just bought new new ruger vaquero 45 colt

[sixpointfive]

Was wondering if my .454 cast boolits will work in this gun.

[Piedmont]

Yes. If your throats are smaller the bullets just swage down. The conical bullets made by Winchester and Remington are around .455". One is hollowbased, the other is cupped. They work in every revolver (both chamber and shoot).

[Rodfac]

I'd recommend slugging both the bore and each individual chamber mouth. My NV had undersized cylinder throats (.450-.451") and a bore that was closer to .452". Cast boolit accuracy was 3+" at best from a seated 25 yd rest. Cylindersmith.com opened each chamber mouth to a uniform .4525" and accuracy went to a sub-2" gp size. Good work from that guy, quick turn around and superb results. Two weeks from shipment to back in my hands. I now use the same sizer for both .45 ACP and .45 LC boolits...ie .452" Best Regards, Rod

[Kull]

If you decide you need to ream the cylinder throats, and there's any chance you might do this on more than one cylinder in your life time, I'd just go ahead buy the reamer and do it myself. Cylindersmith is using a Manson reamer and some cold blue, nothing fancy.

http://www.mansonreamers.com/

[Heavy lead]

If you decide you need to ream the cylinder throats, and there's any chance you might do this on more than one cylinder in your life time, I'd just go ahead buy the reamer and do it myself. Cylindersmith is using a Manson reamer and some cold blue, nothing fancy.

http://www.mansonreamers.com/

Agree, bought mine several years ago to correct .448 throats on two Ruger's, have used them on every 45 since but one 3 screw that had .4515 throats that were very consistant with a .4505 groove diameter. That's the only 45 I have I run .452's out of, the rest shoot .454's.

[sixpointfive]

Why can't they be reamed correctly during manufacture?

[Rodfac]

BTSOOM...Ruger's been making them that way for as long as I know...ROd

[prs]

Why can't they be reamed correctly during manufacture?

I think Ruger thinks the wasp waised throats are correct, but I sure as H377 don't understand how they came to that conclusion. I purchased the Manson reamer and a guide bearing to ream it myself and I can now pick flies out of the sorgum out on the back wall ;-) All my 45 colt slugs are .454"

prs

[sixpointfive]

When I get the gun this week I will check it out. Perhaps someone would loan me a reamer if needed.

[Rodfac]

Thought I'd add one other bit of info...all my .45 Colts shoot .452" lead alloy bullets as accurately as I can hold. The same is true for a half dozen 1911's I've owned over the years. Leading has never been an issue (once I had the Ruger's cylinder throats opened up) in any of them. Rod

[sixpointfive]

Should have the gun by friday. All I have loaded is 454 bullets becasue I shoot these in my model 25 smith and Marlin 1894. just wonder if they will shoot.

[sixpointfive]

Shooting .454 bullets out of mine, really like 6 gr of 700x and 200 gr rnfp.

[DougGuy]

The cylinder throats aren't the only wasp waisted feature of Ruger's well loved 45s. Not only would a .451 diameter boolit not go in the throats of the cylinder on mine, but the area of the barrel that is threaded and screws into the frame is often "thread constricted" farther than the cylinder throats. Some can be as much as .006" smaller than the rest of the barrel. I had one that was .449" which got Taylor throated to relieve the constriction. When I slugged the barrel using a #8 egg sinker, it started in the muzzle then when it got to the threaded part, it stopped cold. I could not believe how much extra effort it required to drive it the rest of the way through the barrel. Unbelievable. And on a stainless Vaquero, you would fire lap until you were blue in the face and never get all the constriction out of it. That stainless they use is some tough tough tough stuff.

I had groups in the 3" range, seated and arms/hands rested from about 20yds. Haven't been to the range for testing since reaming the cylinder to .4525" and Taylor throating the barrel, but I can drive the lead through the barrel with steady resistance that drops free when it gets to the threaded area, and then stick it in the front of the cylinder and it slides in there with about half a thou to spare. I am anxious to go and shoot it, and will come back and post some results with before and after targets if y'all want to see them.

[scattershot]

Looking forward to your range report.

[DougGuy]

I got to the range today, and exactly what I figured, was correct. I had some 340gr linotype flatpoints over 22gr of WW296 that were hitting a higher point of impact than other loads. These boolits are long, and very hard, and I think the extra pressure from swaging them down to shoot through the tight cylinder throats and the thread constriction in the barrel throat was making them shoot high. After reaming the cylinder throats with a .4525" Manson reamer, and Taylor throating the barrel, these hardcast loads now hit right on top of the front sight blade, so it was well worth straightening this out, and I was able to develop a 300gr ja__et_d hollowpoint for deer that hit the same point of aim. Matter of fact, 3 rounds of the 340gr, and 3 rounds of the 300gr grouped so close together, they went into only 4 holes on paper. I really like that, cast for hog, hollopoint for deer, no compensation needed with the sights.

Left, 340gr linotype before cylinder reaming and taylor throating, right is the same load after cylinder reaming and taylor throating:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Birdshead%20Vaquero/340grFP22gr296-BeforeampAfterTT_zpsfe214b15.jpg

This target is the same three rounds you see on the rt. side of the above pic, but with 3 more rounds of 300gr jhp over 22.2gr of H110, 6rds into 4 holes at about 20yds. Not a good group for 20yds, but it was windy today so please forgive..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Birdshead%20Vaquero/340grFPamp300grDC-2_zps8c464dcc.jpg

This is what the Taylor throated bore looks like:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Birdshead%20Vaquero/DSC01416_zpsf355d6ea.jpg

[Bat Guano]

My NM Vaq .45 Colt loves the 454424 at .454. My NM Blackhawk .45 cylinders needed reaming but the Vaquero throats were right at .4525 and good to go.