Accuracy Issue with new H&R

[summit]

Hi everyone.

I bought myself a new .223 Handi for my Christmas present and took it to the range.  The problem is that it wouldn't group.  Heck, I don't even know where some of those shots went.  The target was 25 yards away, and I know I should have been hitting the target.

I don't think the issue is the scope.  It's a new Burris Fullfield II.  The only thing I can think of is maybe I didn't clean the barrel out well enough.  I just ran a few patches down the barrel.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.  I'm not exactly new to this kind of thing, but I'm not an expert, either.

Summit

[quickdtoo]

Please read the FAQs, all the answers are there, that's what they're there for, to help ya out, if ya don't find you answer, it may need to go back to H&R for repair. What weight bullet are you shooting?

Tim

[summit]

Yeah, I read the FAQs already.  Do I have to break in the barrel like it says there?  I can't get it on paper at 25 yards. 

[stimpylu32]

summit

Just a few patches just an't gona get it , sorry , the crud that comes from the factory is enough to make a grown man cry . you can use a foaming bore cleaner or a spray can of break cleaner to do the bore but also the action will need to be cleaned .

Another thing to do is make sure that the action is snaped shut to have a good solid lock-up and pull the trigger all the way back on your shots to keep the transfer bar in its proper place .

stimpy

[Inrut24/7]

What ammo are you using? some of the cheap ammo wont group good in any rifle.

[blpenn66502]

Sounds like the exact same issue I had with my 223.  I cleaned it well before going out.  First time out it wouldn't produce anything resembling groups.  After about 100 rounds (not on that first trip) or so it started settled down and I started working up some handloads. After about 250 rounds it still doesn't seem to like any factory stuff with the best averaging about 2 1/2 inches at 100 yds with remington's 45 grain HPs.  Mine seems to like IMR 4895 and either the Sierra 40gr Varminteer or Hornady's 50 gr spitzer usually shooting around 3/4" at 100 yds and indication of potential for better.  It still really seems to dislike hot loads and ball powders.  Bottom line, it will probably take some time and experimentation.  Best, Brian

[henry1]

When i first got my handi sportster? Anyway, its the light weight one(the name has slipped my mind) it took a lot of work first few rounds (80 to 100) didnt group well at all, then as i got deeper into loading for it it started to shoot swell and has done so ever since. just give it some time and keep messing with it and youll get it. Good luck!
Hank

[njanear]

What size target are you shooting at?  If it is a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper and you can't get every shot on the paper, there is something seriously wrong.  If it is a 2" dot, then it may just need to settle in.

Are you shooting off of a rest?  Sandbags? Unsupported?  Are your scope mounts loose?  Rings tight?  What type of ammo?  Are you following through on the trigger pull?

[MOGLEY]

This sounds like my rifle as of today. 223. I have about 100 rounds thru the thing and today I sent another 50 down the pipe could not get it to group on a 8 1/2x11 piece of paper at 100yds. I was fuming. I believe it was the scope and have it in a mailer ready to go back for servicing.(Pentax Gameseeker)  I knew handis had a bit of work to them but I am getting discouraged. I have been trying to group a 204 and this 223. and it has been a challenge and yet a unsuccessful one at that. Close but not what I want. Heck I cannot even get a constant 1 1/2 in group with either at 100 yds. I am going to stick with it a bit more. If things don't get better, I am going to have a sale! My 30-06,17mach2 shoot awesome proving that some shoot good. Hope you all the luck.

[Jimbo47]

Not even close to anything that resembles a group at 25 yards, with some shots not even hitting the target?

Sounds like more serious problems than just getting the barrel to settle in!

I'm thinking there is some issue with the scope or rings/mount!

I would take the scope off, and put everything back on and use some locktite and make sure that all the mounting screws are tight.

Make sure that there isn't any play in the barrel when it is closed and locked up, with no side to side movement whatsoever!

Hope you find the cause!

[AKbuilder]

... use some locktite and make sure that all the mounting screws are tight.

I hope nobody uses red locktite.  I have had to remove that stuff a few times, it was a real pain.

