Hi there,
I saw your article about a gun for your daughter. I just went through the same thing with my daughter last year, and thought I would provide you with some feedback.
Personally, I think the Puma lever would be a great way to start your daughter off in a rifle. The .45 Colt cartridge is very easy to handle and (to me) has virtually no recoil. On the other hand the .357 would give just about as much power as the .45 Colt commercial rounds. Since this is a lever gun, there is no 5 round magazine capacity limit and therefore allowing you up to 15 rounds at the ready.
The main question would be; What kind of critters are you seeking protection against? Little 4 legged kind, 2 legged kind, or Big 4 legged kind? While a .357 might be good for the first 2; it might not be a great idea for the big 4 legged kind, where as a .45 Colt can be loaded to handle the majority of the above. A guy down in Texas once showed me a picture of a mid sized buffalo he took with his .45. I thought he meant 45/70 until he told me that it was a .45 Colt! That must have been some load he cooked up! I wouldn't dare to try that with the commercial stuff we have up here in Canada.
Also, with .45 Colt you might want to consider reloading as part of your regiment. It used to be; that .45 Colt could be had for cheap since a lot of people were abandoning this round in favour of the .44 Magnum. I used to be able to get a box of .45 Colt for $25. Now, that same box of .45 Colt runs about as much as a box of .454!
I came across the Puma rifles back about 4 years ago, when Legacy Sports out of California first began to import them from Rossi of Brazil. I had some reservations with the rifles at first, as I have not seen the workmanship of recent rifles out of South America. However, I took the plunge and picked up a 16" .357 Rossi lever as they were dirt cheap. After unpacking it, I was very surprised at the quality of the rifle. Although it would not be what I would expect from, ...say Browning, it was built a lot better than I had expected. The action was butter smooth, and from a little 16" barrel, I managed a 1.5" group out at 75 meters. That little carbine was so light that I could virtually strap it to my side like a pistol. Yet it still managed to hold a dozen rounds; a lot more than a pistol could manage.
This is my "baby" .357 along side my Winchester 20" carbine"
Since I love the .45 Colt as a plinking round, I ventured to find a Puma/Rossi in the same calibre a few years later. Unfortunately, by this time the lever gun prices rose through the roof. As a result, I looked around for the same rifle in .454. (The logic here was; a lot of people were picking up this lever gun up in .454 since it was viewed as as the "ultimate" versatile rifle. That is... until they tried to fire a .454 round and became shocked with:
1. the recoil on the nice soft steel buttplate
2. the cost of the round!
As a result, a lot of people traded off this rifle only after a few shots.
I managed to pick up a 20" Rossi and loved it! The rifle was butter smooth, quick to aim, and managed groups equal to my .357 at 100 meters. A few months after I picked up the 20" model, I came across a traded in 16" stainless Puma for a decent price and it immediately came into my possession. I was equally surprised with the performance of this little guy as it grouped better than my 20" model. However, the stainless 16" Puma has the "new Legacy traits" of a top bolt safety lever, and those awful Hi-vis sights. I immediately called Legacy and had them ship me a set of iron sights, but they would not ship me a Rossi bolt housing without the safety lever.
These are my (2) .454s:
Please note: that the Puma rifles today are now made in Italy, and are not the ones that I own. I cannot attest to the fact the the Italian ones share the same characteristics as mine.
When it comes to 30-30s, I own a number of Winchesters and find that this round is only slightly "less" of a punch than .44 Magnum. Actually, I first thought that my .44 Magnum Winchester beat me up more than the 30-30 mostly due to its lighter weight. Yet after I skeletonized my 30-30, it was still more controllable than my .44 Magnum! (I will have to look at this some more...) As you can see, the Winchester is just about the same size as the Rossi rifle, yet I could pick up my skeletonized Winchester with just my pinky! Since 30-30 ammo today is about the same price or even a little less than .45 Colt with 3 times the power, this "Ghost Rider" rifle is now my main rifle.
The top is my 30-30, and below is the .44 Magnum:
The size of the 454 Rossi is virtually the same as the Winchester:
On the other hand, the Winchester rifles are a little clunkier to operate than my 45/70 Marlins yet they feel much more solid. The marlins are easier to scope, but I am not a fan of optics on a lever gun. I have no problems hitting the 200 meter gong with my Winchester with open sights.
If you are thinking about a 30-30 for your daughter, I would suggest that she try one out first. I find that the 30-30 is quite a "personal" cartridge. To some people (like me) they don't even feel the recoil. However, I had a lady friend of mine try it and she didn't like the "pounding" at all!
Finally, just for fun... Here is a "Venturing combo" I cooked up. This can only work if you have a prospecting permit:
I hope my rant hasn't confused you. I just want to put out some notes so that your daughter would have a pleasant experience with the toy she finally chooses. Its no fun for all concerned if she ends up just putting the gun in the lockup after a few rounds because she develops a flinch or a huge bruise on her shoulder.
Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.
w.w.w.
