I'm a small person.. 5'3" 100 pounds. I have a taurus 62L 22 lever action that I LOVE and 50 yard tanding am a pretty good shot. i would like to step up to a pistol round lever action. looking at henry big boy 38/357 or a legacy puma 357/38.
Don't want any sort of strong kick. used an AK 47 and was not happy. does any one have any experience with pistol round lever action rifles that can comment?
Thanks

Marlin makes nice .357/.38 rifles also. A 32-20 would be a good choice as well.

I have a marlin Cowboy II in .44sp/.44mag caliber. Most loads I've shot don't have that bad of recoil. I did have a box of UMC 180 grains kick like a mule and left a bruise on my shoulder. People percive recoil differently, What light recoil to me may be heavy recoil to you and vice versa. With the caliber you mentioned getting I wouldn't think you would get a lot of heavy recoil. There are ways to save your shoulder form recoil if it becomes a problem.

You could get a recoil shoulder pad at your local gun shop. if they don't carry them you can order one online. My favorite website to get hard to find gun accessories and bulk ammo is MidwayUSA.com. They usually have desent prices and have sales and I've alway found them to be an honest bunch and get orders out in a timely manner.

Welcome to the forum Laurelle Balog. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

There are several things you can do even with a light kicking rifle to make it more pleasant to shoot. Adding one of the Limbsaver recoil pads along with one of the mecury recoil reducers that goes in the buttstock makes a big difference. I've had several guns magna-ported and that makes a big difference and because the ports slots are cut into the existing barrel they can hardly be seen.

Wearing a Past recoil pad over your shirt also is a big help.

The 38/357 is a great little gun, but If I were planning to hunt deer I'd look closely at a bolt gun in 243 or 257 Roberts.

The nice thing about a .357 lever gun is that it has plenty of power and punch for deer hunting out to at least 100 yards, but you can also shoot .38 Special ammo thru them for a real powderpuff experience -- virtually no recoil at all, and generally pretty decent accuracy.

The nice thing about a .357 lever gun is that it has plenty of power and punch for deer hunting out to at least 100 yards, but you can also shoot .38 Special ammo thru them for a real powderpuff experience -- virtually no recoil at all, and generally pretty decent accuracy.

Well said. I assume you are going to use factory ammo. The .38's are great fun and you can sometimes find bulk loaded cowboy ammo at the gun shows with lead bullets and low prices.
The125-grain factory loads have no noticable recoil.

When I weighed about 110 pounds and hunted with a .30-30 Model 94 and 150-grain bullets I used to hope I wouldnt see a deer. It took me quite awhile to get used to the recoil.
If you can work on your upper body strength a little look for the Model 92 clones in the "short rifle" configuration. These short octagon barrels balance well and and are an extension of your body when at the shoulder.
The Winchester Trappers are overvalued on todays market but a Marlin 1894 or any of the Model 92 clone's offer a wide variety of choices.

I suggest the Marlin 1894 models. Easy to disassemble and clean, easy to work on yourself. Either the .44 with the longer barrel. You'll have to find a used one as they don't make the longer barrel anymore. It's the CBII Limited, but the longer barrel will give you a longer sight picture and the extra weight will tame the .44 specials even more.

Other choice is to go with the .357/.38 model, round or octagonal barrel, as has been suggested. .38 is cheap, easy to find, cheaper to reload, and mild recoil.

Cowboy loads in either .44 special or .38 have roughly the same recoil, with a litlle more to the .44, but the recoil pad, longer barrel and practice will enable you to move up to magnum loads in either caliber.

Hi Lauralie, I've been shooting a model 1894 Marlin in 44 magnum for over 31 years, it's my pig gun of choice but if you don't like the ecoil of the AK-47 then deffinately stay away from a 44 magnum levergun as recoild is stout to say the least. I like your choice in the TAURUS 62L levergun, pick one up a few months back and alot of bang for the buck. I would recomend you stay away from te HENRY just because it weighs over 8 pounds empty and would get tiresome hauling arounds the woods for someone your size. I second the Marlin 1894 in 357 magnum though the Winchester 94AE and the 92 clone are also decent though more difficult to take apart for a thorough cleaning compared to the Marlin. I have a model 94AE Trapper in 357 mag and it's a fun plinker.

