Rossi Ranchhand accuracy?

[Bill in Oregon]

Has anyone seen a serious review/ringout of the accuracy potential of this goofy little lever gun? My guess is the main trick would be to figure out how to hold it or bench it. I admit I can't believe I am attracted to this little sawed-off runt, but I am ...

[Ysabel Kid]

http://www.gunblast.com/Rossi-RanchHand.htm

[Bill in Oregon]

Kid: Yeah, saw that Jeff got one-hole groups at 25 yards BR with his test gun in .45 Colt. He also said recoil was manageable with the heavy Buffalo Bore load.
I'd like to hear more about the gun's potential from practical field positions, as I would want to consider deer hunting with one.
Most of the Youtube clips I've seen are very informal aimed fire or hip fire.

[J Miller]

Bill,

A local shop has one of those things. As much as I think they are a waste of raw materials I was intrigued when I saw it in person. Had I had the disposable income of some of Leverguns members I would have bought it just for the fun factor. Although using it as a hunting or SD weapon would be quite awkward.

Of course I'd have to pony up the cash for a custom "Wanted Dead or Alive" holster rig too.

Joe

[DPris]

I couldn't get any one-holers at 25 yards with my .45, best I could get off the bench was five shots into 2 inches with one load.
Not as accurate as the Chiappa version.

If you seriously want to reduce your chances of a successful deer hunt, it can be used for such purposes, but it's a very inefficient choice.
For novelty hunting, I suppose...


Best way to shoot it unsupported is with both hands on the wrist, NOT with hands separated like a rifle.
Denis

[RIHMFIRE]

of course its a fun novelty....
But I would love to have one for the truck...
or in the backpack

Has anyone noticed that the one Steve McQueen carried
has a much shorter barrel!

[DPris]

My Rossi now has a 9-inch barrel to match the TV gun.
Accuracy is not quite the same after the sights were removed.

None of the current factory versions are anywhere near as compact as the original. Way too much barrel & way too much stock nub.
Denis

[Bill in Oregon]

Dpris: What load were you shooting that gave two-inch groups? Are you aware of the peep sight that Steves Gunz sells to go into the hole where the safety is? As to the offhand grip stance, I'm wondering why the Ranch Hand would be any more awkward than a TC Contender or Encore, but I'll take it from you because you've done it.
I dunno, they have one in all three calibers at the local Sportsman's Warehouse, and I have all these odds and ends of .45 Colt ammo loaded for various Blackhawks over the years ....

[DPris]

Sorry, catch you next week. Unexpected hospital trip in about ten minutes.
Denis

[Bill in Oregon]

God keep you!

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Here's Denis's Maresleg converted from a Ranch Hand.

The whole thing front and rear has been shorten to more replicate the original Mareleg. Notice no sights. The lever was re-shapes as well.

[DPris]

Thanks Bill,
Regular doctor said "CT scans looketh not good, git ye hence to the ER!"
ER doctor said "I think you can do this at home."
I said "You two fight over it, I'll run with the winner."
More tests in the ER, doctors conferred, ER doctor won, unexpectedly back home again late last night with $800 worth of prescriptions to start out with & a six-month treatment plan.
Life gets expensive when you start to fall apart.
I only mentioned it because I thought I'd be gone for a while & didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.

But & anyway, my notes show that 2-inch group was done with Winchester's 250-grain LFN "cowboy" load, which was mild & enjoyable.
Next best was 2 1/4 inches with CorBon's 300-grain JSP+P, which was not fun to shoot.

The ML configuration is more awkward to use and especially more uncomfortable with heavy loads than a Contender or Encore because the ML has no pistolgrip. The TCs do. Without a pistolgrip, you shoot the ML with your wrist canted downward, and recoil is transmitted to it completely differently. The ML tries to slide back in your hand, and only your grip strength resists it. With a conventional handgun pistolgrip, your own wrist is at a more natural angle relative to the rest of your arm, and the angle of the gripframe prevents the gun from sliding in hand.

I've fired that same CorBon load in my 4 5/8-inch Blackhawk, you know when it lets go, but it's much easier to hang onto than in the ML, even though the Ruger's a lighter gun.

