Poll: Lever & revolver combo - which caliber?

[s1xty7]

.22lr and don't look back.. because pillar of salt and or everyone is laughing.

There is some merit here. Is this just to say you have a rifle/revolver combo and shoot it occasionally or is this to be a regular shooter? If they are to be regular shooters, 22lr is going to be far and away your cheapest option. Lots of great 22lr lever guns out there (the Winchester 9422 is my preference) and a whole ton of great 22lr revolvers too. If you want something more powerful but still a regular shooter, 357 mag/38 special is going to be the next cheapest option if you're not reloading.

However, if you're just getting them for occasional shooting and to have them and the calibers must match, 45LC or 44 mag would have more oomph but cost a bit more for factory loaded ammo.

Good luck! Fun problem to solve!

 

[K-22]

38-40 or 44-40
Why do anything but pure classics.

Why?
Ammo availability.

 

[PA31350]

Why?
Ammo availability.

Things cheap are not always good,
And good isn't always cheap.
Half the fun of shooting is not going through 1000's of rounds of 5.56, bit the lost art of casting, reloading, annealing brass...
Why I stand behind my two bit.

 

[Quirt Evans]

I voted .44Mag.
Especially when you reload the cost difference for a box or two of ammo just isn't that much for an afternoon of fun.
I'll shoot a bunch of reduced loads, and then maybe a few rounds of "hot stuff" before heading home.
Another thing is I can't stand hearing the obnoxious "crack" of a .357Mag. out of a handgun.
Too much noise for the amount of fun you get.

 

[Val1884]

38-40

 

[Wombat of Doom]

I'd go .357. Multiple reasons, but cost and ammo availability lead the way.

If I voted other, I would vote for.500 s&w magnum.

 

[DB is Here]

I wanted to choose the .44 Mag but at heart I love my .357's more.

Respect to the 3 curmudgeons that voted other...

 

[USMC-03]

More than a few years ago, I had a Ruger Redhawk and Browning 92 combo in .44 Magnum. It was a great set and I'm sorry I they aren't still in my battery. We la guerre.

I'd love to acquire another model 92 clone but these days the .357 is my preference for compatibility. A matching brace of original .357 Redhawks would be very cool. I need to buy a lottery ticket…

 

[K-22]

Things cheap are not always good,
And good isn't always cheap.
Half the fun of shooting is not going through 1000's of rounds of 5.56, bit the lost art of casting, reloading, annealing brass...
Why I stand behind my two bit.

Cost was not mentioned.

Readily available, is a big plus for most.
Burn through ammo?
Perhaps 150-200 rounds on a weekend.
Carry gun, 50 rds. Then usually 150 or so rimfire.
If my joints are not causing too much pain, maybe mix in a little .45acp.

 

[Sxsnuf]

Going niche here, for a lot of reasons ...

.327 Federal Magnum.

If you have to ask why you wouldn't understand.

Why??

 

[Sxsnuf]

.357!
Because my aging, once surgically repaired wrist doesn't like heavy recoil. Therefore, it's the largest revolver I own.

 

[Old Dog]

.357/.38. Because... 'Merica.

 

[The Heretic]

Two of the guns on my bucket list are a lever action rifle and revolver chambered for the same cartridge. If you were going to pick up a combo like this to be used as general purpose firearms, which caliber would you pick and why?

.44 Mag - of the choices, it is the most versatile. Not as popular as the .357, but certainly popular enough. There is nothing the .357 can do that the ..44 cannot & the .44 mag can do things the .357 cannot - i.e., handle heavy (greater than 200 gr) projectiles with aplomb.

I do wish I had a .44 mag revolver more like my .357 TRR8, instead of my 329.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I sure wish I knew where y'all were getting inexpensive .357 Magnum ammo...
'Round my parts...it is expensive and not much for selection either.

I've owned :

A Winchester 1873 rifle , made in 1889 in .32-20 , along with a Colt Army Special in the same caliber....
A Winchester 1892 rifle , made in 1900 in .32-20 and a Colt Bisley made in 1902 also in .32-20.

A Uberti Winchester 1873 Carbine in .45Colt and a Uberti 1873 Colt copy in the same.

