Author Topic: How accurate? (Read 1261 times)

Doesniper · « **on:** November 30, 2008, 04:54:39 PM »

Straight up, how accurate are these things out of the box? Do you have to do anything to get them to shoot small? What size groups (pics)?

Sourdough · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2008, 05:05:38 PM »

The only thing I do to one out of the box is take off the forearm, place an O-ring on the barrel stub and refit the forearm. Then start shooting. The more you shoot them the better they get.

trotterlg · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2008, 05:10:23 PM »

If you are looking for a high probability of an out of the box shooter then I would look some place else, a bolt gun like a Savage or Stevens could be good. These are fun and some shoot right out of the box, but some take a little work and some people just make grape stakes out of them and move on. Larry

Doesniper · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2008, 05:53:18 PM »

Thats it? No one else?

trotterlg · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2008, 06:18:15 PM »

That's because everyone who has had a lot of Handi's has had at least one that they made into a grape stake. Larry

mrbgt · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2008, 06:45:15 PM »

what cal. are you looking at ? my .308 shoots well and my father in law's .223 is a shooter

cwlongshot · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2008, 11:56:36 PM »

Its kind of an impossible answer to make..... Everyone single firearm is different. Just like people. Some are very good, while others need tinkering, usually nothing insurmountable. I bought a 20USH with my pop, SN one digit appart,. Mine likes Win BRI slugs, his wont shoot them. I bought a 500 couple years back. Three friends also bought them a the same time, same order. ALL SHOOT DIFFERENT, yet we have consecutive Sn's. I mean these are RIGHT OFF the assembly line one, aft the other. This is NOT limited to the Handi's. Pop and I each bought a brace of those new Ruger SA's that where sized as the Colts. Mine where both pretty good, one of pops wouldn't shoot cast bullets worth a damn....See what I mean.

If your one of those who is of the assumption, "I spent good hard earned money on this. I shouldn't have to do anything and it should work perfectly from day one till I meet my maker"..... Do your self a favor, buy something else.

But, on the otherhand, if you want a very serviceable rifle, for little money that can teach a kid the fundamentals, have fun at the range or just keep venison in the freezer and money in the bank... go buy one. IF you have any problems... Remember your friends here at GBO and drop us a line. We would be happy to help.

CW

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2008, 12:44:32 AM »

In the past I gave up on handi's for the "grape stake" factor mentioned previously. But now I'm considering giving them one more chance with one caveat. All my barrels will be chambered for rimmed cartridges

Lon371 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2008, 12:58:49 AM »

Also be warned, if you buy one then you will buy one more and one more.

And it aint our fault.

Like Krochus said- he had one hated it, now he is coming back to the fold.

Good luck to you and Krochus.

Lonny

FW Conch · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:14:51 AM »

Guys who like Handi rifles are "like unto" guys who like '67 Volkswagen's. Meaning they don't mind
messing with, tinkering with, fixing, modifying, etc.,etc.,etc. I would describe it as a cult following. A new Handi owner may get a good shooter right out of the box, or he may not. A Handi owner has to be prepaired to possably do many of the things listed in the FAQ's to get his rifle to shoot well - drive 100 miles
to a hunt or shoot, or simply disamble for cleaning, take a shot, find out he is 6" low & 2" right & has to
start over again.
A poll of the most well liked Handi chamberings was recently conducted here & hands down the 45-70
& the 30-30 where the winners. I now believe that break action rifles are made for rimmed cartridges &
I don't think I will own another rimless Handi.
If you want a rifle that you can scope, sight in, transport to another location, take a shot, say "I'm 2 clicks high & 3 clicks left", make the adjustment, fire a round & say "I'm dead on", then buy a "bolt" gun.
There a at least 3 bolt rifles out there right now that I consider competitively priced with the Handi &
are very good shooters. I have one as a "fall back on" or "go to when the Handi gets an attitude" rifle.
My advise is if you are in a hurry to get a new rifle up & shooting quick, get a bolt action! If you like the
nostalgia of a single shot, "pok" stock, American made classic & can enjoy putting the time in on it, go for
the Handi. But if your leaning toward the Handi, take your time before you act. All you will ever need to
know about Handi's is on this thread if you just take the time to read it! As mentioned by others, Handi
owners can get "excessive / compulsive" very quickly! Jut look @ Tim!

GOOD LUCK-Jim

coop2564 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:34:21 AM »

If u want a consistant shooter buy somthing else I have two and some extra barrels none shoot consistantly well I can get sub 2" one day and and 4" another. And its not me I have no problems getting consistant shooting out of my other guns. And have spent way to much time and money trying to make them shoot.

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:49:44 AM »

I bought a Survivor .308 several months ago. Never took it out of the box for 2 or so months after I bought it. Cleaned the bore, mounted a BSA Catseye 3.5 - 10 scope on it and fed it some Black Hills 165 match ammo. Shot a 1" group right out of the box @ 100 yards. Remington coreloct 150's shoot the same.

I have a Rossi .243 single shot break open that averages 1.5" groups @ 100 yards. Had to tinker w/ that one a LOT before I got it to group that good or even on paper for that matter... It's my favorite gun now though...

I dropped $550 on a CZ target .308 w/ a 26" bbl and a single set trigger, grouped over 1" @ 100 yards. So my handi shot better out of the box for $250.00 than my CZ did for $550.00, granted, I could have bedded the action on the CZ and reloaded for it and prolly shot well under MOA.

I bought a Stevens 200 .223 for $275.00 a couple years back. Slapped my Bushnell 6-18 on it and it grouped .75" @ 100 first group.

