Looking for recommendations: for 357 Magnum caliber rifle

[Land_Owner]

I have a lot of 357 cases (> 500), cast and mfg. bullets, dies, powder and primers, and have decided that I am not going to load and shoot all of them through my Ruger SP 101 in 2.5 inch bbl.  Too much hand punishment and not enough fun.  Besides I have that many cases (or more), etc. in 38 Special for the SP101.

Dee has a Model 92 Winchester clone in 357 magnum that he swears by (well maybe not swear) but he likes it a lot.

I am investigating options for 357 Mag. rifles.  What is your recommendation?  It is currently available through dealers or out of production?

[teddy12b]

I haven't read of anyone unhappy with a puma 92.  I bought one in 44mag and I wouldn't mind buying another one some day also.  I think the NEF/H&R handi rifles have a pretty good following too.  Another option might be an encore barrel if they make it, but the easiest & best route for your money is probably going to be the puma 92, but I'll admit I am biased.

[Graybeard]

If you're willing to settle for iron sights the Rossi is as good a choice as it gets. I too have one. If you need a scope you'll need to go with the Marlin or Henry.

[Swampman]

H&R Handi Rifle in .357 is a great product.  Other than it the Marlin would be my choice.

[Hodr]

I have a Winchester 94 in a 357 trapper.  38 spl cases loaded on the low end are just plain fun to shoot.  Loaded to full 38 spl they are consistent coyote killers out to 75-100 yds with a lswc 158 grain bullet using ghost ring sights.  Buffalo Bore 357 125 at over 2000 fps at the muzzle will stop a texas hog in its tracks at the same range.I bought a 308 handi or I would probably try to fill my elk tag this year with the leverloution ammo.  That is an awful lot of uses for one gun, one caliber.

blindhari

[charles p]

Go to GunBroker and select the rifle subcategory and enter 357 in the search window.  You'll get all rifles for sale that are chambered in 357.

[Land_Owner]

Interesting site.  It is wondered, aloud, whether their auctions represent "real" pricing for those guns or whether in the current climate of "O[bama]ppression" these valuse are artificially high.  No way to tell how much the sellers really make.

[dpe.ahoy]

I have a Marlin 1894C, Rossi 92 and 3 of the single shot Handi's  so as you can see I like the 357 in rifles.  I have a scout set up on the marlin, my 92 has the 24" barrel, so I can see the sights, and the handi's well 2 have 2 1/2 power scopes and one has irons.  It's really a toss on which one I take, a Handi just about always goes and the Rossi is next.  The Marlin is pretty sweet with the forward mounted scope, very fast to get on target but doesn't "hang" as well as the other 4 do.  This didn't help a bit, did it.   DP

[45-70.gov]

i have a handi 357
scope ready..plastic stock
$250 if you pick it up  or shipped to  your ffl
scope at my cost if you pick it  up
sorry it is illegal for me to deliver  or  i would be happy to
maybe deliver to your ffl and he just do paperwork
you  saw  my handi 44 set up with that green laser
same gun smaller bore

any way  the handi  is so cheap  you not lost any thing if  you dont like the round in a rifle
but you will

[mannyrock]

   First of all, let me say that once you get any good .357 Mag rifle, you will love it.  Cheap to shoot, plenty of power ( 720 ft pounds at 100 yrds, 450 ft pounds at 200 yards), and in general, I have found them to be very accurate.

   If you want a single shot, then the Handi rifle is probably your best choice, but I think I heard that H&R/NEF has stopped making them in .357 Magnum?  Not sure, but you should check.

   If you want a repeater, then the best bets are the Puma 92 and the Marlin 1894.  Both are excellent rifles.   What will be the deciding point here is whether you want a scope or iron sights.  With the Puma, you really can't scope it (unless you try to go scout scope).  With the Marlin, you can can go scope, or peep sites or regular tangent sights. 

   One thing that I think gets overplayed in the analysis is the fact that you can shoot either .38 specials ("for practice") or .357 in these rifles.   As a practical matter, it doesn't work.  I have seen people try this at the gun range. At 100 yards, a standard .38 factory load is hitting  6 inches to eight inches lower than a standard .357 factory load.  So, assuming that you have the rifle sighted in for the .357, how are you going to "practice" with .38s?   If you have a scope on it, you won't want to be adjusting the crosshairs up and down just to practice.  Ditto with iron sights.  Moreover, the lever rifles won't feed a .38 wadcutter from the magazine, so if you use wadcutters, you have to load them into the chamber one at a time.

Regards,

Mannyrock

   

 

[Land_Owner]

Interesting mannyrock...I would like to scope it as the extreme distances for me are 200 yards to 275 yards (practice only I think); and most of my hunting is within 100 yards. I doubt that I will be attempting deer hunting out to 275 yards with a 357 Magnum.  Perhaps it can be done, but I will use my Win 270 Model 70 Classic Featherweight for deer.

So it seems the Marlin 336 is the ticket.  Wow, who would have thunk it?  I am quickly becoming a Marlin man...not that there is anything wrong with that.

[bilmac]

The Marlin for me. besides the scope advantage, you can pull one screw and clean it from the breech.

[mannyrock]

Bilmac,

  In shoolting a .357 magnum rifle for deer, 100 yards is really the absolute limit.  Past that distance, you willl have a high probablility for wounding and it shouldn't be done. The sole exception is if you are shooting the very high power Garrett ammo, which is about $40 a box, and pushes the .357 to near .30-30 energies with hard cast bullets.  With those, I would feel safe out to 125 yards, but no further.

   If you get a Marlin, it will be the Model 1894.  These hold their value really well, if you take care of them.  Aslo, they hold 10 rounds!

  Regards,

   Mannyrock

[Land_Owner]

10 round magazine?  That spells "fun" from a lever rifle in anyone's book.  That 1894 would look real nice next to the Marlin 336C's in 30-30 caliber that my boys use.  Is the 357 Mag Marlin a microgrove too?  Some day perhaps I will have a Marlin lever gun in all of my larger pistol calibers...