My .357 H&R

[DeanWinchester]

Just got it in a second ago. I had sent an SB2 receiver to have one fitted. I wanted to use an SB2 should I decide to "head off the beaten path". They will hold loads over 60k so unless i start filling cases with bullseye, i should be safe with pretty much anything a sane person might try.

Out of the box, i was happy with the fit. Snug but not too tight. Lock up is easy and strong. Barrel is pretty heavy. 3/4" at the muzzle.
I am not happy with the 8 groove rifling. That's gonna be an obstacle with cast lead.


I will be starting with an RCBS 35-200 and 2400, Unique and maybe 4198.

If you've walked down this road, chime in anytime please. Wish me luck!

[curator]

I've had mine for a couple of years. I shoot 180, 215, and 250 grain GC boolits with varying loads of A2400, WC680, and WC820, SP2, and Unique. All of them give good to better accuracy if you seat the slug out to touch the rifling. The Handi has a Looooooong throat. Seating bullets to normal .357 OAL results in lousy accuracy. Don't sweat the 8-groove rifling. It will shoot if you find the right load.

[Ben]

If you've walked down this road, chime in anytime please. Wish me luck!

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

I have and it wasn't a pleasant walk.

For me , anything in the 125 - 170 gr.cast range shot terrible using 38 Spec. cases. Using 357 Mag. cases , things improved a bit, but when I compared what I was doing with 357 Mg. brass and 200 gr. cast bullets ( I still could not reach the rifling ) , I decided that I'd be about 500% better off to just shoot my 358" cast bullets out of my three .35 cal. rifles, ( two 358 Win., and one 35 Whelen AI ) .

A fellow at a gun show offered me about 80% of my money that I'd paid for the rifle earlier and he walked away with it.

Mine was an SB - 1, so I was leary of using a 357 Max. reamer in the barrel.

Ben

[jmort]

From what I have read at Graybeards, the jump is not an issue and .38 Special ammunition shoots well. The chamber is SAAMI spec. Going to order a couple barrels for two SB2 receivers I got off Gun Broker. I have 4 Handi Rifles. Yes they are addictive.

[DeanWinchester]

The RCBS 35-200 will not reach the rifling. Wow! I can just about get there but the lube groove is exposed and not enough boolit in the case to seat it straight.
We gonna find out!

I'm betting a boolit similar to my 45-340L accurate boolit would get there. Basically a full wadcutter with a small radius on the nose.

[4060MAY]

I have walked down this road along with my friend
Cut .357max cases to fit...mine were cut to 360DW length
make a plug to fit in the case plus .060-.1 longer...... to use as a breech seater
I am using a cut off Saeco mold, casts 180gr or so, pan lubed with Darr lube and shot as cast,.358+
HS-6 aka WC540 with 1/4" floral foam pushed down on the powder, Rem 7 1/2 primers, Win SR
have not used SP primers because I do not have any
put the bullet in the chamber, insert plugged case, close the action, insert charged case and shoot
this was the simplest way for Me, I shoot a lot of schuetzen and load at the bench so it is not a big deal for me
try it this way, you might like it....I also have the RCBS 200gr mold and with out gas checks it seems ok,,only shot it a little

With the trigger almost good, with a 12x scope, I am able to stay under 1 1/2 with this load if I do my part
I have stoned the trigger, but will need more later...I was afraid to make the trigger inoperable..which would be easy to do

HTH

[Nrut]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...50g&highlight=

[DeanWinchester]

Thanks Nrut!

[MT Gianni]

I borrowed a reamer and made it a Max. I love the gun now.

[txsnowman2k2]

Am planing to get the reamer and max out my mag...does the max shoot well with 158gr or do I have to go heavier...not for hunting, just paper...tx

[MT Gianni]

I don't mess with light bullets in the max, 172 is as light as I have tried. I have gotten OK accuracy with 38 loads and 158 gr so I guess they might work but they are not pushed as hard as the Max does.

[cattleskinner]

I did the same as you, and had a mag barrel fitted to a rifle frame a few years back. Reamed it out to Max as soon as I could, and also messed up the inside of barrel just about as fast with an errant cleaning rod. Chopped it off to 21" and recrowned, now it shoots the 158 gr. xtp/hp into an inch at 100 yds. The 180 rf group buy with MML lube is just about as tight, but I had a flier every group, which may have been due to not being picky enough when sizing/culling. So far AA1680 is all I have used, but plan on using Lil gun and some of the 180 gr Hornady SSP's just to see how they shoot.

Oh, and 27 gr. 1680 for the 180 gr cast, and 28 gr. 1680 for the xtp bullets shot best.

[nekshot]

mine is a sleeved hybred but mine has a longer throat also. I don't even seat my boolits with a die I just shove em into the case as far as they go and shove em into the barrel and close the action and let the gun seat the boolit.

[C. Latch]

Does anyone other than NEF/H&R offer replacement barrels?

The *idea* of a single-shot .357 is awesome. The mixed reviews make me leery, though.

[DeanWinchester]

Not really. There is another option. David White at D&T can make any barrel you can dreamup with his barrel stubbing process. It's not cheap but his barrels beat anything H&R has ever or will ever make. He's a member here and I have traded emails with him before. He's a darn fine fella. Very nice.

[C. Latch]

There's a guy here down the road from me who apparently has cultivated a cult following, locally, with his .357 Maximum conversions of his handi-rifles. I went into his shop for the first time ever and saw several .357s and several bags of Maximum brass.....that sort of planted a seed in my head. And I just got a nice .357 mold that watered that seed.

Hmmm.

It would be a *perfect* kid's first gun, *if* it shot accurately.......it would do everything from squirrels to deer. add a shotgun barrel and it would be awesome.

[DeanWinchester]

Well, I got her out today. I'm liking what I'm seeing out of the gate here!
The Boyd's stock and Nikon makes this thing a joy to shoot.

[DeanWinchester]

Started out with two loads.
Win Brass
Wolf Small rifle primer
RCBS 35-200 w/ Ben's Red lube
12.0g - 2400 & 13.0g of IMR4198

All shooting done at 50 yards. Ten shot groups. No time given for the rifle to cool. I just shot the things and had fun.

The 2400 was decent but the 4198 surprised me. The 4198 was the first load I shot and it was pretty close to point of aim (got lucky on the boresighting)

[DeanWinchester]

I know a lot of people have had bad experiences with their 357 mag rifle, but this is a great start IMHO. Couple my paltry shooting skills with my low expectations and we may have a winner!!

[C. Latch]

That's awesome.

How much was the stock set?