Handi Rifle Dilemma

[ligonierbill]

Bear with me on this story, please. My brother passed away a couple years back and left an, shall we say "eclectic" collection. We distributed some good pieces (S&W 64, Savage 99) to deserving folks, but the rest sat in an attic. So I gathered them up. My brother didn't load, so I was already set up for 7.62x54R and 7.5x55 to supply him. Have those rifles and his Handi Rifle, with 4, count 'em, 4 barrels. OK, one is a 20 gauge, but also .243, 30-30, and .44 Mag. Yes, he could not decide what he wanted to hunt deer with. His last hunt he killed a big doe with the .44. My problem is I don't load any of these rounds now, but I load everything else I have. Basically do not buy centerfire ammo. Don't want to sell for sentimental reasons, plus not sure anyone would buy this crazy setup. So, it looks like 3 more calibers. None would be a primary hunter, but every round is interesting. What loading "goal" would you set for each?

I am thinking .243 for coyotes and such. I know it's a great deer round, but I have that well covered. What is your favorite 'yote busting load?

Of course 30-30 is a classic deerslayer, and I have plenty of .308 150's and 165's, but again, got others. Anyone have an interesting load?

The .44 is easier, since Ohio just allowed such for deer. Can't use my 6.5x55 here (mostly hunt PA). Best rifle load?

Maybe I should just compete for "loads the most different rounds", but I'm sure someone would top me. These 3 would make 23.

[riverratt]

When i lived in indiana i loaded for 2 h&r's in .44 mag. Both were very tepermental in what they wanted to shoot. I will say that if you have kids 11gr. Of unique under a 200gr xtp makes for a great soft recoiling gun thats good for about 100yrds. On the other hand 2400, H110, or win 296 will give you good "full house" loads with either a 240gr xtp or the 225gr. Ftx bullets. Just be prepaired to play with powder charges alot to find what works best.

As far as the 30-30 goes 29gr. Of imr 3031 under a sierra 170gr flatnose was always a good load for me, but the guns were marlin and winchester not h&r. But use caution and work up carfully this was a max load in my grandpaws old books. Most of my data shows that load over max and i havnt loaded 30-30 in 15 years so use published data and workk up at your own risk!!

[Magnum Wheel Man]

1st off, sorry about your brothers passing...

2nd... nope you're not even close on most calibers... I purposely don't count anymore, but am somewhere close to 75, & I know there are some members on here, that load even more...

I guess I'd look at the "handi" in one of a couple ways... it does have the potential ( like my Contenders ) to be highly accurate, if the cartridge is loaded specifically for each barrel's chamber & now, you are not limited to wide round nose or flat point bullets in the 30-30 ( I have a Contender barrel, in 30-30, that I like to load a more pointed bullet for better long range performance )... my .410 Contender barrel, is a favorite rabbit gun, light & handy.... Is the 20 ga is a rifled barrel for slugs, or smooth bore ??? the .243 would make an excellent long range yote gun, once you get everything set up for your barrel...

another option, would be to just shoot cast bullets in the "Handi" & use it for a fun paper puncher, or if you wanted to hunt with cast bullets, they can be highly effective

no matter what your choice, enjoy developing loads, & welcome to that "slippery slope" sounds like you just added 3 more calibers

[ligonierbill]

Looks like I have a ways to go for "most rounds", or put another way, I'm not crazy yet. I was thinking some 150 Speer Spitzer SP for the 30-30 (have a bunch). Hornady 240 XTP's seems like the way to go for .44. Not sure about the .243, though. Guess I'll have to try a few and see what's most accurate. Next up dies and brass.

PS: Ordered dies, brass, bullets. Will report when I have results.

[Jay24bal]

I see a great opportunity to have some fun. Buy some more barrels, the possibilities are endless. They make some rather fun barrels for the Handi Rifle in some "big boy" calibers that can be really fun for the handloader.

