11 replies to this topic

[duckslayer]

Does anyone have any experience with the H&R Ultra Varmint?

I am looking for an accurate gun in .223 to back up my .17 HMR and .204 when the barrels warm up on prairie dogs.

Are the guns ACCURATE?
Are they reliable?

I am interested in this bad boy:



Does anyone know if it's a shooter?

Thanks,

[Mag-Check]

Nice little rifle! My brother in-law has one in .270 one in 22.250 one in .223 loves them says there tack drivers. Ive got a huntsmen in 50cal. and im thinking about getting a 45/70 barrel for it!

[n-rigger]

5o/50 chance youll get an accurate one right from the box. the ones that dont shoot require tinkering and if tinkering doesnt work, itll never be a shooter....but these are rare and if you get a lemon, NEF will usually repair it free of charge. for factory ammo, they usually seem to like WIN 45gr hp in the white boxes. good thing, too, since this is some cheaper quality ammo. go ahead and snag one...this prices are great!

i have one in 17hmr, btw. still tinkering with it but it shoots fairly well right now.

Edited by n-rigger, 16 September 2006 - 06:49 PM.

[idvarmint]

I love my H&R Ultra 223. Very accurate and can shoot P-dogs all day long without cleaning it. My load is 26 gr. Varget with 50 gr. TNT and CCI primers.

I also purchased a 204 barrel. I had a bad barrel (accuracy was very poor) and had to send it back to the factory. I talked directly to the technician before I sent it back to make sure they understood what problems I had experiencing. They quickly sent me a new one. It shoots very well. Well worth the money for both. Reliable and accurate.

For the money it's tought to beat!

[aulrich]

I currently have one in 204, I like it. I have got a 22 hornet on layaway right now. They can take some tinkering to get to shoot, lots of good info on handi's at www.graybeardoutdoors.com, and most of the tinkering is pretty simple. Even though it may take some tinkering make sure to shoot it a while stock, they can take some breaking in (200 rounds or so). And I think lots of guys (that includes me and my first handi a 243 ultra) start tinkering too soon and end up frustrating themselfs.

[plain old Bill]

As noted graybeardoutdoors.com has a active forum for shooters of such.

I don't own the .223 however at graybeardoutdoors it is reported to be one of the most consistently accurate calibers in the line and again as noted does prefer the Winny white box 45 gr for inexpensive .223 ammo. Many whom own this caliber report moa to sub moa 5 shot groups.

POB

[Mag-Check]

The Hornet is more like the rimfires than the CFs thats why I like it so much and for downloading it beats the .223 hands down! Ive got a little load worked out its a 40gr. Sierra with 10gr. of IMR 4198 behind at just over 2,050fps its the perfect little small game round and unlike most down loads the 4198 fills the Hornet case nicely!

[6mm user]

i used to have a 223 ultra varmint............i still regret selling it

[nixter]

I have a Handi-Rifle in 223. Not the nice laminate stock like you pictured but mine does have the heavy barrel. Took it out to the range Saturday and shot at 200 yards. Cheap Bushnell Sportview scope, 6X18X40. Shooting from a bull bag I managed eight shots into a two inch group there were two fliers that opened the group to two and some change. Ammo was Black Hills blue box 50 Gr V-Max.

Had the scope cranked up and it wasn't real clear but I fudged my way through it. I don't shoot at that high a power very often and remembered why, every little twitch, heartbeat etc., was magnified in the scope.

I do know one thing, off a bench, I don't see any reason not to take this rifle to a PD field. Never shot it prone with a bipod but I think I should. Handis aren't know for liking bi-pods.

As a walking around/calling gun, with the current scope, no way. Not Handi anymore. No balance, hard to describe.

Reliability? Never had an issue yet. Probably less than 200 rds through it so it's barely broken in but no problems yet.

If I ever find my cable thingy to plug my digital camera into my 'puter I'll post some pics of groups and the rifle.

Nixter

[jps223]

i had one identical to the one you are thinking of buying. it was a great shooting gun! i sold it, ( and shouldnt have!!!!) and i bought a CZ 527 in .223. i think it was a good trade off but that NEF shot great.

[TJD]

I found a used Ultra in 25-06. It shot as well as my Ruger M77 in 25-06. It was sent back to H&R to be fitted with a heavy barrel in 223. It be came my back up gun. The load was 26.5 grains of Varget behind a 50 gr. Blitz King. It definitly shot minute of Pdog.
One morning in western Kansas the barrel on my Remington 700 VS died. I reached for the Ultra. When I ran out of ammo the body count was 298. I was trying for 300.
Oh by the way that 700 now has a Douglas heavy barrel in 223 Ackley Improved. It is a dog killer.

[dawgmaster]

I had 3 NEF Handi-rifles (all laminates), 223 shot great, 204 pretty well and the 243 was pretty disappointing. Overall probably not a bad gun for the money! However, I'd probably not buy another one. Not with the price of some Remington and Savage models being what they are. jmop