Rifles that shoot Pistol Ammo

larmus · 09-19-2009, 01:28 PM

TACAV in answer to this new question i think the 30-30 is like the '39 round probably closer to the .308 (7.62x51) but not like the '54r round... as for bang for your buck i would go with the 30-30 or even a 30-06 in leveraction... i bought a Marlin 30-30 leveraction off a very close friend, and he used to hunt with it, he would constantly and consecutively take dear at 150 to 200+ yards with that leveraction. my dad has it now, he liked it so much he bought another Marlin lever in 30-30 as well...

Ten Man · 09-19-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TACAV

Well to everyone who answered my question about 44 magnum recoil thanks.

Unfortunately you all compared it to a .30-30 which is another caliber Ive never shot lol.

If its not a semi current military or police round I probably havnt shot it... Yea ive lived a deprived life lol.

Would a .30-30 be like a 7.62x39 AK round in terms of recoil or less than that?

Ive been kinda tempted to get a lever action rifle in either .357, 44 mag or 30-30 before and this thread renewed my interest.

Which do you think will give me the best bang for the buck lol?

30-30 has a slight bit more recoil than the AK47, according to my wife. I can't tell much difference, unless I focus on it. Usually, I'm focusing on the target! LOL

As far as the most bang for your buck, I'd say the .357 Magnum would be the best bet. Especially if you already own a .357 Magnum handgun of some type.

If I were going to start from "scratch" with a pistol/rifle combo, I would still go with the .44 Magnum. Ammo would be more expensive (unless you reload, even then, more expensive than reloading .357), but you get more knockdown power. If you can handle shooting a .44 Magnum handgun, the .44 Magnum rifle is a piece of cake. This recommendation is based on you wanting a serious fighting/hunting combo.

If you just want something for fun/plinking/target shooting with pistol/rifle combo ammo, go with the .357 Magnum or 9MM pistol/carbine. As mentioned before, you can shoot .38 Specials from the .357, and can "muscle up" to .357, when needed.

gwhaling · 09-19-2009, 01:45 PM

I keep looking at a ruger blackhawk in 30 carbine to go with the m-1 I have.

Glen

TACAV · 09-19-2009, 02:41 PM

hmm Thanks for the replies. I already own a .357 mag and shooting hot loads out of that is no problem. Maybe ill go that route.

Doc Jones · 09-19-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ten Man

30-30 has a slight bit more recoil than the AK47, according to my wife. I can't tell much difference, unless I focus on it. Usually, I'm focusing on the target! LOL

As far as the most bang for your buck, I'd say the .357 Magnum would be the best bet. Especially if you already own a .357 Magnum handgun of some type.

If I were going to start from "scratch" with a pistol/rifle combo, I would still go with the .44 Magnum. Ammo would be more expensive (unless you reload, even then, more expensive than reloading .357), but you get more knockdown power. If you can handle shooting a .44 Magnum handgun, the .44 Magnum rifle is a piece of cake. This recommendation is based on you wanting a serious fighting/hunting combo.

If you just want something for fun/plinking/target shooting with pistol/rifle combo ammo, go with the .357 Magnum or 9MM pistol/carbine. As mentioned before, you can shoot .38 Specials from the .357, and can "muscle up" to .357, when needed.

Ten Man, How would the 45 Colt stack up to the 44 magnum on these criteria?

Doc

Ten Man · 09-20-2009, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Jones

Ten Man, How would the 45 Colt stack up to the 44 magnum on these criteria?

Doc

I'm not sure which criteria you are referring to, Doc.

The .45 Colt is a VERY popular pistol/rifle combo that has been around, doing the job quite well, for 150 years.

.45 Colt is a lower pressure cartridge with slower velocity, slightly heavier bullet (255gr. vs. 240 gr. for the .44 Mag.), and less recoil than the .44 Magnum. It is a pleasant round to shoot, and is routinely downloaded for Cowboy Action Shooting. The CAS loads are VERY mild, yet full power .45 Colt loads will take down just about any critter (2 or 4 legged) that you would run into. It does not have the range the .44 Mag has, due to the slower velocity. Full power .45 Colt loads will have less recoil than the .44 Mag. The guns themselves are slightly lighter for .45 Colt than .44 Mag., because not as much metal is needed to contain the pressure of the cartridge.

Ammo is slightly heavier to carry for the .45 Colt than the .44 Mag., due to the size of the ammo.

