Ruger Bisley 44 Special 4 5/8 Inch

[Art in Colorado]

Have one of these but due to the Chinese Virius have not been able to take it out and sight it in. I have loaded 245 Gr Hard Cast and 200 Gr Hard cast. I have loaded both with 7.5 Gr Unique and both with 7 Gr of Unique. I also have some 200 Gr Hard Cast with 5 Gr of Tite Group. Now my question is I have read of some concern that the front sight maybe a bit short with not enough adjustment in the rear sight to say hit the middle of the bull at 25 yards. Does any one have experience with this configuration of revolver and could they comment about my loads? I would not be adverse to just using 200 Gr Hard Cast.

[DougGuy]

I would suggest moving to a softer alloy, hard cast and hard lube are not the best choice for that gun. A softer alloy that you can scratch with your thumbnail and soft lube will no doubt be a better choice.

I used to use nothing but the hardest stuff I could find, and even when the revolver is dimensionally correct, I got leading. An alloy of 50/50+2% and soft lube leaves only some powder and lube residue in the bore and a lube star at the muzzle. I haven't cleaned a revolver bore in years.

[rintinglen]

Art, I think you'll be all right. I don't have a Bisley but my flattop has adequate rear sight adjustment. Like DougGuy, I prefer a softer boolit, but don't think it will be problematic if your boolits are .430 or larger unless your cylinder throats are in considerable disagreement with the bore.

[JoeJames]

Sounds like you're at the opposite end of the spectrum from me. But still kind of applies inversely. When working up loads for my 4 1/2 " BH in 44 Special I learned about dwell time. I was shooting Speer 240 grains .430" SWC's, and started with a starter load of @ 6.1 grains of Unique. At 25 yards I was just barely hitting the top of the 8x11 target. I could not crank the rear sight down far enough. Leveled out with the Speer boolits at 6.8 grains of Unique. At that point I could adjust up or down enough for any variation, and it was quite accurate. I agree on the necessity of at least .430" in cast boolits with the Ruger BH I have.

[Art in Colorado]

Art, I think you'll be all right. I don't have a Bisley but my flattop has adequate rear sight adjustment. Like DougGuy, I prefer a softer boolit, but don't think it will be problematic if your boolits are .430 or larger unless your cylinder throats are in considerable disagreement with the bore.

I am using Laser Cast for both the 245 and 200 Gr. They measure 431. I put six cast in all the cylinders and drove them through with a wooden dowle. They all measured 431.5 not the best way to measure but that is all I had. Used a digital caliper to measure. I am leaning towards the 200 gr. flat point and 7 Gr of Unique. Hoping it works out. Thanks for the info on yours.

[Iwsbull]

Have yet to try hand loads in mine but loaded up about 100 today. I am going to try the Skeeter load and also drop down to 6.5 grains of Unique as well. I hope it has enough pressure to get a good seal. So far I only ran 1/2 a box of cowboy loads through mine but at 25 yards it has plenty of adjustment left in the sights.

[onelight]

I did have to put a taller front sight on mine , but go shoot yours it's probably ok.

[oldhenry]

I have a 5.5" Bisley, GP100 3" & a GP100 5" in .44 spec.
My alloy is 50/50+2 and I size to .431.
I load the Accurate 43-210A with 5.0 WST, 4.7 Red Dot & 5.0 Red Dot. I also load some H&G #45 with 6.0 & 6.5 of Unique'

My favorite load is the 5.0 of WST with the Accurate 43-210A. It shoots best in all 3 guns. 5.5 of WST also shoots well, but I can't tell any difference with the extra .5 grains.

[Art in Colorado]

I did not mention that mine is a blue steel one. Not very easy to put on a taller front sight.

[DougGuy]

Try pushing one of your boolits through the bore, then see if it will go into the cylinder throats from the front without force. If it does, you are probably good, if it has to be forced then your cylinder is pretty much a multi port sizing die and would benefit from throats being honed to .4315"

While you are doing this, see if the boolit you push through the bore gets tighter at the barrel/frame juncture. If it does you may have a bit of thread choke, but the Flattops are much less affected by this than earlier full size guns.

[smithnframe]

I shoot 16 grains of 2400 and Elmer's bullet out of mine.

[JoeJames]

On a whim I actually bought a box of factory made HSM Cowboy Action Ammunition 44 Special 240 Grain Hard Cast Lead Semi-Wadcutters. Best I could tell they miked out at below .430 and were not accurate at all in my Ruger BH. Your 6.5 grain Unique loads should hit pretty much to point of aim; although with a 200 grain swc may still hit a little low. Just from my experience solely with 240 grain swc's. Also, I noted that the Oregon Trail website indicated they were casting .431 240 grain swc's, to be used in Ruger BH's. The implication was that the Ruger BH was bored a tad loose.

[onelight]

I did not mention that mine is a blue steel one. Not very easy to put on a taller front sight.
It would be nice if they would use the same style sight on the blued ones they do on the stainless .
Hopefully yours won't need to be changed, I have heard more comments that the stock sights worked than not.
I also had to put a taller blade in the rear sight on my 45 flat top convertible . Some of us just know how to pickum :D
The 44 and 45 are two my favorite SA six guns the 44 Bisley is # 1 for me.

[DHDeal]

I have a stainless one and had to put on the taller blade that Midway sells. FWIW, that particular blade was too tall, but I knew it would be. My intention was to order another style blade anyway, and I got my wish so to speak.

