new h&r 357

[mike_kaleigh]

just got my brand new handi 357 for xmas and put a nikon prostaff 2x7 on it (thanks to my wife). i really did not want a huge scope on it. and i ran down to our camp in the rain to shoot of the deck. i was shooting 38 spl cases with lee tbl 158 semi wadcutter (just a load for my handgun). i started getting 4 inch groups pretty quickly and the rain was pouring down. i really like this gun but damn it is heavy for its size. what kinda accuracy can i expect from this gun, i know the barrel is not broke in and i have know idea what thunder storm does to the trajectory of a bullet but i am happy so far. i will be getting some 357 brass from my buddy but all i have is fast pistol powders(unique and hp38). are there any lee molds you guys recommend or loads or any other tricks for this gun.

[seaboltm]

I would think the rifle is capable of much better than 4" groups. My NEF Handi's in other calibers have shot damn good, like MOA good. If you want to cut down on the weight, cut the barrel to 16 inches. You won't lose much velocity in the 357 since there is not much powder to burn anyways. I have tested that theory in a 6" revolver, an 8" contender, and a 24" rossi and I can tell you there ain't the amount of difference you would think. Congrats. I am going to get a 357 barrel for my Handi soon, maybe ream it to 357 Maximum. And I will be lobbing off some barrel length! Of course you can take advantage of the velocity potential using 2400 or H110 powder. I have the same Lee mold you are using, and I think it's fine. 158 grain is just about right for plinking and thin skinned hunting. I do have a Lee TL wad cutter mold. Very accurate in the contender, but it won't cycle in the rossi. People will recommend 180 grain molds, and if I were trying to put something bigger than a deer or hog down, I might consider it. Personally, if a 158 grain 357 isn't adequate, I switch to 240 grain 44 magnum. It that isn't enough, I go to 405 grain 45-70, and there is no problem on the planet that won't solve! Congrats on your present.

[Four-Sixty]

I've only been doing load development on mine for a few months, but I can make the rounds touch at 50 yards with the same boolit in a 38 case over 6.5 grains of HS-6.

[timspawn]

Mine shoots under one inch at 100 yards with 4.5 grains of W231 in a 38 case with a 125 grain boolit.

[OBXPilgrim]

I never have gotten good groups (about the same as the OP), but I didn't really try that hard either. I just kind of chalked it up to the long throat that came with. Ended up reaming to max & forgot about 3 in it.

[DHurtig]

Go to the Graybeards forum. They have a whole area dedicated to Handi's. Read the stickies, they will teach you how to get the most from your gun. My 357 handi gets shot more than any other gun I own. The 38/357 in a rifle is capable so many things. I think the more you shoot it, the more you will like it.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e69/c_latrans/NEFsurvivor.jpg (http://s37.photobucket.com/user/c_latrans/media/NEFsurvivor.jpg.html)

That's my 357 on top and the bottom is my 45-70. The only other things a guy needs are a 22 Hornet and a 30-30, and I've got those covered in my Contender barrels.

Enjoy, Dale

[tacklebury]

I have one with a 16.25" barrel cut down. Have a set of Youth synthetics on it and a little 4x Bugbuster Mildot scope. Throws em under an inch at 50 and right about 1" at 100. Make sure your crown is clean and has no deformities. Also check that you aren't over torqueing your forend screw. #1 easy thing to try is to put a small o-ring on the forend stud and that'd give you as close to a floated barrel fit as possible. I torque my screw just barely finger tight. It's been reamed to Maximum, so I get a lot of variability out of it and my wife has good luck with it using .38 specials, but she's mainly shooting at a shooting tree reactive target, not for groups. It'll hit those 4" discs on the tree every time though. 8)

91434

[bedbugbilly]

One of these is on my "must have list" . . . all these posts are just making the "itch" more intense!

Earlier this summer, I stopped at the LGS I cruise every once in a while and asked if they had one - they looked at me blankly and then said that H & R doesn't make one in .357. I just smiled and left. After the first of the year, the search for one will continue.

Nice looking photos - nice rifles . . . they sure look like a lot of fun!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

One of these is on my "must have list" . . . all these posts are just making the "itch" more intense!

Earlier this summer, I stopped at the LGS I cruise every once in a while and asked if they had one - they looked at me blankly and then said that H & R doesn't make one in .357. I just smiled and left. After the first of the year, the search for one will continue.


Nice looking photos - nice rifles . . . they sure look like a lot of fun!

same here on both accounts. Blank stares when I ask if they could get one

[357maximum]

One of these WILL BE my next gun purchase, the "slush fund" is 3/4 of the way there in fact. My plan is to ream it to 357MAX and step the barrel like an old military barrel to lighten the load a bit. Might even put a handi grip stock on it. Threads like this really help my patience level while the funds are being built.

[hendere]

Here's mine. I didn't like the longer barrel or the plastic stock (just how I am) so when I found a 16.75" barrel with a wood stock and open sights I jumped all over it. I replaced the rear with a Williams peep and I'm very happy with it. Very handy and it seems to like most anything I feed it. I may replace the rubber buttplate with a plastic one but I'm still trying to decide.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/Hendere/this_zps42445023.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/Hendere/media/this_zps42445023.jpg.html)

[mike_kaleigh]

thanks guys, how much louder does the 16in barrel make the gun? and where did you have it cut down or did you do it yourself. i am thinking the tools maybe cost effective to do it myself (thinking about 100bucks). the only barrel i cut down was a mosin nagant and i used a band saw and a die grinder to square it up and a counter sink to crown it. even with crude tools that really helped the gun. but i am not doing that to my handi. my 2 buddies and i are planning already to split into a reamer for max. so 30 bucks a person is easy. also i just got done with 200 rounds for this weekend. that should last me hours. with this gun you cant shoot it much faster than you can make it. not so with my ar15.

