Author Topic: Topper 158 30-30 (Read 874 times)

Daman · « **on:** March 12, 2010, 12:59:14 PM »

Guys

Okay, I finally got my Topper out and shot it a few minutes ago and man it is sweet. It has almost no recoil and isn't real loud. Now here in lies the problem, I was just shooting it to to check blow back on a round since I don't have sites on it yet. My father in law says it will do 1" at 100 yards, but I have only shot it out to 75 and did about 1" there. Well he asked if he could get the Weaver scope and scope rail off of it for another of his Handis and of course I let him since he gave me the gun. Now the debate is do I want dovetail rifle sights with the buckhorn rear sight and blade front, do I want peep rear with brass bead front or do I want to throw on a Redfield 2-7x33 in some low rings and call it a day?

Daman

geezer56 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2010, 01:06:02 PM »

I have the same rifle. Mine wears a peep rear sight off of a Buffalo Classic, front is a Marble's base with a firesite bead. It is the best carrying Handi that I have, and more fun than getting dirty with 150 to 190 grain cast bullets at about 1800-1900 FPS. My 59 yr old eyes need the firesite though, otherwise it would be a scope for me.

carbineman · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2010, 01:09:27 PM »

Entirely up to you. Depending on what you are going to do with it. My Toppers have scopes, but I still have the original sights on two of them. I just purchased a Redfield 2-7x33 with Accurange reticle. I'm eager to give it a try on my recently acquired 30-06 barrel.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2010, 01:22:09 PM »

I just put a 4X Redfield Wideangle Lo pro with low Burris rings on my new M158 in 22Remington Jet got all kinds of hammer room. If you like sights and your young enough to use them it is entirly up to you and how you plan on using the gun. Kurt

fredster22 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2010, 01:39:17 PM »

I have the same rifle in a 157 version(mannlicher stock) that came to me without a rear sight but with a rail, put a 1.5 x 5 bushnell
shotgun scope on it and never looked back. It is light, handles well and if I do my part will give me 1''- 1.5" consistantly with any
load I feed it and is pleasure to use and has taken several whitetails here in the eastern woods. Much nicer than my other Handi
modern version. Fred

blaze · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2010, 01:48:08 PM »

My two Toppers models 058 and 258 are both .357mag, shorter ranged than your 30-30, and carry the original open sights (folding rear). The are my very favorite LIGHT walkabout rifles.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2010, 02:44:46 PM »

Quote from: Daman on March 12, 2010, 12:59:14 PM

Guys

Okay, I finally got my Topper out and shot it a few minutes ago and man it is sweet. It has almost no recoil and isn't real loud. Now here in lies the problem, I was just shooting it to to check blow back on a round since I don't have sites on it yet. My father in law says it will do 1" at 100 yards, but I have only shot it out to 75 and did about 1" there. Well he asked if he could get the Weaver scope and scope rail off of it for another of his Handis and of course I let him since he gave me the gun. Now the debate is do I want dovetail rifle sights with the buckhorn rear sight and blade front, do I want peep rear with brass bead front or do I want to throw on a Redfield 2-7x33 in some low rings and call it a day?

Daman

Hard choice..one I am having as well...The scopes are nice if you need them..but a real good micrometer peep site with a large ghost ring aperture and fire sight works great too..Buck horn sights you can keep..Don't like them..never have..

Mac

cwlongshot · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2010, 01:55:01 AM »

If you can still see'em well enough nothing is trimmer or "handier" than a good set of peeps. But as we age its better to actually see things so the preference goes to a scope. A nice compromise may be a red dot or a lo, small fixed power scope with lots of eye relief mounted lo and forward of the hammer.

The Weaver #82 base with a extra slot cut works well for this!!

CW

blind ear · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2010, 03:39:39 AM »

My eyes are old and have floaters and are blurry from being dry most of the time. I have been working with some pellet gun sites, getting them tuned to have proper light spaces for refrence distances and allignment (aim small, miss small) and I am about to decide to get a dovetail guide so I can install peeps or buck horns on my low recoil rifles. to help keep the weight down and keep them "Handi". Wearing scopes they get to be more bulky than I want them to be. With the sites tuned up a little I can do an OK job of shooting.

Also going to set up to shorten the barrels and stocks a little. But that is just me. eddie

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2010, 03:41:57 AM »

To me the beauty of a Handi is the way they carry so easily with open sights. A scope takes away the "Handiness". I plan on avoiding scopes until my eyes tell me that I absolutely need one.

Daman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2010, 04:13:18 AM »

Quote from: Doublebass73 on March 13, 2010, 03:41:57 AM

To me the beauty of a Handi is the way they carry so easily with open sights. A scope takes away the "Handiness". I plan on avoiding scopes until my eyes tell me that I absolutely need one.

Well as bad as I hate to say it, my eyes are so bad if I don't put my glasses on as soon as I get out of bead I get a migraine. I am very near sighted (can read the fine print on a legal document, but can't see the numbers on the microwave from 10 feet away) so I have leaned to scopes for a long time, but here recently I got some new glasses that are the best I have ever had so I have went to open sights on both of my other 30-30's and a couple of 22's and they do fine out to about 50 yards.