Part of the reason I have all stainless RBH's is so I can change the blades to a particular style but the blued versions are a lot more trouble in this regard.

Hope it works out that you won't need one.

[murf205]

Have one of these but due to the Chinese Virius have not been able to take it out and sight it in. I have loaded 245 Gr Hard Cast and 200 Gr Hard cast. I have loaded both with 7.5 Gr Unique and both with 7 Gr of Unique. I also have some 200 Gr Hard Cast with 5 Gr of Tite Group. Now my question is I have read of some concern that the front sight maybe a bit short with not enough adjustment in the rear sight to say hit the middle of the bull at 25 yards. Does any one have experience with this configuration of revolver and could they comment about my loads? I would not be adverse to just using 200 Gr Hard Cast.

My son bought one of the same guns and he had to send his back to Ruger and have another from sight out in it. No problems and the turn around time is quick.

[onelight]

My son bought one of the same guns and he had to send his back to Ruger and have another from sight out in it. No problems and the turn around time is quick.
That is the fix for a new gun /\
Just take your time and work up the loads you like to be sure it's going to need a sight change , out of 10 or 15 black hawks I have had I have only needed to change the sights on 2.

[murf205]

That is true and wee hit it first time out with the old standby, 7grs of Unique and a 429421 w/beeswax lube. 7.5 grs is a close second but the sight just wouldn't allow him th get down where a 6 o'clock hold would so foo it went and I even got a call from Rugers CEO asking how it was shooting! Not many(any) gun companies will take the time do do that!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have one of these too! great gun! 6.0 gr of W231 Keith boolits.

The second one is a SBH Bisley that got it's barrel chopped off.

Randy

[murf205]

That SBH Bisley is a lot more comfortable to shoot without the square trigger guard for me. My middle finger would be numb from a range session with it. Those are good looking stocks on those two Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

That's the ones they came with.

Randy

[onelight]

I ran a few loads with Unique and .430 240 bb swc Hi-Tek coated commercial cast , WW primers Starline cases . checked them with the LabRadar 30' from muzzle in a 3" GP100 and a 45/8 Bisley
I would prefer a .431 bullet
The 6.4 and 6.9 grains of unique are both over max depending on what manual you are looking at .
So work up safely .


GP100 ................................ Bisley
6.1 unique 759 sd 14.9 ........... 805 sd 16.4
6.4 " 787 sd 18.9 .......... 844 sd 15.2
6.9 " 849 sd 10.9........... 896 sd 13.9
This is a common lower priced bullet so some of you guys and gals may use them .


264786

[white eagle]

I had one that I kick myself almost daily for selling
however I used a 245-250gr Keith boolit with 7.5 gr.of unique
and had no problems with the sight at 50 yds
actually was the best revo I have owned

[Art in Colorado]

Art, I think you'll be all right. I don't have a Bisley but my flattop has adequate rear sight adjustment. Like DougGuy, I prefer a softer boolit, but don't think it will be problematic if your boolits are .430 or larger unless your cylinder throats are in considerable disagreement with the bore.

Got out to shoot it. The 240 Gr and 7 Gr of Unique was fine at 25 yards with the rear not all the way down but not much more to go. The 200 Gr and the same 7 Gr of Unique had to have the rear raised several cliks. I want to use the 200 Gr mostly so all is well with the front sight.

[Art in Colorado]

I have one of these too! great gun! 6.0 gr of W231 Keith boolits.

The second one is a SBH Bisley that got it's barrel chopped off.

Randy

What boolit are you using with the 6 Gr of 231. If 250 Gr Keith I might be able to use 6.5 Gr of HP-38 (same as 231) with a 200 gr boolit?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes, 250 gr Keith Boolit. This is a relatively mild load and 6.5 gr wouldn't hurt anything with the 250 gr boolit, with a 200 gr boolit it would just go faster. Not even close to the top end. In fact it is low mid range.

Started much lower with lighter boolits in my S&W 696 but they all shoot way high, so I came up with this load from an article from Brian Pearce on the .44 Special and it shot to the sights so I quit there. It would knock down anything I needed to shoot. I think it is running @850 fps?

Randy

[Art in Colorado]

Yes, 250 gr Keith Boolit. This is a relatively mild load and 6.5 gr wouldn't hurt anything with the 250 gr boolit, with a 200 gr boolit it would just go faster. Not even close to the top end. In fact it is low mid range.

Started much lower with lighter boolits in my S&W 696 but they all shoot way high, so I came up with this load from an article from Brian Pearce on the .44 Special and it shot to the sights so I quit there. It would knock down anything I needed to shoot. I think it is running @850 fps?

Randy
Than you.

[onelight]

Got out to shoot it. The 240 Gr and 7 Gr of Unique was fine at 25 yards with the rear not all the way down but not much more to go. The 200 Gr and the same 7 Gr of Unique had to have the rear raised several cliks. I want to use the 200 Gr mostly so all is well with the front sight.
One advantage the regular blackhawks have are the bolsters beside the rear sight and a longer sight base on my 45 flat top I could get enough elevation from the rear but it was adjusted to high for the design but Ruger makes a taller rear blade that let me adjust the sight down where it was stable and I didn't have to worry about the screw falling out :-( easy fix if your load has the rear to high .