HandiRifles ?

[Hard Luck]

Has anyoneshot a handi-rifle in45-70 ? what are your impressions ? How do youhaveyour rifle tricked out andwhat loads do youuse ?

[paulyseggs]

never shot one in 45/70 but I do own a couple, one shotgun a couple of 22 calibers.

I like them, accurate, sturdy, no frills, a meat and potatoes gun. One of the greatest bargains in the world of guns.

[bucked off]

I agree. Bought one in .243 and my 6 year old shoots it well. Worth the money.

[retrieverman]

ORIGINAL: bucked off

I agree. Bought one in .243 and my 6 year old shoots it well. Worth the money.

x2 A solid utility rifle with acceptable accuracy out of the box. Both my sons killed their first deer with one in 223. I do like the heavy barrel models the best.

[James B]

The 45-70 is probably the best of all the Handi Rifles. I have owned a bunch of them and been around many more. They shoot as well as any 45-70 you can get your hands on. Sticking cases which is common in the 243 just does not occure in the 45-70 or seldom in any of the rimmed cartriges. I had two in 243 and had nothing but trouble with them. All the other caliber i have had shoot pretty well. The 223 usually shoots as well as high dollar vermit rifles. They do not shoot to well with the heavy 223 bullets but up to 50 grains they really shoot. I have a 35 Whelen, 3 45-70's, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 LC, 280 and 223. I have also had the 243, 30-06 and 30-30.

[Hard Luck]

Thank you for the replies. James, tell me about your 45-70's and how you have them tricked out, scope , loads etc.
I'm buying one tomorrow to take to Ms. on a guided prinitative weapons hunt.

[James B]

I have not done much to the HandiRifles. They shot well right out of the box. I shoot a lot of Black Powder in the Buffalo Classic. I use Winchester brass because it holds a bit more powder than the rest. I shoot 500 Grain cast bullets in that one. I put in all the 2F that the case will hold, usually 68-70 grains. For plinking I shoot the 405 grain cast bullets with 13.0 grains of Unique and the WW Magnum primer. For Big game like moose and bears the 350 Grain Hornady RN is a great bullet. I load it to about 1850-1900 fps with IMR 3031.

AlthoughI have not used them to much yet, the 300 grain Nosler Partition should be a very good all around big game bullet for the 45-70. I also shoot a Marlin rifle in this caliber.

I use an OLD Redfield 2x7x32 scope on these rifles when I use a scope. I have had this scope for over 30 years and its been on so many rifles that I have lost count. It spent a few years on the 416 Rem Mag.

[ejpaul1]

James B is right on as usual! I have a 243 and it had aproblem with sticky cases and the problem seems to have gone away after I milled .010 of an inch from the re-sizing die. They are appropriatly named "handi". My wife confiscated mine which only means I'll have to get another. She hunts with it. EJ

[NE Hunter]

You can't load them super "hot" ( level 2 loads is all they recommend). but since the .45-70 has killed most of all the North ameerican game when it was introduced and these critters aren't any bigger or badder now ... loading them up isn't real nesessary.

[lonewolf5348]

easy fix in sticky cases try some I ran into the sticky case with my 06 handi,even started to change some loading data,then a last resort was to clean the brass with this oil BALLISTOL SPORTSMAN'S OIL