Handiholism

[Icy Straits]

Hello my name is Icy and I'm a handyholic. After looking at the barrel list that came with the .243 handy rifle I bought for several months and lurking on this site, today I sent my receiver in with a request for not one, not two, not three but four new barrels. Was gonna get three, a .223 bull, 20ga rifled & 30/06 but somehow became convinced by this site that I also needed a 45/70.  I am hoping to get them back by June so I can take the 45/70 to SE Alaska with me. I guide around Chichagof Island and it will make a better bear gun than the .22 pistol I usually carry. Also will make my clients feel safer, cause when they ask me what I'm going to do with a .22 if a brown bear attacks, I tell em I'm gonna shoot them in the knee, you only need to outrun one guy. Anyway the advice offered here has been a great help to my continuing addiction.

[Mac11700]

Sounds like a good plan...Let us know how they work out for you..

Mac

[45/70fan]

you're gonna love the 45/70. they sure a fun to shoot, especially with the hotter loads.

[quickdtoo]

Icy,

There's no doubt you're an afflicted Handiholic, 4 acc barrels is a good start, the  current record is held by ironduke2, he ordered 11 barrels at once!!

As for using a single shot for a defensive bear gun, you have bigger cojones than most have!! I would think a better choice would be a big bore levergun or revolver with multiple shot capability, save the last round for myself!!

The .45-70 is a must have caliber, I have 2 Handis and a BC in .45-70 and .45-120, have even consider more of em, the temptation is always there!!

Tim

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/smf/index.php/topic,104354.msg1098290244.html#msg1098290244

[Icy Straits]

Eleven at once, I'm afraid my wife would suggest I live in Hoonah year round if I tried that. The gun is more for noise and to appease the clients than the bears, attacks are extremely rare. The town bears are more of a cause for concern than the bears out where I go. In an area where the planes often have to buzz the strip to clear the bears off before they can land they are just a fact of life. I also carry a gun so my clients don't feel they need to, I'd rather have a bear I can see in front of me than a nervous client with a .44 mag behind me.

[MnMike]

Four new barrels! That just makes sure that my two barrel job will take even longer. It would be nice if no one sent anything in to them til I get mine. . I really want the .204 and the .50 S&W.

just kidding,

mike

[Icy Straits]

I thought long and hard about the 500 S&W but in the end a look at ammo prices and selection changed my mind. I probably printed and filled out 10 different order forms for different barrels before I finally pulled the trigger.

[Icy Straits]

My new barrels showed up yesterday, six weeks to the day, port to port. Now I gotta spend the next few nights getting scoped up then zeroed in. I have a 100 yard range behind the house so the neighbors are gonna hear some booming this weekend!

[stimpylu32]

Cool , you will love the 45/70 , the 223 and 06 will shoot great also , my next to get is the 20ga t-2 barrel . have fun with them .

stimpy

[quickdtoo]

Congrats, good shooting to you!!

Tim

[Datil]

 Hello Icy Strait, Welcome to GBO, and the wonderful world Handi-holics.
 Every body has to have a 45-70, needs a 30-30. my 2 cents.
 waiting for a range report. Marv.

[rex6666]

You guys are scaring me, i just got started, one barrel 280 rem. and already you have me thinking i
NEED more (and i am sure i do)
i sincerely hope this does not turn out like my golf clubs (have a garage full)
i am sure i will be OK when and if the fever goes down.

[chance_livewire]

YEAH IT BIT ME TOO
 
6MM X 284
7MM/08
243 FIXXING TO BE A 6MMAI
223 AND IM WHEELING AND DEALING WITH A BUDDY ON A 218 BEE. ALL THIS STARTED CAUSE I BOUGHT A YOUTH 243 FOR A 11 YEAR OLD!!!! GO FIGGER

[jsoukup]

Hahaha...

I took my Remington 700 in 7mm Rem mag, my Ruger 10/22 and my new Handi in 243 out to our deer lease last week. We were shooting at some targets out at 350 yards with a 10 to 15 mph crosswind out of my deerstand.

My dad took a few shots with his 7 mag and then I took a few with my 7 mag. I told my dad to hand me the handi so I could shoot a few with it. He nearly fell over when I started punching holes with it. He couldn't believe I got that kind of accuracy out of a rifle the same length as my 10/22.

[Icy Straits]

I finally got out and shot the 45/70 last night and you guys were right, what a BLAST. I don't have a scope on it yet and my eyes aren't good for open sights anymore so I was playing point and shoot at a small alder. That thing will throw some chips. When I got back to the house the neighbor called to ask if I was blowing stumps or what? I just started handloading and am really enjoying that also. I am using a Lee loader kit and the loads I built were 46 grains of IMR 3031 with a 300 grain cast bullets. I was thinking of going down to about 32 or 36 grains for plunking. Anybody got any experience with reduced loads with the IMR3031. Thanks in advance and thanks for all the info on this site. I can't tell you how much fun this is for me.

[quickdtoo]

Heh heh, trapdoor loads ARE reduced loads!!! The link below has a bunch of reduced cast bullet load data, no 3031 tho. The Lyman 48th shows 48 to 53gr 3031 for 292gr cast bullets. Accurate has some low velocity data using 5744 also.

Tim

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/CowboyAction(longrangeRifle)/45%2070%20Gov%20Cowboy%20Action%20LR%20Rifle%20Page%20162.pdf

http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/458Cal(11.63mm)/45%2070%20Gov%2018000psi%20Trapdoor.pdf