New model vaquero

[Wendyj]

I picked up a stainless 5.5 inch new vaquero a few weeks ago. Great looking gun and shoots good but unfortunately shoots 3 inches to the right at 25 yards. Farther at 75. Three shooters and a rest so I called my gunsmith and he wants $90.00 to turn the barrel a few thousandths and 50 rounds of my loaded ammo. I am seriously considering the ss Blackhawk in 4.75 barrel. Adjustable sights for when I change loads. Trade in will cost me $150.00 or so. Which would you do.

[KEYBEAR]

I would call Ruger they will fix it at no cost to you .
Likely in less time .

[denster]

I would call Ruger and complain. You might find they will send a call tag and fix it for you. My brother has had to use Ruger's warranty service a couple of times and they were very good.

[BarryLee]

Yes, calling Ruger seems like the first step after all the worst they can do is noting and that simply leaves you where you are now.

[44 AMP]

Welcome to the wonderful world of fixed sight revolvers!!

First step, when a given load doesn't hit where you point it, is to try another load. Try SEVERAL. And, make sure its not just you, causing it.

Once you have determined it is a gun problem, and not an ammo compatibility problem or a shooter problem, THEN call Ruger.

Trade in will cost me $150.00 or so. Which would you do.

Ruger's website shows a difference of $30 in the MSRP of the Blackhawk and (new) Vaquero in stainless. If a trade will cost you $150, I'd look seriously at WHY....and who was profiting...

Don't send it to the local gunsmith, YET.

[Wendyj]

Has had several factory and reloads. All so the same. It's on the way to Ruger via the gun store I purchased it at.

[Pathfinder45]

I used to have a Blackhawk, and they are good, and, with their adjustable sights they are so much easier to sight-in than the fixed-sight Vaquero. Plus you can change the settings for different loads. That being said, I actually prefer the Vaquero with its cleaner lines and smoother handling qualities. Yeah, it can be tricky to get them shooting where you want them to. And, once you have it sighted for a particular load, you are stuck with it the way it is. So you have to find out what you and your revolver both really, really, like, and quit fooling around with something else. Did you say which caliber you bought?
Now, what I have found with my 4-5/8" barreled Vaquero in 45 Colt, is that it doesn't matter much, if at all, if I am using a high velocity or low velocity load, or what powder I use; almost all loads shoot to the same point of impact at 25 yards, as long as the bullet weight is the same, or very nearly so. I prefer home-cast, 255 grain bullets, but 250 grain jacketed bullets will hit in the same place. 800 fps or 1200 fps, the only difference is power, recoil and terminal characteristics of the bullet. Lighter bullets impact lower and heavier bullets hit higher. So I suggest you choose one bullet weight and commit to it. You will need to file your front sight to raise point of impact, but be careful not to take too much off at once. It's a lot easier to take more metal off than to put it back on.

[Wendyj]

My husband got this one for me in 357. His is a 45 but a little stout for my hands. I tried some of our loads for the 686 I have and they are 158 grain Hornady. We tried some factory in 125 148 and some lead round nose and wad cutters. Even 38 special and everything was just too far off to the left. Sorry original post shows right but I'm holding 3 inches to the right for compensation. One good thing is it didn't seem to matter what ammo we were using it was punching silver dollar groups off a rest. Had to use a little Kentucky windage for heighth but figured that watching husband shoot his 45 with different loads. Didn't want to spend $550.00 and not have it a little better than it was doing. If it comes back from Ruger doing the same thing then off to the gunsmith to fix it his way. Think we are going to start casting and shooting all lead to save some money. Tire shop we use said we could have all the lead wheel weights we want so just need the equipment. I really like the feel of it.

[KEYBEAR]

Tire shop we use said we could have all the lead wheel weights we want so just need the equipment.

Remember the new wheel weights are NOT LEAD anymore ?
Sooner or later lead will be harder to find for free .

[smee78]

Be sure to let us know what Ruger does for you. I had a 45 birds head Vaquero that needed to be sent back for adjustment due to it hitting off target years ago. Once it came back it was right on target with the standard 250grn load. All on their dime.

[Bob Wright]

I know this has been hashed a hundred times, or more, but there is no "New Model Vaquero."

Being picky, I know, but "New Model" defines the Blackhawk series which were made originally as Three Screw Models, and in 1973 redesigned as the transfer bar models, hence the "New Model" appellation. Since the Vaquero was never made as a Three Screw, the correct designation is "New Vaquero."

If not I, then someone else would have pounced on this.

Bob Wrigth

[jackmoser65]

Spend the money and get it zeroed properly. It's not Ruger's job and they probably won't do it anyway.

Ruger's website shows a difference of $30 in the MSRP of the Blackhawk and (new) Vaquero in stainless. If a trade will cost you $150, I'd look seriously at WHY....and who was profiting...

Might have something to do with trading a used gun for a new one.

[MJFlores]

What? It's not Ruger's job?? Who's job is it? It's absolutely the job of the manufacturer to produce a product that shoots where it is aimed. People dont buy new revolvers just to have to send them out to have a barrel properly aligned with the frame. Ruger will absolutely fix this condition and I'd be very surprised if it didn't come back properly aligned and with a coupon for shopruger.com.

