I have one of the Rossis -- an EMF Hartford Model Short Rifle. 20" octagon barrel, no barrel band, crescent buttplate. I did have to send it in for warranty work to get the extractor tweaked but aside from that it's been an outstanding gun.
I've run mostly Sellier & Bellot .357 Mag 158 grain JSPs through it, plus some of the equivalent loads in Federal's American Eagle line. I've run a limited amount of Winchester .38 Special LSWCs through it as well. It fed the .38s fine, but they do cause a buildup in the last .1" of the chamber that you need to get out. Shooting .38s in a 20" barrel feels and sounds like shooting standard velocity .22 LRs out of a rifle. Very quiet and would make a good small game round. I would be leery of using a .38 on deer unless I was very close and could precisely place my shot, and I'd want to be using +Ps.
IMO, .357 Magnum is a great rifle round, and the leverguns in the chambering are the cat's pajamas. Light recoil and relatively low noise, useful for game up to deer size, and they make a good weapon for defense against 2-legged animals. The ability to share ammo with your favorite revolver is icing on the cake.