Author Topic: My .223 Handi won't shoot (Read 1092 times)

NMHNTR · « **on:** May 12, 2006, 05:09:32 PM »

Seems like I went through this with another Handi in .223. It was a synthetic Varminter and this one has a wooden stock. I got stupid when a friend offered me more than he should and I fell all over myself to sell a REALLY good shooter.

The new one I bought sprays the cheap Winchester stuff all over a three inch area. I've tried the o-ring trick, the plastic tubing trick, but now I'm out of tricks. :?

Help!!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2006, 05:23:55 PM »

Sorry to hear that, read the accurizing links in the FAQ and Help sticky, just be sure to make one change at a time. It may not like the Win whitebox, wouldn't hurt to try some of the other ammo that others have tried, tho. How many rounds thru it? How's the crown look? Have you polished the bore yet? Lots of things to think about. Mine didn't shoot good until I had 60-80 rounds thru it after I polished the bore with JB Bore compound.

Give em a shot and report back!!

Tim

myarmor · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2006, 05:46:41 PM »

What Tim said :wink: I know mine didn't calm down till many rounds where put down range.
Also look for side to side and up/down play with the barrel when locked up. This is a huge culprit, though it can be fixed.
-Aaron

cheatermk3 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2006, 06:17:09 PM »

Ditto both above posts; check for play with the forend off the rifle and the action locked up.

Ranger J · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2006, 02:19:17 AM »

Sorry to hear your 223 isnt shooting good. Mine was the barrel that original came with rifle and shot good right out of the box. Then I started buying barrels and it got put in a corner of the safe for two years while I messed around trying to get my .44 mag to shoot anywhere close to the way the 223 shot. Recently I rediscovered it, wiped the dust of the scope, put it on the rifle and it still shot great. It was almost like getting a new rifle in a brand new caliber. Stick with it, sometimes it is just finding the right bullet it likes to shoot and heavens knows there are a lot to choose from in .223, especially if you reload.
RJ

poncaguy · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2006, 02:43:11 PM »

Ranger J
Did you get your 44 to shoot well? Mine is the most inaccurate of my 14 handi's.........poncaguy

DPRinks · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2006, 05:28:14 PM »

Poncaguy;
I have a Handi in .44mag., or did .
Last week I reamed it to .445 SM.
Really nice shooter, even a 310gr FN at 1650fps is very comfortable.
AA 1680/ WC 680 is the powder AA lists, actually the only powder they list for the .445 SM.
I have just reamed 2 molds so as to have .434" bullets for my .431" barrel.
I made the reamer for the molds, just make a profile of the driving bands, cut flutes with a mototool and diamond cutoff disc, turned the reamer with pliers while closing the handles and had .435" molds with no detectable, at least by me, runout.
Yesterday, I shot some .432" bullets and had decent groups.
I cannot post pictures here, only forum I cannot, so just have to say, the groups were pretty good. :-)

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2006, 02:25:51 PM »

My 445 shoots best with the 296 powder and a 300 gr.XTP with 27.5 grs.of 296 gives you 1975 fps.( this about a max load) Digger

Dillohide · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2006, 06:36:26 PM »

Yes I tried a trimed down rubber washer then folded business cards with varying tourque on the screw and nothing worked. Actually the rubber washer with the screw very lightly tightened did work but that's not safe using a hunting strap so I took it all out. With nothing in the fore hand stock piece I tightened the screw down tight then backed it out 1/2 turn and left it.

Mine is about 3 months old and it also sprayed the Winchester 45 gr JHP's over a 2 to 3 inch pattern at first. I tried 4 different powders with I don't know how many load combinations between 55 and 50 grain Hornady SP bulletes and a box of V-Max bullets. But, I kept shooting it and now that I've got about 500 rounds through the barrel it's starting to group.

The Win 45 JHP's now shoot a consistent 1 to 1 1/2 inch pattern and one of my hand loads, Hornady 50 gr sp with 25 grains IMR3031 consistantly shoots a penny size group. Just keep shooting and cleaning the dang thing ... it will get better.

rms4570hr · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2006, 03:29:20 AM »

Quote from: Dillohide

Yes I tried a trimed down rubber washer then folded business cards with varying tourque on the screw and nothing worked. Actually the rubber washer with the screw very lightly tightened did work but that's not safe using a hunting strap so I took it all out. With nothing in the fore hand stock piece I tightened the screw down tight then backed it out 1/2 turn and left it.

Mine is about 3 months old and it also sprayed the Winchester 45 gr JHP's over a 2 to 3 inch pattern at first. I tried 4 different powders with I don't know how many load combinations between 55 and 50 grain Hornady SP bulletes and a box of V-Max bullets. But, I kept shooting it and now that I've got about 500 rounds through the barrel it's starting to group.

The Win 45 JHP's now shoot a consistent 1 to 1 1/2 inch pattern and one of my hand loads, Hornady 50 gr sp with 25 grains IMR3031 consistantly shoots a penny size group. Just keep shooting and cleaning the dang thing ... it will get better.

Hey dillohide im thinking your talking about floating the forearm on your rifle? Look in the stickys FAQ and go down to the bottom on quickdtoo's post and look for the RTV bedding job it worked on my ultra hunter.

Ranger J · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2006, 05:48:53 AM »

My .44 shoots a barely acceptable group at fifty yards if I use the .431 hard cast 240-
G bullet and keep the velocity low (AA#2 or Red Dot loads). It will do about the same if I use Hornady jacketed (.430). As the velocity goes up the group begins to widen appreciatively. I use it mainly to punch paper, as I really like to shoot the caliber in a single shot rifle. When I go deer hunting I use either my .308 or 45/70 barrels which are both dead on at 100yds or if I want to hunt with a .44 I take my Deerfield. I am very happy to hear that some of you are getting .44 barrels that will shoot good groups. :evil: Maybe someone in charge actually reads these comments.
RJ

Dillohide · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2006, 10:44:59 AM »

Quote

Hey dillohide im thinking your talking about floating the forearm on your rifle? Look in the stickys FAQ and go down to the bottom on quickdtoo's post and look for the RTV bedding job it worked on my ultra hunter.

I saw that after I tried the other options but figured it's shooting well enough now I'm going to leave it alone for awhile. As long as I have one load shooting penny to nickle size groups I'm ok. If these were .308 diameter bullets I'd be jumpin for joy ... sometimes I forget that little .224 bullet is pretty small not to see a little space between shots occasionally.