I think Rossi's should be viewed through the same lens as a Lee mould; you get what you pay for, and that's coming from a Rossi owner. I went through my '92 Rossi .357 and it's now slick enough for CAS. I haven't done tons of load development, but found a 170 gr. jacketed HP running 1700 fps was way more than accurate enough for deer to 100 yds.
Regarding octagon barrels, I don't really have anything against them, but they add quite a bit of weight to a rifle. Not a problem if you just shoot it at the range or sit in a deer stand, but I love traipsing pastures and bottoms with a short, handy rifle. That's why I bought the above pictured Uberti.
35W