tjcnole

I just ordered a new NEF Huntsman from a local dealer. It is the stainless barrelmodel. It should be here next week. I know I need to remove the breech plug and grease it properly before shooting itthe first time, but I wasn't sure what I should do to the barrel before shooting the first time. Should I do any oiling, cleaning or other prep prior to the first shooting?

Thanks for your input. I have read this forum for several months nowand have picked up a lot of info. I hopeI made the right choice on the NEF. I wanted a relatively inexpensive stainless steel barrel break open gun. Mostguys on this board prefer this gun over some of the BPI products and I didn't want to spendthe amount neededto get a TC. I plan on putting a scope on it and have already ordered the scope mount/hammer spur from H&R.

Chris W.

Give the barrel a good cleaning before going to the range. You'd be surprised how dirty those barrels are coming from the factory even though it's a "new" rifle.

The NEF rifles are good weapons. A buddy of mine has one.

cayugad

ARE YOU READY TO SHOOT YOUR RIFLE?[/b]
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If I were in your shoes....

#1 unpack the rifle and look it over.


#2 read the manual cover to cover until you UNDERSTAND the contents of it

#3 clean the rifle including all parts

#4 use a quality breech plug grease and grease the threads of the breech plug then screw the breech plug back in to the rifle finger tight only... do not crank on that plug. In fact after I put them in finger tight, I then turn them back about an 1/8th of a turn.


You are now ready to prepare to shoot the rifle

#5 swab the barrel of the rifle with a patch with some alcohol on it.

#6 push a dry patch to the bottom of the barrel on a cleaningjag and fire a 209 primer into that patch. Then pull the patch and check it to make sure the fire from the primer is coming through the breech plug into the barrel

#7 shoot off two orthree more 209 primers. This will make sure the breech plug is clean and also put a light fowling in the barrel for you.

You are now ready to load the rifle

#8 measure out and place 100 grains of powder in the rifle in pellet or loose form, pouring or dropping this down the barrel.

#9 put the correct size projectile in to the correct size sabot and place that sabot into the crown of the muzzle. This is where I take a wad of patch material, put it over the nose of the projectile and push the projectile under the crown of the muzzle with my thumb. The patch material is more for the benefit of my thumb and not the projectile.

#10 with the long end of your short starter push the projectile into the bore of the rifle

#11 with your correct loading jag attached to the end of your range rod or ramrod push the projectile in as smooth a downward fashion as possible until you feel the projectile hit the powder charge. Make sure the projectile is seated firmly on the powder charge.

#12 leaving your ramrod still in the barrel of the rifle resting on the projectile, take a piece of masking tape and wrap the tape even to the end of the muzzle around your ramrod. This is called the Witness Mark and every time you load the rifle with the same powder charge and projectile you should reach this mark where the tape will be level to the muzzle of the rifle. With the Witness mark now in place on the ramrod

#13 REMOVE THE RAMROD FROM THE BARREL OF THE RIFLE

#14 place a 209 shotgun primer on the breech plug of the rifle located at the breech end of the barrel.

#15 With a target at 25 or 50 yards fire your first shot of out of the rifle

#16 take a patch with a cleaning solution and using a bore brush or cleaning jag on the end of a second ramrod preferably which you will use for swabbing the barrel only, run a wet patch down the barrel. When swabbing the barrel run the patch in short strokes starting at the muzzle. I like to run about four inches at a time in a back and fourth motion, increasing the length of the stroke and patch until I am finally all the way to the breech end of the rifle.

#17 run one or two dry patches down the barrel again in short strokes running from the muzzle to the breech to dry all the moisture out of the barrel. This will also remove extra fowling

#18. It is a good idea to take your time here. I like to swab the barrel clean, and then walk to the target and check the target before I even load the next shot. This gives the barrel time to cool. It also gives you time to calm down, relax and consider what you might have done right or wrong.
#19 now load your rifle in the exactsame manner as you did the first time. Make sure you reach your witness mark. Aim for the same spot on the target as you did the first time. Do not adjust your point of aim because of where your first shot hit. Try and hold the rifle the same as you did the first time, with the same sight picture, and fire the second shot.

#20 After seven to ten shots on the range take your breech plug wrench and just twist the breech plug back and fourth. You do not have to remove it. All you are doing is making sure that the breech plug is not seizing in the breech. And wipe off any excess fowling on the breech plug or that area with isopropyl alcohol on a patch or Q-tip


#21 After you have fired a few shots check the size of the group you are getting. If you are satisfied with it, great. You can decide if you want to increase/decrease the powder charge at this point, adjust the sights or scope (which I do not recommend until you are really happy with the group you are shooting), or just keep shooting the same load having fun....

