Tiger Blackhawk accuracy

[Love Life]

I am in the market for a 357 magnum single action revolver that I can feed a steady diet of top end loads pushing 170-180 grain bullets.

The Rugers are known for their strength, but how is their accuracy at 25 and 50 yards?

My expectations are 2 1/2 inches or less at 25 yards and 6 inches or less at 50 yards from a bench with no heavy smithing required, but tailored loads.

In the experience of the members here, will a stock Blackhawk give me that?


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[Love Life]

Oops. Title should say RUGER!


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[Texas by God]

The Blackhawk should deliver.

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[jmort]

I have two. Both were tuned by the best SASS gunsmiths. Stock you should get there. As I recall you are an above average/excellent shot, so you might get much better results. It also appears you may have access to a Ransom Rest, so that is the acid test. Tune it and you will get even better results. I still need to send the cylinders to Doug to finish off the tuning process on mine. I am not talking about serious gunsmith surgery, just a $150 action job. I highly recommend some light gunsmithing on a Blackhawk. Then you will have a forever gun.

[9.3X62AL]

Dick--my Bisley Blackhawk in 357 (7.5" barrel) will meet or beat that standard with many bullets, both jacketed and cast. It is box-stock. I have subjected it to some DefCon IV-level loads, and they shot as well as most others. Like a lot of 357s, it does better work with "140 grain-weight and above" bullets than with the lighter weights.

[Love Life]

Good stuff and thank you for the write ups! I have a couple n-frame S&W revolvers, but am hampered by the cylinder length. Figured a Blackhawk would fix that and allow me to really put the juice to the cartridge.


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[Love Life]

Can the flat tops be loaded to the same levels as the regular Blackhawk? Looks like no 5 1/2 in barrels either.


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[jmort]

Yes, in .357 mag
The .45 Colts are limited if they are flat tops
So you are good

[9.3X62AL]

Tale Of The Tape. as far as my BisHawk 357 Magnum cylinder goes......

Length from rim seat (not counter-sunk)--1.645". Add on SAAMI max spec for rim thickness (.060"-.011"), you are in the ballpark of 1.695" to 1.710" for max cartridge length.

Dummy round fit check in my cylinder--

Lyman #358156, seated & crimped into lower of its 2 crimp grooves--1.675". Easy fit in the cylinder.

Lyman #358429, seated & crimped into its sole groove--also 1.675". As above.

Lee Custom Mould, by "357 Maximum" on this site about 13-15 years ago, also seated & crimped into the 2nd crimp groove--1.680". More of the above.

Lyman #358430, seated & crimped into 2nd lube/crimp groove--1.805", a no-go in the BisHawk chamber (if you want the cylinder to revolve).

I have run the #358156 to 1550 FPS and the 180 Lee Custom to 1425 FPS in this revolver using WC-820, AA-9, and 2400 powders. Even at the pressures prompting these velocities, extraction is easy and brass life seems normal. Only the 2400 loads had any compression, and that was slight. All priming was with CCI 550s. Those who can read between the lines can discern the powder charges I am talking about, but YOU ARE ENTIRELY ON YOUR OWN ONCE YOU DEPART FROM PUBLISHED DATA. Just sayin'.

Though "cheating out" the 195 grain #358430 isn't possible using my revolvers, I should add here that #"430" seated and crimped into its uppermost groove with a "book" load of 12.4 grains of WW-296 powder and magnum primers gives every bit of the book load's claimed 1200 FPS as well as steller accuracy from my BisHawk's lengthy tube. The 686 x 4" runs it about 1050-1075 FPS.

[bisleyfan41]

I am in the market for a 357 magnum single action revolver that I can feed a steady diet of top end loads pushing 170-180 grain bullets.

The Rugers are known for their strength, but how is their accuracy at 25 and 50 yards?

My expectations are 2 1/2 inches or less at 25 yards and 6 inches or less at 50 yards from a bench with no heavy smithing required, but tailored loads.

In the experience of the members here, will a stock Blackhawk give me that?


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Without a doubt.

[Love Life]

Al- Great info and I thank you for it! There are so many options available and prices are right.

Also, those already slicked new vaqueros from long hunter are an option.


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[saleen322]

I have a number of 357s including a 357/9mm Blackhawk. A good load in mine will go under 2" @ 25 yards. If you are not happy with it stock, get a spring set from Brownells and try that. I never had the need for more than grips and a spring kit with any of mine. YMMV

[str8wal]

My expectations are 2 1/2 inches or less at 25 yards and 6 inches or less at 50 yards from a bench with no heavy smithing required, but tailored loads.

I would be quite surprised if it wouldn't surpass that criteria out of the box, at least with jacketed bullets ;-)

[DougGuy]

2 1/2" stock is doable, but basically luck of the draw with the cylinder throats. Some are good enough that you can size to them and have acceptable accuracy, others need to be worked on until they are at least even. Uneven throats will hurt groups no matter what loads you try and it is frustrating as hades trying to nail down what causes less than stellar groups when you have a stock cylinder with uneven throats, so I would suggest doing cylinder throats at least if you don't do anything else to it.