vanfunk
Member
So I gathered up an odd-ball panoply of handguns today and proceeded to the range. I was pleased to find the place deserted so I could spread out. I like elbow room. Here’s the rundown:
Nighthawk Thunder Ranch Combat Special. Out of the box, this thing was a turd; couldn’t get through a magazine without a feedramp stoppage. Sent it back, got it returned to me last week. Ammo: factory, American Eagle and New Republic 230 grain ball. Thankfully, the gun ran like Giuliani’s hair dye. Accuracy is formidable and it pretty much cut one big hole at point of aim at 25 yards. See separate thread “Prodigal son Nighthawk returns.”
Next:
Charter Arms Bulldog classic blued 3” .44 Special. Ammo: “Skeeter” handloads of 7.5 grains of Unique behind a 240 grain LSWC from RimRock. Holy Hell, the recoil. That’s a handful, for sure. BUT it shot to point of aim at 15 yards and just a little left, not too much to worry about and it might even have been me, anticipating the recoil. Those averaged 806 fps past my Garmin Xero. Notwithstanding the pain, which I think I can get used to, I love this cheap little thing! Pachmayr compac grips are a huge improvement over the anonymous wood stocks that come with it from the factory.
Next:
Colt Cobra 2” Talo edition. Ammo: handload 158 grain coated LSWC in front of 5.4 grains Silhouette. Nice. 825 fps and right to the sights. I swapped the fiber optic from my King Cobra Target .22 and put the Cobra’s gold bead on the rimfire; works better for both. Hands-down THE BEST .38 snubby I’ve ever had. Smooth action and wickedly accurate. It’s heavy at 25oz but that makes it more shootable. I even shot it at the 12” steel silhouette at 50 yards; bang, ping! Love it.
Next, surprise:
One of my faves, a 2020 production 4 3/4” Colt SAA, .45 Colt. Ammo: 200 grain RimRock RNFP over 8.6 grains of Unique. A chorus of angels. That little SAA laid 5 rounds on top of each other right in the center of a shoot-n-see silhouette at 25 yards. Notwithstanding the skimpy sights, this thing shot like a target revolver and sent bullet after bullet right in the red center of it.
Nighthawk Thunder Ranch Combat Special. Out of the box, this thing was a turd; couldn’t get through a magazine without a feedramp stoppage. Sent it back, got it returned to me last week. Ammo: factory, American Eagle and New Republic 230 grain ball. Thankfully, the gun ran like Giuliani’s hair dye. Accuracy is formidable and it pretty much cut one big hole at point of aim at 25 yards. See separate thread “Prodigal son Nighthawk returns.”
Next:
Charter Arms Bulldog classic blued 3” .44 Special. Ammo: “Skeeter” handloads of 7.5 grains of Unique behind a 240 grain LSWC from RimRock. Holy Hell, the recoil. That’s a handful, for sure. BUT it shot to point of aim at 15 yards and just a little left, not too much to worry about and it might even have been me, anticipating the recoil. Those averaged 806 fps past my Garmin Xero. Notwithstanding the pain, which I think I can get used to, I love this cheap little thing! Pachmayr compac grips are a huge improvement over the anonymous wood stocks that come with it from the factory.
Next:
Colt Cobra 2” Talo edition. Ammo: handload 158 grain coated LSWC in front of 5.4 grains Silhouette. Nice. 825 fps and right to the sights. I swapped the fiber optic from my King Cobra Target .22 and put the Cobra’s gold bead on the rimfire; works better for both. Hands-down THE BEST .38 snubby I’ve ever had. Smooth action and wickedly accurate. It’s heavy at 25oz but that makes it more shootable. I even shot it at the 12” steel silhouette at 50 yards; bang, ping! Love it.
Next, surprise:
One of my faves, a 2020 production 4 3/4” Colt SAA, .45 Colt. Ammo: 200 grain RimRock RNFP over 8.6 grains of Unique. A chorus of angels. That little SAA laid 5 rounds on top of each other right in the center of a shoot-n-see silhouette at 25 yards. Notwithstanding the skimpy sights, this thing shot like a target revolver and sent bullet after bullet right in the red center of it.
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