Range Report - NEF 357 mag/max

[MtJerry]

Well, I just gotta brag a bit.

I just came back from the range with my NEF Handi Rifle that was originally a .357 Magnum that I reamed out to a .357 Maximum. It is topped with an old Redfield 4x post reticle scope that came with the rifle when I bought it.

Today I was trying to do two things wiht this rifle:

1. Try out a nice home-cast 200gr. RN hollowpoint from a mould that a friend gave me this past summer while I was in Florida and see if I could get an acceptable group to shoot deer with.

Here is a pic of the bullet:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/MtJerry/Casting003.jpg

I was pleasantly surprized when the first five rounds went into a hole measured at .625. This was shot at 50 yards and was dead center in the 1" circle of the target.

The load was:

CCI small rifle mag primer
Lyman 358315 200gr. RN HP GC cast with 50% wheel weights, and 50% pure lead.
17gr. of AA 5744
Velocity is around 2000fps.

2. My second goal was to try and find a gentle, quiet plinking/varmint/grouse load that I could shoot out of this using the .357 max brass and 140gr. wadcutters. My first attempt at this a few weeks ago using .357 mag and .38 special brass was a dismal failure, so I was not expecting much.

I shot 30 rounds at 50 yards that fit into a nice 2" circle. Good enough for plinking and bagging the occastional grouse for the stew pot at camp while hunting.

This load was VERY QUIET ... just a short little "pop" AND, I can honestly say I can load these cheaper than I can buy .22's for.

This load was:

CCI small rifle mag primer
Lyman 359495 140gr. Wadcutter cast from straight wheelweights and water-quenched
3.5gr. of W231
Velocity was about 850fps.


Not too shabby for $160 dollar gun :mrgreen:
I LOVE HANDI RIFLES!!!!

[26Charlie]

MtJerry - These are inordinately fun to shoot. They don't cost much, and are neat and accurate. Mine is marked .357 Mag but actually chambered .357 Max, and I have gotten an honest 1750 FPS with the RCBS 200 gr. GC, so I would say your HP bullet is about the same. I like the load, so I will probably try some 5744 with the RCBS and the Lyman 358315, which looks like the design you show. My rifle has a brushed nickel plated finish, making it a dandy little canoe gun.
Nice going.

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Man, I really need to get me one of those .357 barrels for my H&R Buff classic.....thinking that with a globe sight on front and the tang sight on the rear it will be really nice shootin'.

[rhead]

MtJerry - These are inordinately fun to shoot. They don't cost much, and are neat and accurate. Mine is marked .357 Mag but actually chambered .357 Max, and I have gotten an honest 1750 FPS with the RCBS 200 gr. GC, so I would say your HP bullet is about the same. I like the load, so I will probably try some 5744 with the RCBS and the Lyman 358315, which looks like the design you show. My rifle has a brushed nickel plated finish, making it a dandy little canoe gun.
Nice going.

Mine will not quite chamber the max brass. I use 360 Dan Wesson brass short seat the bullet to to 357 max over all length with about a 95% 357 max load. The barrel shot 38s and 357 mags too well to risk rechmbering. The chamber and throat are both over length.

[MtJerry]

Man, I really need to get me one of those .357 barrels for my H&R Buff classic.....thinking that with a globe sight on front and the tang sight on the rear it will be really nice shootin'.

Now that load development has ended, I will be putting a Williams peep on it. Scope is going on the shelf. :drinks:

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Now that load development has ended, I will be putting a Williams peep on it. Scope is going on the shelf. :drinks:


On the Buff Classic there is a Lyman globe front installed from the factory, and I installed one of these on the wrist of the gun.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/prodimg/ST12B2NSB.jpg

It shoots very well out to 900+ yards even though I haven't been able to completely wring out the loading yet.

And just in case you wanted the info:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/ (http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4915.htm)

[Buckshot]

...........A friend of a friend has one in 38-55 that shoots all out of proportion to it's humble cost. At 50 yards it will keep all it's shots inside the 2" '10' ring as long as you care to shoot (assuming you do your part). He doesn't case so uses someones, or a commercial boolit. I don't recall the load, but it was a plinker type for Cowboy side matches.

