HR handi-rifle muzzleloader?

[olddaddy]

I posted on this forum last week looking for a break action inline muzzleloader. Not too long afterwards I learned that HR make a muzzleloader barrel for their Handi-rifle single shots. Anybody here ever used one? Comments? Advice? I'm considering buying one in either .30/30 or .45/70 and having a muzzleloader barrel fitted. My goal is to have a black powder gun for the primitive season and another rifle caliber for pigs and deer.

[pietro]

Several years ago, I bought a used .45 H&R (Huntsman ? ) frontstuffer for my Grandson to use on deer, converting the #11 cap ignition to use 209 shotgun primers.

After I mounted a red dot sight on it for him, he shot some pretty good 100yd groups using Remington saboted .357 JSP's over Pyrodex, then proceded to pop a deer each time he had the chance.

It's light, but doesn't kick a whole lot.

BTW - Due to the strength & material used for their respective frames, it's OK to put a shotgun or muzzleloader bbl on what was originally a CF rifle action/frame, but not the other way - so be sure you start out with a CF rifle, THEN add the frontstuffer bbl to that frame.


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[olddaddy]

Good advice and well taken. My goal at present is a .45/70 Handi-rifle with muzzle loader barrel fitted. I can wait on the .30/30 as my Marlin does a good job in that caliber. However, I would buy a .30/30 Handi-rifle in a heartbeat if I could find one......finding them seems to be the next hurdle.

[Lead Fred]

There are two types of Handi receivers, SB1 and SB2.

SB2 are big bore and most large caliber rifle calibers, these are NOT barrel interchangeable unless you return them to NEF. <-- 45/70 are these sorry :-(

SB1s are older shotgun receivers that you can change barrels on yourself, some are muzzle loaders, some are pistol calibers, and a few smaller rifle calibers.

You will have to go to the handi rifle forums and see the chart for what fits what.

[crossxsticks]

I have never shot a rifle barrel on a handi rifle but i have a 50cal nef huntsman that i shoot a lot and like it , never had it to fail to shoot , right now i am working up a load for it using a .501 SW 400 mold thanks to the help form Idahoron I have poured boolits and paper patched them will see how they shoot tomorrow. the nef 50 cal huntsman cant have a rifle barrel just a shot gun barrel is bout all . if you watch the auctions you can find the complete gun for the price they want for a barrel ....

[Fishman]

The sb1 frame is mounted either with the .357 or .44 barrels if it comes as a rifle. Pre-sb shotgun receivers are not recommended for anything other than shotgun. Sometimes the barrels are marked with sb1 or sb2 but that tells you nothing about the frame. It's very confusing and add to this the possibility that someone could mount a rifle barrel to an sb1 frame and sell it to you. Check out greybeards handi section and you will become plenty knowledgeable. They have a handi classifieds too.

[johnson1942]

S.M.I. smokeless muzzleloaders inc. found on the internet can make a barrel to fit your h and r action. i just had that done for my 45/70 buffalo classic. it is made from a high quality douglas .50 cal barrel and is 1/32 twist. it shoots .45 cal in sabots very well as well as .50 cal paperpatched bullets. they put a mount on it for a scope and i scoped it. it will last my boy a lifetime.

[wgr]

SB1 frames have had 22-22mag- .44- 357-22hornet - 30-30-45-70 and shotgun barrels out on them from the factory. maybe 1or 2 more. i have mounted .45-70- and 54 muzle loader barrels on sb1 frames

[crossxsticks]

back from the range , shooting off of bench rest , fist shot with the .501 SW 400 pp .473 gr bullets . 80 gr goex ffg ,went 12" low adjusted and nothing but 10's and x's @ 100 yds with nef 50 cal huntsman (3x9 redfield scope) I just cant thank idahoron enough for putting me on to this load.

[thegatman]

I posted on this forum last week looking for a break action inline muzzleloader. Not too long afterwards I learned that HR make a muzzleloader barrel for their Handi-rifle single shots. Anybody here ever used one? Comments? Advice? I'm considering buying one in either .30/30 or .45/70 and having a muzzleloader barrel fitted. My goal is to have a black powder gun for the primitive season and another rifle caliber for pigs and deer.