.44 Magnum will penetrate hard targets better than the .45 Colt, but the .45 Colt tends to penetrate bodies deeper than the .44 Magnum, due to the slower velocity combined with the heavier bullet.

Other than that, they are both great pistol/rifle combos that would serve well for a multitude of uses.

EtherialOne · 10-12-2009, 02:42 AM

Have both .357 and 44 Mag Lever Guns and Love them, esp. the .357 and agree that out to 100 yards they are quite capable. I also have a couple of 9mm carbines and while fun they are much more limited in useful scope with less power and less accuracy, but with the advantage of firepower. For the Money usefullness and likelihood of remaining legal they are hard to beat. Also if you also feel the need for a little more power and range without too much cost an SKS might also fit into the picture nicely.. about the same power as a 30-30, but perhaps cheaper to buy and get ammo for and though it's not in the same class as the higher powered 30 cal rifles, for most people it should be more than enough.

99dragon99 · 11-25-2009, 01:55 PM

Ruger has a .44 mag carbine
Henry has levers (Big Boy - 44 mag, 45 colt and 357 mag)
H&R has single shots, combos (2 barrels 1 rifle)
H&R survivor .410/45 colt

These are just a few....

jerry · 11-25-2009, 02:19 PM

I love my .357 lever gun. Thr Black Hawk compliments it very well.

rondog · 11-25-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TACAV

What is the recoil of a .44 magnum like in a lever action rifle like that?

Never shot it at all in a handgun or a rifle. so no idea.

Sorry, I haven't been back to this thread in a long time, so I missed the question.

Recoil in my .44 mag rifle isn't bad at all, it's more of a thump than a kick. It's very tame, but I wouldn't put the butt against my forehead and fire it. It's nothing like firing a .44 mag pistol, but you get more muzzle velocity, accuracy and impact energy out of the longer 16" barrel. More barrel means more complete powder burning and production of more gas. And we all like to produce gas, right?

Deep13 · 11-25-2009, 03:28 PM

I have a Marlin 1894c in .357 mag. Coming out of a rifle barrel, it gains several hundred feet per second over a revolver.

My understanding is that they are available in .45LC, though that is a black-powder hold-over cartridge and are typically pretty slow in flight. Plus, their is not as much variety or availability in .45LC cartridges as there are in a lot of other revolver rounds. If you want something of that caliber, the .44 mag. is probably a better choice.

9x19 is more impressive out of a carbine than they are from a pistol. Still, that doesn't say much.

Cyrano · 11-25-2009, 07:32 PM

Doc, the place you ought to be asking the questions about what calibers are available for both pistol and rifle is the Cowboy Action Shooting Forum. While I'm not sure about .357 lever actions, I believe Winchester makes/made a cowboy action rifle chambered in .38 Special. They may have made one in .357 Magnum as well, that likely would also accept .38 Special. It's worth inquiring. The longer barrel of the rifle gives an increase in range to a .38 Special round, but when all is said and done the .38 Special is still a pistol caliber round. Don't mistake it for a military caliber rifle round.

Simplifying your survival ammunition issues by standardizing one round for both your longarm and your sidearm is not necessarily a bad thing, if you are in an area where your sight distances are short (I'd say 100 meters or less), such as an urban environment - although why you'd be attempting to live through TEOTWAWKI in a city mystifies me. It makes as much sense today for survival scenarios as it did for the cowhands driving herds up the Chisholm Trail, who were out of contact with civilization for months at a time and had to get along with only what they packed with them.

However, the difference between performance with low-pressure blackpowder rounds and high-pressure smokeless powder rounds is substantial regardless of barrel length of the guns. More research on this is indicated. Do let us know what you find out.

EtherialOne · 12-06-2009, 02:52 AM

You may need to check on the .357 using 38 spl, as well as a 44mag using 44spl too... I know from experience that my Marlin 44 Mag Lever is not reliable using 44 Special ammo and feel that most likely my Winchester .357 Lever will probably have issues using .38 Special as well. The reason for this is because of how they feed. When you open the action the feed ramp drops down and allows a round from the tube to slide back into it, then when you close the action the ramp lifts... the problem I encountered was that with a shorter 44 Spl round the next round in the magazine was able to slide slightly back out of the tube into the reciever to the point of overhanging the feed ramp and effectively locking up the rifle in the lever open position! Of course if maybe if you have 44spl or 38spl ammo that is close to the maximum length that might not be a problem, or if you very carefully trimmed the feed ramp to that it couldn't catch you might solve the problem, but either way you may be taking a risk with your weapons reliability.

