NEF Handi-rifle issues

Lungbuster

Lungbuster

New member
I have tried several different loads in this piece of doo-doo and it is vertical stringing about 5 inches.
Scope rings and base are tight.
Tried 2 different scopes.
Everything seems to be in order, it just wont shoot a group to save its life. I got this gun so my son can carry it and I wont have to worry about him dropping a more expensive rifle, but unless someone here knows a trick to help me out this thing is going in the trash....
I read some where that you have to use the same force everytime you close the gun or it will vertical string, but that makes no sense to me. Closed is closed...Right?

loads that I have shot:
40 gr. Sierra HP:
H335= 25, 26 and 27 grs.

52 gr Sierra HP:
H322= 23, 24 and 25 grs
WIN 748= 25, 26 and 27 grs
H335 24 and 25 grs

55 gr V-MAX:
Win 748...H322 and H335

Nosler 55 gr BT
IMR 4198, IMR 4895 and H335


Any suggestions? ( besides scrap it)..

Thanks.
 
Follow the advice of wrongtarget and read the Handi Basics page @ greaybeard. Sounds like you are going to have to put some work into that gun. Unfortunately one of the issues with buying an affordable gun is the fact you tend to have to put some elbow grease into them to get them to shoot well (although many find them to shoot well out of the box). However that is also some of the appeal of the affordable rifle for many. Getting a dirt cheap gun to shoot like a much more expensive gun!

Good luck!
 
Those guys over at Graybeard KNOW their Handi rifles. All of my Handi's have taken some time to "come to you". None of them were 100% in 20 shots. Each of them had minor problems such a what you are experiencing. One thing that I did to my NEF's was install a small O ring around the foreend screw then screw the foreend back on, down tight (tight but not with everything you got). This will do basically the same as floating the barrel. For some reason this worked better then when I had freefloated the foreend from the screw forward. Don't loose your patience. They are dandy little guns and are well worth the money,IMO. The thing to remember is there are DAWGS out there that cost alot more, but shoot alot less.
Also one other bit of info that I have aquired by T&E is to rest the gun on the action and not the foreend/barrel. They don't care for pressure anywhere near the foreend screw and forward from there.
Also might try Varget powder. I run 26.5 gr of Varget and a 55 Gr VMax in mine and it loves to eat them.
GOOD LUCK if you ever wanna sell it shoot me a PM I will take it off your hands. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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Don't feel alone. I have a Rem 700 that is just now starting to find the middle of a 1 inch target It took 200 rounds and a lot of barrel polishing. Just goes to show you, cost isn't everything
 
Try the O-ring, but I've had better luck in general with a square of refrigerator magnet placed in the forend channel about ¼"-½" from the muzzle end, and either sanding or shimming the forend spacer(wood forend only) so the fit on the barrel is just snug enough to keep it from falling off without the screw installed. This one technique has eliminated vertical stringing in those rifles that I've tried it on that were stringing, about a dozen so far.

There are lots more accurizing tips in the NEF/H&R Centerfire FAQs and Help sticky at GBO. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Tim

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/board,126.0.html
 
If it's a new barrel, I'd shoot about 100 rnds through it before cleaning or doing load work up.

Barrel may need to settle a bit.

when on the bench put the rest on the action and not the forearm, or if you do put it directly UNDER the screw.
 
Mine needed a thick O-ring as well, just like the guys at greybeard told me to do. When shooting from a rest, place the actual reciever on the front rest. Do not place the wood forend on the front rest. You'll get better consistency that way, but it causes more muzzle flip. Also, make sure you pull the trigger all the way to the rear the same way every time, like an exadurated follow thru. That is crucial.

My Ultra 223 heavy barrel shoots very well if I do all of that correctly every time. I expect it to shoot 3-shots at 100 yards into a half inch or less. But I hate this rifle for target work, because it's so hard to get everything to work correctly on every shot every time.

These were shot in one sitting while sighting in for a varmint hunt.
tar.jpg


nef06.jpg
 
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I found consistency in closing the break action guns seems to be important to minimize vertical stringing of shots. I could close the gun slowly, or close the gun with some force. Either would give me minimal vertical stringing, but if I combined the two, I got a lot of vertical stringing.

Try a couple groups closing the gun with minimal force, then try some snapping the action shut with force. See which produces the best groups. Consistency is the key.
 
You could do like my brother in law did and take it back where he bought it. He told them it wouldn't shoot a group and that he wasted $40 worth of ammo trying to sight it in. They sent the gun back to NEF and they sent it back within a couple of weeks. He took it back to the range and it shot fine. The funny thing is that NEF never said what they did to the gun to get it to shoot. Don't know if it was a new barrel or what.
 
hello...are you shooting three or five shot group's ?? i shoot three shot group's now & allow for plenty of cool off...in my experiance p.o.i. will climb as the barell heats..make's it tough for load development..i have shot a 2" five shot group..went back to the range..maybe a cool morning & put three shot's @ 1"...patience is they key with a nef...i have ran short of that a time or two myself...
 
That thing is Junk ! I'll give you $50 shipped to help you out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Do Not expect it to shoot till you have 100 + rounds through it.

Especially on a New gun, SNAP her shut like you mean it, the latch has to wear to the barrel a bit.

Verify there is no Gap when it's closed on a casing.

Load then remove the forend to rule Odd pressure points out, some need forearm tweaking, some don't.

I have got all my Handi Barrels to shoot respectable groups, and a couple down right Sexy groups, but it took a lil time with each, to me thats fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I know they will get there, and I get to play with it on the way. ~Ace~
 
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