Parker-Hale 1200C .25-06 Remington

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

Yesterday I picked this one up, it's a fine example fo the late Parker-Hale production being made in 1987:-









It didn't have the scope on it just the Leupold mounts so I robbed the scope off a BSA Supersport Five to put on this. Using some Sako 117 Grain Gamehead at 70 yards it put in a 3 shot group of 9/16" only 1/2" above the POA. When the dies arrive and I can afford the brass and bullets hopefully a suitably accurate handload can be found . Meanwhile I will have to rely on this factory ammunition.

[dovehunter]

Is that the factory stock? It's a beautiful piece wood!

[Brithunter]

Yes it it .................. I'll be candid and say it's the best that I have seen on a Parker-Hale rifle it's better than most of the wood fitted to the M81 Classic and P-H selected better wood for that model or so the catalogue claims.

Now I believe that better figured wood was used on the 1200P and a special Safari model from the 1960's (need to check the catalogues to tell you which year that was) there was also a special model for Canada, a comemorative model that had better wood on it. What is remarkable about this 1200C is that it's figured both sides unlike the usual production stocks:-


This P-H 1100 Lwt is well figured this side but check out the other side...


It's quite plain. Oh that's a .308 .

[Gil Martin]

Thanks for sharing. All the best...
Gil

[Brithunter]

Thank you Gil,

Well the rifle is not shooting as well as I would like I shot about a dozen rounds through it out back on Saturday and it showed promise but a trip the the range on Sunday turned out dissapointing even though it was with the same two boxes of ammunition

I only brought two boxes, one of Federal premium 100 Grn Nosler Ballistic Tip and a box of Sako 1117 gr Game Head. On the field the Sako showed better grouping but at the range there was not much differecne between them .

One thing that puzzles me is that in each 10 round group was a small cluster of tight shots with the majority scattered opening the group up to around 1.9" I wonder if the rifle has underlying beddign issues. However before we can determine that I need to finish cleaning the bore although it looked clean I decided to give it a real cleaning and after applying Forrest Bore foam the pact came up bright blue so it's copper fouled.


Federl 100 Grn Nosler


Sako 117 Gr

I have noticed this before with used rifles the bore looks clean and a normal wipe through with 009 get clean patches but shot it a little them clean and it's amazing what this removes. The rifle has fired 39 rounds since I brought it. Oh I only brought the two boxes due to the cost as those two boxes cost $72 US and that was slightly discounted too.

[wrenchman]

man and i thought rounds cost a lot here.
Were do you live that you can shoot behind your house?
My brotherinlaw bought a bsa in 26-06 a few years ago and as yet to do anything with it.

[buckhunter]

Did you have a scope on it. Pix show iron sites. Usually a scope and and some range time will improve your groups. If you handload you should really be able to dial it in.

[Brithunter]

Originally Posted by buckhunter

Did you have a scope on it. Pix show iron sites. Usually a scope and and some range time will improve your groups. If you handload you should really be able to dial it in.

Hmmm if you read the whole post you would have noticed this:-


Yep it has a Simmons 6-18x40AO Air Gun Compatition scope on it and NO foresight . I put a cap on the thread as the muzzle is threaded to take a Sound Moderator (silencer) but I have not acquired that little gem yet .

The 6x42 that was original planned does not have a long enough body tube to get the eye relief right I so robbed this one off a BSA Supersport Five .22 L/R. it will have to do for now although I am thinking of robbing a Pecar 3-7x36 off a BSA Monarch in .270 until I can get another scope.

Ahhh I get it now you saw the 1100Lwt and thought it was the 25-06. I only posted the photos of that in response to the comment on the wood as the 1100 has nice grain one side but is quite plain the other side while the newly acquired 1200C has the tiger stipping on both sides.

Were do you live that you can shoot behind your house?

well we have 6 acres and no real near neighbours with lots of farmland out back. This photo was taken from my 70 yard point:-


I have straw bales with a steel plate behind them as a backstop. I originally set up the straw wall for my Achery to catch the arrows and added the steel plate to catch the bullets that make it through the straw...

[wrenchman]

Thow i do live about a hour drive frome were i hunt it would be nice to shoot a little more even a 22 something i cant do liveing in the city.

[Brithunter]

OK here is how it went with the first handloads through the rifle. After shooting the factory fodder I cleaned the rifle as it was not certain when the dies would arrive and when I would be able to pick up some bullets.

The dies arrived on Friday and a trip to the gunshop was made on Saturday well it had to be done even in the snow. For this first trial I selected the Nosler 85 Grain Ballistic Tip for a couple of reasons:-

1) None of the factory loads with weights of 117 Grn and 100Grn had given the accuracy required so a lighter bullet was suggested.

2) friends in the US and Australia had gotten good results on game using this 85 Grn Ballistic Tip so................

Shooting was again carried out at 70 yards.

It seems that this particular rifle likes a fouled bore as the first 4 shots scattered rather than grouping shot #5 was taken at another aiming mark on the Burris Sight In target and it landed low left so a windage adjustment was made as shots #3, #4 and #5 were all left of aim. Then five shots were taken for group:-



The low central one was sworn over as the trigger broke as I "knew" I had pulled it Oh it seems that I must be careful how I place the butt into my shoulder as the new fleece jacket tends to ruck up under the pad along with the coller and alter my hold especially when shooting prone that's the only explanation I can come up with the the alteration in height and which is why more testing is required it's a hard life but someone has to do it . I find it strange that my pulled and called shot landed at exactly the same elevation as the before windage adjustment shot!

The fired cases have been re-charged and I will fire a few more groups to see if it was a fluke or if we are actually getting somewhere.

[bigbrother]

I would say you're getting close. It looks to me that you're under an inch without the shot that you pulled. I'm the same way though, I take lots of time to wring every bit out of it that I can. BUT, if you can't get it to shoot any better than that and you want to get rid of it you let me know! LOL

[Brithunter]

Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit less busy so I will be able to fire another test group , you never know the New scope might arrive but I ain't holding my breathe on that one. I brought a new Simmons Aetec Master Series 2.8-10x44 in Gloss Black which should be good for this but it's in the post . The eye relief with the current 6x40 with these Leupold mounts is not perfect and holding the Simmons Pro Hunter Master Series next to it I am hopeful that the eye relief will be better.

Of course this means that I will have to re-sight it in even with using a collimeter to set up the new scope the same as the one already on it.

Depending on how we get on this rilfe might make it on the trip I am planning in January after Fallow Buck and Roe Does .