The originals were sold , sadly...when times were tough and I needed the money.
The so called replicas were neat and fun shooters...but not historically accurate enough for me.
All of the above shot well...and luckily shot the same ammo equally well.

I've also owned two Marlin 1894's ...one in .357 and the other in .44 Magnum.
For these I had a Ruger Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk...the Blackhawk was a unaltered 3 screw model.
The Marlin's were JM marked...all shot nicely...but the dumazz crossbolt safety of the Marlin's ...
Made them unshootable to me...so...all were sold.

Of the above...
I'd love to have the Winchester 1873 and Colt Bisley back....sigh.
Andy

 

[CountryGent]

A Winchester 1873 rifle , made in 1889 in .32-20 , along with a Colt Army Special in the same caliber....
A Winchester 1892 rifle , made in 1900 in .32-20 and a Colt Bisley made in 1902 also in .32-20.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

I sure wish I knew where y'all were getting inexpensive .357 Magnum ammo...
'Round my parts...it is expensive and not much for selection either.

I've owned :

A Winchester 1873 rifle , made in 1889 in .32-20 , along with a Colt Army Special in the same caliber....
A Winchester 1892 rifle , made in 1900 in .32-20 and a Colt Bisley made in 1902 also in .32-20.

A Uberti Winchester 1873 Carbine in .45Colt and a Uberti 1873 Colt copy in the same.

The originals were sold , sadly...when times were tough and I needed the money.
The so called replicas were neat and fun shooters...but not historically accurate enough for me.
All of the above shot well...and luckily shot the same ammo equally well.

I've also owned two Marlin 1894's ...one in .357 and the other in .44 Magnum.
For these I had a Ruger Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk...the Blackhawk was a unaltered 3 screw model.
The Marlin's were JM marked...all shot nicely...but the dumazz crossbolt safety of the Marlin's ...
Made them unshootable to me...so...all were sold.

Of the above...
I'd love to have the Winchester 1873 and Colt Bisley back....sigh.
Andy

components are relatively cheap. So on my press. There are a lot of bullet choices on my shelf and a couple I can hardcast

 

[Andy54Hawken]

components are relatively cheap. So on my press. There are a lot of bullet choices on my shelf and a couple I can hardcast

I understand the whole reloading process...and think that it is a worthwhile endeavor.

However...
I would have to buy a set up....and more importantly being willing to spend the time reloading....
Not something I want to do with my limited spare time.
Andy

 

[aasbra]

I voted 44 mag, but honestly, I like my lever actions and handguns in all three calibers you noted as options, and also in 22LR. I prefer shooting the 44 and 45 in the lever rifles over the 357, mostly because I enjoy shooting steel silhouettes and appreciate the results with the heavier projectiles. But the 357 is a great round in both rifles and handguns.

I handload my ammo, and all three calibers are pretty versatile platforms. The cost differential of ammo narrows considerably when you are producing your own rather than buying retail commercial loads, so it doesn't bother me to burn up a hundred or two hundred rounds of any of the three in a range session.

 

[CO136]

I voted for 45 colt 'cause it's more bigger than the rest on the list and I really like the caliber . Got the other calibers covered as well in long gun / hand gun pairs. .357 is really cool, less expensive than 44 or 45 unless you are rolling your own, and it can perform. But, also got .22 LR paired and that may be the one that puts the most food on the table come hard times.

Great to hear other's perspective!

 

[Flopsweat]

Personally, I do both .357 and .44 in wheelgun and levergun combos. Between the two, there is no question: .44 Magnum. I rarely shoot the .357s any more. YMMV.

Until I owned a .44, I wanted a lever gun in .357 to go with my revolver. Now that I own an Anaconda, I'm definitely getting a lever gun in .44 Magnum.

I voted .44Mag.
Especially when you reload the cost difference for a box or two of ammo just isn't that much for an afternoon of fun.
I'll shoot a bunch of reduced loads, and then maybe a few rounds of "hot stuff" before heading home.
Another thing is I can't stand hearing the obnoxious "crack" of a .357Mag. out of a handgun.
Too much noise for the amount of fun you get.

This is what I do. I make a low recoil 240 gr. round for running plates, a faster 240 for more noise (!) and then before I go, I like to shoot some 1200 FPS 300 gr. bad boys to feel the recoil and watch the plates dance.