Author Topic: Handi's sure let me down today (Read 2142 times)

stimpylu32 · « **on:** April 23, 2011, 02:28:59 PM »

My oldest son and myself went to the range this afternoon for some fun trigger time , took the 22 Hornet , 224 GNR and the 243 SL , long story short , they all 3 patterned like shotguns . Not groups mind you but patterens , with the 224 doing the best at 7" , while the 243 was in the 10" range and the Hornet - well we woln't even talk about that one . All were shot @ 100 yards .

I'm not sure what was going on , might be that they just don't like clean bores , as all 3 were given a major overhall & cleaning the other night with Bore Scrubber and a brass brush , Internal cleaning and a good wipe-down , inside & out .

The worst part was these were all proven loads that normally shoot 1" or less @ 100 - I guess its back to the drawing board !

stimpy

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2011, 02:31:48 PM »

Did ya swap frames or forends maybe?

Tim

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2011, 02:42:59 PM »

Nope , thats what has me so Con-fuzzled

stimpy

Datil · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2011, 03:36:16 PM »

Stimpy Did you dry the the surfaces of the latch and the larch good ?
I have heard that can cause trouble I don't know what else could cause your trouble.
Good luck. Datil

revbc · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2011, 03:39:04 PM »

Run'em dirty

I bet that slick bore has'em slidin all over the place

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2011, 04:00:42 PM »

Ya Marv , everything was clean & DRY , I even ran a few Q-tips over the latch area's to make sure everything was good to go $:-\$

Bobby , don't think I'll be cleaning them anytime soon , if thats how their going to act if I do .

stimpy

On a side note , the 243 just hates Nosler Bullets anyhow , couldn't hit a Bull in the butt with them before .

ssjohnnie · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2011, 04:20:52 PM »

And that is why there is only one handi in my gun safe now a BC 45/70. I have had 22 hornet a 30/30 and a223 ultra varmit (that was ajoke of a name for that one) I spent enought money on bullets and powder to have had a custom made gun that would shoot sub. moa all day ever day so thats what I did sold the whole mess and had a 223 single shot made that do what it do sub moa cold hot clean or dirty life to short for messing with handis just my two cent

bikerbeans · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2011, 04:28:05 PM »

Quote from: stimpylu32 on April 23, 2011, 02:28:59 PM

I'm not sure what was going on , might be that they just don't like clean bores

stimpy

Great!?!?

I just did spring cleaning on 4 Handis last night and brought 2 more in the house to clean tonight. One of the ones I am cleaning tonight is my 30-06 shorty that last trip to the range did a sub 1/2" 3 shot group @ 100 yards. Well it is filthy and going to be cleaned so if it shoots like it has a bent barrel after the cleaning then I guess I will just dump some dirt down the bore to get it back in shape.

Stimpy you didn't get any paint in the bores did you?

BB

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2011, 06:28:54 PM »

I only own two handis. I think I have them scheduled for cleaning in 2020 if I don't forget it.

briannmilewis · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2011, 06:42:25 PM »

Quote from: stimpylu32 on April 23, 2011, 02:42:59 PM

Nope , thats what has me so Con-fuzzled

stimpy

You just gotta stop cleaning them! Bad Stimpy, bad boy! Don't clean them till the accuracy drops off, you know that!

Sourdough · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2011, 07:06:56 PM »

I probebly go through 300 to 500 rounds in six months with my 30-06 and .223 Ultra. I break down and run a bore brush with some solvent, followed by a few patches till clean. Then an oily patch, about twice a year. Unless I drop them in a river or mud somewhere. POI never seems to change. Of course I always take one shot before leaving the house to assure everything is working properly. need to go shoot the .223 here within the next hour.

petemi · « **Reply #11 on:** April 24, 2011, 03:54:33 AM »

I like mine dirty. I don't clean them until I can't see daylight down the bore.

Quote from: Graybeard on April 23, 2011, 06:28:54 PM

I only own two handis. I think I have them scheduled for cleaning in 2020 if I don't forget it.

Bill, please call me and remind me to do mine.

Pete

LONGTOM · « **Reply #12 on:** April 24, 2011, 06:00:33 AM »

Same here, DIRTY!!!
Until I notice a drop in accuracy or the bang sounds a lot louder I leave them alone.

LONGTOM

mtbugle · « **Reply #13 on:** April 24, 2011, 01:40:41 PM »

even after thoroughly cleaned they should have been settling down after a few shots. Usually when mine act like this It can be attributed to the overly caffinated nut behind the trigger.

thanks Don

mechanic · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2011, 01:44:33 PM »

I "clean" mine every time I take them out. I wipe down the outside. I don't bother with the inside.......as long as everything works.

Ben

gcrank1 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 24, 2011, 02:57:53 PM »

I've seen this for years, guy has a gun working good and just knows that he needs to do something special for it......like clean it.
Iffen there's a cure for this misguided, but well intentioned affliction it ought to be a range session like this one!

carbineman · « **Reply #16 on:** April 24, 2011, 03:11:21 PM »

Stimpy, I can attest to the fact that sometimes these Handi's makes one humble. My 30-06 will only shoot well with two bullets the 165 grain Speer Hot-Cor and the 180 grain Hornady Interlock both flat base bullets. To top it off the only powder that is repeatable at every range session is H4831sc, loaded to the max load. H4831sc doesn't create top pressure in all the load books that list pressure so I'm not real worried about that aspect.

