New to Handi and Hello

[TexSabre]

I brought the Handi in .243 a few weeks ago and had to go out of town right away.  While I was gone I discovered this board and soon I was becoming disappointed with my purchase.  It seem like there was much more bad stuff than good stuff regarding the .243s.  Finally I got a Weaver 82 mount and mounted my Leupold VX I 3X9 with Weaver Quick disconnect mounts.  I read about barrel brake-in so I did the JB thing, picked up a box of Fed 100gr soft points and off to the range I go.  Usually I am the only one there but usually I go there on week days and this past Sunday I wasn’t alone, at all.

The first 3 rounds didn’t hit paper at 25yds.  After 16 rounds the scope is centered and a bit high so I am ready to move out to 100yds, but this guy pulls out his legal full auto M16 (he had all the paper work).  He asked me if I wanted to shoot it and that was the end of Handi shooting for that day.

After only 16 rounds my disappointment has faded away and I really like this little rifle.  A bit more range time and I believe she will do just fine at 200yds and perhaps 300yds.  To me the trigger is heavy but brakes crisply so it works, but I do believe I’ll keep reading and lighten up the trigger a bit.

I bought this gun because I wanted a .243 single shot.  .243 because of the lighter recoil and the ability to take does with head shots.  Single shot because I want one and I thought it a good choice for my grand kids too.  I have been taken deer with an old Win 30-30 and a Ruger Mark II in 30-06.  Both worked fine but I really didn’t care for the 06 kick and the 30-30 isn’t scoped.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to the range Wed or Thur and I’ll see what she can do at 200yds.  I’ll let y’all know, especially if I am getting nice groups.

Thanks again y’all.
Bill AKA TexSabre

[LaOtto222]

Welcome to GBO People have different expectations and different results. the best thing to do is exactlyd what you did. Mount a quality scope and see what it will do. Good Shooting and Good Luck

[petemi]

Welcome.  Try it out and see how it does.  There's lots of good accurizing info in the FAQs.  Even if it shoots well, you still may be able to tighten it up.  Good shooting,

Pete

[Big Blue]

Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to the range Wed or Thur and I’ll see what she can do at 200yds.  I’ll let y’all know, especially if I am getting nice groups.

LOL!! Welcome! I'm looking forward to reading about your next range trip with it.
Don

[Rustyinfla]

  Welcome Bill,

    As was said be sure to spend a lot of time in the FAQ's at the top of the topic page. There's a lot of good stuff there and most of the problems you'll have were already run into by someone else. It's good to know you're not alone.

  Happy Trails and God Bless

[dpe.ahoy]

Welcome and enjoy the Handi.  Some people get all excited about itty-bitty groups, but if it will make meat, thats good.  Even a 2" group is only 1" away from where you are aiming.  DP

[Troyboy]

Welcome and enjoy the Handi.  Some people get all excited about itty-bitty groups, but if it will make meat, thats good.  Even a 2" group is only 1" away from where you are aiming.  DP

ya your absolutly right

[LONGTOM]

Even a 2" group is only 1" away from where you are aiming.

I kind of like that Troyboy, good one!


LONGTOM

[dpe.ahoy]

Huh, me and Rodney Dangerfield, no respect, know what I mean.   DP

[greenjeans]

Welcome. I don't look for little bitty groups either. I get 1-1/2" with my regular barreled .243 with no problems and I'm not a great shot. For normal hunting, I think it's plenty accurate. Have mine sighted in with 95 gr. ballistic tips, but it shoots good with the Federal 100 gr. soft point also (the cheap stuff).

[TexSabre]

I promised so here is my report for day 2 at the range.  It can all be summed up with this statement “can’t hit the broad side of a barn”.  I sent 20 rounds down range and I guess I could say they were all in a 12” group @ 50yds.  I didn’t really want a project gun but I guess I got one .  Tomorrow she will get a good cleaning and put away till sometime in mid Jan.  Next step will be the “O” ring and then I’ll go from there.  If I get the chance to go for a deer the first week in Jan. then I’ll use the always ready Win 94.  Ya just got to love those old Winchesters.

What saved the day for me was that I took my scoped Marlin Mod 99M1 and my boyhood Rem 514 .22s along.  The Marlin is what it is but that single shot Remington is truly amazing.  Crappy trigger &  lousy sights but she shoots a nice tight group all the time.  Yesterday I was making pop cans dance (@ 50yds) and in general had a great time.  Had I not taken the .22s along, I would have been really ticked off.

Bill AKA TexSabre

[xsilver03x]

I would think that you just need to find the load that your gun likes.  If it makes you feel better get the guys number that had the ar and ask him how much he paid for it .  Once you get yours shootn good you will like the price you paid much more.

[TexSabre]

I would think that you just need to find the load that your gun likes.  If it makes you feel better get the guys number that had the ar and ask him how much he paid for it .  Once you get yours shootn good you will like the price you paid much more.

LOL, I know that's right.  I really do like the little gun, I just wanted to shoot it NOT tinker with it.  I am also afraid that I might get addicted to tinkering with it, buying many different barrels and spending way too much time on this board LOL. 

