Author Topic: Would you buy a standard handi in .243 (Read 1694 times)

Country Boy · « **on:** August 08, 2007, 08:01:27 AM »

I need something that will shoot under an inch (3shots) but I've heard a lot of bad things about .243's on this forum.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2007, 08:07:21 AM »

Yes I would. I kind of think this 243 being not accurate is just hype. I think the supper lites may have issues but I really don't think the regular 243 Handi is any different than any other Handi. That is MHO. Dale

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 08, 2007, 08:24:55 AM »

I have three 243 H&Rs including a Superlight, they all shoot good including the Superlight, it just doesn't shoot as good as the bull barrel Ultras I have, they shoot 1" or less with factory ammo, the Superlight so far is 1½-2", but I'm still working on that!!

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #3 on:** August 08, 2007, 08:30:48 AM »

Yes, my cousin's wife has one.
He takes it deer hunting when she doesn't go. (Instead of his Remington 7 mag.)

PS
I would still like to have a super light.
I also think the 44mag and the 7.62 would be neat.

statelinerut · « **Reply #4 on:** August 08, 2007, 08:51:13 AM »

Do yourself a favor and get one. They are very accurate and fun to shoot. They also reek havoc on whitetail and coyote

guzzijohn · « **Reply #5 on:** August 08, 2007, 10:15:52 AM »

I have the Handi 243 in the 22" bull barrel and synthetic stock and have not been able to obtain decent groupings. It has a decent trigger pull and as far as I can tell the Barrel and crown appear good. I have tried the O-ring, hinge pin over the bag and a complete follow through on the trigger pull. The rifle has a Nikon Buckmaster scope. I have triple checked the scope and mounts and have placed the scope on another rifle that shoots fine with it. I do not reload but have tried four different factory loads of and bullet weights. At 100 yards group vary from a best ever of about 2 1/2" with Winchester Surpremes but Federal Fusion, Hornady and Remingtons all group between 4-8" with the Hornadys being the worst. I bought the gun new and have put a total of around 120 rounds through it. Clean or dirty barrel does not appear to make a difference and I let the barrel cool between shots. With a Winchester High Wall and a Savage 110 I can consistantly obtain 3/4" to 1 1/4" groups. The Savage did 1 1/4" with it's first three shots out of the box. My two cents worth.
John

quickdtoo · « **Reply #6 on:** August 08, 2007, 12:15:23 PM »

John, did you happen to mention the accuracy issue when you returned your rifle to repair your "repair" attempt? Althought their standard of accuracy leaves a bit to be desired at 1½"-2" 100yd groups. What weight bullets have you tried? If you're shooting 95gr-100gr, try some 80gr-95gr ammo, it should like one or the other, seems the 243s either shoot the heavier or lighter ammo best, but not always both, there have been many discussions on the topic.

FWIW, H&R usually test fires with 80gr Rem PSPs.

Tim

nomosendero · « **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2007, 04:19:25 PM »

Mac11700 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2007, 07:55:22 PM »

I'm in the no column...

Mac

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** August 08, 2007, 07:56:40 PM »

That's ok, I made up for you two!!!

Tim

J. Plate · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2007, 02:23:24 AM »

I took my Handi .243 ('93, pallet wood, standard contour) out last night for the first time after putting the o-ring in and needing to tighten up the forend a bit..... After 6 rounds to get it on the paper, I threw two 4-shot groups. Looks good so far. I was using the Federal Fusion 95 grain ammo at 75 yards. My first group was 1.5" and the second was a little tighter at just over an inch. I'm gonna clean it up and hopefully get it back to the range this weekend to put a few more down the tube. Looks like this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Being the first .243 I've ever owned, one thing I noticed is that this baby is LOUD. Noticeably louder than my .308.

guzzijohn · « **Reply #11 on:** August 09, 2007, 03:10:23 AM »

Tim,
Concerning bullet weights this is how things have gone:
Winchester Supreme 55gr. - Best consistent performer @ around 2 to 2 1/2"
Federal Fusion 90 gr. next best at around 3-4".
Remington 80 gr. @ 4-6"
Hornady 58 gr. 8" +.

I would really like to make an acceptable shooter out of this rifle as I like the balance and feel of it. When i returned it to H@R for the hinge pin repair (my fault) I did send the above info and expressed concern about accuracy. If they did or checked anything, it was not noted. I plan to get into reloading soon and maybe I can create a better load.i
John

Mac11700 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 09, 2007, 04:12:21 AM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on August 08, 2007, 07:56:40 PM

That's ok, I made up for you two!!!

Tim

No need to make up for any thing for my part Quick...

I have no use for any of the standard barrels...save but the 30-30..They just aren't my preference...When they start making more in 26"...we'll revisit them again...Meanwhile..the 24" bull barrel will be my recommendation.It's a stable performer that I have had very good luck with...

Mac

statelinerut · « **Reply #13 on:** August 09, 2007, 05:35:01 AM »

Quote from: J. Plate on August 09, 2007, 02:23:24 AM

I took my Handi .243 ('93, pallet wood, standard contour) out last night for the first time after putting the o-ring in and needing to tighten up the forend a bit..... After 6 rounds to get it on the paper, I threw two 4-shot groups. Looks good so far. I was using the Federal Fusion 95 grain ammo at 75 yards. My first group was 1.5" and the second was a little tighter at just over an inch. I'm gonna clean it up and hopefully get it back to the range this weekend to put a few more down the tube. Looks like this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Being the first .243 I've ever owned, one thing I noticed is that this baby is LOUD. Noticeably louder than my .308.