Shooting with both hands around the ML's wrist isn't entirely for recoil management, it's also for a steady hold on target.
If you try to shoot it for accuracy at distance using a conventional rifle-type hold, one hand on the wrist & the other on the fore-end, you'll wobble to at least some degree without the third point of contact (your shoulder) to provide an anchoring stability. Each arm tries to wander off on its own, with a corresponding muzzle wobble.
With both hands around the wrist, you have both arms converging in one spot, just like a traditional handgun. Much steadier.
Using that "handgun" hold I can easily hit my small steel buffalo silhouette out to 75 yards with the Chiappa gun that still has sights. Using the "rifle" hold, much more iffy.

Since mine was bought to be a toy, and intended to be converted by Nate from the git-go, I only tried three hotter CorBon loads (along with three lead cowboy loads) in out-of-the-box-form with sights to see how accurate the gun was from the factory.
I have zero interest in using the CorBons beyond that initial testing in the gun, I'll stick to standard pressure stuff for plinking & playing.

Similarly, I wouldn't have any interest in a .44 Mag version.
There are those who want the gun to be something it really isn't very efficient at (hunting, for one, home defense for another ), and that's their business, but as a toy I see no point in making it unpleasant to shoot with higher recoil levels.


NateSteve,
Thanks for sticking it up for all to see.
I like it!
Denis

[Bill in Oregon]

Denis: Thanks for the update, and glaqd you are in one piece!
I put in a half day's work at Sportsmans Warehouse this morning and handled all three calibers. Then I examined the bores. I had intended to buy the .45 Colt if all went well, but this one had a sketchy patch about half way up the tube. It would probably shoot fine from the toy standpoint, but I ended up buying the .44 Magnum. As it was the smoothest and best finished of the three. I have a bunch of full-power hunting loads on hand, but also have a box of 200-grain cast with Trailboss, so I will start with those and work up to the 300-grain XTPs and 296. Thanks for the recoil warning.
I'll take notes and report on range performance.
I initially thought these were silly and rather ungainly looking firearms, but I got to thinking how awkward TC Contenders are from all but a rest position and the aging Baby Boomer in me convinced me to try one.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

This post got me to thinking about twist rates. Rossi's are mostly 1 in 30 for all the cals they offer. That works just fine in a rifle length barrel were the velovcities are higher. But, I suspect 1-30 will be too slow in these shorter barreled Ranch Hands. I have two of them here now. If I can remember I'll check to see what they are.

[DPris]

Bill,
I suspect you'll end up staying with lighter loads.

Nate,
What's the twist on the Bounty Hunter?
Denis

[Bill in Oregon]

Denis: I think Nate is right about the 1:30 twist. I believe the Ruger .44 carbine has a 1:38 twist though, so 1:30 in the 12-inch RH barrel ought to stabilize the light- and mid-weights. I'll try those 300-grain XTPs in it when I can.

[DPris]

Good luck with it.
Denis

[rhead]

Kid: Yeah, saw that Jeff got one-hole groups at 25 yards BR with his test gun in .45 Colt. He also said recoil was manageable with the heavy Buffalo Bore load.
I'd like to hear more about the gun's potential from practical field positions, as I would want to consider deer hunting with one.
Most of the Youtube clips I've seen are very informal aimed fire or hip fire.

This worked on my contender and might work with a mares leg. I attached a lanyard that would go on my off side shoulder and across my chest. The length was adjusted so that when I griped the pistol with my arms fully extended the lanyard was tight. It is still not a bench rest but it did greatly increase the stability.

How does someone work the lever with any speed when firing one of these cute little things. I have watched Josh Randall in a few reruns and they never show him shooting and the target in the same scene. They don't show him putting those 45-70 rounds into the 44-40 loading gate either.

[O.S.O.K.]

I still think they are a dandy start to an SBR.

[DPris]

No matter how much you play with it, the Mare's Leg will never be as fast or as efficient in firing several accurate aimed shots as a good revolver can be in the same caliber.
Denis

[Ysabel Kid]

DPris -

Keep us posted on the medical front. Prayers up.

So, what is the magazine capacity now on the shortened ML? That looks even "cooler" than the other ones.

[DPris]

Ys,
Thanks.
Shots twice a day for 2 weeks & blood thinner pills for 6 months. Lotsa fun.

Steve was able to pull off a five-shot mag slightly under 9 inches long. Total capacity with one in chamber of six.
Denis