Did I get a bad one?

[prairiedog555]

I also have a .308 survivor that I am not happy with, all of the guys on this forum have likewise made comments on helping.  I will try to get to it and follow their advise when I have time after hunting season.
But what I wanted to ask is have any of you guys who really seem to be experts on the H&R's ever just conclude that you got a bad one and give up? I was thinking that if I can't solve the problem of poor accuracy with all of your help I should just order another barrell.  I am planning on ordering a black powder and .223 barrell anyway. 
I really like the look and feel of the gun.  My trigger is light and crisp, and it is light to carry and shoot out of a tee pee blind.  And I believe what you guys like Quick say about the accuracy that you get, but I see other posts with people who are dissatisfied and I wonder about H&R's QC.  You can get a bad one of anything.

[quickdtoo]

Yes, bad ones happen, that's when H&R Customer Service gets into the fix equation, and they're the best!!  Give em a call and let em know what's happening.

FWIW, I tried the survivor stock on my .22 Hornet, accuracy went in the toilet, did you try shooting it without the forend on the rifle, rested on the hinge? If it shoots good that way, the forend is the problem. Even just shooting it rested on the hinge with the forend on usually improves accuracy. How many rounds and different types of ammo have you shot so far?

Tim

[mt3030]

...ever just conclude that you got a bad one and give up?

I am no way an expert on these rifles, althought I've been playing with them since 1970. And, yes, I've had two 308s and two 243s I finally gave up on. But be prepared. To do so and then admit it will open you up to charges of being impatient and unwilling to invest the time into looking deeper for the answer. Myself, I just decided I was more interested in shooting and hunting then to continue tinkering, looking for that answer. If you are retired, or otherwise interested in investing tinkering time, the members here can provide enough suggestions to fill many a evening. Some feel that is the charm of the NEFs. How much time you want to invest can only come from you. I love my H&Rs and NEFs that shoot.

Yes, Customer Support might be able to help you. I returned some multiple times and finally got tired of the shipping charges, since they were used rifles. And I was only looking for reliable ejection and three shoot groups @ 2 MOAs.

Good luck.

[MSP Ret]

mt3030, I agree and disagree about giving up opening you up to charges of being impatient and unwilling to invest time into these fun little guns. I do feel most but not all accuracy problems are solvable IF you want to put the time in, however I also believe that it is up to you (or me) and you alone to decide when to pull the plug and sell that offending barrel or gun. If anyone here accuses you of being a quitter because of that buddy don't waoory about it and I am on on your side, for as has been said, to thine own self be true. A real man knows when to quit, and he answers only to himself as to his own reasons. If I am ever ready to give up on a gun, and I have, a nice little Ruger Single Six .22 LR revolver comes to mind, I owe no one any apologies. It was time for that gun to go and make way for something else or to just make a bit more time to spend on others I had that were shooting better and I enjoyed more with less frustration....And yes, just as in anything else in life, bad ones come along every so often, you just have to know, in your own heart, when to let them go....<><....

[Fred M]

Tim

FWIW, I tried the survivor stock on my .22 Hornet, accuracy went in the toilet,

If that stock lost accuracy with a Hornet, then a 308 would be much worse. I am looking at this rifle on a picture and don't know how stiff that thumb hole conection is. Also from reports the 204 seams to shoot pretty good with that stock,
Although it is not quite the same perhaps not even the same make?.

I had some experience with bolt action plastic stocks and they did not shoot very well. These were hollow without much substance. I would be interesting to shoot the rifle free recoil to take the stock out of the equation.

The set up would have to be carefully orchestrated so the rifle can recoil a 1/4 inch with no constrains. Only the thumb behind the trigger guard ad the trigger finger touching the gun.

I never had too much faith in plastic stocks  that were hollow. The foam injection supposed to help. To save a lot of grieve I would get rid of the plastic stock and sell it. Even a real cheap wood stock would be better. Saw a set for sale at e-bay for 19 bucks.

[hellacatcher]

I go along with 30-30 you can and do get bad ones and good ones. I use to have closet full of nefs but  down to 3 center fires now, manely from trying to get em to shoot to my satfaction. I have left a 44 mag witch accuracy is not expected and may get reamed out to a 445 super, a 30-30 it is just a truck gun and could get reamed to a 30-30 akley and the 357 max witch is a nail driver but had to be reamed out to the max to get the accuracy. If you do get a bad one it all depends on how much time to put into it or get rid of it. I have more important things in my life than to spend all of it trying to get one gun to shoot to what I want. The one that broke my back was a 22 hornet nef it stared out shooting ok maybe 1 1/2 in at a 100yrds whitch was not what I wanted but it was ok then it stared stinging I don't know how much time and mony I but into it befor giving up on it. After that any that wouldn't give me 1/4 in at 100yrds left that only left the three. I don't reget the time I spent with them because it of the experence.

[poncaguy]

I have a 308 Survivor, replaced the stock with the Choate stock and forend, shoots MOA now..................

[Mac11700]

Same here...I replaced the stock with a nice laminate set...It didn't do a thing for the long throat in it though...I got it to shoot really good with Norma factory ammo...Fededral Match ammo after changing the stock & forend on it......My neighbor made me a offer I couldn't pass up for it...so I let him buy it from me......To date...he has taken about 17 deer with it and now his brother is using it...all using Winchester 150 grain power points...and it shoots them 1/2" MOA...This is grerat for them...and would be for a-lot of folks...but...I'm a handloader...and believe me when I say I tried just about every load & bullet with it before I sold it to him...That rifle gave me the fits when handloading...I could only reach the lands with a 200 grain Matchking...and that was just barely...and with that Survivor stock & foreend...it wouldn't shoot worth a durn with anything...factory included...You can try to change stocks...but if it doesn't help...then your out the money for them...so...I say..call Gordon or Jennifer at NEF and send it back...

Mac

[stimpylu32]

As i have posted many times i have a 450 Mariln barrel that if i did not know better i would think it was a shotgun , the way this thing patterns not groups . I have tried every stock combo that i have  , from a Tamer to a strait lam. to my custom pistol grip .

I have put 100s of diffrent loads , from factory and hand loads , still no luck . I have tried just about every trick there is to solve the problem and have come up with the fact that it was ment to look at not shoot .

The moral to this story is , yes sometimes you get a rifle or barrel that just will not shoot and you must give up. I plan to keep the barrel and just waite , someday i will get it out again amd try something new , but for now it is just a paper weight .

[northjdr]

You can read the accuracy thread about my accuracy problems with my 308 Ultra. I started out with averaging 4" groups @100yds.  I have decided that the MINIMUM amount of accuracy I want out of my 308 Ultra (laminated stock & forearm) is 1 moa @ 100. Without relaoding and shooting Winchester Power points and with a ton of tinkering, I now average 2moa @ 100yds (best group thus far is 1.3") Some people would be very happy with this, but it bugs me. I estimate I have spent well over 100 hours tinking  and shooting solely with this rifle. (shimming bolt, o-ring foreend, free floating forend, removing foreend, silcone foreend, removing and lapping scope mount, cleaning and lapping barrel, a dozen trip to range ) 300+ rounds through the gun. Reloading is the last step. I am just starting that adventure. I hope to find a load that will tighten my groups a bit more. However, the nice thing about H&R is that I have a great selection of other barrels I can get for the gun. If I get a different barrel if will be one in which moa accuarcy isn't a concern (ie muzzleloader, shotgun). It's the principle of dimishing returns, at some point it's just not worth the expense and time to squeeze another 1/4" from a group size. But my knowledge about shooting has increased tremendously.Isn't that true with most things in life? You learn a lot more going through difficulties.