[quickdtoo]

Welcome aboard Bill, albeit a little belated!! I didn't see where you indicated which 243 you have, but from your "little gun" description, sounds like you may have a Superlight, is the barrel 20" or 22"? The 20" Superlight 243 is notoriously sensitive to heat and any more than 2 shots in a couple minutes can turn a group into a pattern, mine shoots the first two rounds tight, then the 3rd makes a 2" group if shot in 2 minutes after 10-15 minutes work on the forend as shown in the FAQs. I liked the Superlight so much I bought another so both my older grandsons will have one.  The 22" standard contour is much better, and the bull barrel can be a tack driver with the right load.  This is all assuming there isn't something wrong with the rifle, IE bad crown, poor lock up, but please read the Handi Basics 101, just oil on the latch, or improper trigger operation can destroy any accuracy potential and is an easy fix.

Tim

[quickdtoo]

Another issue that many 243 H&R owners have found is some just don't like the heavier bullets, so you may want to try something in the 85gr-90gr range as opposed to the 100gr. 

Tim

[TexSabre]

Day 3 at the range with the Handi SB2-S43.  Before I went out I had cleaned it good, did the JB thing again, as well as the “O” ring thing.  I sanded the fore stock, double checked the lockup and got my hands on some 80gr ammo.  I also checked the scope mount and found 2 screws that seemed a bit loose and tightened them.

Conditions were less than perfect, kinda windy from about 15 degrees right of the target at 50yds.  I removed the fore stock and sent 3 rounds down, rifle supported just fore of the trigger guard at 25yds.  Both an inch and a half off.  I waited at least 10min before shooting again.  Each time I fired 2 or 3 and waited at least 10 min before shooting again.  At the end of 10 rounds @ 25yds four ended up inside the ten ring, 2 were touching.  Not bad at all @ 25yds.

The next ten were @ 50yds, rifle supported just in front of trigger guard with fore stock on.  Two in the 10 ring, two in the 9 ring, two touching on the 7/8 line left of center and two touching on the extreme left.  I guess that might work on a deer.

It was difficult for me to shoot without using the fore stock.  Next time I think I’ll support the darn thing with the fore stock and I intend to sand on the fore stock some more.

As I was finishing up a couple of guys showed up with a new (Christmas gift) Savage bolt gun with scope (Simmons I think) bought from Walmart.  They put targets up at 50, 100 and 200yds.  Three rounds @ 50 almost touching and a little high.  We chit chat a bit then he put 5 rounds into 100, nice tight group still a bit high.  Five more @ 200yds yielded a tight group in the bull.  The kid (21yo) was very happy with his Christmas present.  He was shooting Federal Power Shok, I don’t know bullet weight.  They did say the Federals were all they could find around here.  I didn’t even show them my Handi nor the targets from the Handi.

Bill aka TexSabre

[quickdtoo]

Keep the barrel cool, you're not trying to find an accurate colony varmint gun, it's a deer rifle, as long as the cold bore shot goes where you want it, you don't really need more shots, the Superlight should group the first two shots under an inch at 100yds with the right ammo, the third will usually double the group size, any more shooting will increase the group as the barrel is hot by now, keep it cool and it should shoot good. It appears you've only tried two kinds of ammo, I'd try something different before giving in to the heavy bolt gun. H&R's standard is 2" or less 3-shot 100yd groups with factory ammo, they usually use Remington ammo for testing, but I don't know that applies to the 243, the Rem 80gr PSP shoots 2½" 3-shot 100yd groups in mine, the first two into 1¼", then the 3rd opens it up. If you can't get it there, contact them and make arrangements to send it in, I'd also read the Handi Basics 101 before you do that tho, I don't recollect you mentioning checking the latch and shelf for oil. 

Tim

[TexSabre]

Thanks Tim! H&R/NEF ought to be paying you Sir

Latch & shelf are clean and dry.  Lockup feels really good to me, solid click and the release tab as described in Handi basics 101.

I have some 85gr hand loads that a neighbor gave me to try and I shall.  I have to go to San Antonio next week and I’ll try and find some Remington and/or Winchester in 85 or 95gr to try.

Tim, I did LMAO when you said “giving in to the heavy bolt gun” and I'm still chuckling. 

[quickdtoo]

  Good shooting and Happy New Year to you and yours Bill!!   

Tim

[Lazermule]

As I was finishing up a couple of guys showed up with a new (Christmas gift) Savage bolt gun with scope (Simmons I think) bought from Walmart.  They put targets up at 50, 100 and 200yds.  Three rounds @ 50 almost touching and a little high.  We chit chat a bit then he put 5 rounds into 100, nice tight group still a bit high.  Five more @ 200yds yielded a tight group in the bull.  The kid (21yo) was very happy with his Christmas present.  He was shooting Federal Power Shok, I don’t know bullet weight.  They did say the Federals were all they could find around here.  I didn’t even show them my Handi nor the targets from the Handi.

Bill aka TexSabre

I have one of those "X Mart Savages" (K-Mart for mine circa 1990 for $279) and it is one of the tightest shooting rifles I have.  Mine is in 7mm Rem Mag with a Weaver 2-10x and shoots as tight or tighter (hot or cold) than my Rem 700 in 22-250 topped with a 6-24x AO target scope.  Keep after that 243 and you should be able to get it right.  Otherwise can't you send it in to NEF as they guarantee a certain size group don't they?

LAZER