Looks like we have another Handi 243/Fusion 95gr combo believer in the making. Congrats on your success and keep us updated in the future. And yea they are very loud.

J. Plate · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2007, 08:14:06 AM »

Quote from: statelinerut on August 09, 2007, 05:35:01 AM

Looks like we have another Handi 243/Fusion 95gr combo believer in the making. Congrats on your success and keep us updated in the future. And yea they are very loud.

Yup! Shot again today a little bit. Put another 10 rounds through it. Both 5 shot groups were just about 1.5". I also shot two groups with some Remington 100 gr. Core-Lokt PSP's. They were hitting a little to the right, but the groups were 2.5 - 3" 5-shot groups. Minute of deer, but I'm going to keep trying a few more loads for good measure. Might try the Wichester Silvertips next to compare.

Brought it home and cleaned it up good. I'm going to try and shoot again this weekend....... but I think the wife is getting suspicious.

statelinerut · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2007, 12:36:41 PM »

Just what I like to hear. The Fusion seems to be working for you very well. I think you will be impressed once you put one through a whitetail. They will not let you down.

Thanks for the range report.

Country Boy · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2007, 01:50:01 PM »

What is an o ring modification ?

Is there some kind of hinge modification too ?

Might mention my standard handi in 45-70 is just great with 300 grn winchester factory loads. No complaints on this one.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2007, 02:12:09 PM »

Both of those questions are answered in the FAQs.

Tim

MSP Ret · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2007, 04:05:36 PM »

add me to the no column, some seem to like the .243, I personally just don't see the need for it....<><....

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2007, 07:26:52 PM »

Quote from: MSP Ret on August 10, 2007, 04:05:36 PM

add me to the no column, some seem to like the .243, I personally just don't see the need for it....<><....

Andy. That is interesting. I really like the 204 Ruger. It does what I would expect. I now have a 243 barrel that exceeds my expectations. I would like to know your opion of a round that would fill this gap? I would like to try the 25-06 for myself but I feel that if you have a 204 and a 243 you have it covered. Dale

Cowboybart · « **Reply #20 on:** August 12, 2007, 03:59:15 AM »

"I do not reload but have tried four different factory loads of and bullet weights. "

This is your problem. You can't get good accuracy w/ a "middle of the road- good enough" factory load. You will only get middle of the road or good enough accuracy.

J. Plate · « **Reply #21 on:** August 13, 2007, 02:28:26 AM »

Quote from: statelinerut on August 10, 2007, 12:36:41 PM

Just what I like to hear. The Fusion seems to be working for you very well. I think you will be impressed once you put one through a whitetail. They will not let you down.

Thanks for the range report.

Well, I shot this weekend....but it was kind of frustrating. Found out that my scope was creeping forward in the rings. So, I pretty much had to start over with the load. That explains why my elevation wouldn't stay consistent from session to session. So, I guess that's kind of good news......I thought I bought a bum scope.

Didn't have many rounds of the Fusion left, so I really didn't get to put up any good groups. I'm going to have to buy stock in Fusion/Federal/ATK. They shoot the best out of my .243 and .308, so I'm heading back to BPS to get a box or two.

safetysheriff · « **Reply #22 on:** August 14, 2007, 11:23:15 AM »

because of what i've seen in print by someone i consider very knowledgeable, i would maybe buy a .243 Win' in a Ruger Model 77 in stainless steel. same with a .220 Swift. otherwise, i wouldn't bother. they're both barrel burners, and the .243 is sometimes erratic, with some saying that bullet performance itself is erratic in that caliber.

i'd buy a .25-06 to load with H-4831SC, or else a .22-250 to load with bullets as stout as the 60' gr' Hornady spire points for game up through large white tails. i would not try the .22 centerfire on bear.

the 6mm Rem' in a rifle other than a Handi (because a .243 won't 'clean up' to re-chamber as a 6mm) would be better.

ss'

Tony Gable · « **Reply #23 on:** August 21, 2007, 10:09:57 PM »

Hi Country Boy'

I have a Handi in a .243. Try this: 100g Hornady #2453 over 35.0g IMR 4064 and a standard large rifle primer (CCI 200). Bullet seated .010 off the rifling. Mine shoots less than .5 MOA at 100 yards. Works great in mine. Give it a shot.

Tony

Swampman · « **Reply #24 on:** August 21, 2007, 11:58:21 PM »

I sold a new .243 youth barrel a couple of weeks ago without even trying it. I passed on a like new .243 Ultralight Handi Rifle at the gunshow this weekend for $125.00.

I've heard many folks say they are the toughest barrel NEF makes to get to shoot accurately. That's why I passed.

I love the .243 Winchester, I 'm just not sure about it in the Handi.

bajabill · « **Reply #25 on:** August 22, 2007, 06:34:13 AM »

I say no.

But only because there is a very easy and painless alternative to have a 24" bull barrel. I dont know if the bull is required, but I like an extra couple of inches any where I can get em

pascalp · « **Reply #26 on:** August 22, 2007, 08:16:49 AM »

I say no, because I already have a single shooter in 243W
I like this caliber, easy to reload, a pleasure to shoot, low recoill with impressive blast.

Erratic, inaccurate !!! something to check between ammo/barrel/twist
I'm not fully convinced by 100gr+ and "slow" twist, say 1/10" or more, but it shine with a 1/8 even at +600yards

Barrel burner, yes. Some barrels are more prone.

My ultra heavy 243w (not the right place, but just for eyes ...)