22 hornet

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  • Last Post 26 February 2015
Vassal posted this 25 December 2014

I have been lusting after a 22 hornet of some sort for a while, single shot preferred. I just stumbled across this offering.

http://www.chiappafirearms.com/product/829 Any experience..?

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giorgio de galleani posted this 25 December 2014

I have the 38-55 Little Sharps made by  Chiappa.

Very nice shooter of cast bullets.

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Vassal posted this 25 December 2014

Terrific. Giorgio, what about the length of pull? I am 6'3” (190cm) tall. I'm a bit worried about the cheek weld and eye placement for that rear sight...

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giorgio de galleani posted this 26 December 2014

I am six foot two, and I have found a favourable stock lenght , using the original peep sight , with light  summer or heavy winter clothes.

The light long barrel is a natural pointer for  offhand shooting .

Actually I have sold my long heavy barreled 45-70 Sharps replica rifles ,and the Uberti Hyghwall replicas ,just because  too much muzzle heavy .

I am a burned out bench rest shooter , I use the rest  only ,and briefly to zero in the scoped rifles.

I have kept a Sharps Cavalry Carbine replica by Chiappa just because it handles so well from offhand.

Years ago I used it in 200 meters  so called Long Range cowboy matches in Italy placing in the top fourth of the shooters.

I used a Soule peep sight reolica, the same that I have mounted on the Little sharps 38-55.

giorgio de galleani posted this 26 December 2014

The first Little Sharps made might have a feeble hammer percussion strenght, causing misfires with large magnum rifle primers, so I used large pistol primers with success .

You could try the Federal pistol primers ,they are the softest available .

I was later given a stronger  hammer spring from  Mr Berlucchi ,the factory boss.

The Cavalry 1878 carbine and the Little Sharps

Vassal posted this 26 December 2014

That is great information, thanks. I don't know about the pricing in Italy, but in America they are around $1000 US.  That's a bit steep, though what are my options? I could get a Martini and send it to a smith, but I would end up at the same price point or higher. Ruger #1's are similarly priced and not as nostalgic.   HMMM..?   I may just bite the 22 calibre bullet and order one when I return to Missouri from my, not to be disclosed, Middle Eastern location.

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giorgio de galleani posted this 26 December 2014

In Italy The Chiappa Rifles are a little cheaper Than the Ruger N1 or N°3, and spare parts and service are easily available .

Our Ruger problem is Italian gun laws and what lies between the ears of the importer. Spares are unavailable and rifles appear  for sale at random in calbers like 243 w , not in old rimmed cases or other  calibers that make sense to me .

The N°1 while present in 416 Rigby did not exist in the importer 's warehouse.

Neither the 30-40 Krag  nor the 300H%H.

I could lay my hands  only an old  used N°3   45-to carbine and a  new 375H&H 

Both wonderful rifles for my offhand use.

The Chiappa replicas are a piece of living American  history ,the Rugers are modern strong  pieces of artillery. Control that the Chiappa  importer is a serious firm ,and the availability of spares.

I like both .

Here's a rack of not so à là page rifles ,but very handy to shoot cast bullets at steel plates at 60 yards from offhand ,standing.

Vassal posted this 26 December 2014

Beautiful indeed.    I have always admired the Jungle Carbine also, but never actively sought one.     My next clarification lies with twist rate. The Chiappas use a 1 - 16”      I'm inexperienced with the Hornet and don't know what that means exactly for shooting cast, but I may be limited to the lightest bullets at cast velocities. Do people even cast 40's? I don't know...

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OU812 posted this 26 December 2014

NOE has the molds you need.

The Lyman M expender die works very well also. I like the Lyman expander over the NOE .224 expander.

Sorry I have never shot cast in my 22 Hornet, but my Ruger 22 Hornet loves the Sierra 45 grain Round Nose bullet over most others.

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John Alexander posted this 26 December 2014

Vassal wrote: My next clarification lies with twist rate. The Chiappas use a 1 - 16”      I'm inexperienced with the Hornet and don't know what that means exactly for shooting cast, but I may be limited to the lightest bullets at cast velocities. Do people even cast 40's? I don't know... Vassal, You will need short bullets.  I am away from home so can't measure bullet length but in my 218 Bee with a 16” twist the new Lyman 225415 is too long. The holes are all oblong and the groups terrible.  But the old, somewhat shorter, old version of 415 shoots OK. It shoots the Sierra 40 grain RN “Hornet” better than the 45 grain version which also sometimes tips.

It is the height of stupidity that manufacturers go to extra trouble to put 16” twists on Hornets and Bees, in spite of making most of there 22CF barrels in faster twists. I think it is a combination the originators of the Hornet used 22RF barrels with a 16” twist (and thus it got into SAAMI) and the completely inability of rifle manufacturers to use their brains when it comes to twist. John  

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tturner53 posted this 26 December 2014

That Chiappa looks like a ton of fun, but, for a shooter consider what your plans are. There's some nice Hornets available. Even the very humble H&R Handi Rifle has a Hornet option. The newer ones are 9” twist. I reamed mine out to 'K' Hornet on a whim, hunting in mind. Accuracy can be pretty good, very low dough. There's some bolt actions too but I don't know of any with a more modern faster twist.

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nimrod posted this 26 December 2014

The Thompson-Center Hornet barrels are 12 inch twist I don't know what the Rugers are but personally I would not want one twisted slower than 14 inches my 2 cents worth your bullet choices are just too small.

RB

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 27 December 2014

my best load with my ruger 77h was with hornady sx 50 gr. must be 1-14, i think i remember.

mine is the pencil barrel; the barrel quality is good, but almost non-existant bedding out of the box. i added pillar bedding and a bedded recoil feature and it shoots 1 moa . a cute but light rifle, it comes with a heavy but tuneable trigger. floats a little on the bench ( g ) .


i think lyman 107 was a light bullet, but i would either order a special, or get a lee bator ... and mill the blocks to make a shorter casting.


oh yeah don't forget the 22 rimfire and their 1/2 moa 40 grains ...soft, no gas check ... 16-17 twist ... it keeps trying to tell us something ...

ken

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Canuck Bob posted this 26 February 2015

The other end of the economy scale would be Handi Hornet. Mine has 9” twist (yea), plastic stock (yuck), and iron sights (yea). It is still listed on their website.

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