[green_MTman]

with exception of the .243 those are all bush guns.i would go with the 20ga
there is not you can to with brush rifles that you cant do with shotguns especially with modern shot technology.i still like 00 buck on a running target anyway.

a handi rifle seems like a waste on a .243,new england firearms and H&R make great stuff for practical sitiuations.but a .243 is a precise and complex hunting tool that deserves a better barrel.

its like there is no shame in a .380 acp that does not shoot well at 25 yard targets because a 25 ora 380 acp is something you point at 10 feet not aim at 30 feet.

if you really want the rifle use the 30-30 and load it with spitzers being that its a single shot.the 165gr partition would make a good short range moose or bear gun.if i hunted nothing but deer i would not even own a rifle honestly but i am a moose and bear hunter

as far a the .243 as a coyote gun,if your going to damage the pelt that much why just use the 30-30.i would not go above a 22-250 on coyote if you want to save the pelt

[steveNChunter]

125 grain Sierra Pro-hunters over a stiff charge of Varget would make a great deer hunting load for that .30-30

When you aren't limited on seating depth and round or flat nose bullets the .30-30 becomes a whole 'nuther cartridge.

70 gr Sierra Blitzkings and Varget makes a good coyote load for the .243 If you save pelts try 85 gr Nosler Partitions

Never messed with .44 mag but I would think Hornady 240gr XTP's and 2400 or H110 would be a good place to start.

[ligonierbill]

Just want to follow up on the components I found or have and thank you all for your input. First, the 20 ga barrel is full choke, not the best for slugs (+I have a 12 ga 870 set up for slugs). Biggest scramble was for brass, but I found all 3. I'm probably the last one to figure it out, but you can find brass on Amazon.

So, it's 240 XTP over H110 for the .44. Kind of a classic load, and I use a lot of H110 for .45 Colt and .357 Mag. With the new rules in Ohio, this one is good to go for deer here.

The 30-30 will get 150 Speer Hot Cor or Remington Core Lokt over IMR-4320. I have a good supply of both bullets. Could shoot PA deer with it, but I have a couple nice rifles for hunting there. So this may be just for fun, or maybe a loaner to a new hunter. Single shot 30-30 - good one for a newbie.

Sometimes you load what you can find, and I found some .243 Sierra Varminter 85's. These will go over IMR-4320 also. Note that I have a couple pounds of this stuff. There may be better choices, but the published data suggests this will do well.

As always, it's guaranteed to be fun.

[Mike / Tx]

Hey your going about it like I do whenever I am looking into something new. First thing I dig up is what I have on hand that I can use verses what am I going to have to buy.

I think your choices will suit your needs just fine. I would also suggest that you might try out some cast bullets in that 30-30 if your not going to use it much for hunting. If your already loading for shotgun or handgun your likely to already have a decent powder or three that would work great for cast bullets. That way your not using up your jacketed simply to punch paper, and in a pinch a good accurate cast load would work just fine for a deer given the hunter might be a youth.

Same might go for that 44 as well. Cast loads are a LOT cheaper to shoot by comparrison even if your buying them commercially. Plus it gives you a whole other selection from which to choose from. If your pouring your own then the sky is the limit on what you could come up with.

Just throwing out additional idea there. I like to play with things that go boom and something new always seems to get my attention.

[ligonierbill]

Yeah, the .45 gets only cast (isn't there a law against shooting jacketed bullets in a .45 Colt?), also my .38 Special. That might be fun in the 30-30, and they sure are cheaper.

[Clark]

When I started reading [at my consulting gig] the one gun forum in 1991 on a Sun SPARCstation 10 on the old usenet, the moderator was and still is, a computer science professor somewhere on the East coast. When there were Ford vs Chevy discussions of choosing a cartridge or firearm, he would add, "Buy them all."

A that time in 1991 I was just like my father, the gun design chief engineer, I had three guns; a 12 ga shotgun, a 22 rifle, and a bolt action 30-06.

Now after 23 years of internet gun forums, I own guns and reload all the above mentioned 7.62x54R, 7.5x55, 243, 30-30, 44 mag, 308, and 6.5x55.... and ~ 60 others.

But if I had to live with one rifle, it would be the .243.

[Geezerbiker]

The .44 mag Handi Rifle barrel like Marlin rifles in this caliber have a rather slow 1 in 38 rifling twist rate. The one I had only shot well with hot loads. I wouldn't bother trying cast bullets or light loads with it. On the other hand it shot great with hot loads.

I sold my .44 and got a .45-70 Handi Rifle and it shoots light cast loads as well as hot loads that have more recoil than my old shoulder can take...

Tony

[Clark]

Tony,
I fired one trapdoor 405 gr load from my 45/70 handi rifle in ~ 2002 and did not shot it a second time for a year.

It combined the big push me back a foot long travel recoil with the stabbing pain recoil with the burning pain recoil with the bruised shoulder recoil result.