHuntsman]

I've also got a Rossi 92 in .44 mag, but it is the short-barreled carbine. It is OUTSTANDING for hunting hawgs in the brush...that short barrel is really easy to swing, especially when you're in the heavy brush. I use Lee 240-gr SWC gas checked and a stiff load of 2400. I get 1650 fps out of it and quite acceptable accuracy out to 100+ yards, no keyholing. Kicks like a freaking mule, however - that short rifle is pretty light. Definitely not a range gun with extended shooting using that stiff load. Its OK if I run it slower with some Unique - yet it still maintains its accuracy.