.44 Ruger SBH...Tips?

[badge176]

Going tomorrow to pick up a new-to-me Ruger SBH (Blued 7.5inch)! Anybody have any time-saving tips for finding the load?

I'd heard about a "tight spot" in Ruger revolver bores where they screw into the frames; how do I test for this? If present, can I fire-lap it out?

Given known twists, what would heaviest and lightest Boolits I could look to lob outta this ole girl (sold by guy in his 30's who had inherited it from his dad- now it'll be in my family for a while!).

Thanks for any comments/ suggestions. I promise to post any success (or failures) in this adventure...

(now I have .357, .45Colt AND .44 mag Ruger single actions! Just gotta find a .41 and a .30 carbine next...)

[rintinglen]

I have not run into the dreaded bore restriction in Ruger 44 magnum revolvers. Before I started monkeying around, I'd shoot the gun and see how it works. Nice round groups, no unexplained leading? No problem then, just shoot, clean and enjoy.

I did run into it in a 45 colt Vaquero back in the 90's. Measuring it is a pain, but doable.

I took a couple of soft lead .475 balls I mooched of a BP-shootin' friend-o-mine (what are friends for?). These I sized to .461-Ish by rolling them between two pieces of steel plate.

I lightly oiled the bore using Rem oil on a patch. After removing the cylinder, I then drove one of my modified balls all the way through the bore, using a brass 3/8" inch rod. That gave me the minimum dimension of the bore. The other i drove into the muzzle just until it was flush. I used 2 inch long pieces of dowel rod, I think 7/16, but it may have been smaller and stuck them in the barrel from the back end. When the last one stuck up into the cylinder opening, I centered the barrel muzzle down over a half inch hole I drilled in an old 2x4 and pushed the ball out using a short piece of 1x2 and both hands, one either side of the gun. The ball popped out with fairly little effort as I recall.

It was then a snap to measure the two balls with my old Starret Micrometer. Sure enough, I had a frame constriction of just over .001. I ordered a fire-lapping kit after reading about fire lapping and undertook to shoot out the constriction. The company I worked for went under and I sold the Vaquero before I ever got around to finishing the project, but the gun grouped noticeably tighter after I fire lapped.

I used a bunch of 2400 shooting Elmer's old load of 22.0 grains under his 429-421. That was under the max load that Lyman listed back then. These days, Lyman recommends only a max of 20.6, so I'd start at 18.5 and work up. Most of my shooting these days is with milder Unique loads--10 grains under the same boolit works well in my own SBH Hunter. It is harder to find a bad load in the .44 than it is to find a good one. Just about any of the commonly recommended loads will work. I am sure you will get a bunch of recommendations from the gang here. Double check with published loads from reputable sources and then just pick the one(s) that strike(s) your fancy.

[Lefty Red]

I fell to the "downfalls" of Ruger BlackHawks that everyone was telling me about when I bought my 41 magnum. I believed them, then sold the gun. Then I learned how to shoot a SAA type revolver and felt pretty stupid.

So I would just shoot it! And don't have to be "Ruger Only" loads either! Just a regular old mild, or S&W safe :), load will do.

As far as what to shoot, Can't go wrong with a 240-250 gr bullet. Push it along at 900 fsp to start and work up from there.

Just have fun with it!

Oh yeah, one thing.....please do not put those ugly Mono Grips on it! I had my grip frame sent in and had a guy fit some white plastic grips on mine and it was the best $75 I ever spent!

Once again, a chance to show off my SBH!

[badge176]

I recently bought a box of exotic hardwoods including coco bolo in grip thickness slabs! Guess what I'll be working on over the winter?!

[badge176]

For molds, I have the Lee WC, the RD 265, a Lyman SWC GC, and the Lee 310g GC (also shoot a Marlin 1894 in .44)

[Thumbcocker]

I have used these with good results but you are on your own. All with 250 Elmer boolit.
6.5 red dot as walking around load. 7.0 of 700x mid power load 10.0 unique ditto. 18.5 of 2400 kills deer dead. 20.0 of 2400 likewise. 22.0 of 4227 scary accurate kills deer dead. 22.0 of h110 scary accurate and kills deer dead more punch than 4227. Standard disclaimers on load development.

[MtGun44]

Fit a Keith 250 to match your throats and load over 10 gr of Unique for a mid-level load, and
about 23gr of H110. Throat fit is critical.

Bill

[44man]

Good info for you already. The SBH will shoot best with 240 up to 320 and even 330 gr boolits. It will like a harder boolit like water dropped WW's. PB or GC. For fun shooting with a 240 to 250 gr I use 7 gr of Unique or 231. For velocity and hunting I go to 296. But I use a Fed 150 primer for all powders.
The 310 Lee is great with 21.5 gr of 296, the RD 265 likes 22 gr, the 320 LBT is still at 21.5 gr and the 330 I made is at 21 gr.
2400 is good too, I can't give loads, have not shot it for years.
I don't have luck with any Keith and prefer a WLN, WFN, or RNFP.
My groove is .430" and it will shoot from .430" to .432" the same. I really love the RD 265 for target, it will hold 1-1/4" at 100 yards and my gun is OLD with over 70,000 heavy loads. Seen a new Hunter do 1/2" at 50 yards all day right out of the box.
The Lee 310 is a deer BOMB!

[BCRider]

I recently bought a box of exotic hardwoods including coco bolo in grip thickness slabs! Guess what I'll be working on over the winter?!

Then you won't have an issue with making up some grips that fit your hand well and tame a lot of the recoil.

With the stock grips the back of my middle finger was getting beaten black and blue. I simply could not get a good, supportive grip around the little upper "neck" of the grip area. I really wanted to keep the SAA look so instead of going with some filler style grips I made up some fatter than normal but still stock pattern style grips. The results were more than I could have hoped for. Shooting full power loads without barking the back of my middle finger became standard. And the recoil was easier to take as well because more of my hand was being used as a pad.

Pictures of my grips. They aren't very shiny in these pictures as there was only one coat of finishing oil on the wood at the time. Compare the pictures to your stock grips and you'll get a good feel for how much fatter mine are around the neck area. Yet the butt end is actually a little thinner and more ovalized. This worked out much nicer for my grip. But my pinky, which rides under the front of the frame, is getting pretty banged up from the edge of the grip. So I want to relieve the area where my pinky fits across onto the lower butt surface.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/grips4.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/grips4.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/grips5.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/grips5.jpg.html)

I've slugged my bore and found that I also have the dreaded bore restriction. House reno projects have kept me from fire lapping this out but I'm getting very near the end of the serious work so I should have more time for my projects soon and the SBH is high on the list.