I ordered one from H & R. Make sure you get one in stainless steel. Sometimes you can find them on Crazybay or Gunbroker. They are not hard to fit. You can use them on the shotgun frame.

[tacklebury]

I have a .58 cal huntsman barrel that fits on my multi-barrel setup. 8)

[Whiterabbit]

I've got a .50 Huntsman on an SB2 frame. Here are my notes:

#1. I only shoot LEE 300 grain .452 cast bullets without the gas check in Barnes boat-tail sabots. I do this because the only reason I have an inline is for black powder hunting in the California condor zone where lead is banned, and I can use it as a practice load then switch to the 290 grain barnes boat tail for hunting. Please no comment on poor CA laws. All my experience references the 300gr lee/barnes boat tail sabot combo.

#2. the only 209's I can get easily and at the drop of a hat are american pioneer. These I am told are "strong" primers that blow apart the plastic primer carriers. I've shot a few then threw the carriers away. They are destroyed.

#3. it turns out 300 wsm cases fit perfectly in the breech plug. ALL my rifles use LRM primers. I have 40 or so WSM cases cut down to .35 inches or so, give or take, with LRM primers. I use these instead of 209's. They work well. I also have a brass plug I turned to use 209's, but only if I use all my wsm primer carriers.

#4. I only use american pioneer black powder. Their 3f looks like 2f Goex. I won't waste my goex in the handi, I save that for the flinter, since its so hard for me to get real black.

----------------

That being said:

I have accuracy issues. inconsistent. Sometimes accurate-ish, sometimes all over the place. Never a problem to hit steels, but group size always poor. Has been confusing. I have some conclusions but they were reached the last time I took the inline out, so they are not verified with 2-3 range trips. I will cut to the chase:

1. My rifle only seems to be accurate with 120 grain powder charges of 3f APP powder. That is a max load. Not fun to shoot from a bench. I found it was necessary to fit a limbsaver to my stock. Now the recoil is no problem.

2. My rifle cannot be rested. As soon as the forearm is bound, accuracy is poor.

3. (this is what I need to verify) last ditch since I am a poor offhand shooter, I held the gun offhand sitting at the bench, with my elbows on the bench surface. I shot three times like this and they were the last shots of the day. Two 300's, one 290 grain barnes boattail (my proposed hunting bullet). All three holes were touching (barely, but clearly touching) at 50 yards. ALL my group shooting with this rifle from now on will be done like this to see if I just "had a good day" then, or if the gun really can drive tacks when shot with care offhand-only.

Again, my 50 cal huntsman when shooting 300 grain LEE 452's with no gas check in boat tail sabots over 120 grains of APP shot offhand standing will hit a ~10" steel plate at 100 yards 100% of the time whether it is me or any shooting buddy I happen to hand the rifle to to shoot for the first time ever. Good with iron sights, bad. New shooter or not.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I have a sb1 frame marked as a Huntsman with 50cal 1:28 (i think) 24 inch barrel It was purchased as a muzzle loader but the store made me fill out a 4473 as it could accept shotgun barrels , however when i called NEF they will not fit one to my gun as they say once a black always a black even though i could produce the 4473

the huntsman 50 barrel works well , the little primer carriers work and last much longer than they say , there are replacement breech plugs that promise better accuracy , but it shoots clover leaf groups with patched round ball at 50 yards , how much better do i need

the ram rod leaves a little to be desired , but if you have a range rod and only use the provided ram rod for field reloads it is fine

[crossxsticks]

I have a sb1 frame marked as a Huntsman with 50cal 1:28 (i think) 24 inch barrel It was purchased as a muzzle loader but the store made me fill out a 4473 as it could accept shotgun barrels , however when i called NEF they will not fit one to my gun as they say once a black always a black even though i could produce the 4473
the huntsman 50 barrel works well , the little primer carriers work and last much longer than they say , there are replacement breech plugs that promise better accuracy , but it shoots clover leaf groups with patched round ball at 50 yards , how much better do i need

the ram rod leaves a little to be desired , but if you have a range rod and only use the provided ram rod for field reloads it is fine

Pete you may not have the need or want but I think it will shoot clover leaf at 100 yds with idahoron's pp .501 load and if you down power your scope and use bottom post it will shoot great at 200 yds anyway mine does.