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[pochis]

let me say i do not reload    i have had a heavy barrell 243 that i could not make shoot,called factory n was told about the oring trick still rds going everywear,  i am interested in getting another but as i read the 1st 16 pages it seems like i am gambling i don't work on guns so i kinda need it to work right. my cal choices are 7-08 270 30-30. now convince me to buy one. thanks. pochis

[Swampman]

The .30-30 will shoot great.  The .243 is probably the worst of the lot.  Personally I wouldn't own a .270 or 7mm-08 chambered rifle.

[MSP Ret]

I would say either the 30-30 or the 7mm-08 would be great choices for shooting well right out of the box. The 7mm-08 might reach out a bit further but even the fine old 30-30 with the new Hornady Leverolution ammo is a true 200-250 yard hunting gun. As far as cheaper, you said you do not reload and more commonly available ammo, the 30-30 wins. Both will most likely shoot as well or better than you can hold them for hunting. What type of hunting and shooting are you planning, and what type of terrain, what is your intended quarry and what are the distances you may be shooting. All things to be considered and known before making a decision. I have a nice .243 that I would trade for a 7mm-08 in a heartbeat, and mine shoots OK for hunting, but they have just not ever really held a place in my heart for hunting or shooting....<><....

[petemi]

The .30-30 will shoot great.  The .243 is probably the worst of the lot.  Personally I wouldn't own a .270 or 7mm-08 chambered rifle.

I feel sorry for you.  My 7mm-08 was a tack driver when it came out of the box.  It is an extractor, which I prefer, and works perfectly.  I highly recommend the caliber.  What was your experience with it

[dpe.ahoy]

I have the 30-30 and the 7mm-08, and both shoot great.  7mm-08 doesn't kick much more than the 30-30 and has much more reach.

[quickdtoo]

let me say i do not reload    i have had a heavy barrell 243 that i could not make shoot,called factory n was told about the oring trick still rds going everywear,  i am interested in getting another but as i read the 1st 16 pages it seems like i am gambling i don't work on guns so i kinda need it to work right. my cal choices are 7-08 270 30-30. now convince me to buy one. thanks. pochis

I think you should get the 243 to shoot first, the O-ring isn't a cure all, in fact I don't use it on any of 40+ H&Rs. What ammo have you tried? Have you read and followed the Handi Basics 101? The inaccuracy may be caused by you in how you close the action, pull the trigger, oil on the latch, and will affect a new barrel just as much. If it won't shoot 2" groups or better after following the Handi 101 basics, I'd return it for repair, that would also be a good time to order an accessory barrel......30-30 would be a good one for factory ammo, mine shoots the Rem 150gr into a nice group at 2330fps.

Factory ammo that shoots good in one of my 243 Ultras is the Federal 100gr Power-Shok and 95gr Fusion, the Rem 80gr shoots good in my t-hole Ultra, but it doesn't do well with the Federal ammo, although it doesn't do too bad with the Fed 85gr Sierra BTHP. The t-hole Ultra shoots good enough that it's at my gunsmith's right now being rechambered to 6mmAI.

Tim

[Graybeard]

He said he had read the first 16 pages I assume that to mean the Handi Basics 101 Tim mentioned. He also said:

i don't work on guns so i kinda need it to work right.

I must admit having read as much as I have here on this forum I question if a Handi is the right gun for him. I've not spent that much time with Handis as you guys have and the few I've messed with seemed to do OK without any of the extra efforts you guys put into them. I gotta tell ya if I ever ran into one needing the level of effort some of you put into them I'd have traded them off long before then. I do work on guns at times unlike the OP but there is a limit for me as to how much effort I'll put into one that doesn't wanna shoot.

If I ever break the Hornet out of the box and start messing with it that should be a good test of whether all the extras you guys do is really needed. So far none of it was with my .30-30 or the BC.

[Singleshotsam]

I got to agree w/ GB.  I would say maybe a Stevens 200 in .243 might be a better route than a handy in this case...

[petemi]

Can't argue with you, Bill.  I haven't had to do much if any tweaking to get mine to shoot.  The .357 shot cloverleaves and one ragged hole at 60 yards, but it rattled.  I could feel something loose, so I shimed the pivot.   End of rattle, it shot the same perfect way.  I've got some issues with the .22-250 and the .17 HMR, but I think it is somewhere between myself, eyes, and the scopes.

I got the eye fixed, but it isn't up to par, so I'm teaching myself to shoot left handed.  It is a lot of hard work, and burns lots of ammo, but I need to be able to see at "dark thirty".  I normally shoot "both eyes open", but the stronger left eye takes over and I can't see enough in the scoped right eye.  Using the right eye alone is too dim.

I do agree, if a gun wouldn't shoot without a hassle, I'd shuck it.  I had a Rem Model 7, 6mm that I got rid of after 250 rounds.  I'm not saying Rems or Model 7s are bad.  The fact is the one I had didn't work.  I traded it on a Ruger M77 MKII in .308 and haven't looked back.

[Badnews Bob]

Ya might be right but most of the 7-08s and .30-30s seem to shoot well right out of the box, and I've hardly ever seen a .270 that won't shoot, I'd say go with a 7-08 I don't think you'd be disappointed

[quickdtoo]

He said he had read the first 16 pages I assume that to mean the Handi Basics 101 Tim mentioned.

Yup, hopefully better than some read the classified rules.

Tim

[poncaguy]

I have some great shooting Handi's. My 7-08 was not one of them, traded it off plus $$$ for a new Marlin XL7 270 ($309) Excellent Savage like accu-trigger, 1/2'-3/4" groups.

[poncaguy]

that was 1/2", not 1/2'...................

[trotterlg]

I agree with GB on this one, buy a bolt gun and move on.  I love these guns, but they are not right for every one.  I just paid $249.00 for a new S&W I Bolt, I got one in 25-06 but they had them in 30-06 and .270 for the same price, it even has a scope rail on it.  Now it isn't fancy, but I would say it was less money than an Handi and I bet it will shoot right out of the box without putting 6 boxes of ammo through it to find out how to run it.  Larry

[drewD]

I'd like to know where you got an Ibolt for $249. I've seen very few in my area and the ones I have found are going for big money. I like handis but I don't think they are the right choice for every one. I also own a Stevens 200 and a savage 243.

But if it came down to the three calibers you have listed it would be between the 270 and 30-30. I've owned 3 270 barrels and they all shot great 1" or better.