357 h&r

[hunter2]

I am very down with the preformance of this thing. Rifling must cost a lot. Can't touch it with a 215 Western bullet to the grease groove. Hates cast bullets! 6" 50 yds is the best it will do. Have tried 4 different ones and different lube. Speer 180 fmj backwards crimped gets 1" but has almost no rifling marks. Are all of them like this?:?

[school of mines]

I had a .357 barrel put on my h&r and it shoots cast ok. It prefers jacketed bullets (hornady xtps). I hope you are able to find a load that work for yours.

[Jal5]

If that is a 357 mag barrel on your handirifle it should do much better than that.

-if you can't get that barrel to work for you let me know maybe we can work out a deal.

[TaylorTN]

shot 50 rounds of mixed 38 and 357 thrugh mine when I got it. Then I cleaned it and shot 25 158 TL SWC 38 loads that cut the 1.5" bullseye out at 25 yards shot sitting, resting over my knee.

I haven't shot it much past 50 but am happy so far......hope you have better luck down the road.

[Combat Diver]

I've heard that they have loong throats. Many just touch with a reamer to .357 Max. Have you also slugged the bore?

[hunter2]

Yea. 1.92" is longgggg. Had it chopped to 16.5 and threaded for possible suppressor before I ever shot it. Did not do my homework enough...:sad:

[JIMinPHX]

The one that I fooled with shot well box-stock out of the factory with iron sights. It leaded a little, but not bad. It shot best with a 190 grain Ranch Dog pushed by 2400 to around 1475fps. It also did well with a 180 grain gas checked LSWC pushed by H-110 to around 1650fps, but that was a little on the hot side & the brass started to show signs of pressure. A 125-gr RNFP plain base pushed to around 1200 fps by Unique did OK as a plinker. I never got around to trying the Ranch Dog with H-110. I expect that might have been the best possible combination.

My only complaint with that barrel was the weight. It seemed a bit heavy to be carrying around out in the woods all day.

That barrel was made back when NEF was still in Gardner MA.

There are a few tricks with those things to get them to shoot well. Loosening the fore-end screw or adding an O-ring under it is one common trick. Another is to bench rest under the receiver, rather than the fore-end.

[mattbowen]

Hunter; The friend that I got my NEF 45-70 from also has the 357 and he told me that he had the same problem and he took a 357 max case and trimmed it slightly and then loaded it and it started shooting great.

Matt

[Fishman]

Surprised no one has said this but if the fmj doesn't engrave with rifling i would suspect an oversize bore and maybe too light of a charge to get the bullet to obdurate to the bore. Just thinking out loud here.

[Nobade]

If it is out of spec perhaps they'd replace it for you. They do have large throats, I rechambered mine to 357 max and now it's a very good shooter. It is at its best with rifle bullets, the RCBS 200 or ranch dog 190 shoot very well. Naked for moderate loads, and paper patched for full tilt loads both with good accuracy.

Sounds like you should slug the bore and see what you are dealing with and then proceed accordingly.

[Shooter6br]

May have to go with the 357 max ,Heard of this problem before.....

[hunter2]

My whole reason for getting this gun was - price, availibity, easy to chop to 16.5 for a suppressor ( 1050 fps and under due to the material it is made from ), and last but not least was a group buy .360-190. Needless to say, my first big casting experience has been a let down. Have tried 4 other cast bullets with same results. Have tried the forearm trick. Looks like I will have to crank it up and use ear plugs. thanks for the replies.

[rockrat]

Maybe a heavier boolit, 250gr ish might help. Heard of some chambers you could use slightly trimmed Max brass.

[MT Gianni]

Mine had a very long throat. I recut it to 357 max and had great groups.

[JIMinPHX]

Try a hollow base boolit???

[MT Gianni]

Try a hollow base boolit???

If that doesn't work go the other way and try some hard as blazes to resist deforming when it hits the throat.

[leftiye]

Bigger boolit maybe? (fit the bore), seat in fired cases? Yup, and seat out to touch the rifling, no matter if the lube grooves show. If the chamber is that much overlength in the case area, then longer cases might be necessary, or rechamber to .357 max. I've got an H&R in the max. and I luffit.

