Handi-Rifle in .500 S & W?

[exile]

I read a couple of good articles today about the NEF / H & R Handi-Rifle in 500
.S &W. Anybody have one of those? I know I am always starting threads like this, but the rifle intrigues me. I have always been jealous of you guys with the Sharps and Rolling Block rifles. I would not even consider buying one right now due to finances, but since Obama is in office and I don't want an Ar-15 you never know. (The guys at my gun shop say that AR-15's are flying off the shelves).

Exile

[dubber123]

My brother has one, we haven't really tested it out, but it seemed to shoot well. With full power 460 gr. boolits, it kicked more than I was expecting.

[exile]

I would probably shoot it with drastically reduced loads. John Taffin says he shot one with as little as ten grains of Unique.

(I have to apologize, I put this thread in the wrong place, I guess someone will move it)

Thanks for the response.

Exile

[dk17hmr]

I have one, I dont shoot it much but it does have a good recoil...my 450 Marlin Handi Rifle is worse. I dont have a mold for it yet but I will probably just get a LEE mold because I find the rifle just a novelty, I have no real use for it but it is fun.

I have a peep and post sight set up on my 500 and find it a perfect match. If you pain on scoping it you need a good quality scope because it will eat them up. I have a Nikon Prostaff 2-7 on my 450 and it is holding up real well.

[garandsrus]

Exile,

I moved it for you :)

By the way, I have several Handi Rifles and they shoot pretty well...

John

[exile]

I just read some of a thread about trapdoor Sprinfields in 45-70. Would the 45-70 be a better choice in the Handi-Rifle? I would rather not trim cases and with the loads I plan to shoot I would probably not have to do that in the 500.

Would long-range accuracy be better in the 45-70? Bullet selection would surely be better. Are the Handi-rifles accurate enough to make a difference? Could Trail Boss powder be used in both cartridges? If I did not have to lubricate or trim the 500 cases that would make me lean toward the .500. All of my reloading experience is with straight walled pistol cartridges except for the .357 Sig which I do not shoot much due to the cost of jacketed bullets.

exile

[IcerUSA]

I don't think the 500 would get close to the range that a 45-70 can get but it boils down to what you think you want . :)
My shootin bud likes his Handi in 45-70 and it can be loaded from mild to wild . I have a Buffalo Classic and like it also .
Also if your useing new brass it will more than likely need trimmed where once fired you could probably get by with out trimming .

Keith

[exile]

A friend of mine's brother-in-law has a Buffalo Classic. I have heard about it but never seen it. What is the difference between it and a standard Handi-Rifle?

Exlie

[dk17hmr]

Buff Classic, BC, is a straight gripped walnut stock with a 32" 45-70 barrel. The handi has a cheap wood stock and a 22" barrel. Both of the 45-70 barrel I had, 22" cut down to 16 3/4" and 32" barrels, were very accurate. The 45-70 is probably one of the better big bore handi rifles, for accuracy anyways. My 450 Marlin right now is shooting about 2" at 100 yards with cast bullets, the 32" BC barrel I had with a 10x scope on it would shoot 1"-1.25" at 100 with anything you could shove in a 45-70 case.

[exile]

The 45-70 is sounding better and better. I guess now I have an excuse to haunt the gunshops more, to look for either one. I will blame it on the election, but I do enjoy hanging out in gunshops.

exile

[Bullshop]

icer
Why would you think the 500 cant match the 45/70 for range? The Bill Dixon shot at adoby walls was 1500 yards with a 50/90. The 50/90 was likely shooting a 500 to 600 gn boolit at not more than 1300 fps. The 500 smith will beat that at half throttle. I see no reason why either cartridge wouldnt perform well at long range given similer velocity and boolit design of about equal BC. Did I mis something? Oh did I mention I am a 50 cal fan?
BIC/BS

[Cactus Farmer]

Let's see,the question was about 500 S&W and long range? The 45-70 was developed in 1873 and still works very well......so why get a caliber that is "new" and the ammo is high as a cats back when 45-70 brass and ammo are available at any store for less $$?:???:

[JohnSmiles]

I have a decent load or two worked up for the 500 in a handi rifle.
Got tired of breaking scopes(I broke four of them) so I toned these down a bit.
The most accurate so far is the 440 gr Lee gc with basically 50/50 lead/ww, sitting on 16.5 gr blue dot.
Boolits are seated OUT to use the second crimp groove.
It is very manageable, and nowhere near top end for this cartridge.
10.1 gr unique is also fairly accurate, as is about 24 gr Lil'gun under the same boolit.
Blue dot can keep them all touching at 50 yards.
Of course, all guns are a bit different in what they digest best . . :drinks:

[26Charlie]

Then you won't mind getting new moulds, dies, brass, etc. & trying out lots of combos. I came across a handi-rifle in .357 Max in the used rack at a gun shop (marked .357 Mag, but chambered for Max - H&R sprang for the reamer I guess, but not a new roll stamp back in the '80s). It just stuck to my fingers so I had to take it home. Then another one - a Shikari (handi-rifle with a fake ramrod, looking like a muzzle loader) in .44 Mag showed up. they are both good shooters with the iron sights, and I only had to buy the .357 Max brass since I had moulds, dies, etc.
I see them now in bottleneck calibers too; but haven't had the desire for one.

I also got a .45-70 Buffalo Classic at a gun show, when they didn't come with sights. Had a machinist cut a 1903 Springfield sight base lengthwise and put screw holes in it to match the holes on the bbl., so I can use the ladder-type Springfield sight. The only drawback is that it is too close to the eye for good definition except for the little peep in the slide. I can't see the notch well. It too is a nicely accurate rig.