A Handi for the wife?

[700camo]

I have decided that my wife needs a handi for the primitive weapon season here in Ms.  Otherwise she will end up shooting my camo synthetic 45-70,(I think the recoil would be too much for her) and I'll be stuck with the ol' smoke pole. the problem is I was pretty sure I wanted to get her a 357, that is until I started looking through this forum. Now I am wondering what will be the best low recoil deer cartridge, the 357, 44, or the 45LC. 100 yards is about the longest shot at our club and most will be 10-70 yds. I appreciate the advice of any of you who own 1 or all the the calibers listed, like I said this will be used mainly for deer maybe a hog if one wanders in to her line of sight.

[jeepmann1948]

A 357 would be ideal for her.But go ahead and buy two cause you will like it as well I would also advise to rent the reamer from Quick and make them Max.Many Happy 357 Max folks on here
Happy Hunting

[thejanitor]

My friends family owns a .357 handi all shooters in their house enjoy shooting it, they say you almost laugh when you shoot it because you expect so much more recoil and noise and when it goes off you are almost surprised it's over.  And with our 44 mag ( would call it mine but the kids both love to shoot it too) except for the stiffest hog loads even my petite daughter enjoys shooting it. From most posts here you can't go wrong with either of those two. I think there are more of these available than the 45LC, but if you can find a 45LC I think you would find it to be right along the same lines.... I have not shot the .45LC or the .357 but I think which ever you get you both will like. I imagine ammo prices are all about the same, but if you actually have a choice on which gun maybe ammo price would become a deciding factor.?.
Hope you find one before season.   thejanitor

[olafhardtB]

We are all golng ape over 357 Handis I'm thinking of one myself. That said a30/30 is probably a better chalice. It's low recoil, the ammo is cheap, it's effective, you can buy it every where and there is no real need to reload but you can. 357 ammo is not primarily made for hunting, some is but you don't find it everywhere. 357 maximum I don't ever see but I don't look for it. You can get lots of replacement rifle barrels for the 30/30 frame but only the 44 mag for the 357. Also the 30/30 comes with a good set of Iron sites, but you can scope it.  The standard 357 is scope only, the Talo option has irons but can be hard to find.

[700camo]

I should have mentioned that I dont reload, yet. The hornady lever evolution shoots great out of my 45/70 so it will most likely be what I try in the new handi first. Janitor you may be right about the availability of them and will most likely buy what I can find in the store rather than trying to special order one. Thanks for the reply I was worried about the 44 being too much for her, but she killed her first deer with my 30-30 and I bought her a 7mm08 last year for regular rifle season.

[Rodland]

I am in MS also. I started out with a 444 and it works fine but where I hunt I wanted a good walk around gun. Got a 357 and LOVE it. The Max reamer is on its way to me and I can't wait. All reports say I will be a happy man when I get it reamed. 38, 357 mag are a hoot to shoot.

[petemi]

I'd get the .357 and ream it to max.  I have all three, including the .44 (.445SM) and .45LC.  She can plink and practice with .38s and hunt with the mag and max.  Reeds and others have Max ammo, so if you don't reload, it won't be a problem getting.  Save your all your brass.  Someday you may reload and if not, you can sell it on the Reloading Classifieds here.  I should tell ya, my Handis fell all over themselves laughing when I told them they were primitive.

Pete

[OSOK]

+1 for the .357, for all the reasons listed above. I have the Talo Trapper and thing it looks great with the short barrel and iron sights. I reamed mine to .357 max and mounted a 2.5x scope. Shooting 180 gr. Hornadt SSP bullets in max brass it is a MOA shooter with less recoil than a H&R .410 shotgun. It swings and points like a dream. Plus, you will have the "I custom built this for you" angle you can play after you ream it!

[Spanky]

All 3 of them would be superb for deer and hogs. If you want a little more speed go for the 357. If you want to shoot a big heavy bullet go with the 45. If you want speedy and big go for the 44.
Another thing to consider... If you start reloading you will be able to shoot any of them for cheap, especially the 357. Less powder and less lead means less money.
You've got a difficult choice ahead of you... good luck.
 
 
 
Spanky

[bikerbeans]

700,
 
All 3 of your choices will be fine for you wife's intended use.  I would go with the one I could get the best deal on. 
 
BB

[Gohon]

Since I reload my own I prefer the 357mag/357maxi and the 45 Colt as I can load them up to some pretty powerful loads.  But, both of these cartridges are geared towards the reloader except for the 357 magnum.  However, if I were in your shoes and not a reloader I would lean towards the 44 magnum.  Yes, specialty loads for the 45 Colt and 357 mag can be bought from specialty companies but they cost a arm and a leg.  The 357 magnum with factory ammo will work at short ranges for deer but for hogs the 44 Magnum is a far better choice with factory ammo. 