Don't forget to have the stock cut shorter, if needed. Nothing makes recoil worse like a stock that's the wrong length or shape.

I'm sure you'll be fine with .38s in a .357 rifle. Good luck.

Don't forget to have the stock cut shorter, if needed. Nothing makes recoil worse like a stock that's the wrong length or shape.

Good point, and that's also the best time to put on a nice, thick recoil pad. Be sure to get measured or find out what your optimum length of pull is so you don't take too much off the stock. If you can shoulder a Marlin "Spikehorn" model, with it's shorter stock you'll be able to get a better idea of what works best for you.

Although all this may seem complicated and time consuming, not to mention costly, it's really not when considering your particular needs, and will make a huge difference in the future. If it's not nice to shoot you're just not going to use it.

I'm sure you'll be fine with .38s in a .357 rifle. Good luck.

One other suggestion. You might just buy a new buttstock from one several stock makers and have that one fitted and/or cut down and recoil pad installed. You can get them 99% inletted and fitted, unfinished, semi-finished, and even send in your rifle to have it fitted perfectly, that way you'll have the original in case you ever want to sell it, or have the right size stock if you choose another caliber Marlin 1894.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on. I hope your original question has resulted in some usable information and theres no overlaod as far as that goes.:D

Thank you all so much for your replies. As I am new to guns in general, Some of the lingo sounds greek to me.
I did do a little more research and found GunBlast.com.
Looked into the Puma 357 stainless with a 20" barrel.
leaning more that way
Welcome to the forum Laurelle Balog. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

There are several things you can do even with a light kicking rifle to make it more pleasant to shoot. Adding one of the Limbsaver recoil pads along with one of the mecury recoil reducers that goes in the buttstock makes a big difference. I've had several guns magna-ported and that makes a big difference and because the ports slots are cut into the existing barrel they can hardly be seen.

Wearing a Past recoil pad over your shirt also is a big help.

The 38/357 is a great little gun, but If I were planning to hunt deer I'd look closely at a bolt gun in 243 or 257 Roberts.

I looked into www.stevesgunz.com . from what i read he is pretty good with CAS guns. I might do some Boar hunting this summer (1st time) and am hoping the 357 will be enough gun.
Newbie question, how can a 38 fit into a 357? I like that idea.. Cheaper for practice and NO( like a 22?) recoil?

The nice thing about a .357 lever gun is that it has plenty of power and punch for deer hunting out to at least 100 yards, but you can also shoot .38 Special ammo thru them for a real powderpuff experience -- virtually no recoil at all, and generally pretty decent accuracy.

The weight of some rifles puts me off. I did find a local CAS club called the Okeechobee marshalls that I will try to take a saturday off to run out to their matches and see what they shoot and get some ideas there. So far, I am definately leaning towards the 357/38 Stainless EMF/Lagacy Puma w/20" barrel

Hi Lauralie, I've been shooting a model 1894 Marlin in 44 magnum for over 31 years, it's my pig gun of choice but if you don't like the ecoil of the AK-47 then deffinately stay away from a 44 magnum levergun as recoild is stout to say the least. I like your choice in the TAURUS 62L levergun, pick one up a few months back and alot of bang for the buck. I would recomend you stay away from te HENRY just because it weighs over 8 pounds empty and would get tiresome hauling arounds the woods for someone your size. I second the Marlin 1894 in 357 magnum though the Winchester 94AE and the 92 clone are also decent though more difficult to take apart for a thorough cleaning compared to the Marlin. I have a model 94AE Trapper in 357 mag and it's a fun plinker.

