Time is runnin' out! 357 or 480 before it's too late?

[Nixterdemus]

So I just joined the lever action class w/45 Colt. Now that the 480 is DQ'd and all the affordable stock of Puma/Rossi is dwindling I need some help deciding on what else to buy.

I like the 357 ballistics, availability and price, however I also like the thought of the large, low pressure 480.

I have no interest in the 454 and the 44 mag has good qualities, yet I consider it too close to the 45 Colt.

Yes, I'd like to have both the 357 & 480, but alas I fear I can only manage to snag one and now the 480 isn't available in SS.

Any words of wit or insight would be appreciated.

[2ndovc]

I had a .480 Rossi for about six months. Just wasn't into the abuse.

Love my .357 Rossi and shoot it a lot!

If I'm going hunting for somethin the .357 can't handle I'll take the .450 Marlin, 45-70 etc.

Plus it's soooo much cheaper to shoot the .357!

jb

[45-70marlin]

go with the 357, you can shoot it cheap and will kill a deer with no problems. I have had 4 over the years and liked them all.

[COSteve]

I've got two 357s; a 24" rifle and 20" carbine and I say go with them, however, if you just have to punish yourself with a 480 caliber, give Russ Haydons Shooters Supply a shout and ask him about This GunAmerica listing.

[rjohns94]

though I would love to have a .475 linebaugh (.480 long ) to go with my FA pistol in same caliber, I would have to go with the .357 as the ONE rifle choice. If I lived in Alaska, I would choose different.

[AJMD429]

Personally, I'd get the .357, for several reasons:

• 1. the .357 is cheaper to shoot and reload
  2. the .357 factory ammo is more easily found most places
  3. the .357 can shoot .38's as well
  4. the .357 does more that the .45 Colt can't than the .480 does that the .45 Colt can't that is practical
  • (a light carbine for feral cats may be more useful than a shortened .45-70 that can't shoot the heaviest loads)
  5. the .357 is likelier to serve you as a companion handgun for CCW or 'ranch' use
  6. the .357 is a great gun to introduce new shooters with, due to light weight and low recoil/noise with .38 loads
  7. a new-design .500 S&W or perhaps .475 Linebaugh levergun may be on the horizon
  • (which could well be a 'better' gun than the Puma .480 Ruger in terms of doing stuff .45 Colt can't)

I recently thought through this deciding between an 'extra' .357 Mag vs. .454 Casull...

[NonPCnraRN]

I have a 20" LSI in 480 Ruger from Davidson's. I bought it because it was being discontinued and I couldn't pass up something that was unusual/rare. In retrospect a 92 in 45 Colt would be more usefull as there is a lot more ammo available commercially. I am going to have Steve Young work on it. It will have the stock bedded along with many other things Steve is so good at. From what I understand, stock splitting is a common problem with both the 480 and 454. A premium recoil pad will be necessary as I had both shoulder joints replaced. I can also load some lead bullets for easy shooting practice and save the barn burners for hunting. They will be all copper bullets since I am in CA. Corbon makes the only CA approved 480 ammo. I seem to remember something about Grizzly loading some CA approved ammo, but not sure if it is 480. Northfork is slowly amping up production of their all copper cup point solids to include the .475 cal, but it may be a while. Maybe when I get the gun back from Steve other ammo makers will have joined the all copper club. Outside of CA, I can load 420gr bullets for close encounters of the ugly kind (claws and fangs). Regarding ammo with Barnes DPX bullets, the SDs of the 225 gr 44 mag is .175, the 250 gr 45 Colt/454 Casull bullet is .176 and the 275 gr .475 bullet is .175. So all bullets are within a knat's eyelash of sectional density which will influence penetration. The .480 will make the biggest hole, all other things being equal.

[Hobie]

You will shoot the .357 much more. Ammo is and will be much more available. Get it.

[Old Savage]

ThreeFiveSeven

[Warhawk]

I have to agree with the 357 crowd, if you need big bore horsepower get a Marlin in 45-70.

[shdwlkr]

I have a miroku winchester model 92 in .357 and totally enjoy it. Ammo is more available and anyone who tells you that you don't have enough rifle just tell them after you get your deer if they are nice you might let them borrow it.
Only thing the 480, 454 will do for you is slam the rifle butt more solidly into your shoulder.

[Mutt]

.357,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mutt

[Jeff Quinn]

I have four of the 16 inch pre-safety .357 Rossis. Excellent little carbines. However, I really love my stainless .480 Puma.




Recoil ain't bad at all. Very controllable, and you have 11 shots of .480 power. To see the effects of recoil, watch the video here:

http://www.gunblast.com/Puma480.htm


Jeff


.

