New H&R Hand-Rifle .44 Deer Gun

[clfergus]

Just wanted to post the results of my first day sighting in my new deer gun. Picked this up last year around Christmas 230.00 I think new.

Topped it off with a Bushnell Banner shotgun scope with 6 inch eye relief.

Bought a box of Hornady XTP 240 gr ammo to use.

Initial sight in was done with the cheapo laser you stick in the barrel at 25 yards.

First shot at 25 yards, dead center on the little diamond in my bullseye. I was thinking wow...pretty lucky I must have flinched the right direction.

Moved back to 50 yards. Dead center windage but a few inches high. Moved my crosshairs up to the hole. Second shot dead on again.

Moved back to 75 yards which is where I was going to sight in. Again...dead center but now an inch high. Adjusted again and now I was dead on again. Followed it up with 4 more shots for fun. All within 1/2 - 1 inch of one another.

I am thrilled with this little gun. I had been using a 870 with a cantilever barrel and after spending tons of money on slugs I still was never to achieve this accuracy on 5 shots. Maybe a few but I always had a few 2-3 off.

If you are looking for a cheap deer gun this season and can get past a single shot I recommend this.

 

[Lammchop93]

I just bought one of these for deer season as well. I zero'd the scope in at 75 yards. It is scary accurate for a $225 gun. I can't wait to get it out this season!

 

[booey50]

I don't know why people even shoot shotguns anymore with expensive slugs. My .500 s&w I reload for is about 56 cents a shot and kills better without the recoil.

 

[Mr.Lubie]

I picked one up last year for $230 new and the shop tossed in a camo Bushnell banner scope for an extra $30 bucks...It dropped 2 deer in there tracks that season.
Since I all ready reloaded .44mag it seemed like a no brainer.I'm running 20 grains of 2400 behind a 240 grain XTP..Shoots tighter then any $15 box of slugs I ever put through my Remington 1100
Sight her in for 75 yards and you can easily adjust for further shots if needed.

 

[clfergus]

I picked one up last year for $230 new and the shop tossed in a camo Bushnell banner scope for an extra $30 bucks...It dropped 2 deer in there tracks that season.
Since I all ready reloaded .44mag it seemed like a no brainer.I'm running 20 grains of 2400 behind a 240 grain XTP..Shoots tighter then any $15 box of slugs I ever put through my Remington 1100
Sight her in for 75 yards and you can easily adjust for further shots if needed.

have you been able to try 100 yard and 120 yard shot when sighted in at 75? Just curious how much hold over you needed.

 

[toad]

My son got his first deer with one, Later that night I shot a nice buck with the same gun, out of the same blind, he was with me. Thats a pretty good first deer story.

 

[BStarkey 46947]

I bought one for the kids with youth stock, very manageable for 8 yr. old and up too.

 

[KEHO]

have you been able to try 100 yard and 120 yard shot when sighted in at 75? Just curious how much hold over you needed.

My calculator for Hornady XTP 240 grain @ 1750 fps zeroed at 75 yards with a scope height of 1.5" says:

1.2" drop at 100
3.5" drop at 125
7.0" drop at 150
17.8" drop at 200.

But, a 25 yard zero yields:

0.0" drop at 100
2.0" drop at 125
5.2" drop at 150
15.4" drop at 200

I use the 25 yard zero and would comfortable putting the X on the spot out to 100 - 110 yards. No hold to calculate.

 

[Mr.Lubie]

My calculator for Hornady XTP 240 grain @ 1750 fps zeroed at 75 yards with a scope height of 1.5" says:

1.2" drop at 100
3.5" drop at 125
7.0" drop at 150
17.8" drop at 200.

But, a 25 yard zero yields:

0.0" drop at 100
2.0" drop at 125
5.2" drop at 150
15.4" drop at 200

I use the 25 yard zero and would comfortable putting the X on the spot out to 100 - 110 yards. No hold to calculate.

When I sight it again for this season I will be trying the 25 yard zero and test it to see if I'm around 0 or so at 100 yards If so that will be sweet as can be.

