223 hvy bbl Handi Rifle with Bushnell Elite 3200 10x40 Mil-Dot

[CTI1USNRET]

Fri 7 Nov

Frankly, I was not expecting much. I was told not to expect great accuracy out of a $200 break open rifle. But I put a good scope on it anyway. Bushnell Elite 3200 10x40 Mil-Dot on Leupold rings.
I had the range to myself this afternoon at lunchtime.

Just to get it on paper I used Walmart value pack 55 gr FMJ at 35 yards. Not trying too hard. Ok, got it in the black. So, I set up targets at 100 yards. Dead calm. Set up on sandbags at the hinge and at the heel. Elevation adjusted by squeezing the bag. Very little contact with the rifle, just a light touch with my cheek. Pulled the trigger by pinching the trigger to the trigger guard with first finger and thumb. Concentration. Patience. Shot the group. Walked out to check the target. (Forgot my spotting scope.) First 3-shot group, measured by calipers edge to edge, was 0.82". Got kinda excited. Maybe just lucky. Walked back to the bench. Calmed down. Really concentrated on consistant sight picture and repeated it - 0.78".

Ran a brush and patch through the bore.

Switched to my handloads. Hornady 53 gr match HPs on top of 25.8 and 26.0 grains of H335 in Winchester cases and Winchester SR primers.

Using the first charge I got a 0.35" slightly cloverleaf hole with 3 shots and stopped right there. Ripped the target off the holder and ran over to the other range and showed a complete stranger my targets and babbled a bit.

I am very, very happy.

=================

Sat 8 Nov

I went out again this morning but didn't stay too long. The wind was pretty strong, coming straight down the range into our faces. (For my logbook I'm going to put it down as an estimated 15 mph. I'm going to buy an anemometer.) **** cold too. I went back and forth between my bench and helping an old guy with arthritis put the caps on his percussion rifle.) It opened my groups up a bit, but you can see there was little, if any, crosswind component. This is a 5-shot group at 100 yards. Yesterday, when it was calm, the cluster was slightly above the number 10.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Sounds like a nice little low-budget setup.

Do you know what the twist rate is in your handi-rifle?

MM

 

[kraky]

OK---This is my version of humor---There is no way that group could have happened BECAUSE you don't mention that you loaded your rounds to .001" runnout, AND you didn't weigh all your bullets, AND you didn't trim your cases to within .001" AND you didn't weigh and segregate all your cases, AND you didn't uniform your primer pockets,
So without doing all those things WE ALL KNOW THAT ESPECIALLY IN A CHEAP RIFLE that just cannot happen right!!!????? Hope this gives all us anally retentive guys a chuckle!

 

[CTI1USNRET]

The twist is 1:12 so I won't waste my money buying anything heavier than 60 grainers. And those would have to be short ogives, spire points. But to tell the truth, I'm probably just going to stay with the handload I posted above. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Does anybody know whether H335 is temperature sensitive? Maybe that's why the groups printed lower on my second day out. The diff was about 30 degrees. And I later learned the wind was closer to 30 mph.

[ 11-20-2003: Message edited by: CTI1USNRET ]

 

[crowsniper]

guys i have to say my .223 handi rifle shoots awesome.have a cheap russian scope on it an 8x56 and i shoot from 50 to 500 yards with it regulary.i also have a bushy varminter and the handi rifle connects just as well as it does at long range

 

[ryan m]

First varmint gun was a handi rifle, and it shot the 45 gr winchester USA hp's into groups smaller than anything I loaded. Something about that ammo, it just shoots good in everything I have tried it in. Great bang for the buck. Another good thing about the NEF's, I didn't feel guilty about painting it.

 

[ryan m]

First varmint gun was a handi rifle, and it shot the 45 gr winchester USA hp's into groups smaller than anything I loaded. Something about that ammo, it just shoots good in everything I have tried it in. Great bang for the buck. Another good thing about the NEF's, I didn't feel guilty about painting it.

 

[baldeagle713]

CTI1USNRET:
Hello, Lookin good ya aught to be able to get some ground hogs with that rifle for shure. SO CTI1USNRET ya ol salt Good ON YA! from an AT1USNRET.

 

[CTI1USNRET]

baldeagle713,

Do any duty on CV's? All my afloat time was TAD, but I averaged over 180 days/yr at sea for my last 10 years (none of it at the pier), on CV's: Midway, Coral Sea, Big John, America, Teddy; CG's: Arkansas, Leyte Gulf, Vincennes, Reeves; DD Oldendorf, FF Francis Hammond and a couple of SSN's. The CV/BG/TG commanders didn't want to go anywhere without us cryptotechs. Last overseas duty was flying recce (about 750 hrs worth in less than 8 months as a Russian / Serbocroatian specialist) with VQ-2 over the FRY from Souda Bay.

But to get back on topic, yup I plan on getting some groundhogs next year. But this winter I'm going for coyotes.

My time in the Nav was the best part of my life.

 

[Walter Langer]

I just recenly received the NEF handi rifle in .223 with the heavy barrel for Christmas. All I had available was a cheap 3x9 Bushnell that doesn't work right that I stuck on the gun. Once I got it sighted in I switched to my reloads Nosler 50grs along with 26.5 grs. of Win 748. It shot a three quarter inch group at a hundreds yards and I was pretty siked about a $200 gun that shoots that good.
By the way the trigger out of the box is one of the nicest I have pulled.

Anton

 

[stephen]

Just wondered if anyone had shot the handi rifle in 25-06? I just got one today with a target barrell and a leupold 3x9 at a local gun shop for less than $250 for the pair. If I don't quit buying so many guns, I am going to have to fight for them in court during a property settlement.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Before any body doubts the validity of the calim this guy is making, every once in a while a economy rifle out performes all the litany we endure to make our rifles and loads perform at sub 1/2 MOA.

I have an old rem 788 in 308 that when I activly used it, and I knew very little of reloading it would group less than 1 inch at 300 yards regularly. I didnt ream primer pockets, I didnt trime cases or even neck size. I used soft point bullets and had cheap relaoding equipment.

The only chuckle I get is how this sometimes is the reality!

 

[cocked]

I have a $450 savage .223 rifle that will shoot about as good as my 6ppc benchrest rifle for $3500... Go fiqure!

Regards,
Dan