.357 or .44 Mag

[blazeaglory]

Hello. I was wondering what you all thought of this...

In regards to the lever type 1892 rossis and marlins, what do you prefer and what are the differences? Would the .357 be good enough for distance shooting? I am thinking about the .44 but the .357 ammo is cheaper.

Also, are .44 magnums the same as .44 specials?

Thanks

[blazeaglory]

Was thinking about one of these...

http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-big-boy.cfm

http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-bigboy-deluxe2.cfm

[CK_32]

Rifle I'm not sure never shot one..

Handguns I always think 357 for go.. 44 for show..

[Fjold]

Hello. I was wondering what you all thought of this...

In regards to the lever type 1892 rossis and marlins, what do you prefer and what are the differences? Would the .357 be good enough for distance shooting? I am thinking about the .44 but the .357 ammo is cheaper.

Also, are .44 magnums the same as .44 specials?

Thanks

Neither one are good for distance shooting, their bullets have horrible ballistic coefficients. For distance shooting in a traditional lever gun get the 30/30.

The 44 magnum has an 1/8" longer case than the 44 special case so a gun chambered in 44 Mag will chamber and shoot the 44 Special cases but not vice-versa.

The 357 Magnum will chamber and shoot the 38 special which will make the cost of ammunition even cheaper.

[blazeaglory]

Thanks
Now that you mention it, Im thinking getting one chambered in .357 and one in 30-30 (Eventually).

[techshot]

The Marlin Model 1894 will shoot .44 mag and .44 special. I love the gun, and we use it to shoot out to 100yds with ease. Ammo is a bit more expensive than a .357 but I will tell you its a hell of alot funner to shoot the .44 mag. The 30-30 is not going to get you much farther than 200yds effectivly. So there almost within the same distance if its just for target shooting.

[blazeaglory]

The Marlin Model 1894 will shoot .44 mag and .44 special. I love the gun, and we use it to shoot out to 100yds with ease. Ammo is a bit more expensive than a .357 but I will tell you its a hell of alot funner to shoot the .44 mag. The 30-30 is not going to get you much farther than 200yds effectivly. So there almost within the same distance if its just for target shooting.

I was going to use it for rough riding. My "SHTF" rifle. When the lights go out well be back in 1894 anyways...

Other than being fun or a bigger boom, would you say the .44 is more or less accurate/powerful than the .357? Im thinking price of ammo and also I am going to get a snubby .38/.357.

Also, could rossi's and henrys, the lever, be switched out for the bigger "loop" type lever? Or is it, some you can, some you cant?

[voiceofreason]

Neither one are good for distance shooting, their bullets have horrible ballistic coefficients. For distance shooting in a traditional lever gun get the 30/30.

The 44 magnum has an 1/8" longer case than the 44 special case so a gun chambered in 44 Mag will chamber and shoot the 44 Special cases but not vice-versa.

The 357 Magnum will chamber and shoot the 38 special which will make the cost of ammunition even cheaper.

+1, pretty much EXACTLY what I was thinking, except he said it clearer than I would have

If used for SHTF, .38 ammo and even .357 will be easier to find than .44.

A .38 +p round out of a long barrel would not be too bad an option as long as it's a hollowpoint.

A hot .357 round would gain a lot from a longer barrel

If you're going to shoot FMJ ammo for anti-personnel purposes, then it doesn't really matter to much whether you're using .38 or .44

in ANY of the above calibers other than .30-30, expect to need multiple shots, maybe even with the .30-30 but you'll likely need fewer to put down an attacker

[bill_k_lopez]

In regards to the lever type 1892 rossis and marlins, what do you prefer and what are the differences?

I own both - the major difference in function between Marlin and Rossi is Marlin is a side eject, Rossi is a top eject. In terms of price, Rossi is a little bit cheaper than Marlin. In terms of quality Marlin USED to be great, there is some speculation as to their quality control now that they are owned by Remington - Rossi sometimes gets a a bad reputation for their older (20+ years ago) rifles, but I don't see any issues with their newer guns (like the ones that I own).

Would the .357 be good enough for distance shooting? I am thinking about the .44 but the .357 ammo is cheaper.

I'm partial to 44 mag - but thats because I reload 44 mag. If I had to purchase ammo, I'd be much more partial to .357/38spc.

Also, are .44 magnums the same as .44 specials?

Absolutely not. A 44 special cartridge is shorter and loaded to much lower pressure than a 44 magnum cartridge.

[blazeaglory]

Thinking about this one (Rossi R92-51011)...I love the 24" and the looks but might not enjoy the top eject.


Or this one (Marlin 1894CSS)...Nice woodwork and as bill lopez said above, side eject. But only 18.5" barrel


Or...(Henry Big Boy .357)...Is 3 pounds heavier than the two above.

[bill_k_lopez]

The only problem I have with the Henry is that brass is very, very soft. You will scratch/dent it eventually. I like to use my guns to shoot - not handle with white gloves. I also think the Henry's are overpriced.

Where are you located?

[blazeaglory]

The only problem I have with the Henry is that brass is very, very soft. You will scratch/dent it eventually. I like to use my guns to shoot - not handle with white gloves. I also think the Henry's are overpriced.

Where are you located?

Im in OC Southern California. And yeah, I think the Henry is off the list...

[bill_k_lopez]

I'm in Long Beach. I go shooting every other Friday at Angeles (just went two days ago - so in 2 weeks).

If you're available on a Friday morning you're more than welcome to meet me up there and shoot a few of my levers. The octagon barrels look great, but if you're planning on shooting ALOT they get very heavy after a couple of hours at the range.

I just sold my 30-30, but you can take a few shots with my Marlin 1895CB to see what the difference between side and top eject are like.

Let me know.

[blazeaglory]

I'm in Long Beach. I go shooting every other Friday at Angeles (just went two days ago - so in 2 weeks).

If you're available on a Friday morning you're more than welcome to meet me up there and shoot a few of my levers. The octagon barrels look great, but if you're planning on shooting ALOT they get very heavy after a couple of hours at the range.

I just sold my 30-30, but you can take a few shots with my Marlin 1895CB to see what the difference between side and top eject are like.

Let me know.

Sweet! Thank you so much! Ill send you a PM when Im free. I take care of my elderly grandmother but I might be able to squeeze some free time, maybe when Im ready to buy. Man I do appreciate that!

[sfhondapilot]

I have the Henry 006 octogon in 44 Mag and it is a blast. For distance, I would opt for a rifle caliber not a handgun caliber. Henry does have the big loop as an option.