Rossi Wizard

[mooner]

Anybody have any experience with one of these? Looks like a cheaper version of the Thompson Center. I would love to know if they are accurate (first hand accounts).

What really has me interested is the ability to use as a muzzle loader. I only wish they would offer it as a muzzle loader base model (doesn't look like they do as of now).

I have been thinking about muzzle loader hunting for a while now and if it were offered in this configuration it would give me an inexpensive muzzle loader with the ability to upgrade to add calibers cheaply to use as a backup hunting rifle.


Anybody care to offer their opinion?

 

[mooner]

I guess nobody has an opinion or experience, huh?

 

[merlinfire]

They look interesting to me. Of course, every time I think about one of these modular barrel getups, like TC or the Wizard, I think "for a bit more I could just have another gun!". If you're a hunter (not a pretend hunter, "oh yeah, I hunt") and you want to be able to hunt in any season, this concept is probably good for you. If you hunt *sometimes* and would rather have different guns, or if you plink/target shoot a lot, it probably makes more sense to have more guns instead of a modular setup.

My bro-in-law fits the above description (a pretend hunter) and is just now coming to grips with it. He's trying to sell his Encore. He has .223 and .308 barrels I believe. Let me just say, a 308 out of a 13 inch barrel in a single shot is....interesting.

 

[Kendal Black]

Bump. Anyone got experience with these yet? The concept looks good, but how is the execution?

I like break action singles and find them more capable than many suppose, and I'm curious how these Wizards are working out for people.

 

[merlinfire]

I like break action singles and find them more capable than many suppose

I'm sure they're plenty capable, and probably the most reliable guns around. But if you need a quick follow up shot....

 

[Kendal Black]

I'm sure they're plenty capable, and probably the most reliable guns around. But if you need a quick follow up shot....

Funny you should mention that; I just posted about it in another thread. Here's my method of getting off a follow up shot with a single. (Works better with ejector guns.) http://shootery.blogspot.com/2010/05/speedy-reloading-of-single-shot-shotgun.html

Of course, a repeater is always going to be faster and more fumble-proof, but you can get another one off before next week.

 

[chicharrones]

Considering the second shot speed, I still have my old Winchester 37 single shot 12 gauge with a strong ejector. I used it dove hunting and could get off a second shot in time if the bird's flight pattern was to my advantage.

That is standing with room to swing the barrel down. Doing the same with a rifle using aimed sights at longer than bird hunting range would be more difficult I'd imagine. It would be worth trying, though.

 

[Kendal Black]

Chicharrones, it's awkward when shooting prone. Otherwise, not too bad.

The Wizard is very appealing in concept, because it's an ejector type and a switch-barrel. Still hoping for some feedback on how well it works and how straight it shoots.

 

[Kendal Black]

Bumped to inquire: Anyone have hands on experience with these yet? And what did you think?

 

[mgkdrgn]

I have one here on consignment (20g, 243, 22lr), so I can't say that I've shot it, but all the bits look like they are of pretty good quality. Fit and finish is good, and the different barrels interchange easily. Trigger is nice. Nice carry bag for the whole lot as well.

 

[Kendal Black]

^^ Thanks for the report, mgkdrgn. I am glad to hear these are making it out into the real world; for a long time the gun only existed, so far as I could tell, in full page ads in the Rifleman.

Break action singles are a particular interest of mine, so I try to follow developments. This one looks promising so long as the execution is up to the concept, or if it works without too much tinkering...

 

[mgkdrgn]

^^ Thanks for the report, mgkdrgn. I am glad to hear these are making it out into the real world; for a long time the gun only existed, so far as I could tell, in full page ads in the Rifleman.

Break action singles are a particular interest of mine, so I try to follow developments. This one looks promising so long as the execution is up to the concept, or if it works without too much tinkering...

Another plus, in my book anyway ... you want to shoot a new cartridge ... you just buy a new barrel. Same action, same trigger, same stock.

 

[Kendal Black]

Of course we can do all that with TC, or H&R with more bother. Until thousands of these are in service it's hard to say much beyond what I've been saying: Blaser if you have folding money, H&R if you don't.

 

[jbkebert]

Another plus, in my book anyway ... you want to shoot a new cartridge ... you just buy a new barrel. Same action, same trigger, same stock.

While I do not have a Rossi Wizard I do own a couple of Encore rifles. The statement above is one of my favorit things about the set-up. No matter what barrel I am shooting nothing changes. Length of pull, eye-relief, trigger, weight. They all shoulder the same so consistancy is fairly easy to obtain. I have done alot of testing and tinkering with this system. I use Leupold QR rings on all my barrels. I have taken one scope a Leupold VariX-III and moved it from one barrel to the next. Since it just locks into the base the ring distance or scope height doesn't change. I went from a .243 win, to a .270 win, to a .308 win and finally to a .300 win mag. POI at 100 yards moved less than 1 1/4" between all barrels. Put the scope back on the original .243 barrel. Zero was dead nuts on.

For follow up shots with practice. You can thumb the spent casing out and replace with a fresh load in less time than you would believe.

If Rossi's rifle works this well at half the money. It would be a certain winner in my book. Granted these are hunting rifles not bench guns. If you have realistic expectations of 1 1/2" groups which is more than accurate enough for hunting.

 

[Kendal Black]

What I like is to have a 16 & 1/4 inch satchel, and it is good for 200+ .

Comparing T-C against Rossi is, as you point out, an unequal bargain. I want to see how they stack up against H&R.