Sure do love that NewVaq

[shu]

Just wanted to say it. After clocking some 9mm reloads out of two glocks and the beretta 92fs, I had to haul out the Ruger NewVaq 45colt.

..maybe it's sliding those big cartridges into the loading gate;

..maybe it's the feel of the plough handle, the heft and balance of the piece;

..maybe it's the trigger (well, yes.. but it certainly is a relief after getting a bad case of glockfinger);

..maybe it's 12-out-of-12 pings on a 4 inch steel pipe at 25 yards;

..or maybe it's just shucking the empties out into the hand, not having to scruff through the grass and sand-spurs on hands and knees.

Hornady #12308 soft lead 230gr round nose, 6.0g trailboss, at 1.610 o.a.l. - nice!

-shu

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I've got a new Vaquero Montado set ( a pair of consecutive serialed guns )... in fact Mrs Magnum got me a double holster set for them for Christmas...

... but I definately have been making the switch towards almost all revolvers... I'm not getting rid of my autos, but I don't enjoy shooting them as much as my revolvers anymore, & picking up brass is a big part of it...

back when I used to have an AR, I built a brass catcher, which worked pretty good, but it was something else to futz with, & 30 cases hanging off the side didn't help the balance of the gun... now my 2 most fired semi auto guns are both rifles, both are throw away cases... a 10-22,& an SKS,& I keep a range magnet on a stick for picking up the steel cases... the 10-22 is much harder to clean up after... otherwise I prefer my rifles not to chuck brass all over anymore as well...

 

[Jeff]

I have to agree, that New Vaquero is one helluva little gun. I picked one up last summer (blued/case hardened 4 5/8", .45 Colt), adding yet another single action and yet another .45 Colt to the collection. It's rapidly becoming one of my favorites.

I used to choose between a 4 5/8" stainless Blackhawk or a 4 3/4" blued Colt (both in .45 Colt) when I was heading out and about. I really like the Colt because it is smaller, and with its fixed sights and much more rounded top strap, rides much more comfortably stuffed in my waist band, border style. My "old" Vaquero was the same shape, but much noticably bigger, so I hardly ever carried it. The blackhawk only came along when I was wearing a long enough coat to cover it in a holster, generally heading for the woods instead of downtown.

Now the New Vaquero fills both roles. I've been able to put the more valuable Colt into "semi-retirement". I've relegated the stainless Blackhawk to extended backwoods trips, whether hunting or backpacking. It is now going to be more or less permanantly zeroed with my "heavy" load, a 300 grain LBT LFN over 23 grains of 296.

The New Vaquero happily digests my "standard" .45 Colt load. I use the .45-270 SAA from RCBS, cast from wheel weights, over 16 grains of 2400. This goes somewhere in the mid 900 fps range, depending on which .45 Colt I'm using it in. It's wonderfully accurate in all of them. The New Vaquero is no different.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

mine are the polished stainless guns... they are pretty, yet very durable... I can't wait till next summer to try out some of my reloads... I've got a box of nickle plated cases I need to load up yet for use in the gun belt loops...

... I'm going to be deer hunting with 45 Colt next fall, so I'm doing lead bullet loads for shooting in my Montados, & jacketed hotter loads for my Contender, or to use ( if needed ) in my Ruger Alaskan chambered in 454 Casull...

now I need to figure out what grips to put on... I was thinking about adding a set of birds head grip frames, but may just keep the stock grip frames & change out for some custom grips... fancy wood, stag or stabilized spalted wood ??? I don't think the simulated ivory would look that good on the polished stainless guns... & the black rubber grips look OK, & are fine for shooting, but I just want something a bit dressier, yet still functional...

 

[jdowney]

I've been thinking of getting one... what is the frame size like compared to the old vaquero? My neighbor has a Ruger single action, and the grip is too small for my hand, not a problem I remember having with a friend's Uberti years ago.

 

[Jeff]

My 4 5/8" Blackhawk is actually polished stainless. It's one of those non-cataloged "distributor special" items Ruger does all the time. I just left the factory Rosewood grips on it; I think it looks pretty good that way.

I like the 300 and 325 grain LBT LFN's for my .45 Colt hunting loads. With a good stiff charge of 296 they will go around 1,200 fps from that short 4 /58" tube. I've also had great results with the RCBS .45-270 SAA or, before it came out, their .45-255K in "standard velocity" .45 Colt loads. Even propelled by black powder, believe it or not, these make for a great hunting load.

I've never seen the need for jacketed bullets in this caliber. Granted, that is a long running debate, but I've shot enough animals with cast bullets in the .45 Colt to have made my choice.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

JD... the new Vaquero is nearly identical in size to the old Colt... just has a transfer bar safety, so you can safely load 6 instead of 5... it is a weaker action than the old Vaquero / Blackhawks, but still plenty strong for "normal" 45 Colt loadings... you just can't shoot those extra hot "Ruger only" loads in the new model...

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

JEFF... I wouldn't be afraid to hunt with cast bullets, I just figured that would be an added safety margin... loading the hotter loads with jacketed bullets would insure I didn't accidently load something too hot in one of the Montados...

I'll likely shoot more lead rounds with the "pair" of Montados than I would jacketed bullets with a single shot Contender

 

[Jeff]

I share your concern about the "Ruger only" loads winding up in the wrong gun. That would be bad...

My LBT molds have the crimp groove placed so that they will be too long for a Colt, S&W, and now New Vaquero cylinder. They only fit in the full size Blackhawk cylinder. There is absolutley no way anyone could ever fire one in a weaker gun than intended, and I like that.

 

[Jim March]

My NewVaq is a 357, and a damned fine gun. SN around 5,000, fairly early in the breed from 2005.