Ruger Blackhawk issues - Page 2

Pathfinder45 · October 15, 2018, 12:48 PM

Wendyj, I have been through this with an original Ruger Vaquero. The smallest 6-shot group I could get at 25 yards was about 6" and many were more like a foot. After slugging and miking for each cylinder throat, I concluded that I needed to ream the throats. I bought a .4525 reamer and did it myself on a drill press. It now shoots about like yours does. Since I also have the 4.6" barrel, I figure that's about the best I can expect out of this gun. Since yours shoots as well as it does, you may have little to gain by reaming your Blackhawk. If you could be certain of turning it into a one-inch shooter, it would be worth it; but I doubt that's the case. I'm considering going to a 7-1/2" Blackhawk in hopes of reliable accuracy at 50 yards, which my Vaquero will simply not deliver. I'm all for reaming cylinder throats, if and when it's called for, and there is a high degree of certainty that there will be substantial benefit.

cjwils · October 15, 2018, 06:12 PM

Since measuring devices can be inaccurate and difficult to use perfectly, why not try a simpler test? Just get some .451 bullets and see if they drop through the cylinder, or slide through with a light push. On my Blackhawk 45 convertible, they do drop through. Never had any problems.

GeauxTide · October 17, 2018, 05:48 PM

Quote:

You know I can't take anything serious from a Crimson Tide fan.

Now, datz funny! Reauxl Tide, Cher!!!

Wendyj · October 18, 2018, 07:31 AM

this was around 3 inches after I finally got up and down straightened out. By then was out of bullets. Now to go back and try some more. 8 inch target so still within Bambi range at 25 yards which is best I will ever do.
Target is sideways. Always does that on here.

Pathfinder45 · October 18, 2018, 01:42 PM

I figure my 45 Vaquero is only good to about 25 to 30 yards or so; definitely not 50 yards. It is what it is, no more, no less.

**44 AMP** · October 19, 2018, 11:57 AM

Quote:

I did shoot about 60 rounds through this evening and surprisingly groups were around 2.5 inches at 25 yards

I don't know what "modern" folks consider an acceptable standard, but I have decades of articles in magazines where all the writers testing handguns considered a pistol that would group 2-2.5" at 25 yards to be accurate, and acceptable for nearly any use short of precision match shooting, and many people shot target matches with guns that "only" do that well.

5 or 6 .45 caliber bullets in one hole can measure 2-2.5". I've done it with my father's match Government model. (which was set up for target work in the 1960s)

Its a personal thing, of course, what satisfies your needs and desires, but if you're shooting 2.5" groups at 25yds, there's nothing drastically wrong with your gun and ammo.

MAYBE you can improve on that. Maybe. But personally the last thing I would look at tis the cylinder throats. I would look at the trigger pull and my shooting technique, and tinker with various load combinations to see what, if any results obtained. Reaming the cylinders, for me, falls under "last resort" tactics, and I've got 7 Ruger .45 Colt Blackhawks and Vaqueros, and have never had to have any of them reamed.

Consider this, since you can't put metal back, what if getting the cylinder reamed doesn't do any good? or what if it actually shoots worse, after reaming? It may be unlikely, but its not impossible. IF that happens, you're pretty much done, short of replacing the cylinder.

Another point to consider, especially when you get 2.5" from your rig and someone else with a similar rig gets 6" groups is, might it be the shooter??

Might it be their ammo? Their gun? or might it be that they shoot it differently than you do yours? Lots and lots of variables.

I'm not in favor of putting permanent irreversible changes to major components at the top of the list of things to do to try and improve performance. I'd put them at the bottom of the list, something to be tried when all else has been tried, and failed. I'm also one of the guys who doesn't take a file to fixed sights in order to adjust them. I will "adjust" the ammo instead of making permanent changes to the gun. Personal quirk, I suppose...

Skill and practice/experience make a difference, too. What some can do easily (or naturally) others have to work at, and some never do get there.

Pathfinder45 · October 19, 2018, 03:29 PM

Like 44AMP, I think the gun is shooting fine as-is. Unlike 44AMP, I have no qualms about reaming the throats, etc. However, with nothing to gain, in this case, leave it alone. Well, if the trigger pull seems too heavy, I would definitely pull the grips off, release one leg of the trigger spring, reassemble and try that for a while. You can always put it back if it results in too light of a trigger.

October 15, 2018, 12:48 PM	#26
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	Wendyj, I have been through this with an original Ruger Vaquero. The smallest 6-shot group I could get at 25 yards was about 6" and many were more like a foot. After slugging and miking for each cylinder throat, I concluded that I needed to ream the throats. I bought a .4525 reamer and did it myself on a drill press. It now shoots about like yours does. Since I also have the 4.6" barrel, I figure that's about the best I can expect out of this gun. Since yours shoots as well as it does, you may have little to gain by reaming your Blackhawk. If you could be certain of turning it into a one-inch shooter, it would be worth it; but I doubt that's the case. I'm considering going to a 7-1/2" Blackhawk in hopes of reliable accuracy at 50 yards, which my Vaquero will simply not deliver. I'm all for reaming cylinder throats, if and when it's called for, and there is a high degree of certainty that there will be substantial benefit.

October 15, 2018, 06:12 PM	#27
cjwils Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2010 Location: Washington state Posts: 401	Since measuring devices can be inaccurate and difficult to use perfectly, why not try a simpler test? Just get some .451 bullets and see if they drop through the cylinder, or slide through with a light push. On my Blackhawk 45 convertible, they do drop through. Never had any problems.

October 18, 2018, 01:42 PM	#30
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	I figure my 45 Vaquero is only good to about 25 to 30 yards or so; definitely not 50 yards. It is what it is, no more, no less.

October 19, 2018, 03:29 PM	#32
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	Like 44AMP, I think the gun is shooting fine as-is. Unlike 44AMP, I have no qualms about reaming the throats, etc. However, with nothing to gain, in this case, leave it alone. Well, if the trigger pull seems too heavy, I would definitely pull the grips off, release one leg of the trigger spring, reassemble and try that for a while. You can always put it back if it results in too light of a trigger.