Author Topic: New handi (Read 1910 times)

Huntingnewriver · « **on:** August 21, 2012, 12:57:06 PM »

Picked up my new handi 243 today. Out of the box it dialed in to 3/4 inch group at a hundred yards with federal premium 85 grain hollow point. Very happy

hoytcanon · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2012, 02:57:16 PM »

Sweet... good job! I have a .243 Ultra... I love that gun for song dogs... it will print under an inch every time with Hornady 58 grain V-Max Moly's... we are trying to work up some loads with mid-weight bullets, to come up with a good crossover load for coyotes/deer. You're gonna love that gun... now, go wear out the barrel.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2012, 03:34:52 PM »

Im jealous. I wanted an ultra, but seems they are hard to find. Im happy with the handi so far. Shooting rest was a folded sleeping bag on the hood of a jeep lol. Happy with the 3/4 inch group

petemi · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2012, 02:47:34 AM »

I'm glad to hear the .243s are shooting. It's one Handi caliber I've steered away from because of previous bad press here and some sorry experience with a 6 mm Remington Model 7. I may just give it a try.....but if I do, it'll be a new one.

Pete

Spanky · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2012, 02:53:39 AM »

I've been giving some serious thought to picking up a 243 Handi. I put one together for my brother in law and it's a very good shooter... I should have kept it for myself.

The unfired 25-06 barrel here in the classifieds has got my "I'll take it" finger twitching pretty good too.

Spanky

guzzijohn · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2012, 04:12:23 AM »

Glad to hear that you got a good one. I have never been able to get mine with the 22" BB to shoot well and consistent with either different reloads or factory loads. The best factory loads have been either Winchester 55gr. Supreme or Federal Fusion 95gr. These two loads will group 2-4 inches. The Hornady 58gr. group around 8" using H-4895. I should just sell the thing but I keep thinking I will find the answer one of these days.
GuzziJohn

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2012, 07:56:00 AM »

Guzzijohn, to be honest, i had my doubts about buying one of these rifles, but ive always wanted a no frills single shot. Everything might go south tomorrow, but so far, ive been very pleased. My oldest niece has a compact model 243 and ive shot it twice putting a bullet thru a bullet hole at approximately 70 yards. Luck, who knows? She shoots tight groups with it also. Hopefully I'll continue to have good luck with mine. Hope you get it figured out.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #7 on:** August 26, 2012, 02:12:25 AM »

Well, i spoke to soon. Dont know what has happend, but i cant get better than a 3 or 4 inch group now.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2012, 03:46:39 AM »

First thing, did you clean it? If so, you gotta let it 'season in' again.
Second, make dbl. sure you have NO oil on the latch and shelf.
You might want to take the scope off, check all the scope rail screws and remount that scope for another try, or put on a scope you KNOW is good. I will not trust any scope mount(ing) done by other than me if the rifle isnt shooting well.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2012, 11:01:37 AM »

More info. Bullets are stringing vetically. For example; 2 shots at 100 yards will touch each other 3 inches above bulls eye. Next 2 shots will touch either 3 inches below bulls eye. Im literally almost putting a bullet thru a bullet hole, but the groups are alternating up and down. Im stumped

gcrank1 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2012, 12:15:13 PM »

Take off the buttpad and re-torque the stock bolt? How is the latch up now that you have run some rounds through it? Have you checked the locked up breech fit with a feeler gauge?
You dont say how you are shooting this, or how fast between shots. I assume it is from some sort of rest. Benchrest is not as easy as one would think and minor variations in hold and positioning, as well as where you put the buttpad on you shoulder will do what you are experiencing.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #11 on:** August 26, 2012, 01:32:07 PM »

Here is what ive done so far. I checked scope mount, made sure latch shelf is clean and dry. Everything seems ok in these two areas. Ive learned that this particulay gun is very sensitive to heat. I waited several minutes between shots, but after 3 shots this gun needs a very long period of time too cool. When heated, this gun starts spitting them high. I changed my shooting rest and allowed the barrel to cool completely. The gun performed much better, but not as well as it did initially. So part of the problem was shooter/bench rest and heat. I'll remove the buttpad tonight, check the stock bolt and try again tomorrow.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 26, 2012, 01:40:19 PM »

