H&R .223

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Meeks36

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Have a question for those more knowledgeable then I. I'm currently looking to buy a h&r in .223. On Armslist. Asked the gentleman if it can handle .556 or strictly .223. He said it can shoot both. So my question is can these rifles handle both? Its main purpose is deer rifle for my son/daughter. Range toy. Thank you.
 
Is it the Handi-Rifle? If so the answer is iffy. I borrowed a friend's Handi several years ago and we did shoot some 5.56 in it, namely because the owner is firearm inept and doesn't understand head stamps. It fired the 5.56 without issue, I just would not make it a habit.

My advice is if you get it, buy a small box (100 rounds or so) of 223 just for the Handi. And keep it away from your AR/5.56 loads.
 
I bought a bunch of .556. No ar or any rifle that shoots it. Found a sale and bought 500 rounds. I know I'll get one. Just waiting to find a good sale. No problem running just .223. Thank you for the info.
 
I would pass if it's the ejector model. They are 1-12 twist and tend to have the empty cases stick.
The extractor model has a 1-9 twist and doesn't have the same issues.
I shoot both 223 and 556, but I can't recommend it because they say not to.
 
Alot folks out here shoot both. Did a quick Google search. And half said it's fine. Other half say no way. He wants $330.00 for it. I think that's kind of high but I remember buying sks for $75.00. And just bought one for $450.00. So I'm not 100% anymore. Thank you for the reply.
 
That is perfect. Thank you. I remember seeing them at academy. Just forgot all about them. Found my next purchase.
 
That is perfect. Thank you. I remember seeing them at academy. Just forgot all about them. Found my next purchase.

No problem. I'm thinking hard about one because that's a killer deal, but I think I'm going to hold out for a Savage 10 Precision Carbine since the 5.56 thing isn't a big deal to me.
 
Have a question for those more knowledgeable then I. I'm currently looking to buy a h&r in .223. On Armslist. Asked the gentleman if it can handle .556 or strictly .223. He said it can shoot both. So my question is can these rifles handle both? Its main purpose is deer rifle for my son/daughter. Range toy. Thank you.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend shooting 5.56 in an H&R's .223 chamber. You could have your gunsmith run a 5.56 reamer into the chamber to make the barrel more compatible, if that's an important consideration. This is a fast and cheap job as these things go, or an easy DIY if you can borrow an appropriate reamer.

However, are you allowed to hunt big game with FMJ ammo in your locale in the first place? If not, you'll be using .223 Remington ammo to hunt with anyway. The unaltered chamber is at least theoretically more accurate as-is with .223 factory loads, and since you're talking single shot, the ammo bill difference is unlikely to be significant. Keep the 5.56 ammo for something else -- something is bound to come along later.
 
I'm going with the TC bolt rifle. We hunt in NC. When we do hunt deer. Have friends with land. And .556 .223 is perfectly legal. Used to be have to check the laws again. When I lived out there it was legal to use any caliber. Been a few years since I've hunted out there. Went after bear. Not deer.
 
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