[hunter2]

Have not tried hollow base bullets...If seated out to touch, bullet would not stay in the case. Have tried hard cast. Looks like I am going to have to get some max. brass. The 215 gr at 1050 fps is hitting the target sideways at 100 yds. appreciate the help

[wellfedirishman]

Try boolits that are slightly oversize and fairly heavy

I have a 45LC NEF Handi and mine shoots best with .457 boolits at 330grs. Results with .452s were ok but not great. I shot them over a light charge of trailboss.

Try it at these velocities with heavy and moderately soft lead boolits and see what happens.

[rhead]

360 Dan Wesson is what makes the best fit for mine. You can get the same result by trimming 357 max brass and it will be a bit stronger.

After using a rubber washer on the barrel stud and playing around with the torque in the barrel bolt it is a tack driver.

[GrizzLeeBear]

Have you slugged the bore to see what DIAMETER it is? Size your boolits .001 LARGER than the bore dia.

Mine had a .358 - .359 diameter bore. It shot really well with boolits sized .360. Also it liked heavier (158 - 200 gr) boolits much better than lighter ones. It shot well with Lyman 358156, NOE 360-180-RF and RCBS 35-200-FN. Your .360-190 should shoot well in it if sized big enough. I loaded all boolits to crimp in the crimp groove, and even with the "jump" in the long throat they all shot well.

The only reason I have it up for sale on consignment in a local shop is to finance a future purchase of something else I want more, otherwise it shoots well enough to keep.

[hunter2]

Tried seating 215's out to 2.068 oal... .17 in brass. According to slug, 2.1" to end of throat. Acc stinks. 190's with and without gc's non sized, stinks! Looks like I am stuck shooting jacketed. I know that is a dirty word, but apparently this gun likes dirty talk. Have not tried pure lead, maybe!!........:sad::shock::sad:

[dualsport]

I sent a .223 barrel back to H&R, along with my frame, with the simple complaint it was a lousy shooter. They fitted another barrel and returned it to me no charge. It included a test target with 3 holes almost touching. I think they were saying "Don't tell us this one won't shoot". If it was me I'd give them a call and ask why the stupid throat and what's been done about it. Your original goal was a good one, I hope it works out. My experience with them since becoming Remington has been all good. Maybe they'll work with you.

[NHlever]

I agree that it sounds like your boolits are undersize (diameter) for that barrel. I bought a few of the Handi Rifles after hanging out at Graybeard for a while, but I came to the conclusion that you sometimes get what you pay for. Now I have 2 .357 rifles, a Marlin, and a Winchester that both shoot well, and are fun to work with. I kept the 45-70 Handi Rifle since it was pretty good, but let the others go. Hopefully whent they really get up, and running at Remington, they will be a bit better. They do make a great bang around gun, but many calibers could be lighter as one member suggested. Now, the old Savage 219 was a sleek gun, and I would like to see that back.

[Papa Jack]

I also have a .357 mag barrel for my Handi....It's a fitted barrel from the Factory. When I first got it , I cleaned the barrel before I took it out to try it. It has the factory open sights. I found a slight "imperfection" in the barrel near the muzzle....They had drilled the front sight holes too deep and one hole had pushed thru into the lands, not a clean hole, just a real thin amount of steel in the very bottom of the hole pushed into the bore.
I had a heck of a time removing that metal, I used die makers files and stones and very painstakingly worked on it til it was gone. Didn't do the rifling much good at that area in the bore.
I should have sent it back for a replacement, but I didn't...
Mine shoots pretty fair now, I'm mostly shooting Lyman 358093 "pointed wad cutters" with Gas Checks, sized at .359" lubed with 50/50 Tamerack. Not a target load but they shoot good to plink with....
Lyman #358093, alloy is L-#2 homemade, 130 grain with Checks/lubed sized .359"
Load : 12.0 grains IMR-4227, CCI-500 , starline brass, 1.670" oal.
Group: 1" at 30 yards with open factory sights....( And a VERY GOOD DAY !! )....

another load with Trail Boss: same bullet, 5.0 grains Trail Boss, 1 1/2 " group...

Sometimes I will rupture a pistol primer, (pretty common in Handi Rifles I understand, If you have trouble switch to rifle primers....