[JerryB]

ROSSI .357!!!

[wavetrain75]

From everyone I've talked to, they really like their big bore leverguns.

But they absolutely love the .357s.

[Nixterdemus]

Thanks again for the response gents. I have several hundred rounds of 357 and don't hardly shoot them in a pistola coz as I age I prefer the low pressure thump of a larger caliber to the high pressure crack of a magnum. Granted, a longer barreled rifle will tame that noise from the shooter better than the pistola. I'm more apt to shoot 38 LRN outa the old 1917 era hand ejector and grin from ear to ear.

Reason sez I have ammo and I'm impressed w/357 ballistics as it's a fairly flat shooter, yet the pull of the thumper is strong. The force of the dark side is hard to ignore.

I understand going for the 357. My fav pistolas start w/4 sumpthin', but when I step outside the old, heavy 5906 in SS is what I grab and I always carry 14-15 rounds in a spare mag in my overall pocket. I'm comfortable w/traditional da/sa and carry safety off. After that first long trigger pull I'm tap-dancing as fast as I can maintain a good sight plane. I love a wheelgun, yet it's hard to deny the advantage of the semi in layin' down some impressive, suppression fire.

Nine MM ammo is relatively cheap and evah now n then I don't mind walkin' outside after dark and runnin' thru a couple of mags just to let the "hood" know I'm still here and well supplied.

It would probably be cheaper for me to buy a 18", 12 gauge pump, but that would almost feel like cheatin' on the old Ithaca deerslayer. That 30" full choke isn't any good for slugs, however from #4 on down it'll sure reach out for an old 2 3/4" pellet chunker.

Enough of my thread drift. The 357 would make sense and be practical if I could just rid my head from the thump of distant drums.

I haven't been good this year so I can't count on Santa for doodly-squat!

EDIT: I like the idea of a 45-70 but then it ain't a 92 anymore. Sumpthin' about that small package w/sleek lines breathin fire...

[shdwlkr]

Nixterdemus
my 357 pistol is a wheel gun with a 5 1/2 inch barrel my rifle has a 24 inch barrel
I have a 45-70 also and just love it
I have a 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns barrels are 20 inch on two with 8 round capacity and 24 inch with 4-5 round capacity.
As to the thump from firing yep some days I do notice it more now but then there are days when it doesn't bother me at all.
I shoot #4 on down and buckshot and slugs some of my shotguns thump more then others but if you want to be on the other end it is much worse.
I am noise sensitive the last few years and found that wearing hearing protection has helped a lot and the ringing in my ears is less after a shooting session now.
My big problem this year has been finding time to get out and shoot and no there hasn't been much of that because of other things that had to be dealt with.

[Nixterdemus]

I hear ya... barely! I have earplugs and the earphone gizmos and they're great for plinkin'. I use them as often as possible. I won't hardly shoot 22 LR outa my Remington coz shorts are so quiet and in a wheelgun I use CB caps almost exclusively coz I like to shoot them w/nothing in or on my ears.

I'd like to have a high cap, 2 3/4", 12 gauge pump or 3" semi-auto w/18-20" brl. I have an itch for buck n ball loads that might need scratchin'. Maybe a couple of marble size mixed in w/#4 buck and a big fat ball on top.

I could see a 20" round brl 357 w/bullseye sights like the pics I saw here for some quick pointin' off the cuff shootin'.

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... i&start=20

Reckon if I bought two that I'd have the next x-mas covered

[Alan Wood]

I have to side with the 357 crowd unless you think you'll have to use this to defend from bears. When I bought my 94 in 44 magnum I soon felt the pain in the shoulder and wallet every time I shot a box of 50 at the range. A recoil pad fixed the shoulder pain but not the wallet pain. Still wish I had gotten the 357 instead. Hm maybe time to buy one of th 92 clones in 357. Keep in mind that most 357 amunition gains 300 or 400 fps when shot from a carbine or rilfe bumping it's stoping power up rather a bit.

[Nixterdemus]

The last bear I saw in these parts was 35 yrs ago. I understand and appreciate the increased MV & corresponding ME from the longer brl. For a pistola cartridge the 357 shines as an affordable, flat shooting, lethal round w/virtually no recoil.

I was looking at the 480 ammo, though costly & not widely available, as a possible low pressure, under the speed of sound thumper that I might find need to fire on occasions w/o ear protection. In house or perimeter and of course in an affordable 92 Puma package, while supplies last, that would probably require reloads to bring down the MV to under the speed of sound.

The 480 ammo redi-roll cost probably isn't that far from 45-70 and though not a good, close quarters, defensive weapon I'd love to have that 28" Marlin lever.