For a little person I have pretty good upper body balance and strength. I own and care for my own 5 horses.. shoveling 100's# of SH*t daily, plus moving feed, hay and brushing. I still don't like the hard kick or heavy wieght of most guns.
So, the lower the grain. the less the kick?


Well said. I assume you are going to use factory ammo. The .38's are great fun and you can sometimes find bulk loaded cowboy ammo at the gun shows with lead bullets and low prices.
The125-grain factory loads have no noticable recoil.

When I weighed about 110 pounds and hunted with a .30-30 Model 94 and 150-grain bullets I used to hope I wouldnt see a deer. It took me quite awhile to get used to the recoil.
If you can work on your upper body strength a little look for the Model 92 clones in the "short rifle" configuration. These short octagon barrels balance well and and are an extension of your body when at the shoulder.
The Winchester Trappers are overvalued on todays market but a Marlin 1894 or any of the Model 92 clone's offer a wide variety of choices.

I looked into www.stevesgunz.com . from what i read he is pretty good with CAS guns. I might do some Boar hunting this summer (1st time) and am hoping the 357 will be enough gun.
Newbie question, how can a 38 fit into a 357? I like that idea.. Cheaper for practice and NO( like a 22?) recoil?

The only difference between a .38 and a .357 is the length of the case. The case of the .357 is longer to accomodate more podwer. the internals of the reciever are set up to handle both cartridges. You should be able to load an extra round or 2 if you are loading .38's.

For a little person I have pretty good upper body balance and strength. I own and care for my own 5 horses.. shoveling 100's# of SH*t daily, plus moving feed, hay and brushing. I still don't like the hard kick or heavy wieght of most guns.
So, the lower the grain. the less the kick?

If you are cleaning hoofs, cleaning stalls and throwing hay bales around you will have little trouble with most of the Model 92 clones.

In very general terms, yes, the lighter the bullet the less recoil - at least in terms of the .38 Special/.357 Magnum.

Check your local library for a copy of Cartridges of the World. If they dont have it ask for an interlibrary loan. The 11th edition is the latest but any copy will get you started and put cartridge interchangeability into perspective.

For average size pigs - 200 lbs and lighter - the 158-grain .38 Special performs surprisingly well. Cast bullet handloads will penetrate better than the swaged factory lead bullet loads. For jacketed bullet factory ammunition I suggest jasketed soft points over hollow points. But you will recieve lots of advice in this regard.

For short distance hunting and general plinking you will not do your best work with the factory sights. There is nothing wrong with open sights and you will probably do better with them when using different bullet weights and when switching between .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads.
Browse the William Gunsight, Lyman and Bownells web sights to get an idea of what is available. My wife complains I am too quick to change the sights on new rifles but I do not shoot well with the crude factory sights. She has never let me change the sights on her .45 Colt Winchester Trapper and she shoots the rifle well - I am often wrong.

For a little person I have pretty good upper body balance and strength. I own and care for my own 5 horses.. shoveling 100's# of SH*t daily, plus moving feed, hay and brushing. I still don't like the hard kick or heavy wieght of most guns.
So, the lower the grain. the less the kick?

Laurelle Balog
Something to consider.
The heavier the firearm the less recoil you'll feel, enertia.
The Winchester 92 is an excellent choice, as is 357.
You may wish to have a more experienced shooter watch you shoot. If there is less then firm contact between your butt stock and your should there will be more felt recoil.
I used to load up some 250 grain 45 cal bullets for my 45-70 bolt gun. These loads were right up there with 22 rim fire in noice and recoil. My ex wife, 5'4" 130 pounds, loved shootin it. No bruising or pushing her around, but the rifle weighed 10 pounds. I'm not saying she would go out and shoot all day with it, but she was good for 20 rounds.
I've got one of the Rossi 92s in 45 Colt, that with hand loaded ammo is right up there with the 454 Casull and after 20-30 rounds that's about all the fun I want.
You are going to have a great time with your 92 in 357. Juat make sure you are firmly in contact with it.
Jim

The weight of some rifles puts me off. I did find a local CAS club called the Okeechobee marshalls that I will try to take a saturday off to run out to their matches and see what they shoot and get some ideas there. So far, I am definately leaning towards the 357/38 Stainless EMF/Lagacy Puma w/20" barrel

The 92s are neat little guns.

