.357 Handi-Rifle - first shots

[Bookworm]

I purchased a .357 Handi-Rifle (SB2) in a package deal. I really didn't want it, considered trading it off, but I told Mrs Bookworm I had gotten it for her to play with...:roll:

I went ahead and fired it yesterday, after putting a cheap 4X scope on it, just to see what it would do. After getting the scope on paper at 25yds, I moved the portable bench back to 50 yds. I was using some S&B 158g FMJ, because I had some.

First 3 shots at 50 yds, improvised rest from a portable shooting bench -
179006

This thing can shoot !

Now I'm sorry I told Mrs Bookworm it was hers.... hopefully she'll allow me to shoot it sometimes.

[MT Gianni]

Wait until you ream it to 357 Max and see what it does.

[farmerjim]

Wait until you ream it to 357 Max and see what it does.
+1
I love mine in 357 Max.

[hornady308]

I never bothered to ream mine to Max. I just use Mag brass and seat the bullets way out. Unless using a powder like h110, no crimp is necessary. If you end up keeping the rifle for yourself, replace that junk scope with something good. I went with a Swift 3-9x40. If your wife takes the rifle, leave the cheap scope in place. She might not notice.

[Bookworm]

I've got a vintage Weaver K4, made in Tejas. Perhaps I'll mount it up.

But, I have a CVA Hunter 44Mag on the way. I as wanting to use the K4 on it. Too many firearms for the scope-count.

Problems, problems.....

[GhostHawk]

I use .360DW brass, just a touch shorter than max. Not for the powder room, but to set my boolits just next to the rifling.

My load is pretty light, 4.6 grains of Red Dot under a .358 158 gr round nose.

It printed cloverleaf with my first 3 shots with that load, and would do the same at 100 if I could do my part.

[Four-Sixty]

I never reamed my chamber. I can seat an RCBS 200 grain RNFP to the crimp grove in 360DW brass and it chambers with no problem.

[rking22]

Four-sixty, I have 360DW brass and the 200RCBS is my main 35 rifle boolit. Could you share more detailed experiences and any really good loads, for academic purposes only you understand. Mine has been on the back burner for a while. These 2 threads have kinda brought it to the forefront. I bought an SB2 45-70 cheap(125$) and had NEF fit a 357,30-30, and a 22 inch 20ga fixed mod barrel to it several years ago. Makes a pretty good "just one gun" in concept. Daughter took her first deer with the 357, I like the 45-70 as well. The 30-30 has too much headspace, another project to get "round-to-it", along with a case to hold it all together.

[NoAngel]

Nice!
Mine was terrible. I couldn't reach the throat with ANY bullet and accuracy wasn't great at all. I finally gave up.


I skipped the max and went straight to .358 Winchester. Ordered a reamer from Manson and an extractor from Numrich. Pretty easy as these things go.
It's one of the best shooting rifles I have ever owned.

[Four-Sixty]

Frankly, I tried the RCBS 200 grain boolit last night!

I did seat the boolit and a primer. Using a dremel with a cut off wheel I cut a slot in the case lengthwise to see exactly where the bottom of the boolit was. I then cut off the end of the case occupied by the boolit. I wanted to be able to measure what kind of powder volume would be available. I came up with 15.4 grains of IMR 4227. That is my favorite cast rifle powder. I will probably start experimenting with 14 grains and work up.

[Four-Sixty]

I got a chance to go to the range today.

I shot the 200 grain RCBS boolits in 360 DW brass over 13 grains of IMR4227 and a CCI small rifle primer. I got bullseyes at 50 yards!

[Bookworm]

I need to get hold of some 360 DW brass. Starline has 250 pieces for $69 delivered, I just don't know if I want that many. I may have to see if I can purchase 100 somewhere.

[curator]

The .360DW brass really helped with the accuracy in my .357 Handi. So much so, that I investigated the chamber on my T/C Encore's .44Mag barrel and found the same long chamber/throat. Starline .445 Super Mag brass solved the accuracy problem in that gun too. Short brass and long bullet jump results in lousy accuracy. I understand that Starline only runs their .360DWs once a year or when sufficient back-orders warrant a production run. I bought the 250 box and feel I've got that covered for several years. Always better to have it and not need it than to need in and not have it.

[Bookworm]

Mrs Bookworm fired the Handi-rifle today, for the first time. She put 5 shots in one hole at 25 yds, and told me it was too easy at that distance, she wanted to try farther back. We moved back to 50yds, she shot a sub 1 inch 3 shot group.
We'll try at 75yds, the limit of my home-range, another time. So far so good.

If she can keep a 1" group at 75 yds with practice, then I see no reason to complain, or jack around with it. She likes to shoot, but doesn't necessarily like to shoot groups.
As long as she is happy with the accuracy, I ain't messing with it. Happy wife, happy life.