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gak · January 13, 2013, 11:43 PM

There are many of us out here who like/prefer the fixed sights and don't CAS. I'm not a rangemeister, so I like them for camping/hiking/woodsin'. For these purposes "minute of two, four or no legged critter" at the distances most likely is fine. Don't ask for more of them. I don't hunt with them (rifle for that) so that's not an issue. I like the "tradtional" form/smoother lines, like how they clear leather, etc, etc.

As suggested, the Vaquero (as in the original/large frame) IS basically a Blackhawk with fixed sights, smooth top strap and steel gripframe and ejector housing. Between the V and the NV, have both. Like both. Don't have .45 (just .44s-Special and Mag. and .357s), due to my smallish hands, I prefer the New Vaquero, except do also have an affection for a pair of .44 Mag Vaqueros.- which only came in the large BH/SBH-based frame. They were my first "big bores." They handle the hypothetical "bear country" duty (black bear here, and yes there've neen some scary campsite intrusions and a few "attacks" recently) but truth be known, for anything south of the 40th or so parallel the lesser calibers/cartridges are probably fine. Wouldn't be super comfortable "just" with a .44 Mag around bears of the brown variety north of that anyway, so...

For that it's .454+ time, pepper spray and prayer! I'm around 33 degrees and a brownie hasn't been seen anywhere near that in a hundred years or so.

For a few years now Ruger (and distributors/vendors) have also confusingly been calling all of the New Vaqueros just "Vaquero" in their literature/ads, though the Vaquero ceased regular* production almost ten years ago.(* other than occasional special distributor only runs).
One other oddity (at least) - Ruger mislabled the .44 Special New Vaqueros saying only "Vaquero" on the frame. All other NVs say "New Vaquero" on the frame - to date.

Want a .45 and like to shoot "hot," get the large frame Blackhawk or Vaquero. Otherwise the New Vaquero or Flattop are fine. .357? IMO, the smaller "mid" frame NV or Flattop are more than adequate--can handle virtually anything "you can.". But, if you want adjustable sights in the .357, it's limited to the large frame Blackhawk or semi-rare (limited production) mid-frame 50th Anniversary .357 flattop. .44 Special? - no choice, the mid-frames. .44 Mag? - also no choice - but it's the large frames, with one exception - the 50th Anniversary .44 Mag flattop is an anomaly - a hybrid of sorts, marrying the midframe flattop's/New Vaquero's smaller XR3 gripframe with the large Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk cylinder frame (but with flat top strap vs the "regular" Blackhawk's contoured topstrap).
Voila!

January 13, 2013, 11:43 PM	#14
gak Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2005 Location: Aridzona Posts: 2,767	There are many of us out here who like/prefer the fixed sights and don't CAS. I'm not a rangemeister, so I like them for camping/hiking/woodsin'. For these purposes "minute of two, four or no legged critter" at the distances most likely is fine. Don't ask for more of them. I don't hunt with them (rifle for that) so that's not an issue. I like the "tradtional" form/smoother lines, like how they clear leather, etc, etc. As suggested, the Vaquero (as in the original/large frame) IS basically a Blackhawk with fixed sights, smooth top strap and steel gripframe and ejector housing. Between the V and the NV, have both. Like both. Don't have .45 (just .44s-Special and Mag. and .357s), due to my smallish hands, I prefer the New Vaquero, except do also have an affection for a pair of .44 Mag Vaqueros.- which only came in the large BH/SBH-based frame. They were my first "big bores." They handle the hypothetical "bear country" duty (black bear here, and yes there've neen some scary campsite intrusions and a few "attacks" recently) but truth be known, for anything south of the 40th or so parallel the lesser calibers/cartridges are probably fine. Wouldn't be super comfortable "just" with a .44 Mag around bears of the brown variety north of that anyway, so... For that it's .454+ time, pepper spray and prayer! I'm around 33 degrees and a brownie hasn't been seen anywhere near that in a hundred years or so. For a few years now Ruger (and distributors/vendors) have also confusingly been calling all of the New Vaqueros just "Vaquero" in their literature/ads, though the Vaquero ceased regular* production almost ten years ago.(* other than occasional special distributor only runs). One other oddity (at least) - Ruger mislabled the .44 Special New Vaqueros saying only "Vaquero" on the frame. All other NVs say "New Vaquero" on the frame - to date. Want a .45 and like to shoot "hot," get the large frame Blackhawk or Vaquero. Otherwise the New Vaquero or Flattop are fine. .357? IMO, the smaller "mid" frame NV or Flattop are more than adequate--can handle virtually anything "you can.". But, if you want adjustable sights in the .357, it's limited to the large frame Blackhawk or semi-rare (limited production) mid-frame 50th Anniversary .357 flattop. .44 Special? - no choice, the mid-frames. .44 Mag? - also no choice - but it's the large frames, with one exception - the 50th Anniversary .44 Mag flattop is an anomaly - a hybrid of sorts, marrying the midframe flattop's/New Vaquero's smaller XR3 gripframe with the large Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk cylinder frame (but with flat top strap vs the "regular" Blackhawk's contoured topstrap). Voila! Last edited by gak; January 14, 2013 at 12:15 AM.