Scoping a Blackhawk

[sundog]

New model, .357, 7 1/2 inch barrel, about 20 years old.

Which 1-piece mount? Wigand or Leupold? Why?

Any special needs or tips for D&T?

Any recommendations for a scope?

Use will be plinking and small game.

[CastingFool]

I have a B-Square no drill mount, just sitting on a shelf unused. Bought it, but lost interest in scoping my RBH. Good luck in your search.

[NSB]

My suggestion would be to buy CastingFool's unused mount, the B-Square. I had one on a SBH and it worked great. I'd put a red dot on the gun rather than a scope. I've owned dozens of handguns and I've scoped a bunch of them and put red dots on a lot of them. The red dot is a much better option for plinking, hunting small game, and deer hunting than a scope is. You can shoot very, very good groups with a red dot, there is no eye relief issues, and you never had the cross hairs black out by not having it directly in front of your eye. It has every advantage and no disadvantage on this type of handgun. FWIW, I've shot over fifty deer with a handgun and almost all of them were shot with a red dot. I quit using a scope on my handguns long ago due to the above mentioned issues. I've never had even one problem using a red dot.

[jmorris]

I have the Weaver (48638) no drill mount too and it also has a cheap red dot on it. Never have gotten around to mounting a magnified optic on it yet.

[sundog]

Okay. Keep it coming...

[daniel lawecki]

I drilled and tapped my own gun at home with nothing fancy for tools gun is stainless. I would go with the Weigand mount had the drill less mount was ok with a red dot. But with a .44 mag I wanted some better use red thread locket on mounting screws.as for a scope the Simmons scope pro hunter work not the highest price but has worked for me.

[modified5]

+1 for the b square. I have one on my .44 mag sbh and it is great. Sitting on it is a Simmons 2x scope that came with it. I have considered a red dot and may have to try one once some of my other projects are completed and payed for. :-)

[Hardcast416taylor]

I put a Weaver mount on a .45 LC Blackhawk 7 1/2" barrel model. A 2x scope was installed and zeroed. The thing that I discovered was the extra weight and how difficult it was to keep the dot/crosshairs on a target due to every pulse of my heart would keep the sight picture moving around. After 1 year of this I went back to iron sights and sold the scope and mounts.Robert

[NSB]

I put a Weaver mount on a .45 LC Blackhawk 7 1/2" barrel model. A 2x scope was installed and zeroed. The thing that I discovered was the extra weight and how difficult it was to keep the dot/crosshairs on a target due to every pulse of my heart would keep the sight picture moving around. After 1 year of this I went back to iron sights and sold the scope and mounts.Robert
If you'd tried a red dot on that mount you wouldn't have believed how much better it was. I was ready to go back to irons myself and put an AimPoint on the SBH. Just like looking at it with nothing there but the target/deer and a floating dot that was NOT moving around. Never went back.

[sundog]

Hmmm, a dot, instead of glass, eh?

[mcdaniel.mac]

Very happy with the Weigand mounts. I like a dot, and have been using a spare Aimpoint R1 on my GP100. I haven't tried the Ultradot, but hear great things about them.

[Ickisrulz]

Weigand makes a new mini mount for the Ruger revolvers. It attaches to the rear sight's existing holes. It looks about perfect for a Burris Fastfire or similar optic. There is a video on YouTube showing how it installs.

http://www.jackweigand.com/Ruger-Revolver-Mini-Mount.html

[mcdaniel.mac]

Weigand makes a new mini mount for the Ruger revolvers. It attaches to the rear sight's existing holes. It looks about perfect for a Burris Fastfire or similar optic. There is a video on YouTube showing how it installs.

http://www.jackweigand.com/Ruger-Revolver-Mini-Mount.html
I wish that had been out a couple years ago, I'd have left the front sight on mine!