..............Buckshot

[lefty_red]

I'm thankful for athe report Jerry. A buddy of mine made a "impulse" buy on a NEF in 500 S&W! He's beating himself up over it adn I'm thinking of taking it off his hands. I think $150 should do it!

BTW, what's the 500 S&W good for? I'm mean besides giving me something to do besides messing with the 357s or 45LCs and IDPA? I might swap the barrel for one in something else.

Does NEF make a 45LC barrel besides the crappy one on the SURVIVOR rifle. The 45LC/410ga one. The only one I shot "patterned" instead of grouped at 25 yards.

Also, Jerry, why is the 357s and 38s doing so crappy out of the 357max chamber. I figure it wouldn't effect them like that. It does make me wonder about doing to the same thing to my 357 barrel.

Jerry

[MtJerry]

what's the 500 S&W good for?

Makes a nice deer gun, but only for short ranges. If you want something that is a true big bore that has some range to it, hold out and get a 45-70. It can be loaded up for heavy hitting loads, and also loaded down .. say 9.0gr. of 231 over a .457 round ball for small game loads. The 500 doesn't have that flexibility. It's just not a good chambering in a rifle in my opinion.


Does NEF make a 45LC barrel besides the crappy one on the SURVIVOR rifle. The 45LC/410ga one. The only one I shot "patterned" instead of grouped at 25 yards.

No ... I've never shot the 45LC version of this gun so I really don't have any help for you.


Also, Jerry, why is the 357s and 38s doing so crappy out of the 357max chamber. I figure it wouldn't effect them like that. It does make me wonder about doing to the same thing to my 357 barrel.

My only explination is the LONG jump it has to make to get from the case to the throat of the bore.

I can get .357 rounds that I shoot out of my GP100 to shoot "ok," (170gr. SWC w/ 13.0gr. of 2400) but nothing like the accuracy I saw yesterday.

[lefty_red]

I might just stick with the 30/30 barrel then. I can get Junior's small game load off of his site.

Thanks for your input Jerry!

Jerry

[georgeld]

Jerry:

Check NEF's site @: H&R1871.com

They've got an extra barrel program where you send in your action and the money their list quotes and in a month or two they'll send a freshly fitted new barrel in your choice.

Some are different price's, but, the few I've looked seriously at would cost right at $90 delivered. When the guns cost from $110- 145 new I really don't see the point in getting barrels for that much. I've got three of the guns now. Couldn't make out heads or tails what they had listed, nor could the store. I wanted a .410/.45 Colt barrel and ended up with a plain .410 with the nickle action and wood stock. Stay away from that painted wood stock!! This one hasn't been fired yet and the paints flaking off.

The other two are both black plastic, .17M2 and .17HMR. I'm going to rechamber one of them for a centerfire .17x28mm on the 5.7x28mm FN case. I havent' checked the HMR barrel yet, but, the M2 fit the .410 action perfectly and fired one of the shell with quite a dimple dead centered in the head surface. That surprised me. Mostly I was just wanting to make sure where the firing pin hit the case.

www.graybeardoutdoors.com forum has a NEF section with a whole bunch of info and posts. Read the sticky's and it'll give you instruction on slicking the triggers to make a good trigger pull and Larry Trotter has some good instructions on rechambering and mating a rimfire barrel or others to a centerfire action. All this can be printed too. There isn't much that hasn't been done with these guns already. There's a good swap section too, so you might could get rid of that 50 and pick up something you'd want more.

Best of luck,

[lefty_red]

George

Thanks for the info! I haven't had good results with the barrel program either. I wanted the 36" 12ga barrel and they sent the stuff back, fours weeks later, with a note saying they can't fit a 10ga barrel on the frame?!?!?! Besides, I don't know who owns NEF this week!

I'll got to the board and look around.

Jerr, sorry for the "hijacking"!

Jerry