Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Remember the Chiappa Mini-Sharps I mentioned before?

Lovely thing.  Few days back hit the outdoor range and the guy with the .357 Mag one was there trying out some loads, in specific
Hornady FTX 140-grain bullet over AA#9 powder, and
Speer Gold Dot 135-grain hollowpoints over 2400.

Get this: at 100 yards, the FTX loads were giving 1.5-2" groups.
The GD load were giving 2-2.25" groups. 
With it zeroed so the FTX loads were dead-on, the GD loads hit 8" above POA; I'd love to know what the velocities are on both of them.

He also shot at 50 yards; the FTX were dead-on(I'm guessing 2-3" high at 75), and the GD loads were 4" high.

The problem: he hasn't been able to find any of those bullets for months, so until he does, now that it's zeroed, no more shooting with the ones he has.

I restate: love to have one of these in .30-30.

4 comments:

Critter said...

it seems they do:


http://www.chiappafirearms.com/product/829

go forth! buy!

Gerry N. said...

A few years ago I found a 1968 H&R Topper M158 in .30-30 for cheap, really cheap. It must have been unfired, it was so clean and unmarred. To make a long story interminable, it has become one of my favorite shooters. Ace Dube sold me a .32ACP adaptor for $20, it which has proven to be a brilliant idea. At .50 yds I can keep 'em in a 4" circle all day using .32 wadcutters which I have a fifteen lb box of over 4gr. of Unique and a small rifle primer. I accidentaly bought 3K of Wolf SR primers just before primers got nearly invisible a few years ago. The Wolf primers and the Unique make a dirty load, but it has not appreciable recoil and the dirt disappears with the application of some compressed air and a clean patch wiped through the bore. .30-30 rounds, factory and handloads are accurate beyond my abilities. My .30-30 cast bullet load is a Lee 130gr. RN tumble lubed and powered by 12gr. of Unique. A bit dirty, but plunks 'em in there at 100Yds into a 6" circle with very little recoil. Arthritis makes me very recoil sensitive now that I'm a Certified Geezer and my shoulders pretty much hurt all the time. This is a pleasant load to shoot and I'm gonna bet myself the cost of a License and deer tag this fall that it is lethal on Bambi's daddy (or mama). I don't have access to a chronograph so I'll just have to shoot a deer to find out.

I'm fishing around the web for a reciever sight for it. No luck so far, and a scope is doable, but feels totally out of place on a break action rifle. Maybe some kind of tang sight would work, I dunno.

Gerry N

Firehand said...

Critter, they do make them, the problem is finding one; I did some looking around online, and I found .22(three flavors) and a .357, but no .30-30; apparently they make few of them.

Gerry, I'd heard good things about those rifles; sounds like they were correct.

Gerry N. said...

Damissus thinks I'm nuts 'cause I sold a perfectly good Win. 94 for money to buy components with. The Topper is that much fun to shoot.

Shooting .32 ACP in it is a hoot, and not very loud. I'm gonna try it with a heavier RN cast boolit to see how it does.

I'm also fishin' around to find someone to make up a Topper bbl in .25-35 Win. for me. I've got one for my Condender. 5 or 6 years ago a suicidal deer attacked me so I shot him with it. Killed 'im it did. Da Missus and I just finished eating the last of him. She made venison stew, and it was wonderful.

Gerry N