Rossi Circuit Judge

[TTv2]

I've been looking for a lever action in .45 Colt that can handle hot Ruger only loads and can cycle heavy 300+ grain bullets and it seems that the only one that can do that is the Rossi in .454. What that means is if I wanted to shoot lighter .45 Colt loads in that they likely would not cycle because they'd be short.

So, then I had the crazy idea to shoot standard .45 Colt ammo (including my double round ball handload) out of a rifle and not have any issues feeding/cycling the Rossi Circuit Judge would be an option.

I've never really thought about these before, but after watching a few videos showing the straight rifle choke with birdshot it has become most interesting. It seems these are very reasonable in accuracy with .45 Colt, on par with what a Rossi lever action can do, but the added ability to shoot .410 in a proper barrel length to increase velocity, plus the choke to reduce pattern spread with shot is all sounding like a dream come true.

So, let's talk about the Circuit Judge, shall we? Who has one or has shot one? What did you think? How did it do with 000 buck?

 

[Sneakshot92]

I've been looking for a lever action in .45 Colt that can handle hot Ruger only loads and can cycle heavy 300+ grain bullets and it seems that the only one that can do that is the Rossi in .454. What that means is if I wanted to shoot lighter .45 Colt loads in that they likely would not cycle because they'd be short.

So, then I had the crazy idea to shoot standard .45 Colt ammo (including my double round ball handload) out of a rifle and not have any issues feeding/cycling the Rossi Circuit Judge would be an option.

I've never really thought about these before, but after watching a few videos showing the straight rifle choke with birdshot it has become most interesting. It seems these are very reasonable in accuracy with .45 Colt, on par with what a Rossi lever action can do, but the added ability to shoot .410 in a proper barrel length to increase velocity, plus the choke to reduce pattern spread with shot is all sounding like a dream come true.

So, let's talk about the Circuit Judge, shall we? Who has one or has shot one? What did you think? How did it do with 000 buck?

I had one in the nickel/stainless finish. I mostly ran #6 shot, a few slugs and some #4BK handloads for pest control. I never ran 45 Colt loads in it, but I suspect it won't hold up long to lots of hot 45's. Otherwise it would have been a 454/410.

 

[TTv2]

I had one in the nickel/stainless finish. I mostly ran #6 shot, a few slugs and some #4BK handloads for pest control. I never ran 45 Colt loads in it, but I suspect it won't hold up long to lots of hot 45's. Otherwise it would have been a 454/410.

I know, I wasn't planning on doing that, that's why I said "standard .45 Colt ammo" as in standard pressure. I was thinking get the Rossi lever action for hot .45 Colt, use the Circuit Judge for standard pressure.

 

[ZGunner]

Well, I know you’re asking about the Curcuit Judge, but I have the .454 Casull and I’ve never had a problem with any 45 Colt feeding. I guess I’m using standard loads, 225-230 gr lead and half jacket at normal velocities. I may have used a box of 200 gr lead, because I swear I had one and now can’t find it. How light are we talking? I shoot mostly 45 Colt over .454 for fun and ease of procurement. I just make sure I clean the chamber well before switching over to the .454 so I don’t have any clearance/pressure issues with the carbon ring the shorter 45 Colt leaves.

So I guess my question is, why don’t you think the lighter 45 colt loads wouldn’t cycle? Is that an issue with these?

 

[Sneakshot92]

I know, I wasn't planning on doing that, that's why I said "standard .45 Colt ammo" as in standard pressure. I was thinking get the Rossi lever action for hot .45 Colt, use the Circuit Judge for standard pressure.

Ahh. Must've misread the ?

 

[js8588]

Had one. Loved it. Sold it because $ was tight. They're a lot more accurate than you'd expect. Do it.

 

[TTv2]

Had one. Loved it. Sold it because $ was tight. They're a lot more accurate than you'd expect. Do it.

What kind of accuracy we talking here? The Rossi levers seem to be a 5 MOA rifle, how is the Circuit Judge?

Also, how were the shot patterns when using the straight rifle choke?

 

[js8588]

What kind of accuracy we talking here? The Rossi levers seem to be a 5 MOA rifle, how is the Circuit Judge?

Also, how were the shot patterns when using the straight rifle choke?

Never did any formal accuracy testing with it, but I could hit bowling pins at 50 yards no problem using the open sights.

The shot patterns were good at the 15 yards I tested them. Peppered pie plates pretty well.