Now to answer a few questions. This gun will ride in the front seat of my Silverado 24/7 and will only come out if I go in the woods with someone else. I generally grab my 223 or 30-06 when I go to check the pastures so range is going to not be an issue with the 30-30. I may occasionally have a shot or two in the river swamp that will run over 100 yards, but most of those if I am patient I can cut to 50 or less by just hitting the trail head where they will come out and waiting them out. Also I may have only shot a peep sight once or twice in my life. I really like the kind of rifle sights on on my M94, but they are kinda fine. I also like the kind on the Ruger 10/22's but they aren't really adjustment friendly. See my dilemna???

Daman

gcrank1 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2010, 05:03:57 AM »

Regarding mounting sights: If you have done dovetail work and/or know what it takes to keep it straight, level, and uniform side to side they are OK. Remember, it is almost impossible to fix a botched job. Dovetails can be done, just a word of caution.
Screw on sights such as the Williams WGOS and their ramp fronts will need 3 holes D/T and if you use a bead front consider the small dia. gold (Ive no experience with the firesight type). If you use the ramp front and the BC type peep you only need to D/T one hole. Again, the holes need to be straight and level. You dont do this with a hand drill in a vise.
My point is, that whichever mounting method you use, if it is crooked when you look down the barrel you are going to see this everytime you shoot it, and it is not going to make you happy.
My eyes are not unlike yours, and I have taken to low power scopes of late (old Weaver K-2.5 and K-3) with satisfaction. I still have some open sight and peep sight equiped rifles to play with, and some days do well with, but in the real, serious world of hunting (clean kill) I think the scope is wise.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2010, 05:09:49 AM »

Any smith worth his salt cut his teeth cutting dovetails and centering holes for mounts, sites etc.

If you speaking on DYI, then yes a dovetail isn't something anyone can just do... But centering up a barrel for centered sites for drill and tapping isn't a walk in the park for someone who hasn't done it before either... Go slow, check and recheck and measure again be positive everything is square and its very doable.

CW

Daman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2010, 05:31:17 AM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on March 13, 2010, 05:03:57 AM

Regarding mounting sights: If you have done dovetail work and/or know what it takes to keep it straight, level, and uniform side to side they are OK. Remember, it is almost impossible to fix a botched job. Dovetails can be done, just a word of caution.
Screw on sights such as the Williams WGRS and their ramp fronts will need 3 holes D/T and if you use a bead front consider the small dia. gold (Ive no experience with the firesight type). If you use the ramp front and the BC type peep you only need to D/T one hole. Again, the holes need to be straight and level. You dont do this with a hand drill in a vise.
My point is, that whichever mounting method you use, if it is crooked when you look down the barrel you are going to see this everytime you shoot it, and it is not going to make you happy.
My eyes are not unlike yours, and I have taken to low power scopes of late (old Weaver K-2.5 and K-3) with satisfaction. I still have some open sight and peep sight equiped rifles to play with, and some days do well with, but in the real, serious world of hunting (clean kill) I think the scope is wise.

It has a dovetail and the barrel is D/T for a front sight and scope rail. All I need to do is just decide what I want to do and do it.

Daman

Daman · « **Reply #14 on:** March 16, 2010, 06:32:19 AM »

I have settled on this rear sight:

Marble's 69W Windage Adjustable Folding Leaf Rear Sight

CNC machined from solid blued-steel. Fully adjustable for windage and elevation with traditional flat-top and reversible "U" or "V' notch plate. Fits 3/8" dovetails. Height adjusts from .400" to .505".

What height front sight will I need??

Daman

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2010, 06:37:48 AM »

Marbles has a sight height formula.

Tim

http://www.marblearms.com/rearSights_info.html

Daman · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2010, 06:57:47 AM »

I found it from your PM and printed it out. Will put the calipers on it tonight and order tomorrow. Thanks guys.

Daman

Daman · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2010, 08:00:23 AM »

I went ahead and ordered my sights cause they were on sale today, but it ends at midnight. $5.00 off shipping. I ordered the Flip-Up/Down rear sight with full adjustments and the Fiber Optic front ramp 0.405" high with 0.040" bead. I got the orange or red bead I really couldn't tell. I will update with pics when it comes in!

Daman

44 Man · « **Reply #18 on:** March 16, 2010, 08:22:08 AM »

I put a firesight front on a Marlin .35 rem with a large peep rear and liked it very much. But as I age I find that I need a scope for accuracy and seeing that last 2" limb in the way. My favorite is a small, low powered variable like my Bushnell 1.25 X 4. I love a gun with open sights, but have resigned myself that if I wish to still shoot as well as I once did, I need a scope. 44 Man

Daman · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2010, 08:28:37 AM »

I was leaning to a scope, but after I cleaned it up and refinished the stocks, I decided it would become my toting gun. That said I generally have two long guns in my truck depending on season. Fall and Winter I have a deer rifle with a scope and my toting gun for anything besides deer. Spring I have my 870 and my toting gun. Summer I have a 22 and my toting gun.

I decided I really needed a fast grab and shoot or point and shoot gun more than a lay over the hood hold tight and shoot something 150 yards away. I plan on shooting 50 yards or so with this gun. I will probably zero at 30 yards and go from there.

Daman