- October 31, 2024
The Rossi R92 Triple Black .44 Magnum Goes on a West Virginia Bear Hunt
By Larry Case
It all started innocently enough. A gun review for a lever action rifle. Take it to the range, shoot some targets, take some pictures, put the rifle through some testing. Make sure it goes bang when it’s supposed to. You know the drill. But unlike most gun reviews, this one included taking the Rossi R92 Triple Black .44 Magnum lever action rifle on a West Virginia bear hunt.
I wasn’t really prepared for how the gun would hit me once I had it in my hands. Right out of the box, the R92 Triple Black, chambered in .44 Magnum, captured my heart. This rifle is the epitome of a fast handling lever action. The short (16-inch) barrel and the wide lever loop grabs your eye right away. I believe this rifle is just plain “handy.”
So let’s talk about my week with Rossi R92.
The Gun in Brief
The wood stock and forearm in the R92 Triple Black is coated with a textured black paint, taking the place of checkering and it works. A rubber recoil pad takes out the bump from heavy loads nicely. The steel receiver, barrel and eight-round magazine tube are black Cerakoted. The lever is a large loop with leather tightly wrapped at the bottom to offer some cushion. Under full disclosure, right out-of-the-box, the rifle may have been slightly hard to insert rounds in the loading gate, but this is very common for new rifles of any type. After some lubrication and several rounds downrange, everything got a lot slicker. The trigger was good right out of the box, breaking at just a hair over five pounds. I would not want it any lighter on a lever action rifle.
The factory sights are first rate. The rear aperture is adjustable, while the front sight blade is also drift adjustable for windage and adorned with a brass bead that contrasts nicely with the black aperture. Also, the front sight blade is a little taller than usual, so it is functional with accessories, such as a silencer, attached. That is pretty important if you intend to suppress this rifle, and it has a threaded barrel so you can do so if you wish. I really like the Picatinny rail, allowing you to mount a red dot optic (which would be deadly on this gun) or a short, Scout rifle scope.
We Went Right to the Woods
I decided not to fool around with this gun and go right to what I figured it was really meant to do: deep woods hunting. After a short session on the range to sight in, it didn’t take much adjustment on the peep/aperture rear sight to be dialed in at about 45 yards. This I figured would be about right for the first adventure I would take the R92 Triple Black on – bear hunting in the mountains of West Virginia with hounds.
If you are not familiar with this type of hunting, we need to take a quick aside to explain. The mountains here in West Virginia, and indeed much of the southern Appalachians, are the most extreme topography in the Southeast. Steep (very steep) hollows and very steep hillsides are the order of the day. There is really not much of a break from it. When you get out of the truck, there are usually only two ways you can go – it’s either straight up or straight down. Traveling cross country through this can be extremely tough. Now add to this there can be some extremely thick cover. Some of the hollows can be so choked with rhododendron (we call them “laurel thickets”) that are all but impassable. If you must travel through this mess, about all you can do is crawl.
Another lovely feature of this area is there can sometimes be extremely thick clearcut areas. Some of the land the houndsmen hunt on is timber company land. These may be huge areas that have been cut a few years ago, because as this ground starts the reforestation process, it will be incredibly thick cover for several years. Plowing through this cover to follow the bear hounds will take everything you have, including a short rifle that is not too unwieldy. One aspect of this hunt we must cover is that following the hounds while they are on a bear sometimes means having very close encounters. A bear will often go into thick cover and refuse to climb a tree (especially the really big ones). With the dogs fighting the bear at close quarters, crawling in on this to take the bear is what you might call a ticklish situation. Again, a light, fast handling rifle like the R92 Triple Black is what you need.
Besides the strenuous type of hunting, I wanted to show the R92 to a group of bear hunters that I know. This may be the most no-nonsense group of hunters around, and I knew I could count on them for unvarnished opinions on the R92. They would not pull any punches. As with any group, there were varying opinions on small details, but I was pleased to see the bear hunters agreed with me that this was a handy little rifle made for brush hunting.
Hunting in these mountains is never a sure thing and in the short time I had, we were not able to take a bear with the R92, but no one on the hunt doubted the rifle’s ability to do so. I’m certain it will happen later this season, so stay tuned to Rossi’s social media feeds.
Home Defense, You Bet
Lever action rifles have skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. Let’s face it, part of that is they just have a “cool” level some other guns cannot come up to. Be that as it may, there are now many more people talking about a lever gun for tactical use and home defense.
I may have balked at this notion some in the past, but I would be more in favor of it after handling the R2 Triple Black. Now why is that you ask? The simple features of the Rossi rifle is the answer. The short barrel making the rifle so handy is huge. A short, easy-to-handle rifle is essential. The lever action – for quick follow up shots (just like in hunting) – also is a big plus. The .44 Remington Magnum round, or the also available .357 Magnum, is plenty of firepower to defend your loved ones in your home.
