I have a Chiappa - its an attractive, solid piece. Needed work to get it functional but a really accurate BP shooter from the start
Shoots a 335grain cast using duplex Blackpowder load just a tad over 1500fps - no intention of hotrodding this or of going to pure smokeless. That load will do anything I ever want from it and the gun should last a hundred years or until somebody forgets to clean it.
I bought this rifle used from my LGS - original owner had fired 6 shots, "it kicks too much" backtraded it on a lever shotgun - that was the story anyway (like the little car that granny only drove to church on sundays) I got it home and testing with a dummy round was no way this thing would feed from the magazine - round would not go all the way into the carrier - so I was headed back to the shop but decided to see what it would do first
Loaded 10 rounds as above . I used the first three checking sights, one at 17 yards, second at 25 yards, third at 50 yards with minor sight adjustment as we went - then I cleaned it, put a tang sight on zeroed off the barrel sight setting and shot this target at 100 yards with the remaining seven.
Cold clean barrel is the lone shot high and left - then a three shot group to the right a bit - moseyed up for a look - wow!
back and fired a second three shot group lower down ----I have difficulty getting the same sight picture if I move off the position I started in - stay put and shoot and it goes ok - would be interesting to figure out what it is that I am doing to disturb things - anyway the whole 7 shots is not too bad for a first load out of a new gun but those two little three shot clusters was plenty to stop me from taking it back for a refund - I tore it down and fixed it rather than go argue. Happy I did it - told him (LGS) the story, he knows he didnt con me, also knows now that I made it work. Me.? not scared of putting a screwdriver on an 86 anymore - and have an accurate rifle and load that I am confident in.