Maybe ya just need to file away half your riffling out by the end of your barrel....LOL
Might do as suggested, check out the bullet fit to the bore, and work the loads up real careful, I seem to stumble onto accuracy for some reason, in this case.....Good luck ! "PJ"

[Papa Jack]

As said above, you may want to spend some time at "Grey Beard" READING THE FAQ's ! What ever you do, don't make a post until you read and read em again.....There is more info there about NEF Handi Rifles than any other place I have found.... "PJ"

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/board,126.0.html

[hunter2]

Thanks Papajack for the thread link. Lots of info. Wish I could have found it before buying the gun. thanks

[Greg]

Hunter2

I also have a Handi-Rifle barrel in .357 magnum.

as you have found they are shipped with a long throat. there is the option of shooting brass that fits, with no alterations to the chamber.

.360 Dan Wesson brass is very close to optimum, it might need trimmed to fit best.

the shooting that I did with the .360DW brass and cast boolits was very favorable, limited only by my eyes and my ability to hold.

I just wasn’t impressed with the quality of the .360DW brass that I had found.


Therefore I rented a .357 Maximum reamer, and did the conversion myself.

now, I have a Rifle that I enjoy and high quality brass that is readily stocked by the online sales places.

Boolits that have proven enjoyment:

Lyman 358009 HP

RCBS 35-200

359 220 group buy

360 round ball

a 359 180 grain wad cutter group buy

Lyman 359156

velocities from about 600 fps (round ball) to 2000 fps for the heavies. Groups of around 1-1¼" when I did my part. at 50 yards.

[richhodg66]

Wow, are all the .357 Handi Barrels in pistol cartridges this problematic? I was going to get either a .357 or .44 barrel for one of mine, now I'm not sure I want to mess with it.

[luvtn]

Yeah I wanted one in .357 and one in .44 mag, but with all the problems I'll not be buying a handi rifle.
luvtn

[Papa Jack]

I have 4 Handi Rifles, I love em, good cheap guns.... Nothin wrong with em.
I have a .44 magnum barrel, open sights. It shoots great with Cast boolits, I don't have any trouble. And I 'm shooting LEE cast boolits, ranch dog boolits, Lazer Cast boolits .
I just sent one of my recievers in to have two more barrels fitted....
Yea, I like these cheap guns....
Looking for a reasonable priced .375 Win barrel..... "PJ"

[bowfin]

Sorry for repeating this link that appeared in another thread, but I think it is very relevant to the discussion:

"The SAAMI spec. factory chambers do not support the shank of the bullet as it engraves into the rifling."

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=120

[jwhite]

I have a Handi rile in .357 and it shoot greats with 200gr cast loads, .7cc of 2400 gives 1050fps, good plinking and woods loafing load. Also have good results with 1.3cc of Data-68, this powder is on the slow side for a .357 but I got lot's of it and a little unburnt powder does not really bother me that much. Have not chrono'd this load but should be in the 1200-1300fps range. I am using both some old 200gr copper coated National Bullet store bought boolits and some Ranch Dog 190's, both shoot to the same point of aim. When I first got this rifle I wanted to put a weaver 1-3x scope on it but was not willing to use the high rings needed to clear the hammer so I put a red dot sight on it, this worked great but the sight detracted from the gun's "handiness" the sight was right where my hand wanted to be when carrying it so I mounted a Williams peep on the back and drilled and tapped the front for a ramp and installed a 1/16" ivory bead, now it is "Handi, my little 25-20 Marlin is getting jealous this winter as I have been lugging this .357 everywhere with me. I have had great luck with 158gr XTP's loaded with 14.5grs of 2400, get's 1585fps and shoot well. I am thinking of picking up a couple more of these .357 handi-rifles and set them up the same way with the receiver sights for my daughters. I would like to get rid of the plastic stocks and find some wooden ones, even a laminate would look better than the black plastic. I would not let a long chamber stop anyone from buying one of these rifles, use a long boolit of the correct diameter and they will work fine. I may pick up some .360 Dan Wesson brass to try out as this would let me get a little closer to the rifling, but for now it works just fine with .357 cases. I embarrassed some friends last weekend who were plinking at 50yards with their fancy tactical scoped AR's and were out shot by a $240 dollar "piece of sh!t"!