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If recoil is not an issue and weight is, and if bears might come into the equation I would look for an older presafety Marlin 44 Mag at a minimum. They are noticeably lighter than the 336 and have a good bit more power than the 357. Besides, if you can even find a Marlin 357 these days they are bringing north of $750. A good used 44 can still be had for $500-550ish. I am not a fan of the Rossis. I have owned several and know they can be smoothed up nicely, but most I have seen were pretty rough from the factory.

I agree with shalwerbrook. Anyone can shoot a .30-30 or .25-35. And they go up in value. A .357 cal rifle is an odd duck without much use around bears.

The 356 will be for bears.
The 357, 44... will be for extended practice sessions. I just want the feel and controls to be similar.
The only reason to consider a 357 or a 44 a bear gun is to shoot yourself in the head and save yourself from being chewed on

If the Rossi's are modeled after the Win 94, then that is out. I have a Holosight on the 356 and will want to set up the practice rifle the same way. Top eject makes that difficult.

Love my Rossi 92 in 454. I want one in 357 now too. Fear not the Brazilian guns

Your nonsense knows no boundaries does it? The utility of a 357 lever is incredible.

It sure the hell is ! Load it with .38 specials and shoot small game for the pot without excessive meat damage. Switch to full power .357's and kill deer. Mine don't even need any sight adjustment when switching from .38's to .357's.

Mine was plenty smooth right out of the box and overall quality/workmanship is clearly superior to any of the new Remlin's I've seen.

Yup. Everything from screaming 110's or 125's to 180's the 357 options are awesome, add in the 38's and the multitude of loadings available are huge. Light, compact, accurate package that can sling 9 rounds as fast as you can work the lever. Hard not to like. Just about everyone I know and have read who have one love them.

All of the newer round barrel Rossi's are drilled and tapped for a scout type scope mount. I mounted a Bushnell Trophy red dot on mine and it worked great, although a red dot on a traditional lever action looks about as goofy as Herman Munster riding a tricycle.

although a red dot on a traditional lever action looks about as goofy as Herman Munster riding a tricycle. [/quote]

This may be true but I'm going for utility. Sometimes goofy makes me laugh

A Marlin 1894C .357 loaded with Hornady 180 gr. XTP's over LiL Gun is a stout load that can dispatch any Hog. So for what it's worth it may be useful for your situation. It is not Bear Medicine as in a Lever Action that would be a 45-70.

For your consideration:

New components have been a Game changer, not everyone has kept pace.

How long have 110, 125, 158, and 180-200 grain .358 cast and jacketed bullets been available? I didn't realize they were a new phenomenon. Mono and bonded in .224 yes, I realize those are relatively recent, and the light for caliber mono bullet has really been a game changer, I always thought that the bullet selection for 38s and 357s has always been fairly broad. But if that is in error it's freely admitted.

BGG,
My point was that not everyone has observed the on game performance of a Pistol cartridge using the Hornady 180 XTP launched with suitable for bullet weight powder like Lil Gun. The .357 bullet selection both for cast and factory have been abundant for decades. The application of the 180 grain loads for game is not as well known, perhaps actively used within the last ten years?. I have a Lee Gang Mould that should keep me in supply of 180's if my Jacketed bullets run short.

WW

Understood. I wasn't being a smartass, I really don't know how long the heavier bullets have been around. I load the Rem 180 SJHPs over 13 grains of H110 over a slightly shortened 357 case in my Marlin and my 586. It hits same or close enough POI as had cast 148 wadcutters over 7 grains of Unique. Both are easy recoiling rounds out of the Marlin and neither is bad out of my 586. I'd really really like to try a 180 grain hard cast with a wide meplat and see what kind of penetration it offers. If I draw a B (doe) tag this fall I plan on seeing what the Rem bullet will do to a shoulder at 100 yards or so. Thus far all I've shot with it as far as game is a badger.

If I can get a 180 grain hardcast to shoot well, and it penetrates as well as I think it will, I'd have no qualms having it as a personal defense gun in any situation I'm likely to come upon. Of course given my druthers it'd be my .44 or 45-70 levers, but I really dig my 586 and carry it quite a bit. Having a light handy lever that shoots the same round is a no-brainer.

I think 180 gr. .357 bullets first became available shortly after Remington and Ruger introduced the .357 Maximum cartridge. They aren't and never were needed to make the .357 carbine an effective deerslayer. I started killing deer with my 1894c back in 1982 with 158 gr. jacketed SP's and HP's from Remington, Winchester, Hornady and Speer and they were and still are plenty effective.

I'm sure they are effective. So are the multitude of other calibers and their attendant bullet selections. So for that matter were soft lead bullets and roundballs, steel arrowheads, stone arrowheads, and pointy sticks before that. Moot point.

My guesstimate of the time line was way off. I had steered clear of the .357 for rifle use when the Marlin chabering first came out cause of reports of poor bullet performance when pistol bullets were pushed too fast. I later read that those reports were actually associated with converted Winchester 1892's so that goes back as ways as far as jacketed bullet technology goes. Then started to read that the jacketed bullet ticket for the carbine was the Hornady 180 XTP that was built for the .357 maximum and could take the carbine velocity. Of course cast lead with the the right BHN do well. There is no doubt other good loads based on what game or intended purpose you have in mind.

Two points. First you can have a round in the chamber of a pre-mil Savage M99 without it being cocked if you hold the trigger back when you close the lever. Holding the trigger back keeps the sear from setting. When you decide to shoot you just have to half work the lever to cock the action. Don't work it too much or you'll flip the chambered round out. Get one and play with dummy rounds. You'll figure it out.

Second, if you're looking at Marlins look for a one in .41 Mag. They made a few runs of them and they work just fine. Just like a .41 Mag in a handgun they split the difference between the kick of a .357 and a .44. Closer to a .357 as to kick and closer to a .44 Mag as to results. The .41 actually shoots flatter than the .44.

Does this leave the firing pin pressing against the primer of the chambered round?

If it does, that's bad juju.