Thanks everyone for your replies. There are no wrong answers to my quest. I just need more money so I could buy all the various firearms I desire instead of having to choose!

Sadly, most of my 357 ammo is Blazer AL and while I've had no issues in a wheelgun I'm afraid that it might not cycle nearly as well as brass in a lever. I'm sure that will be somewhat dependent on my chamber measurements.

Thank ya'll for allowing me to bounce some ideas around and taking the time to reply in kind...

[horsesoldier03]

At the cost of being REDUNDANT! .357

[Wrangler John]

I am a confirmed .480 Ruger fan. I own two revolvers for it, a Super Redhawk and custom 5 shot single action. However, having purchased a particular .44 Magnum rifle to go with my S&W 29 and Ruger SBH revolvers that was just painful to shoot, I caution one to try a .480 Ruger rifle before purchase. The .45-70 is a better choice in a rifle, with more factory ammo and a huge variety of handloading components available, as is the .444 Marlin.

The .480 Ruger is a handloading proposition to glean best performance and a wider range of use. It can be loaded down with Unique and Universal powders to plink and practice with. It can be loaded hot with high quality commercial cast bullets that it can take anything in North America. I use Starline brass purchased in lots of 500 to handload various bullets, and Hornady factory loads which are very accurate. I picked up two boxes of Federal Vital Shok .480 Ruger ammo with the 275 grain Barnes Expander bullets (1350 fps muzzle velocity, 1115 ft lbs energy) for use in the lead free area. Federal must load these to just under the point where they produce a super nova and collapse into a black hole, because the recoil was far in excess of my normal loads that produce similar ballistics. Band Aids or Super Glue will stop the bleeding. Extraction was difficult in both revolvers. Ammo is available online, offering better sources. However, the .480 Ruger is the most consistently accurate cartridge I have ever loaded.

In your case, I vote for the .357 Magnum rifle (too bad somebody didn't chamber a rifle in .357 Maximum it's a better cartridge). You'll use it a lot more, and become proficient with it. Ammo's cheaper and handloading a breeze. It'll just be more fun.

[AJMD429]

I was looking at the 480 ammo, though costly & not widely available, as a possible low pressure, under the speed of sound thumper that I might find need to fire on occasions w/o ear protection. In house or perimeter and of course in an affordable 92 Puma package, while supplies last, that would probably require reloads to bring down the MV to under the speed of sound...

Don't forget that handloading could get you either .45-70 or .45 Colt loads with very heavy bullets at sub-Mach-1 velocities, too. I've heard of folks using very heavy (405 gr and more) bullets in .45 Colt for that purpose, but don't know the load data. The .45-70 case has far more room, of course. Such 'cat-sneeze' loads can be deadly on barnyard predators and not bust your eardrums.

ALSO - remember the 'Guide Gun' - 37" @ 7 lbs is actually half an inch shorter than the 1894 - 37.5" @ 6.5 lbs - it just LOOKS bigger...

Reckon if I bought two that I'd have the next x-mas covered

That's the way I think - but sometimes it gets me in big trouble...

...too bad somebody didn't chamber a rifle in .357 Maximum it's a better cartridge.

A .44 Mag could be converted to .357 Bain & Davis (.44 Mag necked to .357) fairly easily - it would be a nice 'conversion' to have, although I wouldn't want a necked round in a companion revolver (maybe a Contender, though... ).

[DBW]

.357 vote here. My Rossi has a Ruger SP101 and Uberti SA for companions that will be in my possession when everything falls to pieces.

[PaulB]

If you want a gun useful for everything, something you will carry all the time, get the .357. If you want a gunsafe queen to impress your buds with, get the .480.

The .357 can be a low pressure round too. Just put less powder in it.

[O.S.O.K.]

IMHO, since you have a 45 Colt the answer is .357 Mag. For all of the reasons that you see listed in this thread.

[Streetstar]

Sorry --- i didnt read through the whole thread -- but would like to give another vote for the .357 unless you have a .480 companion piece (its not a rule to have a companion piece though)

If its just about firepower, a .45-70 carbine may be a bit more versatile over the long haul.

That said ---- its your dough. If you wanna add one to the gun safe before they are discontinued , i understand --- the .357 carbines are not going anywhere and you will always be able to find one of those

[Lobo]

Elmer Keith used to say, "Use the most gun you can shoot accurately"....paraphrased.

If you'd like both, buy the 480 now, and pick up the 357 a couple--three years down the road!! The best of both worlds!!

[piller]

I love my .480 Puma. The only reason I would get a .357 instead would be the cost of the ammo. I like the .357, but I prefer my .480.

[Buck Elliott]

Considering your opening parameters -- .357.