Handi Rifles

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  • Last Post 24 May 2024
Pigslayer posted this 22 May 2024

I have two Handi rifles. One in .308 Winchester and one in .444 Marlin. They both shoot jacketed bullets well. (Of course) Cast bullets? Not so much. I've tried a number of different bullet styles and loads. No help. All over the map. Mind you I'm not getting and leading. Just "pie plate" groups. I took time to examine the chamber & throat. I noticed that the rifling in both rifles had no taper/leade when approaching the throat. It just looks like the rifling is "chopped off" square. Me thinks that could be the problem. I've never done any throat work. So . . . I'm looking for advice as to what to do.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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linoww posted this 22 May 2024

my 357 Handi was awesome and actually had a throat. I could shoot 250g gascheck bullets with 1.5" accuracy at times. my 30-06 had no real throat and shot poorly but a buddies did have a nice throat and shot well. I think your right on your throats being too abrupt.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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RicinYakima posted this 22 May 2024

When I had a 7.62X39 and a 30/30, the first thing I did was use a 1.5* reamer and make a throat on both of them. That reduced the group size by half. FWIW

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max503 posted this 24 May 2024

I have a 357 Handi-rifle.  The bore measures around 355".    Any factory 357 produces excess pressure. I've always just reloaded for it.  Guess I should have sent it back 40 years ago when I bought it.  Too late now.  

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delmarskid posted this 24 May 2024

I had a Rossi 7.63x39 break open with the an abrupt throat. It was so bad lead smeared back over the case mouths.

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