First range visit with .204 Handi...the fun begins

[bang_off]

Hi all,

Made it to the range yeatserday for the first go with the .204 ruger Handi.

It's a keeper, but I'm hoping some of you handi-holics can help me tune it to do better.  

Preparation:

* Lapped barrel.

* Cleaned gunk from receiver.

* Latch not smoked/stoned yet.

* Tightened scope rail.

* Set forward screw on scope rail (Ultra rail) to sit about 10 thou" above barrel.

* mounted new Simmons 44 mag in new Burris Sig Zee rings.

Observations:

* Forearm is a tight fit. The forearm hole bears on the rear side of the barrel lug.

* Trigger is nice and crisp, and lighter than the Sportster I think. Don't know pull weight.

* There is an almighty BOOOOOOMMM!!! when it is fired.  :-D

* Seems to like barrel "hot and dirty", best groups shot in this condition. When adjusting the scope and getting used to the setup I noticed the first shot with a clean barrel was almost always ~.3" higher than the following few.

Results:

* All shot indoors at 50m, rest under hinge pin, follow through with trigger pull.



Hornady 32gr factory ammo, the shot on it's own was the first after cleaning, barrel was warm with maybe 20 shots through it at this point. Barrel was quite warm by 3rd shot.



Rem 32gr factory ammo, left it to cool for a bit then shot this group. Once again, 1st shot was about .3" higher than the rest. The group of 4 (consecutive) shots measures .36". Barrell "hot and dirty".



Here's 6 shots through a "hot and dirty" barrel, first go with the Rem 40 grainers.  Top 2 flyers were first 2 of the group. Once again Barrel "hot and dirty". Bottom 4 .41".

Theories:

* As the barrel heats the p.o.i. is changing due to forearm bearing on the barrel lug.

* Rifle is fine, I need to shoot better.  

Questions:

* I would like it to be able to shoot the same p.o.i. wheter cold, warm or hot. Is this realistic?

* Also, I'd like to get it doing .3" (at 50m) consistently. Am I dreaming?

* Any problem with firing it without the forearm attached?

100m and 200m ranges are a bit harder to get to at the moment but will at some stage.

Sorry for the long post. Any ideas much appreciated.

TIA!

[aulrich]

Vertical stringing is a common problem with handi's, although if it is forarm pressure as the barrel heats up is questionable, vertical is more of a one piece stock problem. My 204 has a vertical stringing problem but it is more to do with latch engagement, I would recommend checking that first, mine was just haning on the tip. I probably have on more session with the stone. Just take it slow and easy.

[bang_off]

Thanks aulrich, I'll smoke the latch sometime.

Does your .204 prefer a dirty barrel?

There's <50 rounds through it so far so I guess I may need to give it a little more time to settle in.

[Norseman112]

Congrats and good shooting with your handi.




Can you get a .3 group? .....anything is possible.

As far as shooting your rifle with out the fore arm attached is something I would not recommend ( would fall under safety) .

Hope it helps.

Norse

[aulrich]

It does not seem to show a preference, But I am suspecting that it does not like beeing too dirty (possible pressure spikes) but I am not sure on that yet.

About 3/4's of the loads through the gun have been for load testing. One thing I can say is that my handi is load sensitive with my pd load +- .3 of a grain and the group size doubles.

The only bullet that has not shown this behavior is the 35 grain berger and h4895 27.5 to 28.2 print about the same.

[Fred M]

vertical is more of a one piece stock problem.

[/b]

[aulrich]

Fred
Maybe I missed the memo but is not one of the reasons that most bolt guns are free floated becase of vertical stringing caused by upward pressure from the stock as the barrel heats up.

And I have a hard beliving that 5" of wood either side of the barrel stud would cause more vertical stringing than inconsistant lock-up.  Now as the barrel heats up the barrel harminics can change but I would think up is mearly a coincedence, haywire is probably more like it.

[Fred M]

Aulrich

A barrel heating up and sitting tight in a stock will cause some dispersion.
.

[aulrich]

First off my thinking was that any moment of force that could be generated from the expanding barrel would be small. As contrast a rig I would think prone to this would be an ultra light that has a pressure point on it's thin barrel. As that barrel heats up any changes in pressure is magnified by the distance from the center of rotation (the front action screw) that being about 12 - 14 ".

The second part is based on the premise that if you have a sloppy, forend neither free floated or tight that as the barrel heats up there are changes in how the forend contacts the barrel and that the changes in the contact cause changes in barrel vibrations that negatively impact accuracy.

And Fred I am with you on that with a handi a full solid fitting forend is best, though it's hard to argue with the groups from those who free float.
But half way between the 2 is no good

[Diesel Man]

Well with my 204 it was around .5-1" when I first got it. I bought both 32 & 40gr v-max mine likes the 40gr better. Now there has been 75-100 rnds. through it and it will group one ragged hole around .250-.300" @ 100 yds. The funny thing is I tried the Rem 40gr and they shoot just as good. Now with the bench rest it will only group good if the rest is as close the the trigger as I can get. Mine shoots the same with or with out the o-ring.

[Fred M]

Aulrich.

As that barrel heats up any changes in pressure is magnified by the distance from the center of rotation (the front action screw) that being about 12 - 14 ".

[bang_off]

Thanks all, I'm heading to the range again this week to get some more rounds through it. That fact alone will probably help some.  :wink:

[bang_off]

hmm just smoked the latch. It looks like I'm getting 2mm (.0787402") engagement. Am I right in thinking I need at least .125" (3.2mm)?