Ammo Availability and Utility for a Handi-Rifle

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Nashoba

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Hey guys.
Well, as the host of one of my favorite youtube channels put it; welcome to firearmageddon.
I am not freaking out to much about it though. I am slightly annoyed that just short of the time that I could afford a RRA LAR-15, every rifle that can accept a STANAG magazine flew off the shelves. Oh well, I guess it's no biggie. Anyway, on to my question.
Situation being what it is ( AR shortages, ammo shortages, men weeping in the gun-shop line (seriously)) I have decided to consolidate what I have and try to streamline my "armory". I am not going to fret over getting a new rifle anymore, so I am improving what I have and spending money that would otherwise have been spent on an AR, on ammo and other sensible things. One thing that I will be doing to is getting a new barrel for my Handi-Rifle. Mine is currently chambered in .35 Whelen, which is great for my hunting purposes, but the price causes me to have miniature emotional breakdowns whenever I shoot something. So, I looked at H&R's barrel list, and I have narrowed my decision to three calibers; .223 rem, .308 win, and 30-30 win.
The only thing I care about is the availability of the cartridge and it's utility in dealing with anything from Mississippi class big game to rural defensive purposes.
Lets hear some thoughts and opinion on the matter. Thanks!
 
If I were you I would keep the .35 Whelen as it meets the requirements of what you seem to be looking for. The .35 Whelen is no more than a 30-06 cartridge necked up to .35 caliber. Nice cartridge that can be hand loaded with plenty of bullet weights from 110 grains to 300 grains and that is a nice wide spectrum to work from. There is also no shortage of 30-06 brass out there allowing you to easily roll your own ammunition. I also believe rolling your own will really give you an opportunity to get the very most from your rifle. I would sink a few bucks into a good simple single stage press like a RCBS Rock Chucker and get started in hand loading, I like RCBS but as Chris_in_Va mentions a basic Lee setup would work fine.

The only thing I care about is the availability of the cartridge and it's utility in dealing with anything from Mississippi class big game to rural defensive purposes.
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While I am not real big on using any high powered rifle cartridge for home defense (if that is what you mean) the .35 Whelen certainly meets or exceeds your other requirements. You have a great cartridge in the .35 Whelen, I would stick with a good thing.

That said...
I have narrowed my decision to three calibers; .223 rem, .308 win, and 30-30 win.
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If you absolutely want to get away from the .35 Whelen I would run with the .308 Winchester of the choices you listed. While none of the choices will duplicate the .35 Whelen the .308 Winchester is likely as good as it gets.

Just My Take...
Ron
 
Rimmed cartridges seem to perform better in Handis, the others tend to be literally hit-or-miss. The .30-30 would be the safest bet and as others noted your .35 Whelen can do a lot on its own. The .30-30 Ackley Improved is a common upgrade for folks wanting to extend the performance a bit. On the lighter side the .22 Hornet is usually a good performer in a Handi. Good luck in your search! Oh, and do keep that Whelen no matter what else you get.
 
Nico Testosteros said:
I'd go with 30-30. Ammo is fairly cheap and one can't find .223 or .308 right now.
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+1.

I see you live in North MS...I'm in the same area...and of the calibers you list the 30-30 is the only one I see on the store shelves right now.

You might look at reloading...it's nice to be able to unplug from the madness of the retail supply lines. When you want ammo you just go out to the garage and make it.
 
Yes to 30-30.

Ammo cheaper and easier to get for 30-30. You can always send it in later and get a third barrel in something else, but you will be well covered with 35 Whelen and a 30-30. It will also be better for practice, less recoil by quite a bit. I have four barrels for this type of thing and am well pleased by the array.
 
The 30-30 has historically been the best shooter in a Handi rifle ever. It will serve you well for plinking , and from squirrel to hogs and deer .

I take it you don't reload. That's a pity because in the Handi you can load the 30-30 pretty hot and use spitzer bullets. This turns your Handi 30-30 into a very reliable 200 yd rifle. But I bet you will be very close with the Hornady Leverevolution ammo.

30-30 isn't ideal for HD, and 223 would likely be better in that respect but as the recent run has shown 223 ammo will disappear every time the gun grabbers get ambitious. I load a Hornady 86 gr .308 short jacket bullet over Trail Boss that is a good HD round and softy for the kids but there must be a factory varmint round out there that would also suit you.
 
Interesting to note that 30-30 continues to be widely available and has always been one of the most affordable rifle cartridges (Walmart sells Federal 150-gr softpoints for about $11.00/20).
 
Get the .30 WCF, then learn to reload, then you can shoot these.........It`s what I use in mine.
 
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My daughter was given a Handi Rifle in .243.......We sent the receiver back to the factory and had both .308 & .223 barrels fitted. The whole job was about two weeks door to door. They make for a very easy to carry hunting rifle when you have to hike. I added an ammo carrier to the stock, a decent sling, and good optics. It has worked out very well.
 
Here is my Handi Rifle. It is a .30-06 with a Nikon Buckmasters 3x9-40 scope. I have never had any problem with it ejecting the rimless '06 cartridge. I have fired it eleven times at deer and one time at a coyote and put eleven deer and one coyote on the ground. The range varied from 25 to 125 yards.

1.jpg
 
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