[.429]

sweet!! i love this one!!
Here's mine. I didn't like the longer barrel or the plastic stock (just how I am) so when I found a 16.75" barrel with a wood stock and open sights I jumped all over it. I replaced the rear with a Williams peep and I'm very happy with it. Very handy and it seems to like most anything I feed it. I may replace the rubber buttplate with a plastic one but I'm still trying to decide.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/Hendere/this_zps42445023.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/Hendere/media/this_zps42445023.jpg.html)

[catmandu]

I bought mine in 357 and rented the reamer from The link on GBO. Really glad I did. Picked up 223, 3030 243 and 12ga barrels for it. The 357 Max is fun, shoots Specials, Mags And Max real good.
With the 38s you just put the cross hairs where you want them, pull the trigger and like magic a hole appears. Repeat till ammo is gone. Lots of fun.

Paul in WNY

[tacklebury]

If you find a Talo Trapper barreled one grab it up. They were a limited run and I've been hunting for one for about 3 years. The bull/heavy barrel ones are all you can get now. I've been talking about something with my smith to lighten it a bit more and get some sights added, so we'll see what happens later. Will post pics if I get a good solution. 8)

[nanuk]

have you tried to knock off the forearm stud, lathe the barrel down, and dovetail a new lug in place?

[tacklebury]

I have looked into it. These guns are great, but the barrels aren't stress relieved. Therefore, if you simply machine it all down, it can increase the bore dimension. I have also looked into fluting it, but it's costly and doesn't remove as much as I'd like. I am currently pursuing a couple other possibilities. Will feed it back if I find out it works. 8)

[nanuk]

so, right now, the only real option is a stub with the profile you want.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm looking for a .357 Handi but haven't even been able to find one yet to handle so please bear with me . . and I'm not expert on barrels and stress relief . . . so am just curious and maybe someone can straighten me out?

I know the barrels are pretty stout - if you turn down, the bore gets larger as stated by tackle bury . . . but you could flute (never mind the cost factor) and it wouldn't? Is this because a portion of the original dimensions would still be present (between flutes)? So, could you take the barrel and using a mill, transition it from round to octagon or is there not enough "stock" to do it . . . and . . . would this also cause a problem with the bore dimension changing? When transitioning from round to octagon, I'm thinking somewhere in the area forward of the barrel hinge with the possibility of having to maybe re-do the forearm?

If I remember correctly, the one model of 45/70 Handi has an octagon barrel - I'm assuming that more effort would be put in to this particular model in regards to barrel stress? Can someone explain this as (I'm not questioning it - just plain don't know) how a bore dimension changes if you turn the barrel down? Just off the top of my head, I'm thinking that if you remove equal amounts of material on the diameter of a piece of steel, the hole inside wouldn't change (of if milled octagon) so can someone explain this to me? Thanks!

[vabeachman]

I got one in 22 hornet. Shoots nice. Nice rifle to carry around the woods. Light and easy to carry.

[tacklebury]

@ bedbugbilly: Fluting is a possibility, but in most cases you aren't even going to remove a pound of material. I also prefer all my barrels to have iron sights and yes, I've looked into doing partial flutes, but the risk/reward wasn't enough for me. Quickdtoo at Graybeards has done an octagon as it keeps the material more stable, but he stated he wouldn't do it again as it was a bit of a nightmare. Looks great though. Stubbing is still the easiest way to get the thinner profile, if you want to spend the time/material or have the money to throw at it. The latest thing I'm checking into is actually triangular fluting. Doing a barrel as a triangle flat, means you can do a lot of the finishing, but I'm not sure if retains enough strength with the non-stress relieved material. I may actually try it with the .357 and if it messes it up, use it as the stub for a barrel. Will have to see what this summer brings. 8)

[nanuk]

I can't believe you'd 'spearment on a 35cal barrel...

perhaps you can find a 30-06 barrel to work on?? no one would miss it, if it failed.

[tacklebury]

Hehe That's why nothing has been done yet... ;)

[bedbugbilly]

tacklebury - thanks for taking the time to respond - greatly appreciated! What you say makes sense and I know making a octagon barrel out of one would be chore! I'm still looking for a .357 hand. For the type of shooting I do - mainly plinking/target and a woodchuck once in a file - I imagine I could live with the stock barrel. If I was carrying it hunting - it'd be bobbed to cut down on the weight. I like "projects" so I'm just looking for a handi with the synthetic stock so I can make a new stock for it - probably out of curly maple. I'd like to have a crescent buttplate on one and make it as "old" looking as possible - a poured nose cap, etc. Lot's of thoughts on the possibilities - now we'll see if it ever gets done! :-)

[tacklebury]

Sounds like a fun gun project. 8)

[rhead]

I can't believe you'd 'spearment on a 35cal barrel...

perhaps you can find a 30-06 barrel to work on?? no one would miss it, if it failed.


But then you would still not know how a thirty five cal barrel would react. the effects are seldom linear.