doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Double Rifles, Paradox Guns & Gauge Rifles @ doublegunshop.com My new (to me) H&H double rifle

I recently got this H&H 360 2 1/4 N.E. What perhaps is most interesting about it is that it was rebarreled from .303 to 360 2 1/4 11 years after it was originally purchased. I can understand the need to rebarrel, because the .303 barrels went through the transition from black powder to Cordite and many folks didn't understand the need for changing their cleaning techniques. What I don't understand is the caliber choice.



It has extensive engraving on virtually every inch of metal.



My favorite feature is the tang that comes up and over the front comb...certainly overkill for either caliber, but a great touch.



This copy from H&H's ledger confirms every feature exhibited by this rifle.

Interesting gun and should be fun to shoot. The original barrels could have been damaged by accident other than shot out or lost or the whole gun traded back to Holland. The owner or subsequent owner liked the 360 cartridge and got what he wanted. Beautiful rifle, really outstanding.

I can only imagine the work to make such a rifle,especially the reinforcing strap on the stock. Wow!

By the end of next week I should start working up a load for it. Its my favorite part of owning a double rifle. I can see the sights OK, but the bull is pretty fuzzy at 100 yards. I'll have to do the load development at 50 yards I guess. If I view it as a deer rifle, that's all I need here in southwest WI.

Lovely rifle and I love the cartridge, here is mine. An Alex Henry in .360 2&7/16" bpe. It shoots too!(I pulled the last shot) Try the hawk bullets.

50 of the bullets I have are Hawks. With my rapidly aging eyes, I would be overjoyed to shoot a target as good as yours including the flier. Is that a cocking indicator on your beautiful Henry?

Yes it is and thank you for your kind comment.

Wonderful addition to your stable Joel! You'll love the 360 for deer and Black Bear down there.
SKB, My Henry looks similar except for the top lever vs. Jones underlever.

The deer are so thick on our farm that I will probably give it a try. I never have to take a shot at more than 50 yards and I can still use british open sights at that distance.

Beautiful rifle.

That "shorty" .360 was a common alternative to the .303; I had a BSA-made Lee action sporter once. A nice medium rifle; easy to make cases if I recall correctly. Reminded me of a .38-55 (that's a compliment, in case you missed it....). WILL kill deer!

I've used 38/55 for 50 years. My only reservation is the .366 bullet. I have a single shot in in .360 2 1/4 and have about 200 250gr bullets. I don't ever want to have to go back to casting and they are hard to find.

Hawk Bullets are easily available.

I have 50 Hawks, but I like to start out working up a load for a double rifle with cast bullets and my 150 might not be enough.

Is this the .366 diameter that I think it is? There should be plenty of commercial casters that do the 9.3X74R bullets. 286 grns?
For my Chapuis 9.3 I use the Privi Partizan bullets from Graffs. Cheap and accurate.

It was regulated by H&H for 250 gr bullets. I want to start with those and will try some others if I don't have any luck with them.

Nice rifle for sure!

Wouldn't it be great to have the .303 barrels too. I just love the .303 and have a trio of doubles in that caliber. When regulated for the 215 grain bullets (as most were) it's a great deer and elk cartridge. Quite a reputation as a killer.

The .360 is a great round in its own right.

Let us know how you do in the deer woods.

Curl

Steve,

Love your A. Henry also.

I have a nice hammerless Henry in .450BPE. Looks very similar except for the Jones lever.



Curl

Curl,
That is a nice home you have there for your Henry. I am working on getting mine cased. I lucked into a case and accessories for mine last year and currently just need to come up with a powder measure that is correct and then the french fitting can begin.
I love my Henry. I loaded for it this week and will test them today just to verify my load still works. I shoot black in my gun and it regulates great despite what the experts had led me to believe.
The top lever cocks the locks on my gun which explains the long
lever and the fact that it requires more travel than the typical top lever. Some people find that awkward, but I have the hands of an Ape so it is not an issue for me.
I am looking forward to collecting a whitetail with the old gal this year. The last 2 owners before me never even shot the gun, what a shame.

The case my H&H is in is an inexpensive new canvas and leather one made for a 28" 20 ga double. I only had to do some slight modification to create the partitions for th turnscrew (which is an original vintage H&H) and the forend. I have 2 H&H rook rifles in their original cases and this $125 wonder is a great facsimile.

Might also have been converted for an owner posted to India where sporting arms in .303" were prohibited, or at least for that market.

No sure of your bore dimensions, but you may want to consider trying 35 caliber, 180 gr XTP bullets. They are somewhat "soft" for barrels and work really well on game. I use them in 9.3x72R drillings.

C.

That is a very beautiful Holland, Joel. By way of interest is it a Royal? I had a similar one that was not marked Royal but Holland's letter referred to it as a Royal. My understanding is that the early Royals were of this action type and engraved like yours---about 10 years or so later, Holland changed the action shape and engraving style and it is what a modern Royal looks like. Then Holland brought out the Dominion, or No 2 grade, which has your action shape but had only border engraving. To make things even more confusing, the Dominion could be ordered with engraving which is very similar or identical to yours.

Dang - those are nice rifles. You guys have great taste.

OWD

This gun is AT LEAST a Royal and may in fact be what H&H referred to at that time as an "EXTRA BEST"!