new Vaquero load

[abraxian]

I have been getting great accuracy with 255 gr "cowboy" bullets and 8.5 gr of Unique. Any opinions of this load? Loaded 8.8 gr Unique behind Hornady XTP 255 gr hollow points and got about .54 cal expansion....think I am pushing the envelope in this revolver?....didn't have and primers showing excessive pressure and no problems with extraction.....

[CraigC]

...think I am pushing the envelope in this revolver?

Absolutely not! Nine grains of Unique is a classic Colt SAA and replica load. It essentially duplicates original blackpowder ballistics. In all honesty, you still have a little more room to stretch its legs with 2400. Dave Scovill has written extensively on the subject and designed the RCBS270SAA bullet mold just for this purpose.

[Jim March]

The Hornady XTP slugs need speed to operate with, and are better suited to the large-frame Rugers where you can push them out past 1,200ish.

Since you really don't want to push a 250gr jacketed much past 1,000fps if any in a NewVaq 45, IF you want more expansion than that you want a slug with faster expansion characteristics. Try Speer's 250gr Gold Dot, anything 900fps or above you should hit .70cal or more.

Remember that jacketed ammo raises pressures above an equivelent lead load. A 250gr jacketed at 1,000fps is actually pushing things right to the firewall even with a very pressure-efficient load (one with a low peak pressure). If your load is accidentally "spiking" pressure at any point, you could harm the gun or even suffer a k'boom.

[Bloody Bill Anderson]

My common reload is a 230 grain RN bullet over 9 grains of Unique. It shoots wonderful.

Warning--load not suitable for NEW Vaquero! My hunting load is a 270 Keith WC over 10.5 grains of Unique.

Little more recoil to deal with, but, still very accurate with more than enough killing power for deer sized animals. I carry my 5-1/2 inch Vaquero, loaded with those 270 Keith's when I am in the Colorado and New Mexico mountains, as a bear gun.

I just ordered some 250 grain RNFP bullets. I will load them over the 9 grains of Unique, too.

I have not experienced any problems with primers sticking or with extraction of the fired cases. Most times, the cases will just fall out on their own.

[CraigC]

My hunting load is a 270 Keith WC over 10.5 grains of Unique.

This is where the stupidity of Ruger's nomenclature will get people in trouble. That load is NOT safe in the New Vaquero.

Why they didn't give it a completely different name is beyond me.

[Jim March]

Mr. Anderson: you've posted load data that could blow up the gun the initial thread poster stated he owned - the New Vaquero, similar in size and strength to the post-WW2 Colt SAAs.

Not cool.

[Bloody Bill Anderson]

My mistake.

I fergot there's dainty little guns for wannabe's and then there's real man's workin guns!

[Master Blaster]

Actually i dont see where the initial poster stated that he had an XR3 new vaquero with the smaller frame. The old New Vaquero would most likely be fine with the load stated, BUT ONLY GET YOUR DATA FROM RELIABLE LOADING MANUALS AND MANUFACTURER WEBSITES FOR THE PRODUCT YOU ARE USING.

NOT FROM PEOPLE POSTING ON THE ERRORNET.

[W. C. Quantrill]

Well, well, well, Lieutentant Anderson, fancy meeting you here.

MB. Likewise, I did not see any information in the original post about the pistol being one of the lesser models. I can tell you about the load that Mr. Anderson is using though. As he stated, it is a hunting load, and not used on a regular basis. It is loaded on my press.

The SAAMI pressure on the .45 LC is a tad bit over 15,000. That is for the Colt SAA and clones. The published loads for the Vaquero and Blackhawk are running in the vicinity of SAAMI 25,000.

In addition, before constructing those loads, we had conversation with Alliant Powder about them. They told us that they are on the upper end of the pressure curve, but considered safe for the Blackhawk and real Vaquero. Furthermore, after shooting, there has been no evidence of any case failures in the 300 cases that we have reloaded about 5 times now, and furthermore, after shooting, the cases fall freely from the cylinders, and there is no flattening or setback on the primers. I would take that as a fair assumption that the pressures are within an acceptable range. I might add that we are using the Winchester WLP primers, which is all that we can get here. We could lower the pressures a little bit with some CCI 300's, but they live in a store 130 miles away, if they have any in stock.

Obviously, if your intent is to play dress up and spend the weekend shooting targets at 20 feet at a cowboy match, these loads arent for you. They are however considered safe by the maker of the powder for the guns that they are used in.


MB: One question, on that [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] sandwich, is it possible to pick it up by the clean end?

[Archie Clement]

Hey W.C., Hows about me an you and the Lt. get up some of the boys and take us a little ride down to Kansas like we did in the old days. I imagine Jesse and Frank are probably up to it.

[W. C. Quantrill]

Lieutentant Clement, fancy meetin' up with you here too. That sounds like somethin' we oughta do again. Centralia is nice this time of year, but I have heard that we oughta stay clear of Ray County.

[Archie Clement]

Things did get a little hot around Lawrence.

[Master Blaster]

Politicians much like turds don't have a clean end.

[Mal H]

I think this one is well done.