45-70 SB2

[kyotekiller25]

Hello All.  New member here with a simple question on my 45-70 handi rifle.  I purchased this rifle wanting a cheap truck gun to thump anything I ever intend to hunt deer, elk, black bear out to 150 yards or so.  It shoots very good with 300g hornady or remington HP's at 2000fps with 48g IMR-4198.  It usually shoots 1" but never over 1.5" at 100 yards for 3 shots.  I have a tasco world class 3-9 scope.

Now my concern is this.  My first shot from a cold barrel is ALWAYS about 6-8" high.  I have it sighted dead on at 100 yards.  However, the next 2,3,4 shots will be right in where there suppose to be.  This concerns me because my 1st shot is going to hit high all the time and having to remember to hold low isn't going to work for me.  I could lower it, but then my 2,3,4 shots are going to be way low.

Anyone have a similar problem and know how to fix it??

[quickdtoo]

Welcome! Is that from a cold, clean bore or just cold? If from a fouled, cold bore, try shooting it without the forend on when cold, if it doesn't shoot high the first round, you need to work on the forend, there are many forend options from simple to elaborate listed in the FAQs.  The other option is to just zero it for the first shot and make it count, you won't need shot #2,3 or 4!!

Tim

[kyotekiller25]

The shot is just from a cold, fouled barrel.  I haven't cleaned it but one time and that was when I originally bought it.  Dont see the need to clean it much when its only shooting 2000fps. 

I am shooting it off a leadsled.

Haven't looked at the forend FAQ's.  How does this effect the 1st shot, and not the next few??? 

I am totally new with the handi rifle set up.  I am typically a bolt action LR kinda guy, but just watned a fun rifle to play with and something different.  I'm not complaining about the accuracy, just the 1st shot is always really high.  IF it was only a couple inches I woudln't be to concerend, but 6-8" is enough to shoot over a deers back almost everytime...

I'll take a gander at the forend FAQ's and see what they have to say though.

Thanks!! 

[kyotekiller25]

Oh almost forgot, what do you exactly mean by taking off the forend and shoot it??

I figured I was gonna get the response to zero it for the 1st shot and not needing the 2,3,4th.  That could be the route to go, but not exactly the route I want to go...

[quickdtoo]

Read the Handi Basics 101 sticky, forend help starts there. The Leadsled could also be part of the problem too, I lined the front rest with bull elk hide on my Leadsled DFT, I didn't care for the way in fit the H&R rifle frame.

Tim

[kyotekiller25]

Heres a pic of my 45-70.  Thought you all might like the camo paint job!!  I did it myself.  Trying to get a coyote with it, but I"ve only shot at 1 so far and he was hauling at about 100 yards.  You guessed it, I shot behind him, LOL



Heres how it shoots at 100 yards.  The top group is 3 shots w/300g Hornady HP's at 2000fps w/47g IMR-4198.  Bottom is factory 405g rems, 5 shots.  Always seems to throw at least 1 out, but considering the fact that there $200 rifles, I wasn't expecting them to shoot that good!!  Hear of a lot of horror stories but you just have to wonder about the nut behind the trigger!!

[Troyboy]

Cool looking camo paint. Good shooting

                                                 Troy.

[LONGTOM]

Welcome KILLER:
As Tim said, take the forearm off and with a cold fouled barrel put your rest right under the barrel frame pivot pin and fire your first shot and see where it goes. If it changes point of impact then your problem is probably in the forearm area. The FAQs can help you with fixes for that. If it doesn't change then the problem is with some thing else. If nothing works and you can't correct the problem I like Tims suggestion of making the first shot count but maybe you could divide the difference and sight in just a little lower to the point where your first shot wouldn't be so high. Of course you would need to remember to hold a little higher with the following shot/shots if they were needed.
With a little tinkering I think you can get the problem worked out.


LONGTOM