If your wife can handle the 30-30 then the 44 magnum which is lighter in recoil would be a breeze for her.  As low cost as these guns are and if you should later get into reloading you can always buy another gun for fun. 

[45-70.gov]

44 mag if its primarily for hunting...the  best choice


357/38....if she is going to shoot  a lot....a good choice


45 lc  ...only if  you already shoot this in a hand gun....and  only if you reload for it


other than that what ever you find a good deal on
or  what  ever you already have a hand gun chambered for

[quickdtoo]

What everyone has said, but I'll also add the 35 Remington which is comparable to the 30-30 in recoil.  The 35 Rem is available by itself or in a combo with a 444 barrel, also available as an accessory barrel for an SB2 frame. Unlike the 357 and 44 mag which come on SB1 frames which limit accessory barrels to shotgun only.

Tim

[twoeighty]

700camo---i bought the 45 colt carbine specifically for louisiana's reciprocal primitive weapons' season as yours
 
if you reload,she would be well served with either variety of the 300 XTP's @ 1300'/s or the sierra 240 JHC @ 1500'/s----very mild recoil and report, but impressive impact--and surprisingly nearly same POI @ 100 yds using IMR 4227 for the 300's and H110 for the 240's both with mag pistol primers
 
thanks again BigwoodsHunter(member of this site) for the 240 sierra load data
 
here's some quick history of the primitive weapon season down there:
http://www.ms-sportsman.com/details.php?id=469
 
good luck with your choice
 
280
 

[quickdtoo]

I should have mentioned that I dont reload, yet. .

Sounds like a good time to start!! 

Tim

[Sourdough]

My openion, get another 45-70.  Use factory ammo, or load for the trapdoor model.  You might even go as low as to use Trail Boss, and really slow them down.  Very low recoil, a big shove not a kick like other cartridges.  She would be shooting a big bullet, making large holes, that leak a lot of blood.  Even going slow those large bullets are deadly.

One way to check to see if she could handle it is to have her shoot you gun.  If she can handle the recoil, your set.  Don't use Buffalo Bore ammo for her!!!!  Buy a box of Remingtom 45-70 loads, with the lightest bullet they have.  Just don't forget to make sure the stock fits her as well.  Most women take a youth stock, or the stock has to be cut down to properly fit them, otherwise recoil is unmanageable period.  My wife is 4'11" and has a cut down MC stock.  She shoots all my Handi's just by changing the stock.  The 45-70 with Remington ammo, and .35 Whelen with 180gr bullets, are her favorites. 

[MS Mule]

 
 
I saw two 35 Rem./444 combo at the last Jackson MS gunshow. One was priced $299 the other $349 both NIB.

[Doublebass73]

45 LC

It will force you to get into reloading and you'll be very glad you did. My son is very recoil shy and has no problem shooting his 45 LC Handi.

[rdlange]

Well... I have a 45 BC carbine reamed to .454.  I reload for it because factory ammo is expensive and puny.  Good for anything I'll hunt under 100yds.  Also good for primitive seasons if you need that, so my choice because you can load it easy mild or hot, and I think the nicest looking Handi.  Not made anymore so not readily available.

My 45-70 is great.  Very expensive store bought ammo, and way more than 'my' wife could handle.  Loaded mild it's not much more powerful than a hot .454.  Won't work for pistol caliber hunt season.

I have 2 30-30 and am looking for more.  Not primitive, but it's good for anything else.  Ammo is 1/3 price of 45-70 or .454, half .45 LC... cheaper than anything but .223.  You can buy it anywhere.  Easy to reload, mild or hot, especially in a Handi.  More bullet variety.  Best walk around rifle I think.  Supposed to be one of the most accurate Handis, still manufactured, and notice they command top resale prices on the classifieds.

So I vote for the 45 BC carbine and reloading asap, or the 30-30 and make do for awhile with store bought ammo.  Anything else is too much, too expensive to shoot, not primitive, not common or whatever. 

Note that my 3 favorites are all rimmed cartridges on SB2 frames. 

JMHO. Be well...

[quickdtoo]

The 30-30 isn't legal for the MS primitive season, must be .35 cal or bigger.

Tim

[Dinny]

My opinion, get another 45-70. 

+1, I was about to say the same thing. Big heavy bullets do very well even if they're flying relatively slow. The recoil seems more like a gentle push with my 330gr cast loads flying around 1100fps. Even the Remington factory 405gr load is mild, but very potent.




