Does anyone on this forum have any first-hand experience with the subject lever rifle?

Hello John
I have quite a bit of experience with this rifle. Maybe best to pm me if interested

Mine was delivered a bit ago,, so far I love it. I've shot it about 50rds and find it easy to shot an accurate,great sights. It's stiff but is smoothing up everytime it's shot. I've chrono'd a few factory and my 350 Horn & 400 Woodleigh and I can see that getting it to brown bear flattening devise will be simple. My bro in law has a carbine and it's only a few fps behind my rifle. I'll post a few pics soon of our targets Ak style soon.

The hornady 350 is not a brown bear bullet. I killed an elk with it but went back to cast bullets. Don't know about the woodleigh but hornady made a run of 400 softs that went from right shoulder to left hip on a moose. Weighed 395 grains.

waterrat,

I read a review on the Bighorn 89 from someone (can't remember who the writer was) that his only nits to pick with the gun was the stiff action. He even showed closeup photos of the two areas of the action where a tiny bit of stoning and deburring would have solved the problem. I would have hoped that BHA would have taken that bit of advice to heart and smoothed out the two areas of the action that contribute to the stiffness. Thanks for the first-hand input.

I just picked up a M89 yesterday, and am really excited about it! It's a beautiful rifle, obviously very well made. Mine has the "hunter black" finish with checkering, fiber optic front sight, and really nice wood in the buttstock portion. I haven't fired it yet, but I plan to remedy that this weekend. I'll try to take some pics and post soon.

Well, I tried to post photos, and all I got was links to the photos rather than photos embedded in the post. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Meanwhile, if anyone is interested, here is a thread from Optics Talk where I posted about the rifle, including photos:

http://www.opticstalk.com/new-toy_topic42816.html

you have to put the picture's url between [img] and [/img] (image tags). clilk 'quote' on this post and you can see how it works.

nice rifle too!

Very nice! My FFL just received the stainless carbine I bought used yesterday. It will be in "california jail" for the mandatory 10-day waiting period. That black finish against such beautiful wood is awfully pretty. Nice, nice, nice. Congratulations on a fine rifle.

Thanks for the advice, toad. Yeah, I actually did use the [img] & [/img] tags around the url for my image hosting site, and it just posted the links themselves instead of the photo. This was before I posted them on OT. Not sure what went wrong.

Regardless, thanks for the compliment on my rifle! I'm head over heels in love with it! It shoots and looks great, and it's extremely well made!

John, be sure and post pics and your impression of your carbine when you get it. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

I can tell you for sure that the wood on yours is nicer than the wood on mine. I have another carbine on order with the upgraded wood but that won't be ready according to BHA until September.

As soon as this one comes home with me I'll take a couple of pix and post them.

After seeing RifleDude's beautiful wooden stock there seems to be a TREMENDOUS variation in what quality stock is called "Grade 1" from BHA.

Compare RifleDude's beautiful stock to these "Grade1" stock photos. Notice that the butt stock on this rifle literally has very wide checks from improper drying that have been filled in with finish. This stock should have never even been put on a rifle, much less been called "Grade 1" with an upcharge.





If the rifle I have on order (with "Grade 1" wood) looks like this one I'm going to send it back.

Compare with RifleDude's stick:

I agree, John; I'd be pretty upset if I paid extra for upgraded wood and that's what I received. I wonder if they will let you select wood from inventory photos? Doesn't hurt to ask.

Who's rifle is that one?

Ted, the photos above yours are from a gun in a shop I had found and was gonna buy until I saw the photos.

Believe me, there is no flexibility on wood selection. I begged and pleaded with Greg to be allowed to supply my own wood to the stock maker but was flatly told that doing so was not possible. I was going to have a high-dollar chunk of bastogne put on my gun on order but was denied the opportunity. After that I talked with the stock maker directly who said that he had over 300 stock sets already cut on his CNC waiting orders from BHA. So my guess is that BHA is in "stock hock" to the stock maker and needs to use up what's available.

Surprisingly none of the stocks are "graded" until they arrive back at BHA to be put on a rifle (at least according to the stock maker). I may at some point go ahead and send him a nice piece of bastogne and have a professional stock fitter do the glass bedding that Greg says is mandatory for strength in the stock head.

But for sure I'd never pay extra for a fairly plain stock that has checks and obvious signs of improper drying.

I'm obviously in love with the concept of this rifle. Just bought a used one that's in the 10-day jail period here in California. Have another one on order (should be ready in September). And was going to buy this one too until seeing the wood. All I can say is that for the upgraded wood price I expect upgraded wood. I double checked and the photo of the gun in the gun shop is indeed Grade 1 wood with the upcharge.

I hear ya, John.

It's disappointing that a small manufacturer like BHA is unwilling or unable to work with you on the wood, especially if you're willing to pay extra to get what you want.

This is why I never buy a wood stocked rifle sight-unseen anymore. I've been burned one too many times by "upgraded" wood that was too optimistically graded. I only buy wood stocked guns at gun shows or one of the online gun sites (Gunbroker, Guns America, Guns International). Occasionally. I'll buy from a local gun store, if they happen to have an exceptional specimen, but I usually end up spending a bit more than I wanted at gun stores.

I won't even buy from the online sites if they fail to provide good clear photos of what they're selling. I'm to the point in my life now that any firearm that has wood on it will have nice wood or I won't own it. The only exception to this is if the firearm in question is such a good deal that it leaves money in the budget for me to restock with nicer wood.

I found mine on Guns International, and the seller provided great high definition photos, so I knew what I was getting beforehand. You certainly don't find these rifles for sale online very often, but if you can remain patient and keep at the search, you'll eventually be rewarded.

I'd love to comment about this former business partner, but something about pictures speaking so much louder than words. I apologize to all the hunters that like this rifle and it's power.I tried with everything I could to do this rifle right. It deserves much better than him....

Sounds like there's a story there that needs to be told. Care to share details?

Here are some photos of the used one I just brought home:

So it's a stainless model? Hope your out shooting it.

Darn nice looking rifle!

That's very nice, John! Beautiful rifle! Thanks for posting pics of it! Be sure and follow up with a range report.

Congrats on a nice score, sir!

RifleDude, finally got a chance to go to the range with the 89. Shot it with open sights and did okay, but offhand and with my aging eyes I knew the rifle was better than what I was getting.

I had mounted an RMR-07 on a LaRue QD mount and wanted to try that on the rifle. It was, to quote Forrest Gump, "like peas and carrots". Put the red dot on the spot you want to shoot and that's where the bullet goes. At 25 yards I shot three three-shot groups that were touching. Took the RMR off and remounted it multiple times with no change in zero. Plenty good enough for my intended purpose. I'm much more accurate with a red dot.

I have a few other red dots I intend to try on the rifle but the fact that the RMR sits so close to the bore makes it easy to align eyes and sight. After that experience i altered my existing order for another 89 to include the optional rail. The rail is ungainly and not sleek but hitting what you want is more important in my opinion.

Outstanding, John! I'm glad your 89 is treating you well and that you managed to get one with nice wood.

I absolutely love mine! I've been to the range multiple times with it since I posted my first range report, and it has been as accurate as I can possibly hope for an open sights lever action to be. I'm sure I could squeeze a bit more precision out of it with an optic, but I like it just the way it is. I seriously couldn't ask for more in a lever action, and I wouldn't change a thing.

The RMR is an outstanding little red dot sight. I have 2 of them, both the LED versions, both on pistols. If I were going to put an optic of any kind on my 89, I'd opt for the RMR, as it's so small and unobtrusive.

Congratulations, buddy!