Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots So, handi rifles

Anyone else happen to play with these ? I have a love hate relationship with them , the fact they always seem to be rather quirky and not just work keeps me beyond interested with them. So far my Ulta varmint has really put me though the ringer. Free float the handgaurd, besides the handgaurd, did the o ring trick, went though 3-4 different scope base designs, trigger work ranging from stoning, lubing and honing every engagement point in the original transfer bar design to gutting it and installing a rebounding trigger so i could take the trigger weight down as much as I like .Stretching the original hammer spring out to using a old double coils style, all type of reloads barrel cooling and heating , so in and so on. Currently I testing a theory I have with bipod mounting on these.






Anyone else partake ?

There are a few of us who have them. The only ones I have left are a 22 Hornet, now a 22 K-Hornet, a 44 magnum and a 444 Marlin. I don't bother with the 444 much anymore.

Owning them is a love/hate thing. I had problems with a couple of 22 Hornets and a 30-30. The only Handi that was a good shooter out of the box was a 308 Survivor.

I've had a bunch, still have a few including 22 hornet, 243 , 44 mag and 500 S&W .

You did a lot, but it's more about a good bore. You can do all the things you did, but if the bore isn't good, nothing else matters. I had some that shot okay and others that didn't, the ones that didn't, just didn't, nothing made them shoot better.

Storage enough about all the ones I've been able to bore scope lately have nice or at least decent looking bores.

Will say though they seems to like cast bullets over jacketed for some reason at least the .223 and .22 hornet I've tried

I have had a bunch of them. Still have a few. Mine have been ok to very good. The most accurate being a Sportster rimfire 17 M2. It is so accurate I'd shoot it against high dollar rimfires.

My attitude is they are what they are and I like them. I hunt with mine and if I can get 1.5 inch or better groups, I'm good. Load it up and go kill something.

Pretty much what I always thought of them, too. They were made as a cheap rifle, not a benchrest gun. I've had quite a few of them, and I can only recall one being a real tack driver. Most of them were 2MOA-ish. On the flip side I only ever had one that was a really bad shooter... 22-250. That one habitually broke ejectors, too.

I only have one spare frame sitting around without a barrel now. With the prices they pull these days, I don't see myself really chasing after any more in the future... the cheap price tag was always the appeal of them to me, and they aren't cheaper than a brand new CVA or economy bolt rifle that will generally outshoot them anymore.

I'm not bashing, but they were inexpensive rifle/shotguns. I have couple favorites, but what comes with inexpensive is inconsistence bores (maybe that's why some have success with oversize lead bullets). I think that's why you hear people that have ones that shot great and other people that have ones they can't get to shoot.

NEF made a limited run of handi rifles in 35 REM several years ago, but they are very hard to find

I have one in 30-30 I bought for cheap to plink and play with. It shoots super good no matter what bullet or weight I’ve tried.

I have one in .45/70 that shoots good enough for it's purpose or 1 1/2 to 2" groups with cast bullets.

I have 3 actions and six or more barrels

300 Blackout, less than an inch, took a 26” wide muley

30-06 w 165 CorLok less than an inch

223 w Winchester white box, cloverleaf

35 Whelen 1”

35 Remington idk, maybe 2” on subsonic hand loads

Are some of my results

The brass sticks in the 30-06, pain in the ….

I use 1-2 neoprene washers on the foreend
24 in-lb torque on the front screw

That is it
You need to try several types of ammo see what it likes

Also the scope rail can bend easy, changing POI

Most of them are about 1” guns at best, if you wanna shoot small groups, best move on to something else and save all the headaches and enjoy the time spent trying to make something shoot that never was intended too, enjoy that time shooting a known accurate rifle.

My son 10yo. got a Pronghorn with the 300 Blackout
150yds

piece of cake

My daughter got her first Pronghorn with the 30-06, Hornady Lite 125gr ammo

Handi rifles were meant for average Joes who couldn't afford to buy bolt action rifles or fancy European rifles. There was nothing wrong with them that a little time smoothing metal tightening up the fit wouldn't fix. I really like single shots and because of the low price, I tried to make them shoot better. Sometimes it helped. Sometimes not.

This 30-30 gave me fits as did a 22 Hornet . The lock up wasn't square and accuracy suffered. I do wish they were still being made. They filled a niche. Unfortunately, almost everyone wants a "tactical" rifle with huge magnification scopes. There doesn't seem to be much room in North America for woods rifles with low power scopes these days. Try finding a 4 power scope or an affordable single shot.

I guess we'll have to wait until they come back in style again.

My family shot .444 and .35R Handi Rifles for several years but moved to the CVA models for their better triggers out of the box.

The CVAs are sorta filling that niche now. Not "cheap" like the H&R days, but they can be had really reasonably, especially if you catch a sale. I got my stainless Scout for ~$350 last summer. Buds still has a dump on the cheaper finished models for under $300 once in a while. In todays's money, that's a pretty good bargain for a brand new centerfire. They tend to be shooters right out of the box, too.

I never think of the CVA rifles for some reason. I would like this one. Something to ponder after the holidays!

I imagine a good many are in Mississippi and
Louisiana shops/pawn shops/gun shows
because they sold a bunch there for their
Primitive Weapons Season

I have had a bunch over thevyears, some H&R before the Handi name. 30-30, 221 fireball, 44 mag, A couple versions in 45-70. Some were spike drivers (not tack) some sucked. I'm playing with a fairly late 45-70 now. My boys have the rest.