scored on a ruger vaquero 44mag today

[kennyz]

i picked up the ruger 44 mag today at work 7.5'' barrel polished ss with less than a box of shells through it.I was wondering if this is the heavy framed gun compared to the other vaquero it does not have the sass ser number

[DougGuy]

I don't think they make the medium framed gun in .44 mag caliber. If you are in doubt, check the serial number, should have a two digit prefix for a large framed gun.

[kennyz]

starting with 56- would that be heavy frame

[DougGuy]

Yup..

[kennyz]

i shoot my cast lee 310 gr through the anaconda u think that would be too much for this gun

[DougGuy]

No. I shoot the 310 in my SBH. *DO* observe published load data..

Before you subject it to max pressure loads with the 310, take one of your boolits and see if will slide into the cylinder throats from the front. What do you size to?

[kennyz]

i have not sized the 310 lees

[DougGuy]

Need to find out the cylinder throat diameters. For best results you would size .001" to .002" over groove diameter, and you want the cylinder throats to permit this size to slide through with finger pressure. If it won't do that, then the throats are likely tight and will size down the boolit to throat size which may be too tight to shoot accurately and/or without leading. Sizing to .432" usually is the best size for these Rugers, and reaming throats to .4325" will take care of any issues you may have with the factory throats. Very common issue with Ruger, and very inexpensive/easy fix to remedy the issue.

[Outpost75]

Something also to check on the large frame .44 Magnum Vaqueros is the barrel forcing cone. I have two of these, a .44-40 and a .44 Magnum, the two guns built two years apart, barrel forcing cones are absolutely HUGE, apparently they did not change the tooling over when changing from .45s to .44s, .45 Colt bullet actually fits correctly into the .44 forcing cones!

The .45 Colt cylinder from my NM Blackhawk timed and indexed in the Vaquero just fine, and mild factory Winchester .45 Colt lead loads squeezed down the .44 barrel just fine and shot OK. Of course I don't recommend that you kids try this at home, or with "Ruger Only" loads, but if you found a case of .45s that fell off the wagon you could make do...

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[dubber123]

Something also to check on the large frame .44 Magnum Vaqueros is the barrel forcing cone. I have two of these, a .44-40 and a .44 Magnum, the two guns built two years apart, barrel forcing cones are absolutely HUGE, apparently they did not change the tooling over when changing from .45s to .44s, .45 Colt bullet actually fits correctly into the .44 forcing cones!

The .45 Colt cylinder from my NM Blackhawk timed and indexed in the Vaquero just fine, and mild factory Winchester .45 Colt lead loads squeezed down the .44 barrel just fine and shot OK. Of course I don't recommend that you kids try this at home, or with "Ruger Only" loads, but if you found a case of .45s that fell off the wagon you could make do...

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That's very interesting, and neat test of the theory. Looks like it worked just fine :)

[44man]

I have seen it with some myself and the test gauge drops in too far to even think of cutting the cone.
It does not seem to affect the shooting so I leave them alone.
If an ogive aligns it should be good. The LBT's and the Lee have good profiles.
My old SBH took the full 11° and I cut the ogive on my boolits very close to 11° but the lee almost matches it for accuracy. Steerage at the cone is important and why I no longer like SWC's.
I don't know what an over large cone does to accuracy.

[44man]

The boolit shown looks like a dead soft factory swaged that has been banged around in the box.
I am surprised it did that even at 7 yards.