Search Engine is your friend......look up info on proper benchrest technique and put it to use; I'll bet you cut your groups in half.
You are better off with a hunting gun that puts its first shot out of a cold barrel in the right spot. While testing, dont wait until it is hot to let it cool, it takes too long. Instead pace yourself with a timer and go slow. You will get more shots in a range session with fewer problems.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #13 on:** August 26, 2012, 01:44:40 PM »

I quit shooting 3 or more shot groups with big game rifles, just shooting two gets the job done, when you consider 99.9999% of all big game is a one-shot kill, why waste the time and money!

Also makes the range visit shorter since I'm not waiting for the barrel to cool.

Tim

Spanky · « **Reply #14 on:** August 26, 2012, 03:08:55 PM »

I don't understand the "barrel heating" issue with Handi's. I've got bolt guns with pencil thin barrels that never string shots even when they're too hot to touch.

Doesn't make any sense to me.

Spanky

gcrank1 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 26, 2012, 03:23:47 PM »

Look at the way a boltgun is hung together;barrel screwed into a pretty rigid receiver which is the only part screwed down into the one piece stock. Often the barrel is free floated from a few inches forward of that well supported action, or has a bit of forend up pressure and no sideways forces or underlugs or forearm studs and the weight of the forearm off the front. It is a proven formula for success.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #16 on:** August 26, 2012, 06:26:19 PM »

Any gun ive ever owned needed a cooling off period between groups but this handi is very sensitive to heat and requires a lengthy cooling down period between groups. Slow is good advice.

ratdog · « **Reply #17 on:** August 26, 2012, 08:25:55 PM »

i got two 223's the 22inch barrel not as sensitive as the 16 1/2 inch barreled. the shorty groups start moving big time after 5 shots. let it cool 40 minutes it back right on.haven't noticed any problems with my other handy's. nice to here you got a good shooter.the 243 is one of my favorites i shoot 87 grn hollow points in my winchester have shoot a lot of deer and other critters with one shot kills on all but one antelope .used to shot 30.06 years ago now i realize i had a bad scope. traded it for my 243 never looked back.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #18 on:** August 27, 2012, 01:23:25 PM »

Checked stock bolt and it was tight. Cleaned barrel and started shooting. Took my time shooting. First two fouling shots were aimed at bulls eye on a 2ft x 2ft target. Missed the whole target both times. Kept shooting and managed to get about a 5 inch group. 140 bucks worth of ammo and havent had a decent group since the first box. Seems the more i shoot this gun, the worse it gets. Stumped.

tsigmon · « **Reply #19 on:** August 27, 2012, 01:54:52 PM »

Threads like this scare me! Got a brand new 7mm-08 and the first ten shots were amazing to me. Five or so to get dialed in then the rest for a less than a 1" group at 100yds . Took it out this Sunday afternoon and rang a 3 1/2 gong @ 100yds every shot . Hope this thing doesn't go south on me.

I worked on a synthetic stocked .243 for a friend and between hand loads and all the fore end work it shot like a dream except the trigger. The biggest single improvement came from sanding a little at a time from the plastic hinge cap ( for lack of a better word) on the fore end . When I started, when you went to open it it took two hands and after I finished, it would fall open easily.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 27, 2012, 02:17:37 PM »

Sure sounds like a scope gone bad to me........

quickdtoo · « **Reply #21 on:** August 27, 2012, 02:21:13 PM »

What gcrank1 said in light of your first post, either that or possibly a broken latch, or the barrel was poorly fitted and is loose now, happens sometimes, a burr wears off and makes the barrel loose. Remove the forend and check the barrel to see if there's any detectable looseness when the action is closed, it may need to go back for repair.

