Lucky Joe: First off, let me urge you to lay hands on a .357 Handi ASAP, due to the plant shutdown scheduled for late summer 2008. No one knows what Big Green will do with NEF after the Gardner plant is closed. You won't regret buying a .357 -- it's about as good a fun-gun as can be made. It will handle anything from .38 SPL midrange loads, to the stiffest .357 handloads in the book, and many NEF .357s will chamber .360 Dan Wesson brass as they come from the box.
Mine has been rechambered for .357 Maximum, and it handles the Lyman 358627 very well. When I was still loading the standard Magnum case, Hodgdon Lil Gun gave very good performance with this long semiwadcutter. The extra case capacity of the Maximum allows the use of Alliant Reloder 7, though I have ended up with compressed loads before reaching the top end of allowable pressure. My next powder test will be IMR 4227 or H110. Because of the very long chamber throat, I seat the bullet at the rear crimp groove, with a good roll crimp. Lube is standard Lyman Alox.
I have been casting the 358627 with an approximation of Lyman #2 alloy, namely ten pounds of wheelweights and one pound of 95% tin solder. Even though the .357 Handi has the slower twist rate of a handgun, I have not encountered any keyholing out to 100 yards. My barrel slugs at .357", and I normally size the bullet to .359", using a Hornady gas check. The rifle is set up as a woods carbine, with a straight stock and Schnabel forend, and the issue Williams rear sight paired with a Williams Shorty ramp and Firesight bead. I have high hopes of taking this little rifle into the woods this coming deer season. If the IMR 4227 load delivers good accuracy, the gun will be my standard "light carry" rifle for whitetails.
