Author Topic: the handi has landed!! (Read 857 times)

devolve · « **on:** May 06, 2005, 01:35:17 PM »

Got my Ultra Varmint Rifle with Bull Barrel in 243 today!!
I ended up putting a BSA 6-24X40 on it.
I will be at the range tomorrow.

:grin: :-D

--cjc--

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2005, 02:08:25 PM »

Congrats on the new Ultra, hope the BSA works for ya, they don't have the best track record.....There's a current thread at RimfireCentral on them, BSA= Been Screwed Again, Better Stay Away, Broken Scope Assembly and something about a boat anchor....If you have trouble with it, don't be surprised or disapponted, they have excellent customer service.....and they need it!! If it's a top of the line Platinum, you may be ok, but any other model is hoping for a lot. :cry:

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93882

Norseman112 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2005, 03:50:31 PM »

congrats on your new handi. I have a .243 and I love it. Quick is right on the BSA scope. My son got one for his 30-06 and its in the trash now. I bought him a weaver scope and the gun shoots fine. I wish you luck

bigjeepman · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2005, 04:34:16 PM »

It is pretty exciting to get a new rifle and see what it will do. One thing I have learned from my very intense reloading/shooting process is that patience is very important. I do not expect miracles in the beginning as for as great groups go.

I sight in my new scopes or break in new rifles with Winchester white box ammo. Even though I reload all my own ammo, I do not waste my efforts and time in using reloads the rifle might not like anyway. WWB ammo is very consistent and generally shoots well in all rifles I have had. When I start to see some consistency in my group patterns after 30, 40, or 50 rounds (or however many or few it takes), then I will start trying reloads. My first goal is to see groups close to 1.00".

Good shooting to you with your .243 ... it is one fine coyote/varmit caliber in my opinion.

tcman · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2005, 05:18:00 PM »

You know that's one thing people just starting don't know...the scope thing. How many darn good rifles have been sold thinking they were lousy shooters, when in reality, thay have a junk scope?

sure makes me wonder.

Cookiemann · « **Reply #5 on:** May 07, 2005, 12:44:36 AM »

I am not too familiar with scopes, either. So this is the method my Dad taught me for these situations. "Never buy the top or the bottom, always start in the middle". It's worked well for me and I have been stuck with many "Lemons". Sometimes, though, it's just your turn, and ya have to bite the bullet.

bigjeepman · « **Reply #6 on:** May 07, 2005, 01:13:19 AM »

Triggers and scopes are two of the keys to good shooting that I think a lot of people don't think seriously enough about. I was in my favorite gunshop last week when a man bought a "high end" CZ 17 HMR. I am thinking this beautiful rifle with Turkish walnut was around $385. He started looking at the large selection of new scopes my friend has in his shop. The man then said he just wasn't going to spend too much on "just" the scope. He bought a $29.95 scope off of the used accessories table. This scope looked like it was 20 years old and had ridden in a pickup bed for the last ten years.

I am certainly not against buying used equipment as I do at times but what kind of consistent groups does this man think he will get from that setup. He told the owner he was just going to shoot paper with the rifle as he had read an article about this model CZ rifle being a real "shooter." I know it is painful to turn around and spend up to $200 on a scope after buying a Handi but if one is going to shoot only paper and has high expectations of "great groups", then I feel the investment in a much better scope is necessary. Everyone's expectations and abilities are different but I, too, believe a lot of people suffer disappointments in their setups because their scopes and triggers should be improved.

By the way, I have a brother who has 3 BSA scopes and he likes them. He is also satisfied with shooting 1" to 2" groups at 100 yards with his AR's and bolt actions.

Cookiemann · « **Reply #7 on:** May 07, 2005, 01:33:09 AM »

I hear what you're saying. You have to do the research. Dad's rule means, you don't buy the top line Leupold or the bottom of the line. Pick one in the middle that gets the job done. He has always felt that's where the most bang for the buck lies. For me, that has mostly proven to be true. I agree with you, I think many times the things that make guys unhappy with their shooting performance is fixable by just doing the research and making a change or two. Not by selling the gun and starting over. For me, being on this forum is the place to start. No matter what kind of problem you have it seems like someone here has " Been there-Done that " and you can get some help.

