Levers aren't meant to be sniper rifles obviously but for interests sake for getting the most accurate plinking load at 100 yards etc for fun, is there likely to be a marked accuracy difference between the rossi 92's and the "Uberti/winchester 73's"

I know the 73's are a much nice rifle in many ways( with a price tag reflecting this) but I wondered if this translates to better accuracy on average?

I'm thinking the 92 will be slightly more accurate (probably too small to measure) all other things being equal due to it's tighter/less springy lockup. But I'm only guessing.

Steve......

I have both, actually a 92 and 66, both are now 38-40. They both shoot the same as the barrels are Douglas customs. Point is, there is no difference in the shooting as in these things, with pistol loads, the lock up seems not to matter. Get the one you want for fun, which is the 73, for the coolness factor. Will it be more accurate? No, the higher price is due to the more complicated mechanism.

dpcd,
my 1892 .357 also has a Douglas barrel and it is very accurate with high speed light bullets of 110 and 125 grains. heavier bullets are accurate enough for hunting, but whomever did the conversion must have favored lighter bullets.


PS the Bishop Stocks have been refinished since this old picture of my Pig Pak.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have both, actually a 92 and 66, both are now 38-40. They both shoot the same as the barrels are Douglas customs. Point is, there is no difference in the shooting as in these things, with pistol loads, the lock up seems not to matter. Get the one you want for fun, which is the 73, for the coolness factor. Will it be more accurate? No, the higher price is due to the more complicated mechanism.

You have class, 38-40 is a classic levergun chambering rarely seen today.

My granddads Texas Ranger rifle is a .38-40 serial no. 178. first year of production and the bore is dark and ugly, it shoots a 2.5" group at 100 yards every time..

As to its deer killing ability, your shot had best be good and you need to be a real good tracker, or take head/neck shots only..I learned that early on in my youth..Pop told me that to start with.

I shoot red deer with a '73 in .44-40 with blackpowder loads and that 19th century cast bullet passes though everything and kills them within 20 feet, I cant imagine a .38/40 doing much different on a little whitetail if shot through the vitals?

As for accuracy, the '73 will shoot honest 1.0 - 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards with special BP load and sights I have tailored to my own preference, and three inch groups with everything else.
My Rossi 92's (three so far) would all shoot three inch groups with standard and two inch groups with high velocity loads and jacketed bullets.

They will shoot about the same I suppose just Thinking about it, but the light little Rossi 92 carbines are harder to shoot well off the bench then the octagonal barrelled rifles, but fact is that with that one load, the '73 shoots best.

all of these are in .44-40.

Yes, some trivia; the 38-40 is actually a forty caliber; Not anywhere close to 38. And the 44-40 is not a forty four either; it is a 43. The 38-40 shoots a 180 grain bullet and the 44-40 shoots a 200. Very close.
Why did Winchester make the "38-40" when they already had the 44-40? No one knows.
One theory is that Marketing told Engineering that they needed a 38; so Engineering made a forty caliber as it was better with black powder (which is all they had), but called it a "38" for marketing purposes.

Thanks folks!

I would buy a marlin over either one.

Good point; Marlins are better and stronger than the Winchesters, but does not have the coolness of a 66 type action.