Cyrano · 12-06-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwhaling

I keep looking at a ruger blackhawk in 30 carbine to go with the m-1 I have.

Glen

AMT made a version of the Automag in .30 Carbine. They are not cheap, but one would give you a respectable pistol-carbine combo that's respectable. Try looking on Gunbroker.com and see what they are going for.

travisg96 · 12-06-2009, 11:09 PM

Hmm, how about pistols that shoot rifle amunition.

blue fox · 12-14-2009, 10:22 AM

Rossi makes a reasonably priced 38/357 levergun also. There used to be a small market for 44mag leverguns in the Northeast if I remember well. They made a decent little brush gun for deer up there.

scroamer65 · 12-14-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travisg96

Hmm, how about pistols that shoot rifle amunition.

The only "guns" that would fit are cut down copies of AR & AK battle rifles

wunhunglo · 12-14-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travisg96

Hmm, how about pistols that shoot rifle amunition.

Thompson Contender or Encore???

Freezing Hot · 12-14-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travisg96

Hmm, how about pistols that shoot rifle amunition.

How about shotgun ammo?

Super Shorty

don5544 · 12-15-2009, 11:47 AM

I have several 357 pistols and a Marlin levergun. I load the rifle with differant slugs than the pistol. Flat nose heavier slugs for the rifle.

When I cronographed 125 grain slugs I got 1300 fps out of a 6" S & W. It worked out to 1950 fps out the Marlin.

I have a 44 mag that I never cronoed. The Ruger semi does kick a lot more than a 357 rifle. Not as much as a 30-30 but a lot more than the 357.

The 357 works great as a deer rifle with a heavy slug 158 grn. In a pistol its just not enough in my book. Yes it kills a deer, it just doesn't drop it. The rifle puts them down.

A 44 mag psitol with an 8" barrel works great on deer. I have yet to shot a deer with my Ruger rifle.

I gave up hunting around here because it was more harvesting than it was hunting. I just drove my big white deer blind (pickup truck)out into a field and picked out the biggest one. It wasnt hunting because I spent more time gutting than I did hunting.

Besides in my book I'll take beef to white tail any day. A good axis deer is another subject alltogether.

09-19-2009, 01:28 PM	#41
larmus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: arizona Posts: 3,435	TACAV in answer to this new question i think the 30-30 is like the '39 round probably closer to the .308 (7.62x51) but not like the '54r round... as for bang for your buck i would go with the 30-30 or even a 30-06 in leveraction... i bought a Marlin 30-30 leveraction off a very close friend, and he used to hunt with it, he would constantly and consecutively take dear at 150 to 200+ yards with that leveraction. my dad has it now, he liked it so much he bought another Marlin lever in 30-30 as well... __________________ Lawrence Home Defense: .45 and a Shovel...

09-19-2009, 01:45 PM	#43
gwhaling Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: wv Posts: 77	Rifle/pistol combo I keep looking at a ruger blackhawk in 30 carbine to go with the m-1 I have. Glen

09-19-2009, 02:41 PM	#44
TACAV Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,983	hmm Thanks for the replies. I already own a .357 mag and shooting hot loads out of that is no problem. Maybe ill go that route. __________________ AR FS http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/firearms-listings/94532-ar15-target-rifle.html#post1113962

11-25-2009, 02:19 PM	#49
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 13,766 Blog Entries: 1	I love my .357 lever gun. Thr Black Hawk compliments it very well.
	1 members found this post helpful.

11-25-2009, 03:28 PM	#51
Deep13 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 722	I have a Marlin 1894c in .357 mag. Coming out of a rifle barrel, it gains several hundred feet per second over a revolver. My understanding is that they are available in .45LC, though that is a black-powder hold-over cartridge and are typically pretty slow in flight. Plus, their is not as much variety or availability in .45LC cartridges as there are in a lot of other revolver rounds. If you want something of that caliber, the .44 mag. is probably a better choice. 9x19 is more impressive out of a carbine than they are from a pistol. Still, that doesn't say much. __________________ That which can be asserted without evidence may be dismissed without evidence.