Rogmatt · « **Reply #8 on:** May 07, 2005, 01:59:30 AM »

Congrats on your new 243. I have a BSA 6-18x40 on my NEF sportsman 17 hmr. It does great. Of course it does not take much of a beating with such a small recoiling gun like that. I also have heard many good stories about the BSA, maybe yours will be one of them. :grin:

bigjeepman · « **Reply #9 on:** May 07, 2005, 02:14:12 AM »

Cookieman ...

I think your dad gave you sound advice about where the biggest "bang" for the buck is. I believe he is 100% correct. I bought a new Savage 10 FP in .223 in late January for $450. I then put a $95 Bell and Carlson stock on it that I got on sale from Midway USA because I wasn't happy with the factory stock. I bought a Bushnell Elite 4200 scope for around $400. That is the most I ever paid for a scope as I sure wasn't going to put a $600 Leupold on it like my friends suggested. In the past week, I have shot the following groups with it:

3 shot - .502"
3 shot - .352"
3 shot - .179" (my brother shot this one)
3 shot - .473"
3 shot - .193" (no wind)
3 shot - .482"
3 shot - .269" (no wind)
6 shot - .376" (no wind)

These are legitimate groups measured by three of us including the gunshop owner. The groups were shot with three different loads and two different bullets. I could not do this without a good scope and a great trigger (Accu-trigger). My point is a middle of the road rifle (price wise), a very good scope, and a great trigger can produce many happy trips to the range.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2005, 05:36:24 AM »

cookieman and bigjeepman:

1 thing...you are missing...while you may be happy starting in the middle of the group...price wise...sometimes it isn't always needed...I here this a-lot...and what I've found is if you go close to the bottom of the high end scopes they usually will preform better than most of the cheaper scopes high end lines...take for example...I had a new VX-3 3x9x40...wonderfull scope it was...I had it all of 2 weeks...took it back and traded for 2 4x12x40 VX-1's...and couldn't have been more than happy...I got a better value for my money...the VX-1 lines to many folks...myself included...are just as bright and clear as those costing hundreds more...and while some folks don't like friction dials...I've never had a bit of trouble with them...they are just as easy to adjust...and they stay in place afterwards...and I've had these scopes on some real heavy kickers...and I'm not talking about the Rifleman series you get at Walmart...they arenot the same scopes as the VX-1's

Some of the elitest scope snobs will sight down to a nats butt how much light theirs transmit...or all those other numbers they always do...it all comes down to what looks good to you...no 2 individuals eyes are the same...period...what looks good to me...might be fuzzy and blurry to you and so on...that's another reason they spout what a machine is seeing.. and those figures don't mean squat if you can't see out of the thing....I've always tried to look thru the scopes during first and last lite ...out of the stores lighting...flouresent lighting will not give you they same site picture as what natural lighting will...what may look good standing at the gun counter...might not look so good in the dark timber...and I've taken a-lot of scopes back to my gun dealer over the years...and exchanged them...I use Burris FullField II's and Leupold VX-1's...both are good scopes and give a excellent return for the money spent...and none on the market now...can match Leupolds non-critical eye relief...non...they may claim they can...but to my eyes they can't...I can hold they rifle as far away as 8" and still have a pefectly clear and bright site picture (albeit smaller site picture)...I haven't found anyother scope that can match it...

