Puma/Rossi 92 Fan

[firestick]

Hey guys, I found this forum recently and I wanted to say thanks for all the information. I haven't made it through all the levergun posts, but I am working my way through. Very good reading.

I am especially interested in Dee's and others success with taking squirrels with his 357 Puma using 38 spcl. I have thought about it but never tried it. I may have to this next season. Just starting to cast my one bullets, so maybe I will pick up a 100 or so grain bullet mold and get prepared for those vicious vermin .

I just picked up my 2nd Puma/Rossi M92 yesterday in 44 mag. Like the 1st one, a 38spcl/357mag, its a shooter that I hope to have until my time is up. All in all I love these little guns. They are the handiest gun I have found for all around use in the field.

Keep the posts coming, I am a fan.

[Jacko]

I'm new to Lever Actions myself , picked up my .357 Rossi in January and it's a sweet little rifle . No Squirrels in my neck of the woods but my Rossi is the perfect rifle for me and the hunting I do . The .357 has made my 22 magnum redundant as it will do the same job with plenty to spare and I have also sold my .303 as the Rossi will handle the game I hunted with it with some choice handloads .

regards Jacko

[NickSS]

I have two puma one is stainless in 45 colt and the other is a 357 blued one.  Both are handy little carbines.  I have had the 45 colt one longest and it has served me well.  I use it for cowboy action shooting and as a camp gun when I go camping.  During those times I have shot several animals with it with good results.  The largest was a 200 pound wild pig.  A hand load consisting of 10 gr of unique and a 250 gr cast lead flat point did the trick.

[Oldtimer]

Squirrel hunting with a .357 rifle?  Let me give you an old challenge.  It will work no matter what bullet weight you use, or the bullet construction.  I have managed it a time or two and it is not all that easy.  Try barking the squirrels.  Before you slip on your flea collar and chew on a rawhide bone, let me explain.  In the muzzleloading era, it was considered the height of marksmanship to kill a squirrel by hitting the bark under the animal, throwing up a chunk of bark and killing the it by the concussion of the bark.  Bringing home a squirrel without a bullet hole will get people to sit up and take notice.  Try it,  you may just impress yourself.

[Dee]

Firestick there is really nothing to squirrel hunting with 38 specials. You do it the same way as with a 22lr. Difference? RANGE! Although the 38s will pick up a little velocity in the 24" barrel it falls off really fast, and will not hold up as long as the 22lr. It is actually safer!
My preferred carry in mine is 158 grain jacketed soft points in 357 mag at around 2000fps. Solution is I load ten of these, and the last two or three are the 38 specials. IF I'm squirrel huntin. If I run across a hog or coyote or other varmint I can quietly clear the 38s out and move up to something plenty potent enough for the biggest of feral hogs.
By the way, my squirrel load is a 158 grain swc bullet I have been molding out of wheel weights for about 35 years. With my bullet lube recipe, and around 1000 to 1200fps I get no leading in 357 mag, and it is a penetrator to boot. The 38 special loads are about 650 to 700fps. Probably a little faster in the rifle but, they drill a nice little hole in a squirrels head, and if you shoot too far back, it tears up no more meat than a 22lr hollow point.
I have a 51 year old Model 94 Winchester that I carried for years, and still do occasionally, but the Model 92 Rossi after refinishing the walnut stock, and tuning the action has become my go to rifle over the last few years. The factory walnut after being stripped, and hand-rubbed with true oil, looks exactly like the finish that used to be very fine on my Model 94 when it was new in 1958. It too (the Model 92) is beginning to show some outside wear, or should I say CHARACTER? In fact it is standing against the wall to my right, and will go back in the jeep when I do. Always does.

[dpe.ahoy]

Just picked up my 4th Puma, a 16" Trapper in stainless, 454 Casull.  Now I have the 357 24" Oct. barrel, 44 mag 20", 454 20" and the newest Trapper.  Only thing I don't like is the safety on top of the bolt, was hoping Stevezguns had started making the replacement with the peep sight for that space.  Haven't seen it on his sight yet.  Would really help these old eyes, but the new one with the Hi-Viz sights looks like it will help.  DP

[Dee]

dpe.ahoy, get the receiver drilled and tapped for the same sight that screws into the Model 94 Winchester. I did this, and it's a perfect fit. It took about 15 minutes to drill the holes and tap them. I also replaced the front sight with a stripped post.
As you said, it helped these old eyes.

[dpe.ahoy]

Dee, is it the side mount or the new one for the top of the receiver?  Don't know if there is enough clearence for that one.  Have a side mount
Williams on my 44 Mag and yes it sure helps.  Oops, what did I do here?  Anyway, thanks Dee.  DP

[Dee]

I simply drilled and tapped the left side of the receiver of the Model 92 in approximately the same area the Model 94 comes already drilled and tapped. I used the same sight as fits the Model 94. Mounted the plate with the two screws provided and slid in the aperture mount. You then replace the front sight, and can adjust your rear sight height by trimming the front sight height, or not.
If I was smart enough to put pictures on this thread I would show you how it looks. It works great for old folks such as myself.

[Syncerus]

I've heard that target wadcutters are terrific small game killers out of a .38/.357. Has anyone used them on rabbit or squirrel?

[Dee]

Many times. The work however, no better than a semi-wadcutter. Many in the Law Enforcement community in my era even INVERTED the hollow base wadcutter trying to make a defensive round out of it at lower velocities.
Explosive expansion, with little penetration was the results. It, in such a loading was rather dramatic on small game to say the least.

[teddy12b]

I can't say enough good things about the puma 92 44mag I've got.  I really like that little rifle.  The look, the handling, and accuracy all make it just a great little hunting rifle that has lots of power.  I plan on buying more if the oportunities are there.

[dpe.ahoy]

Dee, that sounds like the same set-up I have on my 44 mag.  I gotta agree with ya teddy12b, I really like mine.  The only one the least bit heavy is the 24" barreled 357, and it ain't bad, hangs real nice on target.  That octogon barrel has a little more heft to it than the round barrel.  DP

[teddy12b]

Well I've got the 20" round barrel, and I think I need to buy the 16" barreled rifle & the 24" barreled rifle.  Each of those rifles would have it's place in hunting.

[dpe.ahoy]

That's why I bought another 454!!  I knew there was a reason I needed it, thanks teddy12b, now I know what to tell the wife.   DP

[Antietamgw]

My Interarms era Rossi Trapper in .357 is a favorite. I mounted a Lyman 66 and mostly feed it 158 RNFP from a Lee mold and the Lyman cowboy bullet with lights loads, 158 JSP with Lil Gun in 357 cases for full power loads. My only gripe is that I've been unable to get 180gr cast loads to shoot well. I suspect that the slow 30" or so twist is the reason. It's a dandy little carbine and a smaller package than my Marlin 336 leverguns. It won't do it all but almost!