Hello everyone. I am new to this forum but not to reloading. However I am new to reloading for a HEF handi-rifle. I have two of them. A 243win with the youth stock, and a 223rem with the wood youth stock. I have free floated the barrels on both from the screw lug forward and accu-glassed the rest. Both have 2.5 pond triggers. Both are disappointingly inaccurate. The 243 will get 1.5" to 2.5" inch groups regardless of what I feed it. Good enough for my son. The 223 on the other hand needs to be a sub MOA rifle. It too is a 2" to 3" rifle. One thing I have noticed with the 223 is the really deep throat. So deep that I can't seat the bullet near the lands. Anyone have any reloading experience with NEF 223 standard barrel rifles. By the way, it has the 1:12 twist.

Thank you!

I have an H&R ultra varmint. I load 24.5 grns h322 over a cci small rifle primer in remington brass, col 2.250 it will put 5 shots in the size of a nickle at 100 yards, check out the h&r nef forums on www.graybeardoutdoors.com, you might get some help there.

Benwillweit has it right - you definitely want to check out the Handi-rifle forum over at Graybeardoutdoors.com - a tremendous amount of info about the Handis there.

Also, I am afraid long throats are very common on almost all Handi chamberings.

You should be able to reach the lands if it is a SAAMI chamber.

I can't reach the lands with any bullet any seating in my Bushmaster V-Match barrel with 5.56 nato chamber.

I had .223 and never could get it to shoot my reloads. I set the bullets out as far as i could because of the long throat, tried 5 defferent powders and bullets, floated the forearm with the rubber washers with no luck. the best it ever shot was with Fed. 52 grn factory loads. I finally got tired of messing with it and sold it at a gun show. h.h.

When I started loading for my .223 Ultra, I went with the same length as the Winchester White Box ammo (45gr HP), which I believe was 2.245" if memory serves. My best loads have been 26.0gr Varget and 50gr Nosler BT's, and 26.0gr H335 and 40gr V-Max. The latter will cloverleaf at 100yds on a good day.

I did find that the NEF doesn't like being loaded too hot; the cases will expand too much and stick in the chamber. The H335 load above is a perfect example; it's nowhere near max, but it's accurate.