New .45 Colt Blackhawk

[GrizzLeeBear]

Last week I was in my favorite toy store and they had a new Blackhawk in .45 colt with a 5 1/2" barrel. I had been mulling over getting a .45 Colt for several months with the idea that I would eventually get a lever gun in the same caliber. I have a GP-100, but I wanted to get a "big bore" revolver too. I was also debating if I wanted a 4 5/8 or 5 1/2 inch barrel. I want the gun for a companion while small game hunting (just in case I come upon some of the ferel pigs that we are supposed to have here in MI) and for a "backup" gun while deer hunting as well as fun shooting at the range. After handling the gun, I really liked how the 5 1/2" barrel handled and balanced. Price was $419 which I thought was pretty good, so it came home with me.
I also picked up some brass, dies and some Lee 200 gr. RNFP that the shop has made by a local caster (since I don't have a .45 mold yet). I loaded these up with 6.2 gr. of Trail Boss that I already had, and went to the range Saturday. What a joy! Didn't take long and I was tearing up the center of the target at 7 yds. Then went out to 25 yds. I didn't shoot a lot of rounds, maybe 15 or 20 at 25 yds. Mainly just to get the sights centered up, but it sure seems to want to shoot well. I don't know who makes these boolits for the shop, but they aren't cast all that well. Very pronounced parting lines and it appears that their mold halves aren't lining up that well. But they were a pretty consistent .452 dia., are lubed with LLA and they seem to shoot just fine. I'm hoping that when I get to casting some better quality boolits of my own it will shoot even better.
There was NO leading that I could see, maybe just a little right at the forcing cone, but it cleaned up EASY with a few passes with a bronze brush. After a wet and dry patch the barrel looked like it had not been fired. Granted, these are light loads, but after reading alot about the Blackhawk, I was a little concerned about getting one with tight throats that caused leading.
I finally got around to slugging the cylinder and barrel. Cylinder throat slugs .452 and the barrel slugs just over .451. Looks like Ruger is getting better at getting the dimensions right. At least this one is. I was anticipating having to send it off to have the throats reamed, but I don't think I will need to.[smilie=w:

[DanWalker]

I've been dragging around a 5 1/2 inch blackhawk in 45LC for a decade now, and only have praise for it. It's under my pillow when we camp in the bear woods, and in a hip holster whenever I'm away from civilization. I've taken prairie dogs,jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, grouse, cottontails,hogs,whitetails and pronghorn with it. It's everything I could want or need in a handgun. Sounds like you've got a fine example there yourself. Here's hoping it brings you as much joy and satisfaction over the next decade as mine has for me for the last one.

[rintinglen]

One hears a lot of balleyhoo about bad Ruger Barrels, but My own experience with them over the years is that they are neither better nor worse than anybody elses. The most accurate revolver I ever owned was a Ruger Redhawk. This not to say they can't make a stinker now and again--for many years the Ruger Bolt actions were generally inferior accuracy-wise to their Remington and Winchester rivals. I have seen scores of Black Hawks over the last 35 years, and I can't recall one that didn't shoot at least decently. Indeed, I can recall fdeeling distinctly underwhelmed when my S&W M-27 was handily outshot by a SBH that cost nearly a third less. You will have fun!

[white eagle]

I had a Blackhawk in 5.5" barrel and liked it so much I bought another \
ss one same length barrel
Just a handy length
mine likes heavier boolits
the lightest I have is 230 gr
you are going to like it so much
it may become your primary hunting piece

[9.3X62AL]

Love my Ruger BisHawk in 45 Colt. Once I got its throats corrected, it became a very tractable sidearm that shoots boolits from 200-310 grains quite well. Even with the OEM throats @ .448"-.449", it still shot one boolit (Lyman #454490) pretty well.

I use #454424 most frequently, and #454190 about half as much. Most loads use 9.0 grains of Unique, and both boolits will overlay one another on paper at 25 and 50 yards. Same sight setting, same POI. I've run #454490 to almost 1300 FPS with rated-R amounts of 2400, but I do less and less of the handcannon bit as time goes on. 255 grains going almost 1000 FPS will certainly knock our coyote-sized blacktails and muleys onto their derrieres handily, so I don't see a critical need for all the thunder and lightning the wrist-wrenchers produce.

[Dale53]

Al;
I have also noticed that as I get older (now, 75 and almost 76) that I am less interested in the "Big Boomers". I still have a few, but mostly shoot light recoiling loads in my .45 ACP revolvers. Those loads are super accurate and a JOY to shoot.

I still have and will have until they plant me, great affection for a variety of calibers - .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/Magnum, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. I still shoot them all but mostly with more pleasant loads. If I were still deer hunting, I would still use my .44 Magnums, but for general shooting and "walk-about" the "standard" calibers work quite well for me.

Dale53

[Thumbcocker]

Shoot the snot out of that rascal. Once you gut your confidence up sut up some gallon jugs at 100 yards and read what Elmer wrot about long range shooting and the sitting backrest postion. You will amaze yourself and any range "experts" who happen to be on the scene.

[GrizzLeeBear]

Thumbcocker, yeah I know a little about shooting handguns in a "sitting backrest" position. I used to shoot handgun silhouettes. I shot mostly T/C Contenders, but some revolver with a GP-100 as well. On a good day, its amazing how well you can shoot a pistol in a Creedmoor position. I never did get a 40, but I shot several 39's in smallbore unlimited (always had 1 turkey or ram get away, dagnabit)! Best match I had in bigbore I knocked down 8 out of 10 of the 200m rams with a 10" Contender in .357 mag. shooting a 358156. One of my favorite shots was on a shootoff target that we used for tie-breakers. At our range we used some old field pistol targets for them and set them out at the 200m line. I hit a field pistol chicken dead center with a 200 gr. bullet in a .357 Herrett. The thing is so small at that range you can't see it looking through your sights. You had to raise your head and look with both eyes over top of the gun to get a "fix" on where it was then lower back down to your sights and aim where you think it is. That poor little chicken went about 40 feet up onto the berm!

One other thing I forgot to mention in my original post. The only thing I don't like about the Blackhawk is the factory plastic grips. I much prefer the look of wood grips on a single action revolver and the checkering is a little rough on the hand, I think mainly because of it being plastic, even with these mild loads. I noticed when doing my searches here for info. on the gun that several people recommended these http://www.altamontco.com/products/pistol/ruger/blackhawk.php
They sure looked like nice wood and the prices are good too. I wasn't looking for anything fancy, so I just ordered the Super Rosewood without any checkering or anything. They were waiting for me when I got home from work today! Fast delivery! WOW, these are very nicely made grips. They are way better looking than the pictures. They are slightly thicker than the factory grips, which is a good thing as I have large hands with long fingers. These grips make the gun fill my hand much better and they look fantastic!

[Thumbcocker]

My apologies Griz. I thought you were a novice handgunner. In your case move the jugs to 200 yards. :smile: My favorite hunting handgun is a 5.5 inch .44 Bisley. 4 5/8 carries a bit better but I think 5.5 is the best balance between portability and sight radius. Hope you enjoy your nwe toy for a long time to come.

[GrizzLeeBear]

No apologies necessary Thumcocker. While I'm not a novice handgunner, I am a .45 Colt newbee! :mrgreen:

[RayinNH]

That handgun will give you many years of shooting pleasure. I have the same configuration as yours. Try any load in the 6-6.5 grains of Red Dot with a 250-255 grain boolit for a winning load...Ray