New 44mag Handi aka "Devil rifle" range reprt

[Bull Nutria]

Bull Nutria
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First started out by shooting 3 fouling shots out a of a clean barrel with factory Rem 180 JSP, these sprayed the usual 3-4 group high right at 50 yds.
Second load tried was a 265g Hornady FTX over 16.5 gr of Alliant 2400. gun was shot off of one sand bag (on a concrete bench) that was touching the front of the trigger guard. nothing touching the barrel. the 3 shot group was 1 1/8 inches a little high and right of bull. Eureka I thought i found it--I found the sweet spot.

Let rifle cool while i shot another rifle. Third load tried was 265g Horn over 17.5g-- 2400, 7 inch vertical string one round 3 in high other two 4 and 6in below bull still at 50 yds. I thought can 1 grain of 2400 have this much effect on a group???

Fourth, 3 shot group was max of 18.3 grains of 2400 under same 265g bullet. results a 5 inch group 3inches below and slightly right of bull(1inch orange dot).

Fifth group,180 gr Fact Rem same high 3-4 inch group.

Now can someone tell me what is going on here? can the difference in powder charge cause these groups to be so variable in this rifle or is something else going on here? I do have 2 O rings on the forend stud, the forend does not touch the barrel from the stud forward. I have had the trigger worked over by a professsional gunsmith and it is very nice around 3 lbs.

I have named this little rifle the "Devil Rifle" . Obviously i want to crank out a handful of those 16.5 grain loads and see if the rifle will repeat that 1 1/8 inch group, I sure hope so.

I have almost as much money in ammo and reloading supplies as i have in the rifle!! I also ordered a variety pack of "oversize"for bore cast bullets to try to tame the "Devil Rifle"
Stay tuned,
Bull

 

[FROGO207]

I own several of these rifles also. Most of them are really accurate. I had one that was not in 30-06. I got a second barrel and now it is. If you take the barrel of the rifle and hold it suspended by the breech end and tap the muzzle lightly with a plastic tool it will ring like a bell if the barrel is stress relieved. the bad one was dead sounding and shot all over the place when it got warm as it was used. I would try testing some other propellant amounts in a ladder setup to see if there are more good loads. You may well find more "sweet spots" Then take the best one and vary the bullet. Try a different propellant. Try one thing at a time and you may get it to shoot well anyway. If it is a SB2 you could get a different barrel and see if it helps. Happy experimenting.

 

[R.W.Dale]

A bunch of the 44 handi rifles came out with grossly over sized bores.

I owned a bunch of handis at one time and after awhile started calling em my "lightning" rifles.....cause they never struck in the same place twice

The break action single shot will never find a spot back inside my safe for this reason

posted via tapatalk using android.

 

[billyjoe]

Most of the handi rifles i've had shot ok. The .44 was the exception. Never could keep it on paper at 100 yards. Traded it off realy fast. Kinda feel sorry for whoever ended up with it.