The New England Firearms handi-Rifle

redsox3624 · 12-08-2004, 04:17 PM

i'm 15 and i'm looking for a cheap tought rifle. is that accurate? is it cheap because it is junk? if i got it in .308 would a recoil pad be able to reduce the recoil to that of a 30-30 or close? thanks for your time

People live to hunt and some people live to stop hunting.
Support your local firearms groop and the NRA.

BeltedMag · 12-08-2004, 07:38 PM

The Handi-rifles are great guns for the money. I would highly recommend one. With a good scope they are very accurate too. You can put a bigger recoil pad if you want but the factory one is pretty good and with a scope and sling it should add enough weight to cancel out the recoil. I cant wait to get another one, i sold my 30-06 and wish i hadnt. They are defintely good rifles,only cheap in price not in build quality and i love the way they come up and feel in my hands. You cant go wrong with one and you can always order diffrent barrels if you want a caliber change.

James B · 12-08-2004, 10:50 PM

I agree all the way. I have a 280 amoung several others. More on the way.

Mac1 · 12-09-2004, 04:16 AM

I really like my NEF in the .223. I use it exclusively for call up shots on varmits. I loaned it to a nephew last year for a deer hunt. He dropped a nice little buck in his tracks with a neck shot. I managed to take a double on a pair of coyotes last year.

Mac1 · 12-09-2004, 04:19 AM

Forgot to mention that I agree with BeltedMag...top it with a good scope.

USMC PMI · 12-09-2004, 05:01 AM

This is the best rifle a young man can purchase. They are rugged, the price is right, they have great accuracy, but most importantly they force you to learn shot discrimination, and they will actually improve your shooting. My experience has proven that when you do not have that thought of a follow-up shot in your mind, you tend to focus on the shot at hand. I also agree, spend as much as you can afford to put good quality optics on the rifle. Most importantly have fun shooting! I bought one of these rifles for each of my Uncles grandkids in .243, they are 12 and 14 years old and really are pleased. I am sure the .308 will bump you a little but I would not expect a great recoil, the two in .243 I fired did not kick hardly at all but the .243 is a different animinal. Best of luck!

etothepii · 12-09-2004, 01:12 PM

I have one, and I love it. I'm a big supporter of NEF. They are an American company that makes an affordable product. That being said, I have read some reports about people buying what could best be described as a lemon. This means the groups may be a few inches no matter what you do. I'm not sure why, it's just what I've read. My experience is a good one, and I don't even have that good of a scope -- just a Simmons 8 point 3-9x.

i've got the survivor model in .223. It has a great look and feel. The trigger was pretty heavy, but I did the 2 minute, free trigger job, and I'm waiting to see if that helps.

The trigger job is a way to debur some of the interior parts without dissassembly.

Cock the hammer. Put your right thumb behind it, and your left index finger in front of it. Push hard with your thumb forward, and pull the trigger (and duh, make sure it's unloaded.[

])
Anyway, use your left index finger to stop the hammer, thus preventing a dry fire. Do this a few times, and the friction will slightly grind down some of the contact points, making smoother edges and a smoother fire. (In theory. I've read about a lot of guys doing this with success. I'm still waiting to see if it helped mine.)

USMC PMI · 12-09-2004, 01:30 PM

I did the same trigger treatment on a single action Super Blackhawk, it did seem to make some notable improvement. Be careful however not to over do it, you only want to mate the surfaces, not wear them down. Look at it this way, you are only out of a few minutes time if it doesn't help. Good shooting. . . .

Mac1 · 12-09-2004, 06:01 PM

I had a little trouble getting some decent groups with mine. Everything I tried grouped good enough for shooting varmits. I like a good tight group @100. I tried everything on the shelf, and then some handloads. So far the best round is Winchester .45 gr hp. I'm going to try the handloads again, but with a little less powder, I would rather it be a bit slower and more accurate.

Mike01 · 12-09-2004, 08:54 PM

I use the Harrington/Richardson Ultra rifle in .243, it's pretty much the identical rifle. They seem to be real durable, I mean mines had the tar knocked outta it, smacked into trees etc, and it shoots real good. I can get like 2-3inch groups with 13$ winchester ammo and a sandbag.
Overall, I'm really happy with mine, and I'd probably get the same rifle if it got stolen or something.