The first rifle I ever considered was a Marlin in .357, and thank whatever power I chose the Mini-14 instead. However, there is the cowboy mantra that your rifle should be the same caliber as your revolver.
There's a lot of sense in that, the kind of sense you can't argue with.
Buy 1 box of ammo - it serves the majority of your needs.
That being said, what is the best lever action (since many of them are chambered in magnum cartridges) combined with the identical cartridge in the form of a revolver?
__________________ Semper Paratus
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
Mine is a Marlin 1894 with a Ruger Super Blackhawk companion peice. While I'm not sure either weapon is the absolute "best of class", they work without complaint and are a lot of fun to shoot. Both were purchased in the 1970's and neither have ever given me a reason to change.
Location: The unemployment center that looks like a mitten.
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I sold my levergun. But that is not to say it will be my last. I too have and old model super blackhawk. I don't think I could ever part with that.....
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"That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable"
After having both Win 94, Marlin 1895g, Marlin 336c, and burning lots of .35 Rem through a Savage 99, I like the Marlin levers. They are a true side eject and easier to disasemble (IMHO). The Wins are good but are really overpriced at this time. I think having a pistol caliber rifle along with the same caliber handgun is a great idea.
The first rifle I ever considered was a Marlin in .357, and thank whatever power I chose the Mini-14 instead. However, there is the cowboy mantra that your rifle should be the same caliber as your revolver.
There's a lot of sense in that, the kind of sense you can't argue with.
Buy 1 box of ammo - it serves the majority of your needs.
That being said, what is the best lever action (since many of them are chambered in magnum cartridges) combined with the identical cartridge in the form of a revolver?
I have a Marlin .357 mag and a Ruger Gp100 .357 mag. I used to have a Ruger Blackhawk but I don't do Cowboy action (yet) I am a Hunting and Fishing guide so these are tools. The lever gun is my brush gun for tracking wounded deer etc and the GP is always on my hip on the ranch. Couple of snake rounds followed by hunting ammo. My lever gun can hit 4" groups off hand at a hundred yards and can do plenty of damage with hunting loads. The GP also makes a good defensive weapon 100% reliable. Also being stainless it can go fishing with me.
Fun thing about tis duo, as you know, I can plink with .38s if I want to . Although I shoot mostly the .357 loads.
Like you mentioned, I love having interchangeable ammo. That's why I bought them. The .357 is a deadly powerful round out of the rifle, and manageable in the handgun.
I don't know any cowboys with a "mantra". As for guns using the same caliber, handguns are most generally whatever caliber they got a good deal on, and rifle caliber is carefully chosen.
Personally, when I was still doing ranch work steady, my rifles of choice were a '94 in .30-30 and a Henry .22. Handguns are pretty liberal with me. Whatever Single action Ruger I happpen to have!
For store bought ammo a 357 mag or 44 mag pistol/rifle combo is hard to beat. Maybe go 22lr pistol and 30/30 rifle as well for store bought stuff.
If you reload you may want to think about the 45 Colt. A round that can do a whole lot.
Some "Mantras" are big pistol/little rifle, such as 44 mag pistol/22 lr rifle or little pistol/big rifle, like 22lr pistol and 44 mag rifle. That way both spectrums are covered.
The first rifle I ever considered was a Marlin in .357, and thank whatever power I chose the Mini-14 instead. However, there is the cowboy mantra that your rifle should be the same caliber as your revolver.
There's a lot of sense in that, the kind of sense you can't argue with.
Buy 1 box of ammo - it serves the majority of your needs.
That being said, what is the best lever action (since many of them are chambered in magnum cartridges) combined with the identical cartridge in the form of a revolver?
I do not shoot Cowboy Action . But , if I understand , your handgun will need to be a single action . I also understand that low recoiling ammo is the norm ?
If that is correct , I suggest .45 LC .
If you are not actually shooting CAS , than it depends on how much power you want / need . But I would suggest S&W got the hand gun .
Not all .45 ammo is low recoil. That's just the crap they sell for "cowboy" action. With my Ruger only loads, you definitely get some recoil. One of these days, I want to fire some of those at night, and get some pics. In the daylight, I get about a foot and a half of flame!
Not all .45 ammo is low recoil. That's just the crap they sell for "cowboy" action. With my Ruger only loads, you definitely get some recoil. One of these days, I want to fire some of those at night, and get some pics. In the daylight, I get about a foot and a half of flame!
I am not very up to date on store bought .45 LC , I have never purchased any , although I have purchased some brass .
I usually shoot 8 grains of Unique with my 230 grain home cast bullets in my S&W . And that is what I shot in the Rossie , the one time I shot it .
I know the ammo companies load this caliber to pretty much BP pressure levels in deference to all the single action revolvers made in the BP era .
And the light CAS loads .
Do not know if any of the factorys load " hot " .45 LC .
I do not plan on " hot rodding " the .45 LC . I have .44 Mags for that purpose . And have no interest in shooting anything hotter than Remington factory loads . In a hand gun or in a lever gun chambered for hand gun calibers .
Beyond that , I have the .45-70 . Which can be loaded hotter than I want to shoot it .
Cor-bon sells some pretty stiff loads for .45 Colt. If you have a Ruger, you can load it to ridiculously hot levels in .45 Colt. I mean, way hotter than you'll ever need.
It do make sense but for over 20 years now I've had good success on hog and bear (and a really nice elk !) with my Marlin 336 .35 Rem and a Redhawk .44 Mag. Just don't see any reason to change things. Just me though.
I have a model 94 Winchester Trapper and a Ruger Police Service Six. Both are .357 Magnum. Hornady's new "Flex Tip" ammo extends the range of these calibers. For example, .357 fired from a carbine has the same power at 100 yards as it does at the muzzle of a handgun. Hornady has published charts to prove this. Flex Tips are available in .44 magnum, .45 long Colt and .454 Casull also. It also is available in several rifle calibers such as 30-30 and 45-70. I find this to be excellent ammo.
I guess that I am a bit of a purest. I m not into CAS but when I am on my tractor in the back acres I usually have my Winchester 1892, 38-40 rifle in a scabbard or I may have my Ruger Blackhawk, also in 38-40 in a shoulder holster. My loads are full power with 175 grain cast. I plan to try some 180 Rainer plated bullets in these. I have some of these I got for 10mm auto loads in either the Ruger or my Glock M20.
I had two or three Marlin 30/30s. I now have a Marlin .308 Hornady Express rifle. I love it. Use it to deer hunt the last two years have shot 4 or 5 deer with it and it drops them. Shoots only a a Hornady 160 grain bullet. Muzzle vel. is 2660. Would recommend it to anyone.
gossman
One of these days, I want to fire some of those at night, and get some pics. In the daylight, I get about a foot and a half of flame!
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