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I like the idea of being able to use both for target shooting firing .38 Specials but also being able to use the .357 cartridge when I want a little more power. It appears that the .357 is not as powerful as the .30-30 but it is more versatile.
I was wondering what others might think of this trade off?
I'd look for a Marlin or similar 357 over the Ruger. Ruger makes a great gun but thats discopntinued & parts might be hard to come by in the future. Theres a million Marlins out there & theyre still being made so parts arent going to be hard to find in the near future. Plus it holds more rounds. You can handload a 158 grain close to 30/30 performance too, it will never really match it but is plenty for small game & deer out to 125 or so yards depending on the shooter. Factory ammo gets about 1700 fps from mine.
Depending on who you inherited the 30-30 from, consider just keeping it and then buy a .357 rifle straight up.
I didn't know the 77-357 was discontinued - although, Ruger is very good to stand behind their products, beyond that, they really seldom break.
To me, the .357 is more at home in a lever gun, but, I guess that's just a matter of taste. The Marlin is a good design, will take a scope better than a M92 clone, but the M92 clone is more to my traditional taste.
The old 32-20, 38-40, and 44-40 were popular as carbine/sixgun rounds, although, really they can be loaded a good bit hotter in most rifles (M92) than most revolvers (SAA). Then you have the issue of how to keep the rifle loads out of the revolver.
I like the idea of being able to use both for target shooting firing .38 Specials but also being able to use the .357 cartridge when I want a little more power. It appears that the .357 is not as powerful as the .30-30 but it is more versatile.
I was wondering what others might think of this trade off?
Depends on what you want to do with the rifle. The Marlin 336 in .30-30 is THE deer rifle in many places, since Winchester, ahem, Fabrique Nationale de Herstal quit producing new M1894s about five years ago. The 77/357 is the pest control/plinking rifle. Even a hot .357 Magnum isn't much on medium game beyond 75 yards or so, while the Hornady LeverEvolution rounds (or a handload with Lever powder and the polymer spitzer tip .308 Hornady FTX bullets) are good on deer for 200-250 yards. However, you can shoot a bunch of .38 Spl rounds for what one .30-30 costs, especially if you don't reload. But then again if you are primarily plinking, nothing is cheaper than a .22 and the .38 Spl isn't that much different in trajectory than a .22.
Personally, I'd buy the 77/357 and keep the Marlin 336 too. And then get a beanfield rifle like a .25-06 or .270, an AR in 5.56x45 for longer-range plinking, and a medium-bore thumper like a .358 Winchester, .35 Whelen, 9x57/9.3x57 or 9.3x62/9.3x74. Hey, why not? Life is short, why not enjoy it?
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