Handi Rifle w/22" 243 Win bull barrel and Burris Fullfield II ballistic reticle

[yooper77]

Hello,

Last night @ a Cabelas retail store I bought a used NEF Handi Rifle with 22" standard 243 Winchester barrel with hammer extension, base and rings, Burris Fullfield 2 Scope 3-9x 40mm Ballistic Plex Reticle Matte finish.  I wanted a rifle setup for my daughter for deer hunting.  I am loading reduced loads using H-4895 with Hornady 80 grain pistol bullets.  The scope will find a new home on my Ruger M77 MKII in 270 Winchester.  I have an older 4x Weaver scope that would be perfect for this rifle.  It also needs lower rings.

Thank you,
yooper77

[PartsMan]

Sweet rifle and scope. Way to go.

[NAM70]

Should be a nice rifle. I use IMR4895-very similar to H4895- in a 243. I've used max loads and even a little higher in a Rem 700. Found it to be very accurate. Dave

[Willie496]

I have the .243 ultra varmint. It shoots well with 75 V Max factory loads..

[rex6666]

is it a bull barrel or standard, standard is pretty heavy. i have a standard, been looking for a
bull, if it is to heavy for her.

[yooper77]

rex6666,

I was wondering that myself.  I was thinking on getting it cut down to 18.5 inches or more to reduce the weight.  I think 18.5" would be the ideal length and weight for a youth barrel, probably close to the 20" youth weight.

I have an old but good Weaver 4x32mm scope and using the lowest rings possible.

Thank you,
yooper77 

[quickdtoo]

I can weigh a Superlight barrel if someone has a standard and bull barrel to weigh for comparison, muzzle diameters to determine contour are listed in the FAQs already.

Tim

[rex6666]

mine is a standard barrell i believe 22". before you cut the bull barrel lets talk about this.

[petemi]

If it is a bull, I'd seriously consider trading it for a standard.  They're barrel heavy anyhow.  Also, I, personally wouldn't cut it.  I've got to believe you'd loose fps and engergy, especially since it is going to be a deer rifle.  I hope she loves it.  Your Ruger will like that scope.  I've got the same rifle in .308.

[quickdtoo]

My 243 Superlight weighs 6lbs-13oz scoped with a 4x32 Weaver, 80gr Remingtons average 3107fps in the 20" barrel, in my 243 Ultra with the 24" barrel it runs 3205fps, so the difference in a 22" barrel would be about 50fps, even 100fps isn't enough to make a difference to a dead deer!!

Tim

[yooper77]

Is the Superlight the same as a youth barrel or are there 4 configurations, Standard, Bull, Youth and Superlight?

[petemi]

Tim, you are correct on that.  I traded my 6mm for the .308, because, although the 6 killed deer with one shot, it didn't always knock them down and I hate looking for a deer in the rain on wet autumn leaves with dark thirty coming on.  Same shot placement, the .308 knocks them over and they seldom get up.  I guess because of that, I wouldn't diminish the power of that rifle even a little, if it were mine.  Just a biased old man's opinion.

[quickdtoo]

Youth and Superlight are the same barrels, the youth(compact) just has a short stock and sights, the Superlight has a scope rail. The SL5 accessory barrel has been discontinued, but they may still have them in stock, dunno about the SY5 barrel, that's a confusing matter since it's the same barrel with sights!!

Tim

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/handiRifle.aspx

[quickdtoo]

Pete, I've shot a ton of deer and a lot of elk with the 308, they don't always get knocked down, in fact most of em weren't, just depends on where ya hit em, a heart/ lung shot without a hit or close hit to the spine and no heavy bones with a .24 cal or a .50 cal isn't gonna knock them down, I've killed several deer with a .50 cal flintlock  and round balls at 60-100yds and none went down in their tracks, all were hit in the lungs, but the tracking was easy, where the extensive blood trail ended was a dead deer, all were thru and thru hits. Point being, the bigger hole with an exit will make tracking easier, there's no doubt. There's a recent thread in the medium bore forum on the subject of bang flops.

Tim

[quickdtoo]

The standard barrel won't fill my heavy forend channel.  I will weight my rifle scope combo tonight to see how it comes out.

Is the Superlight the same as a youth barrel or are there 4 configurations, Standard, Bull, Youth and Superlight?

All forend except the slug guns have the same forend channel, even the bull barrel models use the same forend. For all practical intents and purposes, all barrels except the Superlight are about the same diameter at the forend. All barrels of the same contour aren't identical to others of the same chambering, they aren't cookie cutter just as the wood forends and butt stocks are all slightly different, just try swapping recoil pads sometime and you'll see what I mean!!

In the 243 there are 20" Superlight, 22" standard and bull, 24" bull and fluted bull, as well as the 22" standard contour stainless.

Tim

[yooper77]

rex6666,

The barrel I have is standard and it is .669 inch at the muzzle.  I understand that bull barrels are .800 inch at the muzzle.  Thank you for your offer.

Yooper77

[yooper77]

I am going to do a side by side comparison with my Handi and Encore rifle both in 243 Winchester.  I don't really like the balance of the Handi vs the Encore so far, but I will see how hey shoot before I make my final decision.  I have a T/C walnut bantam stock for my Encore with 24 inch 243 Winchester barrel that I was thinking about cutting down to 22 inches or 20 inches for my daughter.

yooper77 

[PartsMan]

I am going to do a side by side comparison with my Handi and Encore rifle both in 243 Winchester.  I don't really like the balance of the Handi vs the Encore so far, but I will see how hey shoot before I make my final decision.  I have a T/C walnut bantam stock for my Encore with 24 inch 243 Winchester barrel that I was thinking about cutting down to 22 inches or 20 inches for my daughter.  The only reason I even bought the Handi is because the Burris Fullfield II ballistic reticule scope was worth the price.

yooper77 

Just ship the leftover rifle to me.
I'll give it a good home with room to roam and play.

[rex6666]

Now PARTSMAN lets not get greedy, i am sue if he decides to sell it he will price it
accordingly.