[leadman]

That is nifty little mount. I had a Weaver clamp on mount on my Ruger SBH 3 screw in 44 mag. with a 2X Weaver scope on it. Mount stayed on even when shooting 310gr RFN Lee boolits at around 1,200 or so. I did try a Simmons red dot on it about 15 or more years ago and the battery case would end up in the dirt behind me. Happened twice then Simmons, which was part of a company that also owned Weaver asked if I wanted a scope instead. I had them send me a 2X which is fine for the 44 mag. and has not broken.
A better red dot should work much better than a Simmons.

[shoot-n-lead]

Hmmm, a dot, instead of glass, eh?

Killed my first handgun deer with a red dot mounted on a 10" Contender...that was almost 30yrs ago...1989.

[ph4570]

Over the last year I have been putting reflex sights on my revolvers. For my old eyes and type of shooting I really like them and my off-hand accuracy is very good compared to shooting with iron sights and my old eyes. The compact reflex package is very nice compared with tube red dots or scopes.

The picture below shows a reflex sight mounted on my ancient (1959) Blackhawk 357. The mount fits snugly into the iron sight slot and is secured with the single screw hole for iron sight adjustment. I normally shoot light loads but I put 50 heavy 180 grain loads through it as a test of mount and sight integrity. Mount held fine with no Loctite and the sight maintained zero. This particular sight is a cheap green dot (Chinese copy of the Docter III). I also have Burris FastFire sights that work well.

http://www.calif-tech.com/pdude/philsphoto/fastfire_mount/ruger/reflex_on_old_ruger.JPG

[tdoyka]

Over the last year I have been putting reflex sights on my revolvers. For my old eyes and type of shooting I really like them and my off-hand accuracy is very good compared to shooting with iron sights and my old eyes. The compact reflex package is very nice compared with tube red dots or scopes.

The picture below shows a reflex sight mounted on my ancient (1959) Blackhawk 357. The mount fits snugly into the iron sight slot and is secured with the single screw hole for iron sight adjustment. I normally shoot light loads but I put 50 heavy 180 grain loads through it as a test of mount and sight integrity. Mount held fine with no Loctite and the sight maintained zero. This particular sight is a cheap green dot (Chinese copy of the Docter III). I also have Burris FastFire sights that work well.

http://www.calif-tech.com/pdude/philsphoto/fastfire_mount/ruger/reflex_on_old_ruger.JPG


i'm thinking of putting on a reflex sight on my super blackhawk(new one). what is your scope mount? i have an email into weigand and i have to do another to leopuld.

[ph4570]

The mount pictured on the old Blackhawk is a custom critter of my design and CNC fabrication (Raptor Engineering). I have production models for S&W and Ruger double action revolvers. I cannot offer them for sale on this site as they are for sale on other venues. I do not yet have a design for the new model Blackhawk.

[1_Ogre]

I agree with mcdaniel.mac. I have a 6" GP-100 with the Weingard mount and it works fine. The Red dot is the way to go, would be nice to put an EoTech on, but that's another story lol

[jmorris]

Hmmm, a dot, instead of glass, eh?

What are your going to be doing with it? There are reasons one would pick one over the other.

[44man]

My guns eat some of those things for breakfast! For a scope my old loopy and a Tasco have held up even to the .500 but I had tubes of broken glass a few times.
Some mounts with clamps on the barrel will eat grooves in the barrel.
I use Ultra Dots and BFR or Weigand bases. Scopes suck for hunting. Need light and a rest. Scopes from a rest are good for target.
Some reflex sights will shear screws. I called companies about a few and told the gun, was told NO! A reflex to hold up will cost 5X more then an Ultra Dot but get the plain one, not the adjustable stuff like the Match Dot. Look at my avatar.
You just don't know how much recoil a revolver generates.
Look at ring spacing too, some things will not fit between rings.
I have pulled the front glass from cheap red dots with the .44. Made in China with junk glue to hold glass, I had to steel bed it back in. Must get the thing in right too or the dot will be wrong. Bushnell and Millet. Never put a ring over glass either. Front ring should be against the turret, back is OK anywhere. With an Ultra Dot I put the front extension on tight with a rubber strap wrench and put the front ring on the extension with a BFR or Weigand. If I use 3 rings, one is against the turret for recoil. My .500 JRH has 3 rings. Ultra Dot rings work fine but if you need more, ask for another set.
Been there, done that too many times.