#22 When you're done shooting for the day, if you are a long way from home or a long time before you will get to cleaning the rifle. Remove the breech plug from the rifle.. This will keep it from seizing in the rifle and making it hard to remove at a later time. At least back it out a few turns.

#23 Clean your rifle as soon as possible according to the directions in the manual.

I am sure I forgot a lot of steps and ask other posters to help me out, and you out by correcting me here... this should get you moving on the range...

MLKeith

I noticed #13 is highlited. GOOD POINT!!! Shooting the ramrod is not a good thing to do. Kicks like "he#*" too. I might suggest that depending on what bullets you intend to use and what you plan to do with the rifle, you take a little time to evaluate how much you need to purchase in supplies. If hunting and only deer or smaller then the under 300gr. bullets should be fine. I might also suggest that you start with Pyrodex even though it is more dirty than most of the new synthetics like Tripple Seven, American Pioneer, Black Mag'3, Goex Pinnacle etc. These newer powder forms are really clean and most are easy to deal with but some are a little picky as to how you load and select bullets for them. In my experience Pyrodex seems to be alot more forgiving and seems to work pretty well with almost any bullet. As suggested get a good solid range rod or two since the ramrod that comes with the rifle is a telescoping one that is less than perfect for heavy use. Personally I would only use it enough to be familiar with how it works and do all other loading and cleaning with solid range rods. That way you can leave the production rod in place just like it will be when you are hunting. Some rifles seem to shoot differently with the ramrod in place vs. ramrod out of the rifle. Once you are comfortable with the rifle then you might consider a different powder and at that time will have more experience to help sort out any problems you might run into. Look for either Winchester Tripple Seven 209 primers or Remington Kleenbore as they are less powerful than standard shotgun 209 primers. You do not want the standard shotgun primers in most cases as the additional power can cause more heavy fouling. Later on you might want to consider getting the conversion .25ACP breechplug which allows use of .25 brass with small rifle primers rather than the plastic carriers that come with the stock rifle. I find the conversion easier to deal with however I am a reloader so I have the equipment to set and remove primers already. The .25 brass with a rifle primer in it is easier to handle than the 209 shotgun primers. The brass lasts longer than the plastic carriers also. This is probably more than you need to know at this point. I tried to only add things that might help you get started without too many sideroads to go down.

Pglasgow

Since everyone else has done such an excellent job explaining the in and outs when it arrives to include safe loading and shooting advice, I would like to just tell you a few things.

1. Make the first projectiles buffalo ballets or pa conicals. You will find that your new bore has sharp edges along where the rifling is cut. Hard to find a cut rifling barrel for the price of a Huntsman but there you go, and my Sidekick's bore is very uniform. You can just push a cotton ball down the bore and it will be clear it news to be smooth out. A good load for ballets is 60 grains Pyro P (by the way, its a hunting load and will easily kill deer to 100 yards) The effect of shooting the cheap conicals is to smooth out the bore and is an alternernative to more agressive techniques like JB bore paste.

2. Save PB's and sabots for later, when the bore is smooth(more like a buttoned barrel) Ifound early on, that PB'sand sabots were difficult to load and exited thebore with unusually low velocityfor the charge. I even broke the ramrod trying to seat, of all things, a 295 PB, so use a range rod, by all means. The plastic, i think, will get to liking the bore better after its had a few conicals through it. Since the bore need breaking in, an inexpensive conical just does the trick without getting into your pocket book.

I think that you will find it excells with conicals, which in my way of thinking, is a sign of a quality bore (not to say that they didn't save money elsewhere in production), but it definitely has a well built bore and an awesome trigger. I don't have any sabots around right now so I cant tell youhow well it will do with them. But I will try them in the future and share the experience.

Good luck with your new Huntsman. Please share your loads, and experience in the forum, I and other are interested in your experience.

Phil

Triple Se7en

Use something like full strength Simple Green, Murphy's Oil Soapor Lestoil-type soaps to remove the packing grease inside the bore. Then rinse it good with rubbing alcohol- then dry thoroughly before oiling. Like Phil suggested, shoot a minimum of one box of full-fledged conicals to smooth the bore of any tiny microscopic burrs.

So in this hot weather, your first typical outing at the range will not be sighting-in -- just getting comfortable with the new rifle & watching it slowly break-in.

Some break-in periods last 60-80 shots with today's inlines. Plastic sabots delay break-in -- so that's why it's important to shoot conicals first.

You got a nice rifle there- even though those red primer carriers are a nuisance to some. I'm still waiting for the first poster to show me a custom NEF - with the wood stock and stainless barrel. I have-yet to see one.

Pglasgow

Me either. I may attempt to build my own stock someday. Would like a wood stock on my SS Sidekick.

Phil