el44vaquero
Member
If you ever get into the Cowboy Shooting, I'd recommend the .357 for both revolver and rifle. The .44 is a great round, but more recoil and more expensive.
Which caliber for lever and six gun?
- Thread starter Lupinus
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Getting a pair in 44 mag does give you a long arm with a little more hit in it, in case you plan to use it for hunting, etc. It can be downgraded to 44 special for plinking fun, but still not as soft as a 38 special, and 44 specials aren't as easily avaiable over the counter in my experience.
Getting a pair in 357 you are a bit shy in terms of raw power. For 2 legged problemcausers, stray dogs, wild hogs, etc you still got plenty of go. For deer, you may be a tad behind. However in handguns, you can choose a lot more different sizes. The straight ruger blackhawk is a wonderful true to feel SAA, but 44 SAAs always felt a bit chunky to me. You can have 7 rounds of DA reliability in a moderate size package, 8 rounds in the size most 44s would only give you 6, or 5 rounds in a pipsqueek if oyu need it. Plus 38s will cost you less, reloading or buying your own. Sure 32 H&R would be even moreso, but the loss of power is too great.
Go 44 mag if you think deer hunting with it is giong to be important, go 357 if versatility, handgun options, and ammo cost is going to be important.
As mentioned 45 colt in a lever gun may 'feel right' but is wrong wrong wrong historically. In my experience, when someone gets somethign for historical reasons, the truer the better, as your knowledge and interest tends to grow not shrink. 5 years from now you will cringe at the thought of 45 LC in a lever.
The 44-40 would be a good and true substitute. Sure, ammo is a little harder to come by, and less options in sidearms, but there it is.
Of course, a true pragmatist may well seek out a levergun in 454 casull, giving him the option of sliding in true hothouse loads, but always able to take 45LCs as well. Of course a pragmatist may well want a stainless steel levergun too!
Getting a pair in 357 you are a bit shy in terms of raw power. For 2 legged problemcausers, stray dogs, wild hogs, etc you still got plenty of go. For deer, you may be a tad behind. However in handguns, you can choose a lot more different sizes. The straight ruger blackhawk is a wonderful true to feel SAA, but 44 SAAs always felt a bit chunky to me. You can have 7 rounds of DA reliability in a moderate size package, 8 rounds in the size most 44s would only give you 6, or 5 rounds in a pipsqueek if oyu need it. Plus 38s will cost you less, reloading or buying your own. Sure 32 H&R would be even moreso, but the loss of power is too great.
Go 44 mag if you think deer hunting with it is giong to be important, go 357 if versatility, handgun options, and ammo cost is going to be important.
As mentioned 45 colt in a lever gun may 'feel right' but is wrong wrong wrong historically. In my experience, when someone gets somethign for historical reasons, the truer the better, as your knowledge and interest tends to grow not shrink. 5 years from now you will cringe at the thought of 45 LC in a lever.
The 44-40 would be a good and true substitute. Sure, ammo is a little harder to come by, and less options in sidearms, but there it is.
Of course, a true pragmatist may well seek out a levergun in 454 casull, giving him the option of sliding in true hothouse loads, but always able to take 45LCs as well. Of course a pragmatist may well want a stainless steel levergun too!
berettashotgun
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44-40 SCREAMS cowboy action. 38/357 are much more thrifty. I've always wanted a 44-40 beretta/uberti.
one-shot-one
Member
$0.02
what will be the primary use?
hunting: .44 mag (my personel favorite)
defense: .357 mag (also good choice for cowboy action)
to have a historic piece: 44-40 (can still be used for small game and defense, but ammo is harder to find)
dangerous game - conversation piece: .45-70
what will be the primary use?
hunting: .44 mag (my personel favorite)
defense: .357 mag (also good choice for cowboy action)
to have a historic piece: 44-40 (can still be used for small game and defense, but ammo is harder to find)
dangerous game - conversation piece: .45-70
.38 WCF (.38-40) is plenty hot when fired from a pistol or a rifle.
A Colt SAA or New Frontier 1878 matched with a Lightning rifle would be dandy. Almost elegant. (SFPD issued the Lightning Rifle in .38 WCF when it was still a rowdy western town.)
Now for the rest of us who don't own a big pile of money... a Ruger Vaquero and a Marlin 1894 in .44 would be just fine.
I have a Ruger 44 and I've fired a lot of rounds through the Marlin... it's a heck of a rifle.
Now if that's too 'old school' for you, get a Desert Eagle .50 AE matched with an AR conversion. What you lack in finesse you'll make up for every time you pull the trigger.
A Colt SAA or New Frontier 1878 matched with a Lightning rifle would be dandy. Almost elegant. (SFPD issued the Lightning Rifle in .38 WCF when it was still a rowdy western town.)
Now for the rest of us who don't own a big pile of money... a Ruger Vaquero and a Marlin 1894 in .44 would be just fine.
I have a Ruger 44 and I've fired a lot of rounds through the Marlin... it's a heck of a rifle.
Now if that's too 'old school' for you, get a Desert Eagle .50 AE matched with an AR conversion. What you lack in finesse you'll make up for every time you pull the trigger.
Working Man
Member
I have a Win 94 in .357 and a Ruger SA for that combo....
Dave R don't laugh, as soon as my Marlin 1895 GS gets here I'll have
a .45-70 combo too with my BFR.
Dave R don't laugh, as soon as my Marlin 1895 GS gets here I'll have
a .45-70 combo too with my BFR.
Lupinus
Member
what is a 45-70 like recoil wise? more or less then 30-30? and what is it like out of a six gun?
Not that big of a problem. But I have a bad shoulder and don't have much interest in things that'll have me done in one or two rounds.
Not that big of a problem. But I have a bad shoulder and don't have much interest in things that'll have me done in one or two rounds.
are you sure you mean 45-70 and not 44-40?
depends on the type of 45-70. There are 3 basic loads
Standard - which is what most over the shelf loads are, designed so that they can be used in really old guns safely
Tier 2 - the next step up, designed to be used in the strongest of the 'old west' era rifles and teh strongest repos of those rifles. These are the rounds you would probably use in a marlin guide gun, for instance
Tier 3 -the final step, designed to be used in throughougly modern bolt actions and single shot rifles (Ruger #1s) These bad boys reach 458 winchester mag levels of performance. We are talking use on Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and the like
Very few revolvers chamber 45-70, Magnum Researches (?) BFR, which supposedly stands for Biggest Finest Revolver (rather than Big F**king Revolver..really) but I don't think that thing could handle tier 3 loads
depends on the type of 45-70. There are 3 basic loads
Standard - which is what most over the shelf loads are, designed so that they can be used in really old guns safely
Tier 2 - the next step up, designed to be used in the strongest of the 'old west' era rifles and teh strongest repos of those rifles. These are the rounds you would probably use in a marlin guide gun, for instance
Tier 3 -the final step, designed to be used in throughougly modern bolt actions and single shot rifles (Ruger #1s) These bad boys reach 458 winchester mag levels of performance. We are talking use on Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and the like
Very few revolvers chamber 45-70, Magnum Researches (?) BFR, which supposedly stands for Biggest Finest Revolver (rather than Big F**king Revolver..really) but I don't think that thing could handle tier 3 loads
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