rabbits with a .38

[TWalk]

Hi all! I am new to the forum, but at 71 Ihave owned leverguns all my life, from a Marlin 39A to .45/70 Guide gun, with some vintage Winchesters and newer Rossis in between. My latest is a Rossi Trapper 92 in .38/.357. I want to use it for rabbits and will reload 125g flat point FMJs. Has anyone used theirs in a similar way? Most seem to want to load it up for deer, etc, but I want to go the opposite direction. Any tips or load recommendatiosn would be welcomed. I have 2400, Unique, and Red Dot. I assume I will need to crimp strongly, but feedback welcomed. Thank you! Love levers!!

[stretch]

I can't help you with either a 38 Special load for rifle, or a 125 gr. 38 Special load.

But I like your concept - bunnies with a 38 Special. Flat Point or SWC so as not to
expand in the wee critter. I wonder how a 148 wad cutter would be on rabbits?
(Not reversed.) Probably wouldn't feed in the rifle, though.

Good luck with your project! Let us know how it turns out.

-Stretch

[Nath]

I use to take a lot with mine. Any bullet will get a rabbit but some may do better reversed.

I use to use Herco and green dot for sub sonic rabbit loads to just about super sonic.

180head 001.jpg

20ydcub 004.jpg

[OldWin]

Welcome.
I never shot any rabbits with it, but mine shot well with plated 125gr flat points over 4.5gr. of Unique.

[AmBraCol]

Welcome to the forum! I don't know if you've seen our sister site - the repository of many good articles on levergun related subjects. Here are a couple of articles from our founders, Paco Kelly and Jim Taylor.

https://leverguns.com/articles/paco/357 ... rature.htm

https://leverguns.com/articles/taylor/357magnum.htm

And now that I post that I realize you're talking about running 38's through your rifle... <sigh>

Here's an article by Glen Fryxell on the 38, although he's more of a handgunner than a levergunner the info may be of use to you.

https://leverguns.com/articles/fryxell/ ... pecial.htm

The 38 Special is probably my all time favorite cartridge, but I'm a looong way from any of my data and I've zip experience in running it through a levergun. Maybe someday, but the days of $200 Rossi's are long gone, although Sixgun (one of our esteemed members here) wouldn't give even that for one even now.

[JimT]

If you are planning on eating them, a roundnose bullet is better. A .38 wadcutter at 800 fps will blow quite a hole in a bunny. But then again, if you make headshots it does not matter.

[Old Savage]

Rossi Trapper is the favorite I have in that class. Go with JimT I would say on the experience.

[1894cfan]

How's about this for a suggestion, 2.5gr of 231 or Bullseye under a 158gr LRN. Even out of an 18.5" barrel it ought to be going slow enough to be of some use to you. HTH

[AJMD429]

.
I think unless you are in grizzly bear or moose country, you can make a case that a lever action 357 rifle can do almost anything you need. Really light hardcast loads if accurately placed can deal with squirrels and rabbits without meat damage, and heavy hardcast loads will make a couple holes in the thorax of a whitetail deer. For home protection, the same loads one would use in a handgun will work well, only better at the higher velocities you will have.

Ive often thought that a 32-20 is an ideal lever action for small game with the potential to be really accurate and loads from mild to wild, although when I start thinking along those lines, I inevitably start thinking "...yeah, it's a neat cartridge, but what have you had something just a little bit fatter at a lower velocity...?"

Voila... 38 Special...!!!

[earlmck]

I'm guessing you are talking about cottontails, shooting them sitting still. Yep, light 38 loads are nice for that though I go ahead and put mine in a 357 case because my rifle feeds 'em better that way.

But if you talking about shooting the speedy jack rabbit (my all-time favorite target) the sub-sonic 38's make for an insane amount of lead required on a bounding jack. For them I have a nice little 135 grain gas-check bullet that gets out there about 1600 fps and will generally at least put me in the ball park with that race rabbit.

[TWalk]

Thanks to all posters. I will try my 125 g flat nose FMJs on jacks or cottontails, whatever sits till enuf for me. Will let you knowhow it goes!
Loved the pix of rifle & game.

[wvfarrier]

I use 38s for rabbits, turkey and other varmints. I do however load them in 357 mag casings so they feed in my rifle

[JimT]

When I was younger I shot Jackrabbits with my .357 Ruger single action. I used a home-made full wadcutter of 110 gr. running about 1200 fps. If I hit a Jack broadside in the middle of the body it would almost cut them in two. The wadcutter was not accurate at long distance so it made sneaking up within 50 - 60 feet necessary. I didn't get many 'cuz it's hard to get that close to one unless it's hunkered down and hiding .. AND you have spotted it earlier.

Later I shot Jacks with my .45 Colt sixguns. The big Colorado Jacks and the Antelope Jacks in Arizona sometimes took a huge hit and would still run a long ways. I have disemboweled them with a low hit and had them run 25 or 30 yards with no innards. Didn't like doing that but sometimes that sort of thing happened. Best shot was through both front shoulders or a headshot.

Shooting Jackrabbits was The Best training for hunting! I miss doing that but these days they are scarce where I am and I won't shoot them.

[Nath]

Have the nightmares subsided since that sabre toothed jacklope turned on ya Jim like a demented savage beast?

[JimT]

Have the nightmares subsided since that sabre toothed jacklope turned on ya Jim like a demented savage beast?

No. I have been seeing a counselor. She makes me forget the trauma and only charges $250.00 a night. And she brings her own toothbrush!

[Ysabel Kid]

Have the nightmares subsided since that sabre toothed jacklope turned on ya Jim like a demented savage beast?

No. I have been seeing a counselor. She makes me forget the trauma and only charges $250.00 a night. And she brings her own toothbrush!

Welcome to the fire TWalk!

[Nath]

Have the nightmares subsided since that sabre toothed jacklope turned on ya Jim like a demented savage beast?

No. I have been seeing a counselor. She makes me forget the trauma and only charges $250.00 a night. And she brings her own toothbrush!

Toothbrush....for the Sabre toothed jacklope right?

[JimT]

Yes. Of course.