Range Time with the Rossi
After the initial sighting session and the trip to bear country, I spent a lot of time on the range with the R92. As with any other firearm, I always think the most essential thing that the gun must do is fire every time the trigger is pulled. Beauty, aesthetics and even the ruggedness of the gun means nothing if it doesn’t go bang every time. The best way to test this is to simply put as many rounds as possible through a rifle. It either holds up to this treatment or it doesn’t.
In two afternoons on the range, we were able to put more than 200 rounds through the R92 without any malfunctions. No failures to feed, no failures to eject; the rifle went bang every time the trigger was pulled.
At the time of the testing, one of the .44 Magnum ammo loads I could get my hands on was the Federal HammerDown load with a 270-grain bonded soft point bullet. With that bullet and its muzzle velocity of 1715 fps and 1763 foot pounds of energy, this was the “hottest’ load we fired in the R92. The other loads fired were not to be sneezed at, however and included the .44 Magnum Remington Core-Lokt with a 240-grain, jacketed hollow point bullet having a muzzle velocity of 1220 fps, and a Fiocchi Hyperformance Hunt load with a 225-grain XPB bullet, traveling at 1240 FPS. Firing these different loads, you knew it when the R92 fired but the felt recoil was not excessive at all. Much of this can be attributed to the rubber recoil pad on the buttstock.
So, Rossi, how do I love thee?
We drug the R92 through the bush and woods on the bear hunt, we fired it for extended periods on the range and gave it ample chances to fail, but it didn’t. I am not exactly sure what else you would want a rifle to do.
The Rossi R92 Triple Black in .44 Remington Magnum is a light, fast-handling rifle that allows for quick follow up shots in hunting or home defense scenarios. The rifle is beautiful in its simplicity, making it a looker and a shooter. It is accurate (1 inch MOA at 50 yards) and easy to load, big considerations for dangerous game and home defense use.
OK, we saved this for last. The Rossi R92 is just plain fun to shoot! You remember fun don’t you? That thing we are supposed to be having out on the range. Plinking on metal targets on the range (multiple targets, how fast can you shoot them?) the R92 is a blast. If you get the .357 version, you can opt to shoot .38 Special loads and you are really in for a treat.
If you are a lever gun fan, or you want to be, your next gun has to be the Rossi R92.
Rossi R92 Triple Black in .44 Magnum’s MSRP: $1,060.99
Check out the line of Rossi R92 lever action rifles.
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
By Larry Case
It all started innocently enough. A gun review for a lever action rifle. Take it to the range, shoot some targets, take some pictures, put the rifle through some testing. Make sure it goes bang when it’s supposed to. You know the drill. But unlike most gun reviews, this one included taking the Rossi R92 Triple Black .44 Magnum lever action rifle on a West Virginia bear hunt.
I wasn’t really prepared for how the gun would hit me once I had it in my hands. Right out of the box, the R92 Triple Black, chambered in .44 Magnum, captured my heart. This rifle is the epitome of a fast handling lever action. The short (16-inch) barrel and the wide lever loop grabs your eye right away. I believe this rifle is just plain “handy.”
So let’s talk about my week with Rossi R92.
The Gun in Brief
The wood stock and forearm in the R92 Triple Black is coated with a textured black paint, taking the place of checkering and it works. A rubber recoil pad takes out the bump from heavy loads nicely. The steel receiver, barrel and eight-round magazine tube are black Cerakoted. The lever is a large loop with leather tightly wrapped at the bottom to offer some cushion. Under full disclosure, right out-of-the-box, the rifle may have been slightly hard to insert rounds in the loading gate, but this is very common for new rifles of any type. After some lubrication and several rounds downrange, everything got a lot slicker. The trigger was good right out of the box, breaking at just a hair over five pounds. I would not want it any lighter on a lever action rifle.
The factory sights are first rate. The rear aperture is adjustable, while the front sight blade is also drift adjustable for windage and adorned with a brass bead that contrasts nicely with the black aperture. Also, the front sight blade is a little taller than usual, so it is functional with accessories, such as a silencer, attached. That is pretty important if you intend to suppress this rifle, and it has a threaded barrel so you can do so if you wish. I really like the Picatinny rail, allowing you to mount a red dot optic (which would be deadly on this gun) or a short, Scout rifle scope.
We Went Right to the Woods
I decided not to fool around with this gun and go right to what I figured it was really meant to do: deep woods hunting. After a short session on the range to sight in, it didn’t take much adjustment on the peep/aperture rear sight to be dialed in at about 45 yards. This I figured would be about right for the first adventure I would take the R92 Triple Black on – bear hunting in the mountains of West Virginia with hounds.
