Author Topic: 20 inch barrel youth handi (Read 523 times)

3006bluffhunter · « **on:** March 22, 2005, 05:01:35 AM »

I Have kids old enough to start hunting with me....Am thinking about buying a coupe youth handis with the 20 inch barrel.....Are they good shooters with that shorter barrel?

???Am going to look for a 243 & a 223 in the 20 inch lenth with the iron sights... I can always restock them with longer stocks as they get older....Who knows someone here might want to part with a youth handi.....Thanks Dale

Fred M · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:26:33 AM »

Muzzle blast from a short barrel can be more distractive than recoil for young people. When you consider an 18" barrel on a bolt action rifle, touted as a light weight, you will have 6" of action. Or the equivalent
of a 24" barrel on a single shot NEF rifle.
The 24" of barrel and of course would not weigh anymore than an 18" bolt gun. Personally I don't see any reason for a single shot rifle to have a shorter than a 24" barrel. You can reduce the weight by using a plastic stock if you want.

I would get a standard length 243 and install a youth stock for the young folks, or cut off the stock and save the cut off piece for later lenghtening.

Very short rifles are whippy and not that easy to shoot. Most of the weight in a Handi is in the stock and action part. granted 4" of barrel add a few oz. The little extra forward weight will help to steady the rifle for more accuracy.

Sourdough · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:59:38 AM »

Hay I started my son with an 18" barrel, no problem, he could hold it better due to lighter weight. Several people have cut the barrels down on their Handi's so they fit in their tractors better to carry into the fields when working. Velocity is going to be lower, but such a small amount I don't think any one would ever notice. I often carry a Contender carbine with a 20" barrel. In fact that is the standard barrel length for the Contender.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2005, 08:06:12 AM »

If only having the choice of the 2 calibers you have selected...I would lean heavily towards the 243...but since we all have opinions...I'm going to start my sons out on reduced 30-30 loads and work up a load that will be acceptable to them when deer hunting time rollls around..I have a nice little straight stocked...open sited rig all set up and ready to go for them,and if they don't like the open sites...I have a 2x7x33 Leupold scope ready to go on it...at the ranges they are most likely to shoot...the 30-30 will work fine..

Mac

hvacman · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2005, 02:12:12 PM »

I can't speak for the 243 but I have a superlight 223 w/20 in. barrel. Mine shoots a consistent 1.25 in. 5 shot group at 100 yds. Won't shoot any better no matter what I do but rarely shoots much worse. It took several hundred rounds of shooting before it leveled off in accuracy.

Cookiemann · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:40:26 PM »

You may want to check out Walmart. I just went in this evening and ordered the SC2-Y43 Combo. Thats a YOUTH 243 with 22in barrel and also 20ga Mod. with 22in barrel. Sports South updated their inventory list yesterday and that now shows up as IN STOCK. This little beauty has a 11 3/4in LOP and all you have to do is add a butt stock as they get bigger. The specs on the stock on the Sports South page may be a little off. The standard youth 243 SB2-Y43 on the NEF site shows a 13 1-8 LOP in the specs. Also the pic on the Wally page looks like it has the English style Straight Stock. If that is the case it probably is the shorter LOP, like the Versa Pak 410/22 Combo. Check it out. That may just fit your needs.

mt3030 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:58:10 PM »

My favorite handi is a SB2 30-30 which I cut to 18 inches for a truck gun. Put it in a straight green laminated stock. Tried reciever/open sights, but my eyes convinced me to scope it with a Leupold 2x7. There was no noticable accuracy or POI change from the original 22 inch barrel. But the shorter barrel is handier in the truck or brush.
Good shooting..mt

irkjr · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:17:16 PM »

3006 BH,
I have a handi youth in .243 that my son used to kill his first 5 or 6 deer. I just got it back a month ago after sending it in to have a trigger job and fitting for a .223 barrel. Both barrels shoot well. Muzzle blast is alot like a pistol, but I have a huge tower stand that we hunt out of so I've always been able to put earmuffs on him. The trigger job made a huge difference in the groups. Gun and two barrels with trigger job cost me right at $325, much cheaper than my Encore with 2 barrels and Contender with 4 barrels. Kills creatures just as dead too.
Good luck!
irkjr