Hello All.

Just popping in to learn something about the Handi Rifles. Been looking at getting one or more for general hunting, plinking etc.

MI Changed the laws in the shotgun only zone to allow certain straight walled cartridges so I've been scoping things out. Leaning towards 357mag or 44mag as I already have guns in those chamberings.



(I'm the same MikeD from MO/RO)

Hi Miked,

Good to see you my friend!

Handi Rifles in .357/.44 are just plain fun to shoot. I hope you can try one out.

I have one that was a TALO Distributors release in .357-Magnum. They had slightly shorter barrels and came with installed iron sights. It would make an excellent brush gun for deer out to 75-yards. Handi Rifles in .357-Magnum are known for having a very long chamber leade and I take advantage of that. Hornady 180-gr XTPs loaded way out of a .357 case with plenty of bullet still in the case neck to hold a crimp. And a higher than MAX load of Alliant 2400 with a magnum small rifle primer. These get up pretty close to .357-Maximum power and would knock a big Michigan whitetail down with authority.

With shooting .22LR getting so hard (and expensive) to do you could load cast lead and shoot a Handi Rifle for about the cost of rimfire ammo!



This rifle weighs only about six pounds as shown. I've put a 4x16 scope on it since I took this picture.

It's one of the "most fun" rifles I shoot!!!

Just curious, Mike~

Would a .45-70 be included in the new MI hunting law? It's technically not a straight wall but it's close. Not that I suggest that, cuz shooting one.... well that would sure be an adventure I'll leave to others.

Nite,

Thanks for the welcome. I remember watching your thread on the other forum when you got that rifle. I think it kind of planted the seed in my head that took off when the law changed.

As per the hunting guide:

• A .35 caliber or larger rifle loaded with straight-walled cartridges with a minimum
case length of 1.16 inches and a maximum case length of 1.80 inches.
• A .35 caliber or larger air rifle or pistol charged only from an external
high-compression power source, or a muzzle-loading rifle.

The 45-70 is excluded because of the maximum case length of 1.80.

I currently have .357, .44 and .45colt in pistol form so I thought I would try and stay consistent.

I'd love a .45 colt but I don't see it listed on the web page not do they offer a .410 with rifled barrel.

If I had a .45-70 Handi-Rifle I'd hunt with it by trimming the cases to 1.75" and work up a good load for it and a 250-gr cast flat point. It would hit like an effin' hammer!!

But I know enough to realize that the 180-gr .357 and any .44-Magnum is PLENTY for whitetail in the woods.

It just sounds like it would be a fun experiment but hardly worth buying a .45-70 rifle just to try it.

I'm not sure I'm adventurous enough to attempt such a thing at this point. LOL

Howdy, I'm bumping up old posts to see if I can get our members back on the forum...
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