If you are not familiar with this type of hunting, we need to take a quick aside to explain. The mountains here in West Virginia, and indeed much of the southern Appalachians, are the most extreme topography in the Southeast. Steep (very steep) hollows and very steep hillsides are the order of the day. There is really not much of a break from it. When you get out of the truck, there are usually only two ways you can go – it’s either straight up or straight down. Traveling cross country through this can be extremely tough. Now add to this there can be some extremely thick cover. Some of the hollows can be so choked with rhododendron (we call them “laurel thickets”) that are all but impassable. If you must travel through this mess, about all you can do is crawl.
Another lovely feature of this area is there can sometimes be extremely thick clearcut areas. Some of the land the houndsmen hunt on is timber company land. These may be huge areas that have been cut a few years ago, because as this ground starts the reforestation process, it will be incredibly thick cover for several years. Plowing through this cover to follow the bear hounds will take everything you have, including a short rifle that is not too unwieldy. One aspect of this hunt we must cover is that following the hounds while they are on a bear sometimes means having very close encounters. A bear will often go into thick cover and refuse to climb a tree (especially the really big ones). With the dogs fighting the bear at close quarters, crawling in on this to take the bear is what you might call a ticklish situation. Again, a light, fast handling rifle like the R92 Triple Black is what you need.
Besides the strenuous type of hunting, I wanted to show the R92 to a group of bear hunters that I know. This may be the most no-nonsense group of hunters around, and I knew I could count on them for unvarnished opinions on the R92. They would not pull any punches. As with any group, there were varying opinions on small details, but I was pleased to see the bear hunters agreed with me that this was a handy little rifle made for brush hunting.
Hunting in these mountains is never a sure thing and in the short time I had, we were not able to take a bear with the R92, but no one on the hunt doubted the rifle’s ability to do so. I’m certain it will happen later this season, so stay tuned to Rossi’s social media feeds.
Home Defense, You Bet
Lever action rifles have skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. Let’s face it, part of that is they just have a “cool” level some other guns cannot come up to. Be that as it may, there are now many more people talking about a lever gun for tactical use and home defense.
I may have balked at this notion some in the past, but I would be more in favor of it after handling the R2 Triple Black. Now why is that you ask? The simple features of the Rossi rifle is the answer. The short barrel making the rifle so handy is huge. A short, easy-to-handle rifle is essential. The lever action – for quick follow up shots (just like in hunting) – also is a big plus. The .44 Remington Magnum round, or the also available .357 Magnum, is plenty of firepower to defend your loved ones in your home.
Range Time with the Rossi
After the initial sighting session and the trip to bear country, I spent a lot of time on the range with the R92. As with any other firearm, I always think the most essential thing that the gun must do is fire every time the trigger is pulled. Beauty, aesthetics and even the ruggedness of the gun means nothing if it doesn’t go bang every time. The best way to test this is to simply put as many rounds as possible through a rifle. It either holds up to this treatment or it doesn’t.
In two afternoons on the range, we were able to put more than 200 rounds through the R92 without any malfunctions. No failures to feed, no failures to eject; the rifle went bang every time the trigger was pulled.
At the time of the testing, one of the .44 Magnum ammo loads I could get my hands on was the Federal HammerDown load with a 270-grain bonded soft point bullet. With that bullet and its muzzle velocity of 1715 fps and 1763 foot pounds of energy, this was the “hottest’ load we fired in the R92. The other loads fired were not to be sneezed at, however and included the .44 Magnum Remington Core-Lokt with a 240-grain, jacketed hollow point bullet having a muzzle velocity of 1220 fps, and a Fiocchi Hyperformance Hunt load with a 225-grain XPB bullet, traveling at 1240 FPS. Firing these different loads, you knew it when the R92 fired but the felt recoil was not excessive at all. Much of this can be attributed to the rubber recoil pad on the buttstock.
So, Rossi, how do I love thee?
We drug the R92 through the bush and woods on the bear hunt, we fired it for extended periods on the range and gave it ample chances to fail, but it didn’t. I am not exactly sure what else you would want a rifle to do.
The Rossi R92 Triple Black in .44 Remington Magnum is a light, fast-handling rifle that allows for quick follow up shots in hunting or home defense scenarios. The rifle is beautiful in its simplicity, making it a looker and a shooter. It is accurate (1 inch MOA at 50 yards) and easy to load, big considerations for dangerous game and home defense use.
OK, we saved this for last. The Rossi R92 is just plain fun to shoot! You remember fun don’t you? That thing we are supposed to be having out on the range. Plinking on metal targets on the range (multiple targets, how fast can you shoot them?) the R92 is a blast. If you get the .357 version, you can opt to shoot .38 Special loads and you are really in for a treat.
If you are a lever gun fan, or you want to be, your next gun has to be the Rossi R92.
Rossi R92 Triple Black in .44 Magnum’s MSRP: $1,060.99
Check out the line of Rossi R92 lever action rifles.
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
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