cdbeaver
May 4, 2003, 08:59 PM
In mid-March I celebrated my birthday by purchasing an H&R NEF Handigun in .45-70 caliber. Turned out to be one of the nicest things I've done for myself in a long time.
The rifle is a little jewel, all six pounds and 39 inches of it. It looks pretty good with its walnut-colored buttstock and forearm, it's easy to clean and when one looks down the bore, it looks very much like a pair of railroad tracks spiraling down the tube.
Early on I fitted it with a Leupold M8 4x scope. Bought some Remington 300-grain hollow point bullets and loaded up with both IMR and H4198. The Hodgdon powder seemed to fit my needs best. Loads aren't super powerful (about 43 or so grains of powder), but very respectable.
From a bench rest at 50 yards a three-shot group would easily be covered by a quarter, outside to outside. When the blessed rains stop I'll move back to 100 yards and get serious.
Some time (I'm not in any great rush), I'll send the receiver and forearm back to the factory to be fitted with a .22 Hornet barrel. (From the sublime to the ridiculous, or is it vice-versa?)
It's been a most interesting time I've spent with this little rifle. I have other guns that are more accurate, and at least one that is more powerful, but none that have been more fun to play with.
You friends of military weapons might recall that the .45-70 was the "official" cartridge of the United States Army for about 20 years or so.
The rifle is a little jewel, all six pounds and 39 inches of it. It looks pretty good with its walnut-colored buttstock and forearm, it's easy to clean and when one looks down the bore, it looks very much like a pair of railroad tracks spiraling down the tube.
Early on I fitted it with a Leupold M8 4x scope. Bought some Remington 300-grain hollow point bullets and loaded up with both IMR and H4198. The Hodgdon powder seemed to fit my needs best. Loads aren't super powerful (about 43 or so grains of powder), but very respectable.
From a bench rest at 50 yards a three-shot group would easily be covered by a quarter, outside to outside. When the blessed rains stop I'll move back to 100 yards and get serious.
Some time (I'm not in any great rush), I'll send the receiver and forearm back to the factory to be fitted with a .22 Hornet barrel. (From the sublime to the ridiculous, or is it vice-versa?)
It's been a most interesting time I've spent with this little rifle. I have other guns that are more accurate, and at least one that is more powerful, but none that have been more fun to play with.
You friends of military weapons might recall that the .45-70 was the "official" cartridge of the United States Army for about 20 years or so.