Nullcone
What's the bore on that Handi? I've read .311 and didn't think the bullets really had that kind if accuracy in them. What bullet, in particular, are you using? Surely you can't sub any 123-125 .311 slug...
Isn't 4831 awfully slow for such a small case and light bullet? What charge are you using and what kind of velocities are you getting? ES/SD?
I'd put up a bragging picture for a (consistent or not) group like that. The only way I'd ever expect a 100 yard 1 inch 20-shot group from a 7.62x39 Handi is if it had a 99 yard barrel and was clamped in a vise.
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Graybeard's Forum seems to think that the bore on the Handi 7.62x39 is .311. I've never slugged it, so I cannot be absolutely sure, but I use .311 bullets.
As to the actual bullets I use, I just went downstairs to check - Winchester 125 and Remington 123 grain bullets. It doesn't seem to make any difference between the two, but, because I have more of the Winchester, I suspect that is the one I use more.
The load I got from the Hodgdon site. Because I was so surprised at the results of my initial load, I haven't bothered to tweak it any. Look it up - 24.0 grains of IMR-4198 giving a velocity of 2250 fps. (Again, look it up to verify.)
I actually DID take a picture so I could have a bragging story to tell one of the guys at work. Because I've gone through several computers (couple of bad hard drives), I've lost the picture.
A little info about me and the Handi - I'm 66 years old and, because my children have grown and left the home, I took up the sport of shooting only about 4-5 years ago. I shoot at a range and typically rest my elbows on the range table to take aim. That rifle has a 3-9 Nikon scope on it and, instead of swapping that barrel on and off that receiver, the 7.62x39 barrel stays on the receiver. I am goofy about cleaning it, but other than that, it's an off-the-shelf rifle.