45 Colt in a like new Ruger Old Vaquero

[Jkrem]

Ok, I know the answer is going to be “have you slugged the bore”?

So, the answer being “no”, I just cast about 30 boolits using a nice vintage Lyman 454190 SC mould. The average diameter of the rings are ~.457 using a Harbor Freight micrometer. This seems a bit big, so would you wait and size these to .454, or just lube them with Alox and load em and shoot em? These will be light Bullseye or Unique loads.

Appreciate your feedback.

[Mk42gunner]

I'd go ahead and size them down. .457" is getting kind of big to go into the chambers.

I do not remember the actual size of the cylinder throats or barrel of mine, but I have been happily sizing boolits to .452" for mine since well before the smaller frame Vaquero came out.

Robert

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My Ruger 45LC was terrible from go but I measured the cylinder throats at 0.450" and the barrel at 0.451". I bought a throat reamer from Clymer that made the throats 0.452" and the pressure signs faded and accuracy was returned.

[pworley1]

454 has always worked well for me.

[georgerkahn]

Ok, I know the answer is going to be “have you slugged the bore”?

So, the answer being “no”, I just cast about 30 boolits using a nice vintage Lyman 454190 SC mould. The average diameter of the rings are ~.457 using a Harbor Freight micrometer. This seems a bit big, so would you wait and size these to .454, or just lube them with Alox and load em and shoot em? These will be light Bullseye or Unique loads.

Appreciate your feedback.

I had bought an Old Vaquero (stainless version) -- Hi-Gloss stainless 2004 model 00573; Cat # KBNV-455-I -- and had a coffee can almost full of .452 sized bullets. I pushed a few both through the cylinder holes and then through the barrel -- they were snug -- so that's what I loaded and shot. My loads -- using HP38 -- were quite light -- my efforts for SA revolver match/50-foot target shooting. (I sucked! -- different story...)
geo

[Cosmic_Charlie]

My last wheel gun purchase was a like new 7.5" Blackhawk Bisley in .45 Colt. I used a pin guage to check for thread choke and also the cylinder throats. Cannot remember the data but it shoots great with light and heavy loads, no leading with boolits sized to the throats. I have several revolers whose throats are right at groove diameter and they shoot fine with medium loads and 20/1 alloy.

[Hickok]

My Ruger 45LC was terrible from go but I measured the cylinder throats at 0.450" and the barrel at 0.451". I bought a throat reamer from Clymer that made the throats 0.452" and the pressure signs faded and accuracy was returned.

Exactly same results I have had with several Ruger single actions in .45 Colt over the years, two old model Vaquero's, a Blackhawk, and two New Model Vaqueros. Tight cylinder throats, at .450".

I also finally bought a Clymer cylinder reamer to handle the problem. I never bother to slug the barrels, I simply check the cylinder throats.

After reaming the cyl. throats, I size and shoot .454" cast boolits.

Ruger seems set on .450" for the throats on .45 Colt. I guess too tight is better than to large,....easier to fix.