Spent 600.00 on a Win. 70 Coyote Lite in .25WSSM and never could get it to shoot better than 1"

Theres an old addage that you get what you pay for... That is true for some aspects i.e. fancy wood stocks, kevlar stocks, expensive scopes and match ammo, but sadly it doesn't always go hand in hand w/ accuracy...

Sam

danza · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2008, 05:53:32 AM »

i have been lucky...i had a handi .223 that was darn near a "tack driver" right out of the box. it would do nickel/dime size groups at 100 yds no problem with factory ammo.

i just purchased (my CHRISTmas present from my wife) a new ultra-varmint in .223 also and hope it will be the same.

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #13 on:** December 02, 2008, 07:49:47 AM »

Quote

Like Krochus said- he had one hated it, now he is coming back to the fold. Wink

Good luck to you and Krochus.

I had way more than ONE! LOL try 4 or 5 with a variety of bbls between them.

ShooterSATX · « **Reply #14 on:** December 02, 2008, 08:18:27 AM »

I bought an Ultra Varmint .223 about 6 months ago. I guess it was the single-shot one shot, one kill factor.

Anyway, it shot like H3ll! I found this board, read the FAQ's and heeded the advise of the elders here (reference to experience only).

After about 100 rounds, THIS THING SHOOTS! I normally get ragged hole groups every trip to the range with my handloads and about 3/4 MOA with the factory stuff.

It took time and patience to get her where she is at. If you are looking for a bargain, out-of-the-box accurate rifle, get a Steven's 200...I bought one for my daughter and it was sub-MOA brand new.

Good luck. With patience, a Handi can hold it's own against anything out there.

Shooter

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #15 on:** December 02, 2008, 09:24:12 AM »

I have a couple of handies that shoot 1" at 50 yards, All will shoot inside 1.75 to 2 at that distance and other than trigger work I've not done anything to any of them, I normally never shoot over 100 yards but my handies have taken game at 150+ yards, They may not be bench guns but I prefer my dogs to work if ya know what I mean. All of my handies will reliably take game on any day, You doing your part really helps to.

Troyboy · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2008, 01:42:27 PM »

Why anyone that does not like handi rifles is reading this forum is beyond me. Guns like anything are mechanical. Machines are only as perfect as their makers. Buy one you might like you might not. These are not benchrest rifles they are tools made for a purpose. Their accuracy is quite acceptable. Try it you will like it

mechanic · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2008, 02:14:31 PM »

Back in the '80s my dad bought what was then a very expensive bolt gun. He paid over $1000.00 for it then. Custom bedded stock, bull barrell, 22-250. Adjustable trigger, adjustable stock. Expensive scope. Should have been a 1 hold gun. Tried every load imaginable, never got it under 3" at 100 yd. About the same time I bought a cheap stocked Savage bolt in 222. Shot 1/2" out of the box.

You don't always get what you pay for, but with a Handi, at least you ain't spent the farm, and the vast majority of them are perfectly acceptable shooters for hunting, which is what they are made for.

Ben

Russ Jerome · « **Reply #18 on:** December 02, 2008, 02:56:03 PM »

Regardless what you purchase your going to have to play around with different ammo to find any guns potential, you will spend more time shooting any gun experimenting than it would take to accurize a Handi to shoot incredibly tight:
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,155400.0.html

Every time I think .223 round touching or nearly touching at 120yrds is great I find another ammo to try, a little more massaging to the gun. Im about settled on Hornady 55gr varmint ammo as of this writting, first cold shot touch's its 3rd hot shot from a rest at 120yrds, 1.75" or less at 200yrds and 2.5" at 300 yrds with an ocasional 3.25" group I blame my old eyes on. Not out of the box but if you gave me a Ferrari I bet I coulnt just drive it

kevinsmith5 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 02, 2008, 03:13:11 PM »

Admittedly I only have one handi, (the huntsman, tracker, sportster, and pardner don't count) but my BC was straight out of the box good and appears to get better the more I shoot it. I don't have much experience with factory loads and shoot mostly .459" cast lead in weights greater than 400 gr, but it hangs right with some very pricey guns at the range (and beats a fair number of them).

Clayne_b · « **Reply #20 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:36:03 PM »

This is a 3 shot group with my .223 ultra. with a sightron 3x9-40mm. off of a bipod and a concrete bench at 100 yards.

John Boy · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2008, 11:11:37 AM »

Quote

how accurate are these things out of the box? Do you have to do anything to get them to shoot small?

Doesniper - Real Accurate with a 2003 vintage H&R! All shots below were with iron vernier sights and the original powder ... Black Powder!

38-55 (Vernier sight and Black Powder) - 100yds ... 14 shots

Same 38-55 ... 200yds. Holes marked A - B - C are sight adjustments. Holes marked D in the 10 ring are final results ... 8 shots

And ...My Buddy, Homer ... 1000 yds with the 45-70 Buffalo Classic ... http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,119506.0.html

OSOK · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2008, 01:09:07 PM »

I have only ever had 1 rifle that shot sub MOA out of the box consistently...a Remington 700 P in .308 scoped with a Leopold 4.5-14x50 LRT. This is the sniper rifle I use on our SWAT Team. The whole thing costs about $2000.00. Every other rifle I have ever owned needed some kind of coaxing, but nothing beyond an average person's abilities. The first year Mossberg came out with their bolt gun I bought my wife one in .270. I broke the barrel in using the method you will find on this site, and noticed it was shooting 2 groups...every other shot left, every other right. Did a little sanding on the plastic stock's barrel channel, and it is now a consistent .75" grouper. Get a Handi, break it in right, and have fun. Spend all the money you save on ammo and if you run into problems, you are on the perfect site to find help!!!