Quote from: Huntingnewriver on August 21, 2012, 12:57:06 PM

Picked up my new handi 243 today. Out of the box it dialed in to 3/4 inch group at a hundred yards with federal premium 85 grain hollow point. Very happy

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #22 on:** August 27, 2012, 05:25:54 PM »

Scope is new, but thats no guarantee that its good. Removed forend and couldnt detect any movement in the barrel. I have noticed that it takes some effort to break open the gun. Also noticed that the forend is tight around the barrel. Almost have to snap in on and off. Tempted to try the o ring trick, but why would it group so well in the beginning if the forend was a problem? Gunsmithing is over my head. Gonna find another scope and shoot one more box of shells. If it doesnt perform, im sending it back.

guzzijohn · « **Reply #23 on:** August 28, 2012, 05:03:20 AM »

It has been mentioned by several people here that Handis in HV calibers are very heat sensitive. How the heck could you use it for Prairie Dog hunting? I can take my Remington 742 in 30-06 and fire five three shot groups basically as quick as I can load and sight without change of bullet impact, same for my high wall in .219DW. One of the reasons I bought a Handi with the BB was to minimize this problem but it does not appear to make a difference as my BB will start stringing after a couple of shots.
GuzziJohn

quickdtoo · « **Reply #24 on:** August 28, 2012, 05:13:46 AM »

It all depends on forend fit with a Handi, a bedded or pillar bedded forend will usually produce the best accuracy with a hot barrel, that and how the forend fits the frame make the difference. Best advice for a colony shooting Handiholic is bring lots of Handis!

As for the Rem 742, I had a Rem 760 once that would string the shots right off the target eventually, the hotter it got, the higher it climbed, but for a 30-06 big game rifle, it didn't need to shoot more than one shot or two shots at a time, first shot was always where it should go, never needed any more.

Tim

kennyd · « **Reply #25 on:** August 28, 2012, 02:30:47 PM »

When you checked the scope mounting did you check the screws that hold the rail to the barrel? I have found some that were no more than finger tight. You can also try shooting the square if you get a scope that seems to hold zero. Another thing is that some variables will change depending on the power setting. Finally, heat will change the bedding on the foreend. Have you tried shooting with the foreend removed? Be aware that the whold gun can unhinge without the foreend in place. Good luck

Fred243 · « **Reply #26 on:** August 29, 2012, 05:46:51 PM »

Quote from: Huntingnewriver on August 21, 2012, 12:57:06 PM

Picked up my new handi 243 today. Out of the box it dialed in to 3/4 inch group at a hundred yards with federal premium 85 grain hollow point. Very happy

Congrats on the new rifle !! Last September I bought a Laminated Thumbhole 24 inch bull barrel in 243 and absolutely love it. Truth is, it was my first single shot rifle and was completely shocked at how accurate the gun is. I've used Win 80gr Super X, custom load 85gr Speer BTSP, Hornady Superformance 80gr GMX, Barnes Vortex 80gr TTSX, and Nosler Custom 90gr E-Tip. The gun shot all brands sub-moa. I have a Nikon scope on it and had a custom turret for the Nosler 90gr E-Tip load made for it. In Jan I bought an H&R in 280 and about 4 weeks ago I bought another H&R Handi in 30-30. Enjoy it and happy shooting

michael30.06 · « **Reply #27 on:** August 29, 2012, 08:46:05 PM »

I wish you the best of luck with finding the problem. Would be nice if it was the scope.
Let us know how it turns out.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #28 on:** August 30, 2012, 04:25:31 AM »

Regarding scope/mounts:
I have found, in the past, where the scope base screws were tight because they where too long for the depth of holes and loctited in. The base itself was able to wiggle beneath them and it was not a lot but was able to be felt by fimly holding the rifle and grabbing the scope to feel for it. Played havoc with groups just like you are saying.

Huntingnewriver · « **Reply #29 on:** August 30, 2012, 06:58:08 AM »

Havent had the chance to shoot again, but I'll post the results when i do. Thanks for all the suggestions