10-12-2009, 02:42 AM	#47
EtherialOne Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Rural NC Posts: 66	Have both .357 and 44 Mag Lever Guns and Love them, esp. the .357 and agree that out to 100 yards they are quite capable. I also have a couple of 9mm carbines and while fun they are much more limited in useful scope with less power and less accuracy, but with the advantage of firepower. For the Money usefullness and likelihood of remaining legal they are hard to beat. Also if you also feel the need for a little more power and range without too much cost an SKS might also fit into the picture nicely.. about the same power as a 30-30, but perhaps cheaper to buy and get ammo for and though it's not in the same class as the higher powered 30 cal rifles, for most people it should be more than enough.

11-25-2009, 01:55 PM	#48
99dragon99 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 816	Ruger has a .44 mag carbine Henry has levers (Big Boy - 44 mag, 45 colt and 357 mag) H&R has single shots, combos (2 barrels 1 rifle) H&R survivor .410/45 colt These are just a few....

11-25-2009, 07:32 PM	#52
Cyrano Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New York Posts: 8,213	Doc, the place you ought to be asking the questions about what calibers are available for both pistol and rifle is the Cowboy Action Shooting Forum. While I'm not sure about .357 lever actions, I believe Winchester makes/made a cowboy action rifle chambered in .38 Special. They may have made one in .357 Magnum as well, that likely would also accept .38 Special. It's worth inquiring. The longer barrel of the rifle gives an increase in range to a .38 Special round, but when all is said and done the .38 Special is still a pistol caliber round. Don't mistake it for a military caliber rifle round. Simplifying your survival ammunition issues by standardizing one round for both your longarm and your sidearm is not necessarily a bad thing, if you are in an area where your sight distances are short (I'd say 100 meters or less), such as an urban environment - although why you'd be attempting to live through TEOTWAWKI in a city mystifies me. It makes as much sense today for survival scenarios as it did for the cowhands driving herds up the Chisholm Trail, who were out of contact with civilization for months at a time and had to get along with only what they packed with them. However, the difference between performance with low-pressure blackpowder rounds and high-pressure smokeless powder rounds is substantial regardless of barrel length of the guns. More research on this is indicated. Do let us know what you find out.

12-06-2009, 02:52 AM	#53
EtherialOne Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Rural NC Posts: 66	You may need to check on the .357 using 38 spl, as well as a 44mag using 44spl too... I know from experience that my Marlin 44 Mag Lever is not reliable using 44 Special ammo and feel that most likely my Winchester .357 Lever will probably have issues using .38 Special as well. The reason for this is because of how they feed. When you open the action the feed ramp drops down and allows a round from the tube to slide back into it, then when you close the action the ramp lifts... the problem I encountered was that with a shorter 44 Spl round the next round in the magazine was able to slide slightly back out of the tube into the reciever to the point of overhanging the feed ramp and effectively locking up the rifle in the lever open position! Of course if maybe if you have 44spl or 38spl ammo that is close to the maximum length that might not be a problem, or if you very carefully trimmed the feed ramp to that it couldn't catch you might solve the problem, but either way you may be taking a risk with your weapons reliability.

12-06-2009, 11:09 PM	#55
travisg96 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Springfield, Oregon Posts: 478	Hmm, how about pistols that shoot rifle amunition.
	1 members found this post helpful.

12-14-2009, 10:22 AM	#56
blue fox Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 29	Rossi makes a reasonably priced 38/357 levergun also. There used to be a small market for 44mag leverguns in the Northeast if I remember well. They made a decent little brush gun for deer up there.

12-15-2009, 11:47 AM	#60
don5544 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 130	I have several 357 pistols and a Marlin levergun. I load the rifle with differant slugs than the pistol. Flat nose heavier slugs for the rifle. When I cronographed 125 grain slugs I got 1300 fps out of a 6" S & W. It worked out to 1950 fps out the Marlin. I have a 44 mag that I never cronoed. The Ruger semi does kick a lot more than a 357 rifle. Not as much as a 30-30 but a lot more than the 357. The 357 works great as a deer rifle with a heavy slug 158 grn. In a pistol its just not enough in my book. Yes it kills a deer, it just doesn't drop it. The rifle puts them down. A 44 mag psitol with an 8" barrel works great on deer. I have yet to shot a deer with my Ruger rifle. I gave up hunting around here because it was more harvesting than it was hunting. I just drove my big white deer blind (pickup truck)out into a field and picked out the biggest one. It wasnt hunting because I spent more time gutting than I did hunting. Besides in my book I'll take beef to white tail any day. A good axis deer is another subject alltogether.