Rossi R95 .30-30: Lever-Action Goodness

Lever-action rifles are on the comeback. A new generation of shooters is discovering their cycling speed, versatility, nostalgia, and just plain fun. Rossi has been making lever guns for a long time and has just expanded their R95 rifle line to include perhaps the quintessential lever-action cartridge: the .30-30 Winchester. I recently tested an R95 in .30-30 and came away impressed. Rossi provided the rifle for that purpose. Let’s begin with the R95’s specifications:

Rossi R95 .30-30 Winchester Specs

• Caliber: .30-30 Winchester
• Capacity: 5+1
• Fixed Tube Magazine
• Barrel length: 16.5 or 20 inches
• Overall Length: 35.5 or 39 inches
• Weight: 6.7 or 6.85 lbs. (Unloaded)
• Alloy Steel, Black Oxide Finished Frame and Barrel
• Drift Adjustable Blade Front Sight
• Adjustable Buckhorn Rear Sight

Rossi R95 .30-30 Features

The Rossi R95 is based on the proven Marlin Model 1895 design. You can get the .30-30 with a 20-inch or 16.5-inch barrel. The 16.5-inch models are available with your choice of grey laminate, walnut, or tactical “Triple Black” polymer furniture. The 20-inch version is currently only available in walnut. My test model had a 16.5-inch barrel with walnut furniture and large lever loop.

The Action

Any lever gun is defined by its action. A substandard action renders an otherwise nice rifle useless, in my opinion. The minimum standard is that the action be smooth and robust. Lever guns are meant to be run hard, but short-stroking the action jams the rifle. So, the action must hold up to being run that way. I’ve recently run across two that did not, but the Rossi isn’t one of them.

The R95’s action was smooth and crisp. It wasn’t sticky, and it didn’t drag. It locked up tight every time. And my co-tester and I ran the action a lot. This is a hunting rifle, so firing several hundreds of rounds wasn’t necessary. We fired 140 rounds, but we also just sat and ran the action. I estimate we’ve cycled it about 500 times. So far, every stroke feels like the first. It has probably loosened up just a bit as it got broken in, but not enough to notice.

We like it a lot. We liked the large lever loop since it provides plenty of room for gloves during hunting season. The 20-inch R95 Walnut has a regular-sized loop. I spoke with a Rossi representative and learned that the regular and large R95 lever loops are interchangeable in rifles of the same caliber. Rossi anticipates eventually selling them separately.

The hammer works as well as the action. It operates smoothly, whether cocking, half-cocking, or decocking. The cross-bolt safety can only be engaged when the hammer is cocked, whether half or fully. The safety disengages the trigger when the hammer is down or in half-cock. The trigger can be pulled when the rifle is on safe, but the hammer only drops to the half-cock position. The hammer has gotten as much, if not more, work than the action. No problems whatsoever. The entire action is very solid.

Construction

The walnut stock and handguard are nicer than I expected. This was my first experience with Rossi, which I had peripherally regarded as a budget brand. I admit to being a lever gun snob, having been brought up on old-school Marlins and Winchesters. I also like Henrys. But I do like this Rossi R95. The walnut is nice, with a better grain than I expected. The pistol grip and stock are textured, which isn’t as nice as checkering, but it works. My grip was always positive. The stock was a bit loose at first, but tightening the tang screw fixed the problem. The fit and finish are otherwise good.

The receiver is tapped for a scope mount or rail. The handguard has a steel front cap/barrel band featuring a machined sling swivel stud. Another stud adorns the stock. A thick, soft rubber butt pad helps to mitigate recoil. The black oxide finish is functional and should protect against the elements. This is a hunting rifle, after all. The R95 is a solid, good-looking rifle. The Rossi website says that the R95 is compatible with handguards and rails “that work with another major manufacturer’s lever action.” They’re talking about the Marlin Model 1895.

The side loading gate is responsive and a little bigger than the gates on my other lever guns. That feature slightly improved reloading ease and speed. I like it. Rossi uses the shorter 5+1 tube magazine on both the 16.5 and 20-inch rifles. But, again, this is a hunting rifle. That’s all you really need. And the tactical-themed “Triple Black” model has a shorter barrel, so that’s all you get. Learn to top it off quickly.

The Rossi R95 .30-30 On the Range

The R95 performed well on the range. The rifle shoulders well, and the 16.5-inch barrel helps it point quickly. Compared to some 20-inch lever guns I have, there’s a bit more muzzle flip with the shorter barrel, but it’s not bad. We found the R95 quite pleasant to shoot.

Buckhorn sights are a lever gun tradition, though some folks don’t like them. They are, however, quite effective if you take the time to learn them properly. We tested them for accuracy, which they passed, but most of our shooting was done with a Vortex Viper HD 2-10×42 scope. We’ve decided to keep this rifle, and that will be the setup we carry into the deer woods. It’s really perfect for my Appalachian stomping grounds.

The rifle was accurate with the four .30-30 Winchester loads we fired. We zeroed the scope at 100 yards with 150-grain Winchester PowerPoint ammunition. That’s the round I anticipate using this fall. We had to learn our holds with the others, which were:

Once we got the holds right, our groups were consistent with each load, about 2 inches at 100 yards. That was off the bench. Now that the testing is done, I’ll focus on dialing in my accuracy with the Winchester PowerPoint.

Shoot it Right

The R95 is not a precision rifle. It’s a standard hunting rifle, so we shot it like a hunting rifle. We mostly shot freehand at about 50-60 yards, sometimes bracing against a tree. That’s how we’ll use this rifle for real. I don’t anticipate many follow-up shots with the R95, but we fired two-shot groups to test the action. Freehand shots being what they are, our two-shot groups ranged from 2 to 4 inches, sometimes a little better. All our shots were technically in the whitetail kill zone, but now that we can focus on a single load, the accuracy will improve, as it needs to.

Final Thoughts

I’ve noted several times that we both like the R95. It’s solidly built, performed well, and looks good. It’s not fancy, but honestly, I don’t want it to be. I want it to kill whitetails, and I think it will do that job admirably. I don’t always buy the guns I test, but I’m buying this one. It just fits what I do too well not to keep it. Plus, for all my lever guns, I didn’t actually have a .30-30 until I got this Rossi. Weird, I know. I’m a .35 Remington man, but I needed a .30-30. I can’t really call myself a lever gun guy otherwise.

I was a bit leery of Rossi at first, but that was just ignorance on my part. I just wasn’t familiar with the company and my snobbery was kicking in. But this R95 rifle has convinced me. I really like it. The quality is there, and it costs less than the more familiar brands. I wouldn’t be surprised if I pick up another Rossi, probably an R92, down the road. And that’s maybe the best endorsement I can give.