H&R Handi Rifle

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  • Last Post 27 September 2012
Pigslayer posted this 24 September 2012

I think that the Handi Rifle is really a cool piece. I'm just trying to decide which caliber to settle on. I'm looking for a caliber that would like cast bullets. .444 Marlin? 45/70? Any input would be appreciated.

 

Pat

 

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Ed Harris posted this 24 September 2012

My .44 Magnum Handi shoots 3 inch groups at 100 yards with my cast-bullet handgun ammo. Works for me.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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onondaga posted this 24 September 2012

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6171>Pigslayer:

Pat, You gotta know I really like my Handi in .500 S&W. It overpowers every caliber the Handi is available in, I load low at 1700 fps verified with the RCBS 50-340-SWC plain base in #2 alloy and 30.2 grains H LilGun with 11.7 grains BPI Original filler nearly  to rim and an LOA of 2.050". I tumble lube 45:45:10 Recluse once before sizing .502” and once after. My after-market stock is weighted with 2 pounds bird-shot and my load recoil is less than a 30-30 lever rifle with factory ammo. The load consistently groups less than 1 inch at 50 yards for my grandson or myself.

 

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Pigslayer posted this 24 September 2012

This is good info. I have to watch the recoil as I broke my neck three years ago. If I can keep the reoil down to .270 Win. level, I'm good to go.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 24 September 2012

my handi rifle in 30-30 was a fun bean can shooter at 50 yards, with several castiballs.  naturally,  it being neat...i sold it.  ken

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onondaga posted this 24 September 2012

The Handi in .270 has higher recoil than the .500 S&W unless you weight the stock 2 pounds as I have.

The standard wood stock can also be weighted in the butt stock bolt hole with 3/4” plumbing brass tubing cut to length and filled with lead. I did this for my grandson's personal  Handi:

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Pigslayer posted this 24 September 2012

onondaga wrote: The Handi in .270 has higher recoil than the .500 S&W unless you weight the stock 2 pounds as I have.

The standard wood stock can also be weighted in the butt stock bolt hole with 3/4” plumbing brass tubing cut to length and filled with lead. I did this for my grandson's personal  Handi:

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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tturner53 posted this 24 September 2012

Start with a 30-30. They are great. You can add barrels later. Recoil? What recoil?

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JeffinNZ posted this 24 September 2012

I'm with Ken and Tim. .30-30 would be my call too. Can't help but think that a .444 or .45-70 might be a handful in such a light rig.

Cheers from New Zealand

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onondaga posted this 25 September 2012

I am sure you guys know that even the .500, the 45-70 and the .444 can be loaded as light as you wish with cast bullets. I even load my .500 with #4 bird-shot in a 50 cal muzzeloading sabot for chipmunks, bunnies, starlings and pigeons. Or, did you forget?

Gary

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kevo posted this 25 September 2012

I have shot a mates Handy in 45-70 gov and there is minimal recoil. But, as Gary says, it's what you load it up to!!

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JeffinNZ posted this 25 September 2012

Good point Gary. I'm just soft.....LOL.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Pigslayer posted this 25 September 2012

Well, after a lot of thinking about it, I've decided to try to get the Handi-Rifle in .444 Marlin. Any comments? Pros? Cons?

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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6pt-sika posted this 27 September 2012

Pigslayer wrote: Well, after a lot of thinking about it, I've decided to try to get the Handi-Rifle in .444 Marlin. Any comments? Pros? Cons?

Lets see I worked up loads for a couple Handi's for friends . One was a 280 REM and the other was a 25-06 .

I've owned Handi's in 500 S&W , 444 and a pair that were 20 gauge sluggers with the big heavy barrels . One was even rechambered by Hastings for their 3 1/2” 20 gauge slug (that S..O..B kicked like 3 Mules).

 

The 444 I had shot very nicely with jacketed . And not just one jacketed bullet but most of those I would have used to hunt with in that cartridge .

It seems to me I shot some cast in that rifle also but for the life of me I cannot remmember what bullets I used .

I kinda wish I had that rifle back as I sold it about 3 years ago to help finance one of my trips to the Philippines . When I got rid of the rifle it was LNIB . Think I had shot it maybe 200-250 times all from the bench . Never did hunt it .

 

THink if I had one now it would make an excellent platform for target shooting the Ranch Dog line of 44 cal bullets as well as the 3 I've derived from RD's basic design .

 

The ONLY thing I have against Handi's in general is the fact that it's a hit or miss thing with their triggers . Knock on wood all of the ones I've owned were pretty decent . But I've had a few in my hands that were the proverbial POS as far as the triggers concerned that is  .>

 

 

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delmarskid1 posted this 27 September 2012

The best 22 hornet that I've owned was a handi_rifle. A friend has a .357 mag re-chambered to 357 max that is a good shooter. The .444 sounds like fun. It might even take to black powder loads. Those are always fun in a single shot.

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r1kk1 posted this 27 September 2012

The 45-70 will handle level II loads. It will truly jar your eye teeth. Nice thing is you can load it up and down the spectrum to suit you. Black powder loads are a hoot in it. My wife can go through a hundred of these in no time flat. Cleanly kills too.

It is a very versatile cartridge for the Handloader.

Take care

r1kk1

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