First, I want to thank everyone in this forum for sharing their knowledge…or for asking questions, causing others to share their knowledge.
Either way, thanks go to you all!
I received my H&R Ultra Varmint 22-250 (SB2-F22) on 8/22/09. My very first rifle, at the tender age of 48. I paid $240 for the rifle, $30 for shipping, and $30 for the FFL.
From the H&R website:
Black synthetic stock with vertical adjustment knob, adjustable recoil pad, and adjustable bipod mount. 24" fluted bull barrel. Sights Scope mount and hammer extension; no iron sights. Length 40", length of Pull 14-1/4", weight 7 lbs.
Since the local outdoor range, Trail Glades (Dade county, FL), was closed for upgrades (Aug thru Dec '09), I decided to use the “time off” to do research on what could be done to improve my Ultra Varmint. I wanted to do the work before taking the first shot. That’s when Graybeard came in.
I thoroughly studied the Handi basics 101, FAQ’s & Help. In addition, I searched and reviewed topics that picked my curiosity.
I settled on the following, in order of appearance:
Handi-Rifle Trigger Work by Perkloafm. Trigger pull went down from 3.25 lbs to 2.50 lbs. I did not stone the hammer or trigger, to bring the pull lighter; decided to heed Perkloafm’s and Quickdtoo’s warnings.
Made a “manual extractor notch”, as per Fred the Reloader and Wildcatter.
My Handi has a first generation extractor. I honed all contact surfaces, as Quickdtoo suggests for ejectors. Improved function.
Polished chamber. Improved function.
Fitted the scope rail as explained by Quickdtoo.
Prepared the barrel as per Jim Shults’ “Barrel Prep for Super Accuracy”.
Got a “Center Point” Adventure Class 4-16x40mm, from good old Wal-Mart. Checked the scope’s centering with a mirror. Mounted it on Burris Signature Zee rings (medium).
On 10/11/2009, I went to Markham Park Range (Broward county, FL) and “fire” lapped the Ultra using Tubb’s final finish. Used 3 finest grits only, as per Fred Bohl’s “Rifle Bore Lapping/Polishing”, Fire-Lapping New commercial barrels.
BTW, between the low load, heavy weight and, perhaps, lapping compound, these bullets do not seem to stabilize. They leave funny little shapes on the target.
On 1/3/2010, the range reopened. I took the Ultra to “bore” sight the scope. The scope was off to the right approximately 20” @ 100 yards. I used the Burris Posi-Align® Offset Insert (± 0.20) to correct the deviation. I did not adjust for windage or elevation. Wind was less than 10 miles NNW. Downrange points due North. Temperature was 59
oF.
These are the results after sighting. @ 100 yards, Remington UMC JHP 50gr:
Keep in mind that in thirty years or so, I have fired a rifle once (about 8 months ago). It was a Marlin 336 (35 Remington), awesome classic! BTW, it was this experience that prompted me to get a rifle. However, cleaning the lever action prompted me to consider the sophistication of a “less-is-more” design, such as it is found in an H&R.
But I digress…
Back to my results. Perhaps not the most impressive; nonetheless, I’m quite pleased by them. The fun part is, of course, there is opportunity for “user” improvement, which I’ll be working on as the year progresses.
Here are some pictures of the finished product:
Customized weight: 10 lbs, 10 oz.
Cost (excluding tools):
| Rifle | $300 |
| Rifle Case | $16 |
| Bipod | $43 |
| Stock bolt | $15 |
| Scope | $75 |
| Scope Rings | $50 |
| Misc. | $3 |
| Total | $502 |
Again, I like to thank one and all for this excellent forum.
Happy New Year!
argon
