Questions about barrel diameters.

[rickt300]

My 44 mag handi has a pretty thick barrel, I am guessing it and the 357 get the bull barrel treatment.  After a weekend of trucking around the lease I find I like the Handi Rifle but may shorten my 44 mag barrel 3 1/2 inches to lighten it a bit.  I killed a turkey and a jackrabbit with it saturday.  My load of 25.0 grains of Winchester 296 and the 240 gr. XTP is both very accurate and didn't do much damage to either the turkey or the jackrabbit. The jack was hit in the neck at 75 yards, bullet diameter in and out.  The turkey was hit where the neck joins the body from side to side and the exit hole was just barely bigger than bullet diameter. It was shot at less than 50 yards.  Back to barrels.  What are the aproximate weights of the Handi rifles with their respective barrel diameters, Bull, standard and superlight?

[myarmor]

I believe this is a reasonable question. I haven't done a search on it but I would be surprised if this hasn't been brought up before.
The larger bores do have a larger dia. near the muzzle (duh I know  )  but the same can be said about all H&R barrels. Even the standard barrels are mistaken by many to be a Bull. They are just thick barrels..... a good thing in my opinion.
But the frame/reciever is over looked many times for it's weight, though it makes for a good balance point in the Handi's.
Good shooting by the way. Sounds like you have your 44Mag dialed in right.




-Aaron

[geezer56]

I cut 4 inches off of my 45-70.  The piece I cut off didn't weigh half a pound.  It did make for a much nicer carrying and handling gun, but it didn't do much for putting it on a diet.  A set of synthetic stocks to replace wood will do more for weight loss than lopping the barrel.  Even that isn't as much as you would expect it to be. 

[rickt300]

I have shortend a bunch of barrels and agree that the actual weight loss isn't great but the weight you do remove has the most leverage against you and removing it makes the rifle a nicer handling piece.  The Handi are plenty short enough already I just want to make it easier to handle with one hand while driving, pulling it out of the truck, laying it on the tool box, etc..  I can see where lightening the wood stock would be easy enough just by drilling some holes or even skeletenizing it.  That is some tough wood!