Thanks, Dinny

[700camo]

Thanks for the input guys, while my first choice would be the 45LC because I already have 2 pistols in this caliber, and would love to have a suppressed rifle for night time hog hunting (which is legal here) I am afraid that would become my gun and not hers, and we all know that is easier to buy new toys if we claim that they are for the ladies. I will most likely end up with whichever one I run across first, after reading on here I believe that they will all get the job done. 
 
Quick...I may be able to start reloading soon, now that my wife has gone back to working full time in the days, and my son is in daycare, I will have 28 days at the house, so I might find time for a new hobby.

[quickdtoo]

Sounds like a good plan! The prices in the article are a bit dated, but the Lee Classic Loader is an economical way to get your feet wet to see if you want to spend more on a bench mounted press, Lee also makes a hand press that uses standard dies. 

Tim

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51

[tacklebury]

+1 on the Lee Hand Press.  I live in a condo with minimal spare space, so don't set up a permanent bench.  I use a 2' square piece of richlite and started with the Lee Hammer-n-pound version, but quickly got to dislike the noise level and occasional primer firings.  I switched to the handpress and save the Classic Loaders for my bug out bag.  One in .45-70 and one in .45 Colt.  I really like the hand press for most parts of the reloading process, with the one exception of seating bullets.  It can be a little bit difficult to get them started really straight compared to when I use my buddy's single stage std. press.  Someday, I'll have a dedicated bench and the hand loader will be a range bag item.    It is nice to be able to use any standard dies for other calibers also though.  It's let me add about 7 different calibers than the two I started with for only the cost of the new dies.  I currently have .45ACP, .45 Colt, .45-70 Gov., 7.5x55mm Schmidt-Rubin, .30-40 Krag, .30 Carbine, .38/.357, .32 Winchester Special, and .40-60 Marlin.  I highly recommend getting the Deluxe Die sets for the calibers you will load right up front.  In the bottle necked sizes, it lets you neck size or full length size and in pistol cartridges it includes the appropriate Factory Crimp die, which is a must in my opinion for .45ACP at least.  I picked up the Handpress Kit from Lee Factory Sales for $34 and the deluxe pistol sets are 25-35 dollars too usually there.  The carbide deluxe pistol sets are nice too, because you don't have to use case lube.  The only other thing you really need to get started is a set of Lee Dippers at a minimum or if you are going to get more accurate a small scale.  If you have 70+ bucks extra, get the RCBS 505 or the 700 series.  The Lee Safety is ok, but I haven't had that great of luck using my friends.  He ended up with a 505 after a few.  If you aren't going match grade though, you can use a digital for 15-30 bucks as well, although the precision is only at about .2 gr as opposed to the 505's tighter tolerance.  I started off with dippers and graduated to a digital I got for 20 bucks.  You might want to check out the newer Smartreloader brand though also now as they have some pretty good stuff by all reports.  Later on you could add a vibratory brass cleaner and other stuff. 
 
*edit* - by the way, I loaded some beautiful light kicking FTX bullets with 32 gr. Reloader7 in the .45-70 for my wife and they kick about like the colt, but have a little more velocity and are easy 150 yard rounds. 

[ratdog]

load that 45-70 with trail boss and let your wife shoot it she will not give it back.

[ratdog]

quikto i like the lee hand press but your hand get sore after a while needs to be more user friendly like there hand held primer seater that the best thing i have ever used. i have used there loading dies 0 problems same with bullet molds they make great stuff and not over priced

[quickdtoo]

I've not used the hand press, but have seen it recommended by many as a step up from the Lee Loader for those with limited reloading space.

Tacklebury, I use my Lee Loader to start the bullet seating process before using my bench mounted press, adds an additonal step and time, but it starts the bullet perfectly straight so the press can finish the job, that should help with the hand press too. 

Tim

[Doublebass73]

Sounds like a good plan! The prices in the article are a bit dated, but the Lee Classic Loader is an economical way to get your feet wet to see if you want to spend more on a bench mounted press, Lee also makes a hand press that uses standard dies. 

Tim

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51

X2 on this. This is exactly how I got started reloading.

[Shu]

Any of the above calibers metioned are good. The 357 allows for using 38 specials for practice and would be the cheaper to shoot. 44 mag and 45 colt have some good advantages also.
I believe you should start relaoding. You can get a little lee loader cheaply as mentioned and craft some pretty good ammunition. There is plenty of good resources on how to get started.
I have made alot of ammo with the little lee loaders and wouldn't trade them away for anything.
I got them for 45 acp/colt and 45-70, I'll happen on ones for 38/357 , 410 and 20 guage one of these days. The wish list continues to grow.

[billy_56081]

A Handi for the wife?, sounds like a fair trade!