Thread: Bergara 357 or 44mag for light weight pig gun

HI Guys Looking at a Bergara single action stainless
So choice is 357 or 44mag for light weight pig gun what do you prefer ???
Could also use short range deer and I understand 44 is better for that.

Will tell you one thing, their not light weight, if you want something lighter look at a Howa Mini in 7.62x39.

Was looking more at the short range over dogs so 7.62 x 39 not so much for me

16 inch Rossi 92 in 44 mag or a Win 94 trapper in 3030 if you can find one, just as light or lighter than that truck axel. Pigs are quick and don't always stand conveniently still. Never understood the attraction of single shots for pig hunters.

Or marlin 1894 suppressed 357 would be similar weight i think

Got ya more of a clean up on our bush block then full time. Normally hunt with bow and the 7mm mag in a bit much. I did look at the rossi as well so will look harder that way. thanks for the advise

I have the short 308 Bergara, and a Win 94 Trapper. I bought the Bergara so it could be suppressed for shooting over a dog, I wasn’t going to butcher the trapper (it was as bought for pig hunting on horseback). Pluses and minuses to both, both probably similar weights (I can check later). Are you using an indicator dog, or bailers?

The bergara single shots I have handled have been far from what you could consider light weight. The rossi lever is a very small, light handy little package but would be difficult to supress without work in the sixteen inch version but I think some of the shorter barrel versions have enough poking out past the mag tube to thread and I would assume shooting over dogs a suppressor would be a prerequisite . We have the 357 Marlin sbl which had enough barrel to thread for a suppressor and the 44 I think comes already threaded but again not exactly light compared to the rossi.

indicator dog so not holding or bailing

Have various 44 and 357 in both lever (Rossi and Marlin) and single shot (Rossi/Rergara/H&R), and to be honest, the lightest is probably the 357 Rossi lever action. Similar ballpark money too. Only advantage the single shot has is that it's maybe a little easier to get one suppressed, but you can still suppress the levers (DPT do them)

Theres a Rossi 44 in the for sale section,
Ive owned a rossi lever and a bergara single shot, still own the rossi

The Rossi 45 long colt single shot would be the go for super light weight. They are like a kids size 410

Just picked one of trademe thanks guys Rossi 16 stainless 357 mag Great price. Thanks for the advice all

if you feel that way inclined there are a heap of vids on youtube showing how to disassemble and smooth out the action and a couple of tricks for lightening the trigger pull.

FTX thanks will have a look