I am in the process of buying a single shot rifle and am looking for a little advice.
I am looking at a H&R SM@ handi rifle in 223 with an additional barrel in either 308 or 30/06.
I have tried to read everything I could find as far as specs are concerned.
My question I guess is , is the H&R handi rifle a good choise?
Would a NEF rifle be better. They seem the same to me except the NEF has a polimer stock and the H&R has a wood stock(which i'm partial to)
Which additional barrel would you buy , why.
Any help you give me will be greatly appreciated
7 MM
I am obviously biased, since I am responding to a question about Handi-Rifles posted on a Handi-Rifle forum, but I think the Handi-Rifle is an excellent product.
Mine came equipped with hardwood stock and forearm and a standard taper barrel in .223 Remington with a 1:9 rifling twist rate. I have also acquired a .30-'06 barrel for it. I am not personally interested in obtaining any other barrels for it. In actual fact, I'd rather have two Handi-Rifles than one Handi-Rifle and two barrels. It is easier for me to keep a whole rifle in a gun cabinet than parts of one.
There is a whole lot about the Handi-Rifle that I find appealing. First off, it is very compact and easy to snake through the dense stands of hardwoods found in my local hunting. Second, it is a very dynamic handling rifle that balances at the hinge pin when scoped and gets on target quickly. This is vital where I hunt. Third, it strikes a nice balance between all day portability and enough mass for steady aim under compromised field conditions. Fourth, it is usefully accurate. Fifth, it is very comfortable to shoot because the stocking fits me like a custom glove, though this last bit is subject and YMMV, and all of that. Sixth, the rough barrel finish and satinish stock finish don't reflect much light and the barrel holds paste wax well, which is a bonus for me because we get over 42 inches of rain in my neighborhood each year and my rifle is bound to get wet at some point during the season.
The .223 is a tick under MOA with loads tipped with 69 grain Sierra MatchKings. Its right around MOA with the 62 grain Barnes TSX bullets I use for deer hunting. I've only shot about 40 rounds through the .30-'06 tube and they were all the same 180 grain Nosler Partition handload, but it shoots them at around 1.5 MOA which is equal to a dead deer as far as I care to shoot one.
The only thing that I really don't like about the Handi Rifle is that the high hammer spur limits your scope and mounting options because of potential interference. As I am partial to Leupold scopes, mine sports 3 X 9 V1's on both barrels in low Leupold Rifleman rings and there is no interference from the hammer with this set up.
Being single shot isn't a huge disadvantage to me. In my local hunting, one shot is all you're likely to get, anyhow, and making that first one count is much more important than having rapid firepower.
The Handi-Rifle appeals as a no-nonsense, all business stalking rifle that just seems "cooler" the more you use it and carry it.
Of all of the rifles that I have owned over the years, my Handi is definitely a favorite!
-JP