[sundog]

What are your going to be doing with it? There are reasons one would pick one over the other.

Targets and small game.

What are the pro and cons?

I need a better focus than iron sights.

[jmorris]

This is a fairly large dot on one of my Blackhawks' it's good for fast acquisition on close or large targets. The larger white targets are 8" in diameter about 65 yards away.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=208978&d=1512568243

This one is a cmore with a smaller dot (they are the only one that I kno of where you can get extra diodes and change them from 2-16 MOA dot size.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=208979&d=1512568253

This is a 1.5-4x set on 4x.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=208980&d=1512568266

If I were trying to shoot the smallest groups/targets at distance I would pick the scope, quicker, larger or closer targets the dot is better.

[sundog]

Good pix jmorris. Thank you.

Weig-a-tinny mount has arrived, so next step is D&T the top strap.

I'm picking up a drill press and cross slide vice in the next couple of days. That should make easy for that step.

Again, my main focus (PUN INTENDED!) is just that - focus. Iron sights are getting more difficult, especially rear aperture.

I'm still cogetating over type of sight to mount.

[jmorris]

If you have never done it, it might be wise just to pay a smith to D&T for you. I have even paid a smith friend of mine to do it for me and I have everything to do it precisely like a mill and tapping heads.

Cheaper to just let him do it than buying all of the special (read oddball) taps used for the various gun screw thread pitches.

If you can't decide what type you want just get one of each and try them both, then sell the one you don't like or better yet get another handgun and have either when you want it.

[Highway41]

This is a fairly large dot on one of my Blackhawks' it's good for fast acquisition on close or large targets. The larger white targets are 8" in diameter about 65 yards away.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/gn/Pistol%20optics/IMG_20161107_131710_812_zpso5jldjxs.jpg

This one is a cmore with a smaller dot (they are the only one that I kno of where you can get extra diodes and change them from 2-16 MOA dot size.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/gn/Pistol%20optics/IMG_20161107_131755_028_zpssb8ofvw7.jpg

This is a 1.5-4x set on 4x.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/gn/Pistol%20optics/IMG_20161107_141610_673_zpsaxjpfhfc.jpg

If I were trying to shoot the smallest groups/targets at distance I would pick the scope, quicker, larger or closer targets the dot is better.
Really appreciate those pictures.

Makes it obvious to me that I need a scope as opposed to the red dot.

[Texas by God]

I have a Leupold base & rings on my .357 Blackhawk . D&T 'd one hole. 4x Simmons has hung on with my Rossi lever action level loads. Might not be the best choice for .44 mag on up but works and looks good here. Best, Thomas.

[sundog]

Well, the Weigand mount is installed. I did it just like the video on their web site, and it is perfect.

New drill press and cross slide vice worked like a champ. Next is to decide on a glass for it...

[jmorris]

Make a tough decision easy and just get one of each.

[fecmech]

FWIW here is my take on it. If you are going to be shooting off a rest the low powered scope is ok. Offhand shooting, unless you are a surgeon or someone with rock steady hands you'll never pull the trigger! Dot sights dance around enough without the 2-4x magnification of a scope. IMO a 4 min dot is a good all around size. Good luck which ever way you go.

[toallmy]

I would like to drag this post out again just to see how the weig-a-tinny mount worked out for you sundog . I am considering putting a scope on a 6 inch g p 100 to use when trying different loads . I am experiencing trust issues with this revolver .

[Whiterabbit]

I have a weigand base on a BFR with heavy 2-6 scope on it. The weigand base does interface with the rear sight slot as a recoil lug and has sides that are snug against the topstrap. However, even with the big recoil of the BFR, I have not had any issues with the heavy scope mounted to it. Not one, in fact.

When I get my next BFR (short frame), I'll be buying another from Weigand.

Dunno if the leupold is any good, or about other alternatives. But the Weigand product worked great for my BFR.

[toallmy]

Thanks for the reply .