357 Magnum Handi Rifle ?

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  • bstewrat3

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    142   0   0
    Apr 26, 2009
    1,520
    84
    Beech Grove
    I had one and it was a decent shooter. Alot of guys have them reamed to 357 Max and the receiver is plenty strong enough to handle it. I considered having mine reamed to 357/44 B&D and was told Growe in Columbus had the reamer already. I wish I would have kept mine.
     

    sbcman

    Master
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    18   0   0
    Dec 29, 2010
    3,674
    38
    Southwest Indiana
    I have no personal experience with either case, but I have heard of guys reaming out those rifles to 357 max. The reports I've read were very positive. I would imagine you could grab a reaming tool off the net and do it on the cheap.
     

    paperboy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Apr 18, 2009
    1,598
    38
    Pulaski County
    I shot one and it was an excellent rifle, definitely a great deer rifle! Even shot 38's out of it which was really cool (sounded like a little pop gun!) In my opinion I would just keep it the regular chamber size....
     

    snorko

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    361   0   0
    Apr 3, 2008
    8,292
    113
    Evansville, IN
    Another post in the positive. I had one, shot well, and recently sold it because I traded for a Talo version which has open sights and a slightly shorter (18") barrel. And yes, 148 gr wadcutter .38 spl sound like a suppressed .22 almost.
     

    Steelworker

    Marksman
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    2   0   0
    Aug 14, 2010
    166
    18
    Allen County
    Another post in the positive. I had one, shot well, and recently sold it because I traded for a Talo version which has open sights and a slightly shorter (18") barrel. And yes, 148 gr wadcutter .38 spl sound like a suppressed .22 almost.

    Thats what I was really wanting with laminated stocks. I dont think they ever came that way from the factory though.
     

    freeclimber57

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 25, 2011
    68
    6
    357s are very accurate, but shoot placement is key due to lack of ft.pounds of preasure.in my opinion. some guys dont, but i believe in knockdown power, because i have witnessed alot of them.
     

    NullSyndrome

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Dec 5, 2009
    314
    16
    Gilbert, AZ
    357s are very accurate, but shoot placement is key due to lack of ft.pounds of preasure.in my opinion. some guys dont, but i believe in knockdown power, because i have witnessed alot of them.

    ^this^

    I have a Handi-Rifle in .357. I like it a lot, it is a sweet shooter. No felt recoil to speak of, even with the heaviest loads. If you hunt deer with it, make sure you use the heavy 180gr loads to get as much penetration as possible.
     

    dave29

    Master
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    25   0   0
    Jul 8, 2009
    1,704
    38
    Lawrenceburg
    I also want to chop one to 16.5", thread it and pop a can on the end :D


    I thought about threading mine after I had it cut and re-crowned to 16.5", but decided not too. It has also been reamed to Max, along with my other 22" version.

    24vtw8y.jpg
     

    Mosineer

    Expert
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    1   0   0
    Jan 1, 2011
    1,081
    38
    Southern Indiana
    I just purchased one 2 weeks ago and had it rechambered to the Max. Will get scope rings this weekend to mount my scope and since I plan on using Hornady 180 grn SP SSP I need to modify my seating plug to load. Will report when I get it all togeher, sighted in and ran through my Crony. Everything I have heard has been nothing but ++++++
     

    dave29

    Master
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    25   0   0
    Jul 8, 2009
    1,704
    38
    Lawrenceburg
    I just purchased one 2 weeks ago and had it rechambered to the Max. Will get scope rings this weekend to mount my scope and since I plan on using Hornady 180 grn SP SSP I need to modify my seating plug to load. Will report when I get it all togeher, sighted in and ran through my Crony. Everything I have heard has been nothing but ++++++


    If you have Hornady dies, the FTX seating stem will work with the SSP bullets.

    Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Die Seater Stem 35 Caliber FTX Bullet - MidwayUSA
     

    Mosineer

    Expert
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    1   0   0
    Jan 1, 2011
    1,081
    38
    Southern Indiana
    I would leave as is-money spent on re-boring plus price of shells wouldn't doing it-they are fine just as they are.

    Granted the standard .357 Mag is a good round, but in IMO tha MAX has the same advatage over the MAG as the MAG has over the .38 Special. The Handi-Rifles are fairly easy and economical to rechamber, I have $40 bucks in rechambering mine. The ammo I load myself. So now I have a deer gun that flings a 180gn SP bullet downrange at 2100fps+, is extermely accurate, doesn't kick like a mule, and is deadly as all get out...and as I find myself "suddenly senior" I find I need all the advantage I can get...:):
     

    Cain71

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Aug 17, 2009
    469
    18
    Columbus
    I got one last deer season for my son, and used a 158 gr JHP, and it was plenty to take a deer. I like these for what they are , and are great for the young shooter. minimal recoil and a variety of bullets and loads to shoot. This also goes along great for me because I hunt with a Ruger 357 mag pistol.
     

    Green04

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 28, 2010
    67
    6
    i was going to buy the .357 handi rifle then i found out they had a .44mag i grabed the .44 only because its a little big bigger, and the rifle is the same price. i LOVE my handi rifle. somehow the hammer is broke and wont stay back, but there going to fix it for free. theese things are tac drivers...mine was VERY accurate and when i asked people about them, thats all i heard was how accurate they are. ive never heard a bad thing about them, i think ull love it.
     
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