I finally got my brand new .223 ultra rifle a few days ago. My first handi! First impression was great. It is a sharp looking gun!
Since primers seem to be extinct now, I am forced to shoot factory ammo, but I was still excited to get it out and start shooting. I mounted a cheapie scope that I had laying around (it will get a better scope in the future) and then I set off to the range(and by range I mean our farm) I had planned to stop and get a brass washer to free float the barrel but I forgot to stop. Anyway, so I get set up at 100 yards and start shooting. I started out with some ammo that a friend had given me. He is a cop and told me he'd give me the brass after his sniper training. He threw in 8 live rounds they had leftover with the 300 or so cases I got (FREE BRASS!!) I have no clue what weight bullets they were but I figured they would let me get the scope on the paper. First shot was 2 foot high one foot left. I dialed in the proper adjustments and fired again. Perfect vertical but it was still a foot to the left. Without adjusting the next shot was six inches to the right. I fired the rest of those rounds into about a 1 foot group. They shot about like they were tumbling but none keyholed so I guess the gun just hates them. Next I switched to some UMC 62gr FMJ rounds I bought for cheap. After A few shots to dial the scope in (it was a foot to the right) I shot about 3 inch groups. Not horrible but I was hoping for better. I was regretting not stopping for that washer. I plinked for awhile, shooting some cans freehand. Found I could hit about 50% of the time. Then I was ready to shoot the good stuff! I pulled out a 20 round box of 40gr Hornady V-Max Moly Coated bullets. I was going to be very conservative with the box since I had payed $20 for it. I can't afford to waste many at $1 a shot. I shot one which hit about 4 inches right and 1 low. I dialed in the adjustments and proceeded to fire three shots through ONE HOLE dead center!!! I was absolutely amazed. I've never fired a three shot group through one hole at 100 yards in my life. I wish I had took a pic but I didn't have my camera. I wanted to do it again to confirm but I was really afraid to waste those horrifyingly expensive rounds. I used one more to vaporize a can and then quit. I know what bullet I will be trying first once (or maybe I should say if) I find primers! I spent the rest of the day looking for a groundhog to test the v-max's performance on but they wouldn't cooperate. I think it's still to cold.
I get the feeling I might own some more handi's in the future...
Chipmunk