Mac

huntinbuddy · « **Reply #11 on:** May 07, 2005, 06:32:59 AM »

Just my opinion, but at the range, under good conditions, middle of the road is fine. Most scopes should be accurate and hold a zero under range conditions. But if you are going on hunts, especially high dollar hunts like Africa, sheep, brown bear, etc. you want top notch optics. Especially binoculars, but scopes as well. Under field conditions, I think the top of the line scopes and binoculars are noticably superior to the middle of the road. Saving a few hundred bucks and missing the chance of a lifetime is false economy. My opinion is that the example you gave is often true when someone will spend $800 on a rifle and $50 in a scope. I would contend that you can get an excellent rifle (that's what this forum is all about) for $250 and that it would be well worth the time ($) to put a top quality scope on it. After all it is not the cost of the rifle that justifies the expense but the performance in the field. Just my opinion.

bigjeepman · « **Reply #12 on:** May 07, 2005, 06:43:49 AM »

Mac11700...

You make some very good points that I totally agree with. The first point is that no two people see the same through a scope. I agree because I have two friends who claim they do not see well through my Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x40. For me, this scope is ideal as I can see better through it than any scope I have ever owned. I have never owned a Leupold but I helped a guy at the shop sight his 30-06 in and he had a Leupold on it. I do not remember the model but it was very clear and precise.

Another point I agree on is that whenever I am buying a new scope, I only make my final decision after taking it out to the range behind the gunshop at dusk and looking down the 100 yard range with it at a target. The 100 yard range is tree lined on the left and behind the the target so it is a much darker picture than the other areas around the shop. I think many scopes look great indoors or in bright sunlight but do not pass the test at dusk.

Before I bought these last two scopes for my Handi's, all I owned were Bushnell Elites and Sightrons. I am trying a Swift scope out and recently was paid a past debt to me with a new Mueller Eraticator the guy had bought to mount on his Savage. Time will tell if I will be happy with either in the long run.

Nuttinbutchunks · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2005, 10:31:59 AM »

I have the exact same rifle with almost the exact same scope, but it's a 4x16 Contender. It works very well so far. I'm hoping BSA has a better reputation than Tasco. I have a Tasco in 6x32 and it's blurry. It's hard to focus. It shoots pretty good though. I've shot a lot of prairie dogs with it.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2005, 10:43:29 AM »

At RFC, the Sweet 17s and the Platinums have a pretty good track record, can't say the same for the rest of the BSA scopes, though.... but we're talking rimfire use there. There are some excellent options out there for not much more money than the BSAs cost.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2005, 10:49:56 AM »

Huntinbuddy, Welcome to GBO, glad to see you made it!!!

Tim

MSP Ret · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2005, 11:09:57 AM »

, Welcome aboard Huntinbuddy, glad to have you here!!!....<><.... :grin:

devolve · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2005, 02:49:50 PM »

as far as the scope goes:
I have never used BSA before. I have always used simmons(for the last 10 years). I have never had a problem with the many simmons scopes that I own. If the BSA doesnt work I got a few back ups that I know work great. But the price I got the BSA for I had to at least try it out. :grin:

Anyway my eyes are blurry now from driving for the past 16 hours strait :blaster: , so I am going to sleep now.................................

bigjeepman · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2005, 03:36:48 PM »

devolve ...

Please keep us informed how that .243 Ultra shoots at the range. I was looking at an Ultra again today at the gunshop and I know I will have to have one soon. The .243 is a great caliber and one of my favorites... especially for coyotes.

Good shooting to you.

huntinbuddy · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2005, 06:57:12 AM »

Thanks for the welcome and for helping me find this site. It looks great and has a wealth of information. I just recently bought a Buffalo Classic and this is a great site.

I have a Nikon Monarch that I use on my primary hunting rifle (Browning SS 300WSM) and I am very happy with its performance, but I also have Leupold VX-I's and I like these as well. I think the VX-I is a good deal for the $.

For my BC, I do not plan on mounting a scope. I bought it with different intentions than most of my other guns. I love the sights that came with it. They are very cool and will meet my needs for this gun. But U can see that the bug for these guns has already bit me and I will certainly purchase more. I think my next one will probably be a 25-06 and I will probably put a Leupold on it.