What's your favorite pistol caliber lever rifle? - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What's your favorite pistol caliber lever rifle?

Posted: 1/22/2016 9:04:05 AM EDT

I know there are BFR's in 30-30 and 45-70 for the masochists but I'm talking about the others such as 357 and 44 mag, 44-40, 45 Colt, 454 and such that are more commonly available in revolvers.

I like the magnums because they make cans fly better than the slower ones. 357 is cheaper to feed but I like the 44 magnum better. Mine is a Henry Big Boy, brass with octagon barrel. My favorite factory load is HSM Bear loads 305 grains of freight train. Fun for plinking or hunting.

Posted: 1/22/2016 10:06:10 AM EDT

[#1]

My favorite is .45 Colt. While not a traditional lever action caliber, it works well with modern brass and powders. It can really launch some heavy bullets.

Yes, a .44 magnum is a good choice as well, and the .357 certainly has a lot going for it as a plinker.

Really, the classic .44/40 would be the most appropriate historically, but since I have a .45 Colt pistol, I like my 1892 clone.

Posted: 1/22/2016 10:08:40 AM EDT

[#2]

Anyone making a 454 casul?

Posted: 1/22/2016 11:14:07 AM EDT

[#3]

Uberti 1873 in .357 done up by Conheger, Long Hunter, or Palo Verde.

Posted: 1/22/2016 11:38:47 AM EDT

[#4]

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Quoted:
Anyone making a 454 casul?

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Rossi makes their M92 in 454

Posted: 1/22/2016 11:46:16 AM EDT

[#5]

44 Mag as a work gun.

357 for plinking.

And I'm going to have to look into the 454 Rossi.

Posted: 1/22/2016 12:03:06 PM EDT

[#6]

I've got both a rifle and carbine in 45 Colt and rifle and carbine in 357mag and the 357mag is hands down my favorite caliber. Cheap to handload (cheaper than 22mag), easy on recoil, and you can load it from mouse fart 90grn to deer taker 180-200grn loads.

Posted: 1/22/2016 12:33:08 PM EDT

[#7]

.38/.357 Rossi.

My kids call it the "fun gun."

Posted: 1/22/2016 2:11:52 PM EDT

[#8]

357 mag

Posted: 1/22/2016 7:45:31 PM EDT

[#9]

Had a 44 Marlin, and a 45 Winchester. Bought a 357 Rossi about 6 months ago and it's the most fun I've had at the range in a long time.

Also I have no issue hunting with it for anything in my area.

Posted: 1/22/2016 7:47:17 PM EDT

[#10]

I prefer the 357 mag.

Posted: 1/22/2016 10:06:41 PM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:
I prefer the 357 mag.

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this !!!

Posted: 1/22/2016 10:16:27 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:

Rossi makes their M92 in 454

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Anyone making a 454 casul?

Rossi makes their M92 in 454

I saw one at Gander Mountain a few years back for $350. I was looking for a .357 at the time and passed on it.

Posted: 1/22/2016 11:10:16 PM EDT

[#13]

I have three Marlin 1894s. One in 375mag, 44mag and one it 45 Colt

My kids like the 357mag the best but I really enjoy the 45 colt. And the 44mag almost never gets shot.

Posted: 1/23/2016 5:50:08 AM EDT

[#14]

Have a .357 in '92 Rossi and a .44 Magnum in 1873 Uberti, but right now, it's a newly acquired, 20 year old Uberti 1866 Sporting Rifle in 44-40. I've been loading it with Swiss 3F and a home cast 220 gr. RNFP. It's impressively accurate, especially considering the tiny V notch in the ladder sight.

A 100 yd. examepl:

And a 200 yd. example:

Posted: 1/23/2016 6:33:11 AM EDT

[#15]

Money no object - 460 or 500 Big Horn.

Posted: 1/23/2016 7:03:24 AM EDT

[#16]

I have owned 92 and 73 winchesters and clones in 38-40, 44-40, and 45 colt

I love them all

Posted: 1/23/2016 9:53:07 AM EDT

[#17]

The Rossi 454 92 is excluded in 2016. If you want one better get one thats existing stock. Steve's Gunz had a couple left.

Posted: 1/24/2016 11:19:58 PM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
The Rossi 454 92 is excluded in 2016. If you want one better get one thats existing stock. Steve's Gunz had a couple left.

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While I know the 454 is more powerful, it really won't do anything more than .45 LC will do. You can load the .45lc pretty hot.

If you have a 454 in a handgun then I can see picking one up, but as a stand alone rifle, I don't see the point.

Posted: 1/25/2016 10:13:06 AM EDT

[#19]

This one ... Winchester (Miroku) 1873 trapper in .357 Magnum

Posted: 1/25/2016 10:15:06 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:

While I know the 454 is more powerful, it really won't do anything more than .45 LC will do. You can load the .45lc pretty hot.

If you have a 454 in a handgun then I can see picking one up, but as a stand alone rifle, I don't see the point.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
The Rossi 454 92 is excluded in 2016. If you want one better get one thats existing stock. Steve's Gunz had a couple left.