 

[buckhunterbb]

My calculator for Hornady XTP 240 grain @ 1750 fps zeroed at 75 yards with a scope height of 1.5" says:

1.2" drop at 100
3.5" drop at 125
7.0" drop at 150
17.8" drop at 200.

But, a 25 yard zero yields:

0.0" drop at 100
2.0" drop at 125
5.2" drop at 150
15.4" drop at 200

I use the 25 yard zero and would comfortable putting the X on the spot out to 100 - 110 yards. No hold to calculate.

Are these calculations correct? Seems like 25yd zero should have more drop than 75yd zero at 100yds.

I would sight scope in for 100yd zero.

 

[KEHO]

Are these calculations correct? Seems like 25yd zero should have more drop than 75yd zero at 100yds.

I would sight scope in for 100yd zero.

Well, I don't make any promises, one should always chrono and test their own loads and guns, but I believe they are correct as I used 3 separate sources and the results were very similar.

As far as a 100 yard sight it, that's essentially what you're doing (within .5") when you sight in at 25, you just don't have to walk as far. The .44 Mag is not a super high velocity centerfire rifle round that is still going up at 100 yards - it has already peaked and is on the way back to earth.

Here's the complete chart (numbers rounded)for the 25 yard zero:

0 yards - 1.5" low
25 yards - 0.0"
50 yards 1.0" high
75 yards 1.0" high
100 yards 0.0"
125 yards 2.0" low
150 yards 5.0" low

Here are the visuals: The numbers are slightly different, but still illustrate the difference.

25 yard zero:

75 yard zero:

100 yard zero:

Again, just my calculations. No promises made or implied. Even with the math staring me in the face I take the rifle out with my current load and shoot all the distances to be sure.

 

[clfergus]

These numbers actually make sense with what I saw the other day. Using my laser boresighter at 20 yards...my first shot on paper at 25 yards was dead on. I moved back to 50 yards and hit twice dead center but two inches high. Adjusted and was then dead center. Moved back to 75 yards and was an inch or so high again.

I was surprised the bullet was rising but images above show that is indeed what I saw at the range.

Thanks for posting those

 

[Hookeye]

Bullets are always travelling back towards earth

 

[teddy12b]

I've been thinking of buying one of these as a supplement to my puma 92 specifically for long shots where a scoped rifle would be nice. I dont see why hits at 200 yards would be out of of the question with a trigger job.

 

[KEHO]

Bullets are always travelling back towards earth

'tis true. I should have related the bullet path to the line of sight as seen through the scope. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Hookeye]

I read it and knew where you were coming from (but know a lot of folks don't understand LOD/LOS)

 

[buckhunterbb]

Well, I don't make any promises, one should always chrono and test their own loads and guns, but I believe they are correct as I used 3 separate sources and the results were very similar.

As far as a 100 yard sight it, that's essentially what you're doing (within .5") when you sight in at 25, you just don't have to walk as far. The .44 Mag is not a super high velocity centerfire rifle round that is still going up at 100 yards - it has already peaked and is on the way back to earth.

Here's the complete chart (numbers rounded)for the 25 yard zero:

0 yards - 1.5" low
25 yards - 0.0"
50 yards 1.0" high
75 yards 1.0" high
100 yards 0.0"
125 yards 2.0" low
150 yards 5.0" low

Here are the visuals: The numbers are slightly different, but still illustrate the difference.

25 yard zero:

75 yard zero:

100 yard zero:

Again, just my calculations. No promises made or implied. Even with the math staring me in the face I take the rifle out with my current load and shoot all the distances to be sure.

I think you're reading the 25yd vs the 75yd & 100yd zero differently. 25yd your looking at the bullet rise(which is alot closer to 90 zero on bullet drop). On 75 & 100yd zero charts you're using bullet drop. 2 different points of zero. Bullet rise & bullet drop.

 

[sonovasailor]

H&R

These things are CRAZY accurate. Plus, ATI sells a collapsable AR style stock for them. Perfect for a youth hunter and Pappaw.