H&R / NEF .357 single shot accuracy?

[tbx-4]

I’m hunting for a H&R / NEF SB1 or SB2 in .357 mag. Wondering who’s got one and what is the accuracy of these rifles?

[kungfustyle]

Try gray beards https://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php They have a H&R section. You'll be lucky to find one that isn't molested in some shape or form. They are about $400 and it seems people get them and want to turn them in to a 357 max, or cut the bbl or something else strange. Traditions has a G2 that from what I understand shoots OK and they run about $300 or so. May want to save up and get a Henry or a Marlin for what they are going for now. I've been looking at this for a while now, and that is what I've seen.

[Nobade]

They rechambered them to the max to get rid of the silly throat they were made with. I have one myself, as a mag it was pretty useless. Turned into a max it is quite the accurate rifle, with naked and paper patched boolits. But yeah, for what they cost now it's not worth getting one any more.

[jmort]

The chamber is SAAMI spec per H & R when they were still open.
Agree that most are really happy with the max chamber. Another option is Wesson 360 Brass as that seems to fit much better in the stock chamber.
I have two receivers that were some of the last ones out of the factory with .35 mag and .30-30 barrels for each. At that time their most experienced gunsmith was the only one left doing them. Hope they are spot on.

[gpidaho]

tbx-4: I bought a 357 Handi way back when. I've been pretty happy with it. As Nobade said they have a very long throat. I work around that by trimming back 357 max cases or just use the DW 360 cases. Mine is as accurate as I am even using 38spl loads and that's a loooong jump to the rifling. Gp

[curator]

I will add a "second" to what gpidaho posted. Accuracy with my .357 H&R Handi-rifle was lackluster until I bought a bunch of DW360 brass and loaded them. Being linger, the DW360 brass allows one to load the boolit closer to the rifling's origin (leade) and improves accuracy remarkably. Mine is scoped with a Burris 3-9 and will shoot clover-leaf groups at 100 yards off the bench. I load 180, 200, and 225 grain gas-checked slugs to 1800 fps.

[tbx-4]

Ok, didn't realize the price spiked since Remington closed the plant.

I used to have an SB1 12 gage but gave it away about 10 years ago. Couldn't sell it for $100, no one wanted it. Should have kept it to convert to .357. Oh well.

The Traditions look nice. The lowest price I'm seeing on line is $365, add another $50-$60 for shipping and transfer and its over $400. Don't know if I want to spend that much on a truck gun. Just want something simple and relatively accurate behind the seat. But not bulky, narrow and low profile will fit. No ARs, AKs or bolt guns.

[Dinny]

I've had 5 H&Rs in 357 Mag. All of them got reamed and shot very well afterwards. It took selling and replacing 4 of them for me to finally realize I should never again be without one. It's not just the long throat but also the forcing cone that contributed to poor accuracy. Mine have all been reamed with a modern rifle reamer with a throat that actually supports the bullet's entry into the rifling as straight as possible. It's nothing special for me to shoot MOA or better at 100yds with preferred loads.

Thanks, Dinny

[GhostHawk]

I have one and love it. Mine is stock. I do load in the .360dw cases for accuracy.

Best load was 158 gr plain base round nose (Lee Mold) over 4.6 grains of Red Dot, put 3 in one hole at 50 yards.
And I do mean one hole, you had to look very very close to see that more than one bullet went through there.

I'd say easy MOA at 100 yards with a good shooter. I'm not bad but I'm getting old, eyes are not what they were. And I send a flyer now and then.

I'd say it is one of my 2 most accurate rifles, pretty much neck and neck with my H&R .444marlin.

The H&R's do tend to have a long throat. But they do vary some. Either ream to max, or find brass that will let you put the bullet right next to the rifling.

[Outpost75]

Not sure what chamber and throat NEF used in .357, but I bought a reamer from JGS which is designated .357 NRA, which has a gradual 3 degrees, Basic forcing cone, like the .38 AMU chamber, but on a .357 case. My BSA,Martini Cadet with Green Mtn. barrel, chambered with this reamer shoots. 38 Special factory wadcutters into 1-1/2", ten-shot, fifty yard groups in the .357 chamber, and factory Winchester 158-grain JHP .357s 2 inches for 10-shot groups at 100 yards, firing test groups off sandbags with 10x Unertl. My best cast loads 2" at 100 yards for ten-shot groups.

[Nobade]

As was mentioned, it's the saami 357 chamber. Most smaller bullets will clear the case before they're fully supported in the bore with predictable results. Longer cases and longer bullets seated way out really help, but the throat does have a .360" origin so it's hard to keep some gas from blowing past the bullet. You can certainly load around it but normal revolver ammo doesn't usually shoot too well in the stock barrel.

[Ed_Shot]

I got a NEF 20 ga. for the grandsons when they were small and later got a .357 barrel thru H&R for it. It will consistently make ragged holes at 50 yds with the Lee 358-158-RF sized .358 over Red Dot 5.0 gr. and with 38 Spl. the Lyman 358242 (120 gr.) over Red Dot 4.2 gr. is equally accurate at 50 yds with the same POI (no scope adjustment required).