While I know the 454 is more powerful, it really won't do anything more than .45 LC will do. You can load the .45lc pretty hot.

If you have a 454 in a handgun then I can see picking one up, but as a stand alone rifle, I don't see the point.

The Rossi 454 has several advantages over the .45 Colt, even if you never plan to shoot .454 in it.

- recoil pad (even hot .45 Colt loads will get your attention)
- stock through bolted to receiver
- Magazine tube threaded into receiver
- Loads via loading gate or tube loading

Posted: 1/25/2016 12:16:21 PM EDT

[#21]

.45/454 Casull Rossi M1892

Posted: 1/25/2016 12:25:46 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:

While I know the 454 is more powerful, it really won't do anything more than .45 LC will do. You can load the .45lc pretty hot.

If you have a 454 in a handgun then I can see picking one up, but as a stand alone rifle, I don't see the point.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
The Rossi 454 92 is excluded in 2016. If you want one better get one thats existing stock. Steve's Gunz had a couple left.

While I know the 454 is more powerful, it really won't do anything more than .45 LC will do. You can load the .45lc pretty hot.

If you have a 454 in a handgun then I can see picking one up, but as a stand alone rifle, I don't see the point.

For me it is convenience. If I pick up a round, I don’t have to wonder: Is this standard load, or powder puff cowboy or hot? If it is a .454 it is hot, if it is .45 it is standard load.

Posted: 1/26/2016 10:09:42 AM EDT

[#23]

The only benefit I know of in having 45 Colt over 454 is the ability to shoot 45 Schofield.

Posted: 1/26/2016 6:17:32 PM EDT

[#24]

I have a model 94 Trapper and Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt that are my favorite fun guns. The Trapper with a Skinner aperture rear sight and my handloads will cut the x-ring out of a SR1 target at 50 yards. I cast a 250grn rnfp with 10 grains of Unique and Win lpp.

Posted: 1/26/2016 7:57:39 PM EDT

[#25]

I'll go to the other end of the spectrum. It's likely the levergun I shoot the most.

Marlin Model 39 Centinela

Posted: 1/26/2016 8:02:31 PM EDT

[#26]

I have a Winchester 94 in .44 Mag and a 92 in .32-20. The .32-20 is from 1910. Everyone likes shooting it more.

Posted: 1/27/2016 12:07:28 PM EDT

[#27]

I have three leverguns in magnum-handgun calibers, along with several single-shots in the same calibers. The three leverguns are all Puma/Rossi's - top to bottom are 20" .454 Casull, 16" .44 magnum, and 16" .357 magnum:

My most-used and 'favorite' one is the .357, largely because it's so compact yet capable. In addition to the scout mount and red dot, it's had its barrel threaded & magazine tube shortened to allow use of my abraxas suppressor.

It'll run 140's up to right at 2,000fps and 125's slightly faster. Basically, it's the size of a standard 10-22 and the power of a .44 magnum revolver. The gun also pushes subsonic 158's thru the suppressor quieter than my GAMO 177 pellet gun. (I don't load bullets heavier than 158's in it due to the slow rifling twist.)

While not my 'favorite', the .454 is the most versatile of the three, running anything from light bunny-fart LC loads up to full-house .454's which put out more muzzle energy than a lot of .30-06 loads have.

The .44 is a great gun but pretty much never gets used. It's kind of like a 16-gauge shotgun to me. There's not a thing wrong with it and it's absolutely capable of doing pretty much anything I want or need to do, but I simply never use it; always go down to the .357 or up to the .454 instead. It's more than a decade old and probably doesn't have 500 rounds thru it.

Posted: 2/3/2016 3:15:35 PM EDT

[#28]

not even a contest at my house. 22LR rules!

Posted: 2/3/2016 7:33:44 PM EDT

[#29]

I have 4 lever guns, this 357 20" oct barrel Rossi is my favorite gun. It took a while to find one.

Posted: 2/6/2016 10:06:40 AM EDT

[#30]

I reload and had ran .45lc handguns in SASS, so the .45lc was and is my preferred handgun caliber in a lever gun. If I did not reload, and was starting from scratch I would look at a .357. Buying factory .45lc or .44mag off the shelf to feed my new range town would get old fast. YMMV.

Posted: 2/6/2016 7:35:27 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:

I have 4 lever guns, this 357 20" oct barrel Rossi is my favorite gun. It took a while to find one.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1499/24091366063_520cb0f2ef_c.jpg

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Just picked up the same gun...presafety.

Posted: 2/6/2016 9:42:37 PM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
I have 4 lever guns, this 357 20" oct barrel Rossi is my favorite gun. It took a while to find one.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1499/24091366063_520cb0f2ef_c.jpg

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I like that. I think I need a 44

Posted: 2/10/2016 12:27:40 AM EDT

[#33]

Ignoring the 45-70 since I only have a Contender for a pistol in that round, it has to be 25-20. I'm still trying to find a load that shoots well in both the Marlin and the Blackhawk. The rifle isn't too picky, but the revolver hasn't had the magic load yet.