I've tried five different bullets and these powders
Big Game
Hunter
W760
H4831sc
All these powders work well at times but only H4831sc is repeatable, and the Ramshot line from what my chrony tells me is not temp sensitive but the W760 sure is. Everyone tells me how the -06 is not fussy, but mine sure is. Good Luck finding the magical pixie dust to fix the problem.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:07:42 AM »

Not another cleaning thread.....

Stimpy,
Did you fire a couple fouling shots first?
I clean my barrels regularly the long acception are my rimfire barrels. Those once or twice a year. My comp pistols get cleansed before season, at half way point and again at the end of the season.
You sometimes get lax with your shooting if you have been away for a time. Couple trips ago this happened to me too. I hunkered down did as I should always do and I was rewarded with small groups again.

You guys are not easilly going to convince me that the steel in handi barrels is specail in a way that makes it immune to needing to be cleaned. The laws of physics exist evenin a handi barrel. As I have said many many times find a match shooter that shoots a dirty barrel.... You will not! FOULED barrel absolutely but dirty as in not cleaning after firing matches no you will not.
Every time I have experienced this I was able to find the problem. The last time was my 500, now I didn't font that because I put false hope in a product because I had such faith in them as a scope maker. I am speaking on the PRW rings from Leupold. I have switched my 454 and hunting 45/70 to Warne rings.
More often than not it's the shooter then the equipment. Not the other way around. I would double check the latch AND the shelf. Then double your efforts with trigger squeeze, breathing and site alignment. I'll just about guaranty better results.

Good luck,
CW

Jimbo47 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:51:25 AM »

Why all the panic?

If they were shooting good groups before cleaning then it's just a matter of shooting them some more until they settle down and are back in the groove, so to speak.

Everyone who has ever shot a Handi knows they don't shoot until they are seasoned, (fouled) and when you take the seasoning off that is what you get.

Once I get mine to shoot, all they get is a bore snake or oiled patch run several times down the bore and that's it, and only when I think they need it which is not often, but I don't shoot a hundred rounds down the bore at one sitting either, since I don't consider myself a paper shooter, and thus they don't get "that" dirty.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:16:54 PM »

Quote from: Jimbo47 on April 25, 2011, 03:51:25 AM

Why all the panic?

If they were shooting good groups before cleaning then it's just a matter of shooting them some more until they settle down and are back in the groove, so to speak.

Everyone who has ever shot a Handi knows they don't shoot until they are seasoned, (fouled) and when you take the seasoning off that is what you get.

Once I get mine to shoot, all they get is a bore snake or oiled patch run several times down the bore and that's it, and only when I think they need it which is not often, but I don't shoot a hundred rounds down the bore at one sitting either, since I don't consider myself a paper shooter, and thus they don't get "that" dirty.

I may be in the minority...but..I always cleaned mine after each range session..When I found a load that shot good I would tweak it till I was satisfied with it..I would shoot it till the accuracy started falling off, and most time left it alone till after hunting season with only a light coat of oil on the surfaces...

I would check your crowns and see if all is well on them..then foul them till your back to where you developed your load for them at..As long as your not shooting moly or Lubalux you should be ok..

Mac

ratdog · « **Reply #20 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:42:06 PM »

sorry to here your having trouble i've got a 30-06 45-70 223 204 22-250 22hmr 30-30 all have shot great accept the 357 shoots ok with my 38 cal reloads but doesn't group well with the 357 hollow points going to try some different loads had the same problem with a marlin but the opposite.my Rossie lever action would shot every thing i fed it. i have had outstanding luck with handy's

blind ear · « **Reply #21 on:** April 25, 2011, 03:48:00 PM »

Took my hornet close to 30 years to get dirty enough to shoot well shooting it every 4 or 5 years without cleaning.

CW,

it's another noncleaning thread,

ear

Jimbo47 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 25, 2011, 05:31:16 PM »

Clean it once every thirty years no matter if it needs it or not!

A little on the extreme side but I can understand that!

teddybaham · « **Reply #23 on:** May 30, 2011, 06:52:50 PM »

not a handi expert by anymeans especially compared to the weirdo....ehh uh experts ive found here

(just playin ive enjoyed these forums, ive just been hired by the CDC to monitor the addiction and disease caused by these rifles and notify them if the epidemic increases). i only own one handi in 45-70 and from what i read was a lucky one. i was tickled when i brought it to the range and fired a clover leaf @ 100 out the box w/ hornady LE ammo. i later discoverd i can make .5 inch holes with it if i let the barrel cool between shots. but ive never taken it apart and ive only cleaned the bore, which i clean after each range trip and it looks like a mirror finish afrterward. so cleaning the bore has no affect on my accuracy. had you switched forends you may see a change??

rdevett · « **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2011, 02:36:33 PM »

I have a 243 ultra varmint that takes two or three fouling rounds before grouping it also likes just a bore snake every six or seven rounds to maintain.