[jackmoser65]

Calm down. Everyone grips a handgun differently and NO design is more sensitive to grip variations than single action revolvers. Two people can easily shoot the same gun to different points of impact. The ONLY way to ensure proper POI is to turn the barrel while YOU shoot it to test.

And these guns are all supplied with an extra tall front sight so that it may be filed for proper elevation. So no, they are not zeroed out of the box.

[MJFlores]

Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.

[44 AMP]

Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.

The OP said 3 shooters tried it, and it was the same for them, so its probably the barrel (or the sight).

There is another trick to try before putting file to steel.

Its a STAINLESS New Vaquero.

Blacken the sights and shoot it again. It probably isn't, but it MIGHT be just that simple. Hurts very little to find out.

edited to add:

Oops, sorry, I missed seeing where the gun had been sent to Ruger.

Please let us know how things go when it comes back.

[texagun]

I had a Vaquero that was shooting left about 6" at 15 yards. Called Ruger. Got a shipping label to send it in. it came back about a week later shooting right on the money. Excellent service. Zero cost to me. I wouldn't trust many gunsmiths to do it for you. It's a new gun. Send it back to the manufacturer.

[jackmoser65]

Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.

The point of that statement is that Ruger does NOT zero these guns.

Turning the barrel corrects windage problems. Not a difficult thing to do but I understand that some people are deathly afraid to do anything themselves.

[44 AMP]

Turning the barrel corrects windage problems.

So does correctly altering the rear sight.

[jackmoser65]

IMHO, the rear sight groove is already wide enough. I'd rather turn the barrel than hog it out. Actually, I'd install a dovetail front sight before I'd widen the rear notch.

[MJFlores]

OR......just send it to the manufacturer and let them do it completely free of charge, while maintaining your warranty. But everyone has their way of dealing with an issue. By turning the barrel you'll simply end up with a clocked front site blade....which is worse than shooting left 3" but just as unacceptable. More windage issues are corrected with a lead bar "persuader" than turning a barrel.

[jackmoser65]

Pay attention, as I said, two people can shoot the same gun to different points of impact. Unless you plan on getting in the box and riding to Ruger, it is best to adjust the barrel while YOU shoot it.

What most people do is irrelevant, turning the barrel is the proper way to zero a fixed sight single action. You've obviously never done it because adjusting 3" takes only a tiny amount of movement and does not result in a canted front sight.

Ruger has no warranty and there is no guarantee that the results will be what you want. Which I said in my original post but I guess some people who have never been there and done that know better.

[MJFlores]

If a revolver has a properly installed and square barrel, two people will shoot it the same and that should be on zero unless you have two people who haven't learned basics of grip and trigger control. I have a hard time believing the stuff you write here. It seems like you're lending excuses to manufacturers who either dont know how, or simply dont care to produce a revolver that delivers a bullet where it's aimed. Ruger is a manufacturer who does care, and will correct any manufacturing defect if you send it to them. A revolver that has a barrel installed and does not shoot where it's aimed has a defect. This is the basic of common sense, and Ruger will tell you that too. As someone else mentions, they fixed theirs and they'll fix hers. I honestly can't believe someone would suggest turning the barrel on a brand new revolver when the manufacturer will do it free of charge and then maintain a warrant afterward. I guess it takes all kinds...GEESH. To the OP, I know you did the right and sensible thing and sent your gun back to Ruger. They'll fix it for you. Let us know how it goes.

[jackmoser65]

...two people will shoot it the same and that should be on zero unless you have two people who haven't learned basics of grip and trigger control.

That's where you're wrong. As I already said, and this has been proven time and time again, two people can shoot single action revolvers to very different points of impact. This is not my opinion, it is well-proven fact. There is no handgun more sensitive to grip variations than the plowhandle single action. Everyone has different hands and grips their sixguns differently and this can have a measurable effect on POI. Same goes for adjustable sight guns. You don't want someone else zeroing your sights for you. There can even be a dramatic shift in POI between benched vs. offhand shooting, gloves vs. bare hands. Of course, this is in the context of hunting and outdoor use, connecting with what may be a small target at 50yds or beyond. Not making noise at 7ds at the indoor range. You'll learn all this once you have enough experience. Mike Venturino went so far as to setup a vise that's mounted to a trailer hitch for just this purpose, for zeroing fixed sight guns at the range. This is not at all a foreign concept and the age/newness of the gun is irrelevant.

Has nothing to do with making excuses for manufacturers and everything to do with getting the best result. Been there, done that......with dozens of guns over decades of shooting and tens of thousands of rounds.

[darkgael]

when a given load doesn't hit where you point it, is to try another load. Try SEVERAL. And, make sure its not just you, causing it.

This^^^^^!!
My Ruger new model Vaquero in 45 Colt shot the standard 255 grain load
to the left a few inches. It shot other loads to the left..... some higher some lower.
Then I tried a Full wadcutter.....165 grainers from Matts Bullets over 6 grains of Unique. They shoot dead on at 25 yards. Right at POA.
Pete