Thanks,
Paul

[sphingta]

If you can't keep rounds on a target at 25 yards either the scope is trashed or you may have gotten a box of mismarked ammo. The easy way to check the scope is to shoot at a 25 yARD TARGET. Shoot a round then crack the gun open. Look down the barrel and put the opening on the target. with the gun being studily rested now look through the scope. the cross hairs should be on the tareget also. The gun obviously shouldn't move between looking through the barrel and looking through the scope. If they are shoot another round and do the same thing. If the cross hairs and barrel are still pointed in the right direction the scope shouldn't be wandering. repeat as many times as it takes you to be confident its not the scope. The worst barreled gun i've ever shot would put every round on paper at 25 yards. The only two times i couldn't was when my buddy loaded some .243 in his .308 model 100 and when i tried to shoot some cast bullets at somewhere around 2600 fps through a 2 grove springfield barrel. both times the bullets weren't happy.

[MSP Ret]

Welcome aboard "Spingta", great descriptive (?) name. How did you ever come up with it? Are you a proctologist? I had a little of that problem one day at the range with what I thought was a .17 HMR Handi, it is normally very accurate, -1" groups at 100 or a regular basis. I had brought one of my .17 HMR's to the range and was firing some new .17 HMR ammo through it to see how it would group. I started right out confidently at 100 yards, nothing on the paper!!! Back to 50 yards, nothing on the paper!!! Down to 25 yards, really confused, especially since I had not brought any of my old ammo with me that the gun had been sighted in with to check the new ammo against. I just assumed the new ammo would be close at least. Well again at 25 yards I had nothing on the paper. After shaking my head I began to check everything I could, scope and mounts, OK, fired empty ammo cases looked fine, nothing odd there. I checked the  muzzle for a burr or dent, It looked OK but it looked to big for a .17, IT WAS ONE OF MY .22 MAG's!!!. I found out a .22 caliber barrel will not stabilize a .17 bullet and you cannot expect any accuracy shoting that way. To this day the only way you can tell one of my .17 HMR's from one of my .22 Mags is to look at the barrel or read what is says on the chamber. I am glad I was not hunting with it that day....<><....

[frankkj]

Be sure and check the scope mount.
I just got my Handi back from NEF with four new barrels. Three of these came with a scope mount on the barrel. Not one of the mounts had been tightened down, the screws being loose.
This surprised me after reading about all the difficulty people here had had removing factory installed mounts!

Frank

[sbhooper]

I would bet that it is either the scope or mounts. I put 85 rounds through a BLR 243 that I knew was a shooter before I realized that the brand new Burris scope was no good. Burris fixed it no questions asked.  Even super good scopes can occasionally be bad out of the box.

 I have a .223 handi that I have put over 1000 rounds of handloads and factory through and I am still not satisfied with it, but it is not as bad as what you describe.  Like was stated before, even the worst rifle should have better results than what you had.

[snuffer#1]

I had the same problem. With mine it was the ammo. It doesn't like remington, but it sure likes the wichester stuff. One other thing, the 55 gr. ammo doesn't group well as the hand loads I have got for it. I have some 50 gr. spsx and some 40 gr. v-max loaded. It could be the rifling too. Do you know what the twist rate is. Is it the new rifling? Just thought I'd ask.
                                                                                                              thomas

[KansasPaul]

I just saw this thread and it brought back painful memories.  I bought a Handi in .223 earlier this year and I couldn't get it to hit paper at 25 yds.  I was getting flyers all over place.  I'm very attentive to proper break-in and cleaning and I thought that the gun would settle in.  After 50 rounds I put an O-ring on the barrel lug.  Another 50 rounds and I sanded the forearm to float the barrel.  Still had some accuracy issues but the gun started to come around.  I'm now using the white box Winchester .223 rounds and I can tell you that it is a tack driver!!  Don't be discouraged, follow the info on the FAQs and try rounds in the 50 to 55 grain bullet weights - my .223 won't shoot bullets at either end of the light/heavy spectrum. 

Good luck & happy shooting!!!

[mrgd]

Not even close to anything that resembles a group at 25 yards, with some shots not even hitting the target?

Sounds like more serious problems than just getting the barrel to settle in!

I'm thinking there is some issue with the scope or rings/mount!

I  agree with this post.  You should be able to point it like a shotgun and get on paper at 25 yds unless your paper is a post-it.