 

[TTv2]

Paul Harrel did a video on it. I don't think he's aware of the accuracy issues when using lead bullets as all Judge revolvers have oversize throats and my own testing using plated Berry's bullets in the Public Defender did appear to be more accurate than lead. It did shoot fine with jacketed American Eagle ammo and that's too be expected.

The .410 abilities with these... you know, I wouldn't be buying one expecting it to perform like a .410 shotgun because it's a rifle, not a shotgun. The patterns with buckshot are fine and I'm sure would be much better at closer ranges, while the birdshot still look acceptable to me at 25 yards for what this gun is.

All in all I think Paul makes some good points, but fails at understanding others. One thing I do know is that I will not be buying one with wood furniture due to the ejector rod issue. Rossi does make models with polymer furniture and I think those won't have the same issue and also the poly models have a rail section for mounting a light.

 

[Bfh_auto]

What kind of accuracy we talking here? The Rossi levers seem to be a 5 MOA rifle, how is the Circuit Judge?

Also, how were the shot patterns when using the straight rifle choke?

I've gotten far better accuracy from my Rossi Lever action than 5 moa.
I do have a peep sight though.
I have no input on the circuit judge. It seems like a novelty gun to me.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

I bought one a few months ago. I've only shot it at an indoor range and even with lead 45 Colt ammo it seemed to be reasonably accurate.

Shotshell wise I'm only allowed to shoot buckshot at my indoor range, but again it seemed to do ok.

I have the blued model with wood furniture, and run into the same extraction problem. I did run into extraction problems with some S&B 000 buckshot. They stuck in the cylinder and I had to lightly tap them out with a punch. Initially they had a huge pattern, even at close range. After a through cleaning (I got it used and the barrel was very dirty) the pattern closed up considerably.

The Hornady shells with the slug and 2 bug pellets and PDX1 shells with the 4 disks both extracted normally, but they are both marketed for 410 Judges. I was only shooting at paper, but the PDX1 had a remarkable amount of kick, and felt powerful

 

[TTv2]

I bought one a few months ago. I've only shot it at an indoor range and even with lead 45 Colt ammo it seemed to be reasonably accurate.

Shotshell wise I'm only allowed to shoot buckshot at my indoor range, but again it seemed to do ok.

I have the blued model with wood furniture, and run into the same extraction problem. I did run into extraction problems with some S&B 000 buckshot. They stuck in the cylinder and I had to lightly tap them out with a punch. Initially they had a huge pattern, even at close range. After a through cleaning (I got it used and the barrel was very dirty) the pattern closed up considerably.

The Hornady shells with the slug and 2 bug pellets and PDX1 shells with the 4 disks both extracted normally, but they are both marketed for 410 Judges. I was only shooting at paper, but the PDX1 had a remarkable amount of kick, and felt powerful

What distances were you shooting? How did the Hornady .410 shoot? I've seen videos of them doing poorly in .410 handguns, but from a full length barrel they seem very good.

The .45 Colt accuracy, I mean, I've gotten good results with a wadcutter handload in my Public Defender, but I wasn't shooting at 25 yards with it and I can imagine the accuracy falling off at that distance, which is why I went to plated Berry's bullets instead. Haven't tried those at 25 either.

It really seems to be that at 25 yards that's where the issues with the Judges start to show, but the group that Paul Harrel shot with the American Eagle ammo in the Circuit Judge was more than adequate to me. I don't think any repeating .45 Colt rifle is going to shoot remarkably better.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

I shot at about 25 yards (the max at the range) and at around 7 yards (which is about the longest distance in my house).

The Hornady did much better than what I saw in the review videos. I was pleasantly surprised with the results at both distances since I had low expectations. I would have gotten more had I known that they worked ok.

I haven't shot any jacketed 45 Colt yet. I only have some heavy BB JSP and JHP which may be too much for the gun. The ammo shortage is making fulling testing it hard.

I want to say that the Circuit Judge has way better accuracy with both 45 Colt and 410 buck shot or SD loads when clean. I wonder if even minor lead build up effects it greatly.

 

[TTv2]

Any amount of lead build up reduces the best potential accuracy that a gun can shoot.

 

[js8588]

Mine shot & patterned far better than PH's example here. It's Taurus/Rossi. QC is going to be a crapshoot.

 

[LoonWulf]

What kind of accuracy we talking here? The Rossi levers seem to be a 5 MOA rifle, how is the Circuit Judge?

Also, how were the shot patterns when using the straight rifle choke?

My .357 92, was closer to a 1.5moa gun with it's peep.