Author Topic: FA guns How accurate (Read 987 times)

Jim n Iowa · « **on:** December 14, 2004, 02:09:42 PM »

I read these posts on the "awsome" Freedom Arms for accuracy in single action pistols. So off a Ransom rest, a FA to a RH out of the box same barrel, whats the score? I am a native of Wyoming, and will eventually buy their product to support my native state and all that try to achieve there. Here I am 60+ loading 44 mag and getting 1.5-2.5 at 25yds and feeling good and read that there is a killer shooter out there, .05?
I realize you get what you pay for, but some of these reports of pistol accuracy at 25, 50 and thats my limit in a revolver, are hard for me to ??
Jim

TScottO · « **Reply #1 on:** December 14, 2004, 05:30:10 PM »

FA had to specially design a machine rest to shoot their big bore guns from. A ransom rest doesnt allow the gun to move enough under recoil. Shooting a FA from a ransom rest will damage the gun because something has to give.

There are Rugers out there that will shoot extremely well so its possible, maybe, to find a Ruger that shoots close to a FA. The deal with FA is they all shoot extremely well. Of the FAs I own two of them are one hole group shooters at 25 yards. I dont mean a big raggedy hole, I mean a one hole group not much bigger than a bullet diameter. The other shoots ¾ and one 11/16 25 yard groups. Ive shot 2 groups @ 100 yards with my 454 but I figure the gun shoots better than I can hold and the 475 shoots the same.

With a FA youre not just getting accuracy you are getting the best built, best fit, tightest SA on the market bar none. Its hard to explain I havent seen any gun, make or model that comes close to the quality of a FA.

myronman3 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2004, 01:00:37 PM »

well, here is my experience, in a nutshell.

i bought three sbh's over the last three years. all three broke in the same way; two within a day of each other-which happened to be the day before our early doe hunt. so there i sit, with the two guns i have been practicing with all year broken. add the cost of those guns together.

while waiting for my guns to get fixed, season comes, and goes. then our regular season is getting close. i found a deal on a used f.a. 44. got it all said and done for under $950. about 350 less than i have tied up in the rugers.

i enjoy shooting my pistols alot, and i take good care of my guns. the thing i can not tolerate is a gun not to work when i need it. one gun i could understand and chalk it up to a fluke. three? so i figure that as much as i have tied in ruger sbh's, a f.a. that i can count on is worth $950. fit and finish are flawless, it is obvious these guns are as close to perfectly made as can be. accuracy so far has been better than my rugers, but i have yet to have an opportunity to really put it through the ringer. i have seen very promising results so far.

i never thought i would own a f.a., rugers (i thought) would be all i ever needed. experience has taught me otherwise.

at this point i have gone through about every type and make of gun you can think of. there are only three that have never let me down. the first one is the kimber .45. rock solid, accurate as hell and never fails. the second is my contender. this sucker is as accurate as my rifle. the next is the f.a.; but i havent had much time to really use it. from what others tell me, it should have no problem staying on this list. but if the f.a. ever lets me down, i am selling my revolvers and quiting handgun hunting.
i am already in the process of downsizing my collection.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2004, 01:44:19 PM »

Man I am glad I did not have that experience with my Rugers. I have a Super Redhawk with over 2000 HOT 44MAG rounds through it and no problems at all. I also have a Redhawk in 44MAG with almost 3000 rounds and not a problem there either. I have owned several Rugers in Super Redhawk, Redhawk and Blackhawks and no problems at all. I even have one in 454 Casull and I shot the crap out of it and still not a problem.

myronman3 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2004, 02:58:43 PM »

yeah, it has been a real kick in the nuts. i figured that the rugers would be guns i could pass on to my boys. i figured wrong.

i dunno how i feel about them. i still think that they are a good value for the dollar, and i dont think ruger's service was bad. but given my experiences, i have a hard time putting my trust in them. on the positive side, although broken, the guns still fired. so if it was life or death, the guns would have been able to still fire. btw, the loads were 300 gr. cast with a light charge of unique.

i will probably still keep one for a truck gun, but the rest are destined for a new home.

i can tell you that i am out of the business of suggesting guns to people. i will share what i shoot and why, but aint recommending anything to anyone anymore. i am learning that the more i learn, the less i know.

Greybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2004, 10:37:14 PM »

How accurate is an FA revolver? I doubt any of us here can shoot well enough to know. Only a machine rest can really test their accuracy. I do not know for sure if the targets shipped with them are from a machine or hand held. I suspect machine rest. BUT the target with mine I picked up yesterday was a one hole cluster of five shots at 25 yards that as best as I can measure is 0.7" across the entire hole. Taking away the bullet diameter that means the group as normally measured C-T-C is less than 0.3", perhaps as small as 1/4" but the holes are just too close to truly measure it.

They have been known to shoot MOA or less at 100 yards.

Questor · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2004, 03:20:23 AM »

Questor Testing Services will be happy to evaluate that gun with its thorough "Subjective Evaluation Methodology" (SEM) if you will send the gun to my home address for a few months.

papajohn428 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 19, 2004, 10:05:11 AM »

Have only shot one FA, a 44 Mag. Gun made me look GOOD. Wish I could afford several, I think they're a bargain for what you get. Between the way they are line-bored and the incredibly tight tolerances, they'll outshoot most rifles. I say you'll never know for sure until you buy one, and it will likely be the last one you'd ever think of selling. Just my dos centavos, amigo!

Papajuan

drdoolittle_1 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2004, 11:46:44 AM »

OK, probably a dumb question...here goes.....
Would I be giving up anything besides asthetics going with a field grade over the Premier? Are the differences only in the finish, sights and grip?
TIA,
Dave

Graybeard · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2004, 05:54:10 PM »

Warranty. One year on field grade vs. life on Premier.

De41mag · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2005, 06:40:53 PM »

That is it !

Talked with GB the other night, and he told me about those Freedom Arms. And how accurate they are.
Over the last 20 years or so I've been searching for a accurate revolver.
And I have shot a FA in 454, (BRUTIAL), but I have a copy of the Rifles Handloader Magizine. And they test a FA in the 44 Special in the Model 97 (Aug. 2003). Accuracy is outstanding.
So... like Myronman3 did is I am going to sell some handguns and get me a 97 in 44 Special w/ a 5-1/2 barrel.
All I want is an accurate handgun, and shoot 250gr Keith cast bullets at about 1000/FPS. And it looks like FA fits the bill.

Dennis

myronman3 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2005, 03:22:09 AM »

you do know that they make the '97 in 41 mag, right?

De41mag · « **Reply #12 on:** January 09, 2005, 08:36:32 AM »

myronman3;

Yes, I heard they make an excellant 41mag.
But there is something about the 44 Special, extremely accurate and does not use a lot of powder. Plus with the deer we have in the southeast, rather small, I think the 44 Special will fill the bill just right.
Also when I go to the range, I like to shoot 150 to 200 rounds, try that with a magnum and it gets pretty expenisive and the shakes come sooner after the recoil.
I'm not recoil senisitive, just want to shoot a bunch as accurately as I can.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Dennis

myronman3 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 09, 2005, 01:53:29 PM »

Quote

Thanks for the suggestion.

oh no, it wasnt a suggestion. just figured with a name like "De41mag" you might prefer a 41 and didnt know they made them in that caliber.

i do plan on getting a 97, and it is between a 44spl and 41mag. i am leaning toward the special because i have the moulds and dies, and would only have to get the brass in order to be set.

Graybeard · « **Reply #14 on:** January 09, 2005, 04:36:21 PM »

Hey Dennis, one day when ya got some time off drive on down and I'll let ya shoot mine. Then for sure you'll have to have one. :eek: :lol: Shouldn't take more than an hour and a half to get here at most.

De41mag · « **Reply #15 on:** January 09, 2005, 05:31:39 PM »

Bill;

I'll take you up on that offer.
The range is closed till Feb. 1st. So I'm kinda going through withdraws at the present. Did not buy Tenn. hunting license this year. No deer hunting at all. Have just about loaded all my calibers with the brass I have. So idle time on my hands. Pick a Saturday and I'll be there. :grin:
Thanks.

Dennis

Greybeard · « **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2005, 12:08:12 PM »

My range is always open. Just watch the weather. Any Saturday is fine with me. Let's just try to get one when it's not raining or freezing cold. Any time from this one to whenever is fine with me. They are talking a high of 50 this Saturday. You can come down then or wait for a warmer one.

Being retired I have no serious schedules. :lol:

I just pulled the broken Burris from the FA83 and put on a new Bushnell and changed out the scope on the S&W629 also while I was at it.