Rossi LWC in .300 Blackout: Elegant In Its Simplicity
By Larry Case
Hunters and shooters want things to be simple; they also want them to be durable and go bang every time they pull the trigger. All of these things could be used to describe the Rossi LWC (Lightweight Carbine) in .300 Blackout.
These guns are fun to look at and handle and no doubt they shoot well. Then practicality sets in. If we are honest, when it comes to the rigors of most actual hunting days, hunters want a rifle that we don’t have to worry about getting bumped or scratched.
Rossi LWC with a Folding Stock
The newer model of the Rossi LWC that I tested has a folding stock. When I first opened the box and saw the folding stock, I thought, “Hmmm, I’m not sure about this.” My doubts were soon swept away, however, when I began to handle the gun. My chief reservation was about attaining good cheek weld on the stock and “settling in” on the gun when mounting the firearm. These fears were soon dispelled when bringing the gun to bear on a target.
As we continued to test and hunt with the LWC with folding stock, the advantages of this feature continued to be obvious. The 16.5-inch barrel, along with the folding stock, make for a very handy combination.
For the hunter, this rifle is a great gun for a blind or shooting house situation where you may be restricted on space. For the deep woods deer or for a bear hunter who does a lot of walking, you would fold the stock, stuff it in your pack and go. If you are hunting farm country and are in and out of the vehicle, the Rossi LWC with the folding stock may be the essence of what we would call a “truck gun.”
The LWC at a Glance
With the Rossi LWC folding stock model, what you see is what you get, and I am saying that is good. There are no frills here, not that real hunters and shooters need or want any. The LWC is a simple break-action, single shot, (a great safety feature for young hunters and everyone else), short-barreled rifle. The receiver is steel over molded with polymer. The forend and stock, as well as the trigger guard, are polymer. The barrel is alloy steel coated with black oxide.
The trigger pull on the gun I received measured 3 pounds, 15 ounces – not light, but I would not want a light trigger on a kid-friendly, safety-conscious gun. The safety on the LWC is a crossbolt design and also has a transfer bar mechanism; this allows the hammer to be lowered without contacting the firing pin. This gun has an extractor for spent rounds, not an ejector, but this proved to be no problem. The release button to open the gun is located beside the hammer, which has a hammer spur for cocking the gun.
The Rossi LWC also comes supplied with a Picatinny rail for mounting scopes and optics. On this particular rifle, I mounted a Burris Fullfield 2.5-10X42mm. This scope is somewhat short and compact, a good match for the LWC. I can also see the LWC being a very good candidate for one of the red dot type optics. For short ranges in thick woods deer and bear hunting (100 yards or less), the LWC with a red dot optic would be a deadly combination. The LWC is of course threaded for a suppressor and I attached a Dead Air RXD30Ti and got good results. Because of its short barrel, the LWC was still very handy and maneuverable with the suppressor.
Out and About with the LWC
On the range and in the deer woods, the LWC is a very easy and fun gun to shoot. The simple break-action makes for stress-free handling of the firearm; just open the action and you have no worries of accidental discharge. I had heard from others of the surprising accuracy of this gun and they were not fibbing. I shot Federal Power-Shok 150 grain soft point loads, Remington Umc 150 grain rounds, and Fiocchi loads with a125 grain SST polymer tipped bullet. (Hyperformance .300 AAC Blackout 125 Gr. Hornady SST- Box of 25) The gun seemed to like the Fiocchi load the best and we got hole touching accuracy at 50 yards and sometimes less than inch-and-a-half groups at 100.
Hunting with the Kids
I was able to incorporate the Rossi LWC into a couple of youth day deer hunts in my area. These hunts are sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and local volunteers, and are geared toward young hunters who would likely not have an opportunity to go hunting were it not for such an event. The young hunters get a full day of Hunter Education training and marksmanship practice from the DNR Officers and trained volunteers that put on the hunt.
Everyone that got a chance to use the Rossi LWC seemed impressed with it, on the bench and in the field. For all the reasons we have noted here – light weight (just a shade under 5-¼ pounds), the short length “handiness” of the gun and the overall ruggedness of the LWC. Two antlerless deer were taken with the LWC .300 Blackout, and both dropped immediately at the shot.
Conclusion
The Rossi LWC, measures up to a lot of gun at a little cost. America needs a basic, low-cost deer rifle and I think the Rossi LWC is it. The Rossi website lists the MSRP on the LWC with folding stock at $356.99. I believe it may be the ultimate “throw it in the truck and going huntin’” rifle for about whatever you are after – deer. bear, hogs, coyotes, etc.
Rossi saw fit to listen to hunters, make it plain and simple, and that is just what we got.
About the Author
Larry Case has been a devoted outdoorsman since he was a child. He will admit to an addiction to turkey hunting (spring and fall), but refuses any treatment. He enjoys the company of turkeys and Cur dogs that are loud and people who speak the truth softly. He doesn’t consider himself an expert on anything, but has some pretty strong opinions on most everything.
Larry has a long suffering wife that has endured his hunting and fishing escapades for 30 years and two grown children who hope Dad will stop embarrassing them by wearing camo year-round and making comments about field dressing or skinning something in polite company.
He owns too many dogs, not enough shotguns and is usually scheming on a new hunting or fishing spot. Larry served 36 years as a DNR Law Enforcement Officer in West Virginia and retired with the rank of Captain.
He currently has a weekly outdoor, hunting, fishing and gun related column that appears in 8 newspapers in 5 states. He has published in “Outdoor Life,” “American Shooting Journal,” “NRA American Hunter” and “Guns and Ammo.” His website/blog is www.gunsandcornbread.com