Keep in mind that the CAS shooters are likely to have 'mouse' loads that are extremely light. Factory .357 ammo will kick harder, guaranteed, but shouldn't be unmanagable.

The Federal CastCore 180gr. load will really smash a critter. A bit more recoil but normally you don't notice on a hunt.

Don't use hollow-points on edible critters. The rifle will speed them up too fast and make a real mess. Use soft points, solids, or cast bullets like the load above.

Steve's Guns is a '92 specialist and you can buy a '92 from him already slicked up and improved for less than some of the reproductions cost without any work.

The only difference between a .38 and a .357 is the length of the case. The case of the .357 is longer to accomodate more podwer. the internals of the reciever are set up to handle both cartridges. You should be able to load an extra round or 2 if you are loading .38's.

Check out Buffalo Bores heavy, low recoil and low flash .38 and .357 loads; http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#38spl

I think you'll find something more than able to go hog or deer hunting with.

has any one thought of the 81'BLR in the 243 or the 30-06? This mite be to late.

wolfpack795
444XLR

When they refer to the ".38", they are referring to the .38 Special. It uses a bullet of .358 diameter in cast form as does the .357 Magnum. The true difference between the two are the length of the case, the powder charge and primers. Which results in a huge difference in performance and conversely, felt recoil.

I'd also second the EMF "Short Rifle" configuration as a good choice. With it's 20" octagon barrel its weight is substantially increased thereby decreasing felt recoil even more. The cresent buttplate is often described as punishing, but I feel that folks often mismount the stock and suffer the consequences. I'm not a big guy, but have preferred the rifle with its crescent buttplate for over 30 years. In fact, it seems that most of the detractors of the crescent buttplate are on the large side of the scale. Purely my opinion.

Laurelle:

Not much has been mentioned about sights. Only the Marlin 1894 rifle is easy to put a scope on. A scope can be mounted on the ’92 Puma, but the only mount available puts the scope far forward, in the “Scout” position. This position limits scope power to around 2.5 power.

Almost any 357 rifle or carbine can be fitted with a receiver, or “peep” rear sight. While not as accurate as a scope, it is a huge improvement over factory, “open” rear sights.

In the attached photo, the top rifle has a scope mounted in the traditional position, while the bottom two have "Scout" scopes.

Darrel

I like the forward mounted scopes; I have one on my .30-30 M-94 Trapper.
For the .357 Magnum lever-guns I believe I prefer the combination of the receiver sight and a good flat top folding open sight. I prefer the Lyman receiver sight and the Marbles open sight. The Lyman sight stem comes out at the push of a button making for a quick switch to the open sight.
The problem with the receiver sight for the .357 Magnum rifle is you cannot hold over. When sighted to 50-yards you need the flexibility of the open sights for shots at 25-, 75- and 100-yards. With a little practice you can do some very good shooting with this set up.
Front sights are a tougher decision based on the individual shooters eyes. I prefer the Sourdough to all others but some shoot very well with various size beads. I am able to plink with the fiber optic sights but cannot shoot groups with them.

A forward mount scope in quick detach lever rings is a good idea on a light carbine as it is great fun and good training.

From your name and response you appear to be female.

My wife has a recoil pad made by PAST (formerly) called a herrean shield. The name has changed but they still make them, IF YOU CAN FIND THEM!

It clips onto your bra strap using a velcro strap and works great. The first time she used it, she shot 2 boxes (50 rounds) of 12 gauge on dove and went back and shot 2 more boxes in the evening.

She now shoots cowboy action and we regularly shoot 200 rounds in practice in a morning (plus pistol)==she prefers a 12 gauge for that over a 20.

PS if you have problems with pistols, try bicycle gloves (the fingerless ones).

Good luck!!