My first Handy

[kbstenberg]

  I did it my first Handy is in my possession. .223 standard barrel, extractor. This weekend i will be cleaning it up an slugging the barrel. My next project will be collecting loading stuff an components. As well as going through the stickies.
  If i could enlist the help of some of the knowledgeable folks here for a starting point for reloading, an breaking in a barrel. Please PM me or continue my thread with helpful hints.
  Kevin

[dlariscey]

Welcome to the club.  Got my 30-30 a little while ago and am really happy.  Although this is not my first handi I have not owned one in many years and buying this one was like running into a best friend you have not seen in years.  I won't make the mistake I made with my others and sell this one.  To tell the truth I'm already trying to figure out how to sneak a 45-70 and .357 by the wife after the first of the year.  Remember the most important thing about a handi is their just plain fun to shoot.  Congrats on the rifle.  

[yukondog]

Welcome, don't load for the 223 so cant help you there.

[necchi]

Welcome to it, and get ready to have some fun!!
 Those things,(handis in general) have really long throats, so don't worry about trying to "jam" any bullets, seating too sammi is usually fine or at least enough to keep runout at a minimum.
 Although each gun is it's own, most of these will shoot handloaded 55grn bullets really well for starters. Mine will shoot sub moa at 200 with Nosler Balistic tips and surprisingly the Rem 55fmj into a dime at 100 (open up  at 200 though).
 I've never seen one preform well with max loads so that's another plus, you can save powder.
Varget seem's to be a great preformer in mine with H4895 a close second.
 Once you get all the factory "new" packing oils and greases cleaned from the bore, Handis (again generally), like a fouled bore for it's best accuracy. My 223 won't dial in until it's had at least 8-10 rounds down the bore after a full cleaning. It will heat up and string, I'm just saying it likes a fouled bore.

Well that's a few tips, be sure to read and re-read the accurizing tips in the faqs, there is SOO much in there you simply can't take it all in with just one read (took me a month, and I still go back)

[kbstenberg]

  When i was reading in the stickies about breaking in a barrel, it was mentioned to use a product called JB. The only JB i know of is the JB line of lubricants. Please enlighten me
  Kevin

[thejanitor]

The JB I bought when breaking in my 7-08 was in a small tub 1.5 oz maybe, and it feels like a very smooth clay or mud not as gritty as a rubbing compound but has the same effect just to a much less harsh degree. I don't have it in front of me to tell you the ingredients but it is just a very smooth lapping compound of sorts. Finer than baking soda , you almost dont notice there is anything gritty to it. thejanitor

[tcoggins]

To tell the truth I'm already trying to figure out how to sneak a 45-70 and .357 by the wife after the first of the year. 

Try walking imto the house backwards, it will look like you're leaving with a gun instead of coming in with one.

[kbstenberg]

  Thank you janitor. But i was wondering what the JB stands for. An is it in auto stores, home imp. or where?
  Kevin

[petemi]

I can't help you with the JB, but my new Ilion .223 climbed out of the box wanting to shoot.  I put about 150 - 200 Russian and Milsurp 55 gr. rounds through it and it loved it.  I boresighted it at 35 yards and smacked a pigeon at a little over 300 on the same morning....with the same junk ammo.  That rifle just wants to shoot.  I'd pour a bunch of junk through it and then get serious.  The Milsurp should work to smooth out the bore, if needed.  I did the same with my 7.62x39 with about the same results.  That's a shooter too.  AND I DID NOT CLEAN THEM.  All my Handis love a cruddy barrel.  An added note, the 7.62X39 has never FTF with junk ammo.  Hard primers or not.  I'm not reloading for it yet, so junk is all it's had to eat.

I forgot to mention, the 7.62x39 was found by a member here, new in the box along with two others in a gun shop in Texas at a wonderful price.  Three of us here gobbled them up immediately.  Mine has the most beautiful pallet wood I have seen.  It looks almost like CinLam, and it shoots with my best Handis.

Pete

[spikehorn]

Its JB bore paste as stated it comes in a 1.5oz tub. I got it from Brownells.

[quickdtoo]

JB offers a couple of products, JB Bore Brite and JB Non-embedding Bore Compounds, but there are lots of other products that are readily available that will do the same job, see BORE GUIDES, CLEANING AND LAPPING, BORE POLISHING and BORE BREAK-IN, LAPPING AND POLISHING, all of which are topic titles in the FAQs, I included bore guides since it's important to use a bore guide when doing any bore work, you must protect the bore from the rod, the crown or throat, depending on which end you work from are subject to abuse without a good rod/bore guide. 

Tim

[cwlongshot]

As for some loading tips..

Many find the bargain Winchester white box to give excellent accuracy.

For a good hand load, I have yet to see a 223 barrel that didn't like a bit of Hodgdon 322 powder and match primer and a Sierra 53 gr match HP bullet.

Remember each gun barrel is as different people's faces. All similar but different. SOME like it dirty, some clean, some with forend pressure some without. Some heavy bullets while others won't shoot boat tails. That's the fun of it. You get to experiment and see if you can find what it likes!!

Enjoy your new toy!! Post back up and let us know how she shoots and how much you like it!

CW