Rented a Ruger Vaquero .357

Yeah, that is a fine single action. I had one for years...in fact, it was my first non .22 handgun I ever purchased and shot loads of rounds though it. It didn't hesitate to shoot everytime and was pretty accurate. It's comfortable even when shooting .357 mag rounds, so don't hesitate to shoot some of those too.

PJSprog

Love my Vaquero in .45 Colt! A couple of handloads that I have and most factory ammo shoot to the point of aim at around 30 feet. It's my go-to-gun when I just want to have some fun shooting at the range.

1. Steel is heavy.

2. Steel is heavy, and when the grip is way at the back it's heavy in the front.

3. Single action triggers are almost always nice!

4. People used to be smaller, so the SAA type grip does seem small.

5. Lots of replacement grips available.

You know you want one!

Keep in mind that the pre 2005 Vaqueros were a bit larger and stouter and can handle much hotter loads than the newer ones if that matters to you. Most +P in 45 colt is not recommended in Vaqueros built after 2005.

I have a pair of the original Vaqueros in .45 Colt with 4 5/8 (or whatever) barrels. Shorter barrels would not be so muzzle heavy. I like the balance of the shorter barrels.

Coyote3855 said:

I have a pair of the original Vaqueros in .45 Colt with 4 5/8 (or whatever) barrels. Shorter barrels would not be so muzzle heavy. I like the balance of the shorter barrels.

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^ Yes & no. I've got the original Colt version of above mentioned Vaquero and w/ the 5.5" bbl it is heavier because the .45 and .357 barrel blanks start out the same. They don't bore out as much metal when making the narrower hole! A forty-five with this length will have superb balance whilst the .357 w/ all the "extra" leftover steel makes the gun front heavy. Next time you're in a gun shop that has both calibers in same 5.5" bbl, handle the revolvers side by side and you'll see what I mean. Personally, I feel this 'artillery model' length to be THE BEST. Of course YMMV

PJSprog: I really don`t think you can beat a SS RUGER VAQUERO. I prefer the SS Old Model Vaquero in 45LC, but I have a couple SS VAQUERO`s in 357 also and they shoot very well. I don`t have any New Model Vaquero`s or have even shot any of them. So I can`t give you any advice on them except the Old Model Vaguero is stronger, but it is heavier also. I also prefer the 7 1/2 in barrel in everything except Cowboy Action Shooting. So at least shoot a 7 1/2 in barrel Vaquero befor you buy one. Also shoot your Vaquero, alot befor even thinking about altering the sights. IMHO you just can`t go wrong, with a SS Vaquero. I prefer them to even to a Colt. Good Luck To You.
ken

I shot mine just yesterday. Its a sweet shooter. I take it camping sometimes too. I think they all shoot low, especially the farther out you get from the target. You can file down the front sight to bring the impact up a bit, but I have not yet done that to mine. It shoots point of aim at 7 yards. At 15 yards the impact points start to drop. At 25-30 yards bullets hit maybe 8 or 10 inches low. Not a worry for me though. I know the gun and I know where to aim.

I have a "few". They are nice. Below is my latest one.

dakota1911 said:

I have a "few". They are nice. Below is my latest one.

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VERY cool. Looks like a great CCW piece.

I'm a big Ruger Vaquero fan. I have 2 New Vaqueros in 38/357 and an original Vaquero Bisley in .45 Colt. They are find handguns and probably will never be for sale.

Current production (New) Vaqueros come with wood grips. I had a 5.5" Vaquero in .45 and loved it. Traded it for a 4 ⅝" Blackhawk convertable so I could also shoot .45acp. Never bonded with that gun, I missed the balance of the 5.5".

The sun, moon and stars aligned and I got a 5.5" Colt SAA .45 right out of the Custom Shop. It's the last gun I would ever sell, shoots great and I'd never feel under gunned with it. But it all started with a Vaquero.

Someone can (and will) correct me if I'm mistaken...

I believe that the current Vaquero is very similar to a Blackhawk, but slightly smaller and has fixed sights. (The Blackhawk has adjustable sights.)

Was it originally the same size?

Also, does one have a steel grip frame and the other has aluminium?

The original SAA is a little small for me, IIRC, but my Blackhawk is a perfect fit and one of my very favorite handguns.

VERY cool. Looks like a great CCW piece.

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Except, its not a great CCW piece. At all. I don't know anyone who would endorse a single action revolver. I mean, I guess if thats all you have and you really want to carry, then go for it, but its a pretty horrid choice otherwise. I love shooting single action revolvers, but as a combat pistol (and CCW guns are, in my opinion, combat pistols) they are very, very far down the list of good choices. For hunting, fun, cowboy work, other types of carry? They are great. I carry a single-six with me fishing all the time.

Except, its not a great CCW piece. At all. I don't know anyone who would endorse a single action revolver. I mean, I guess if thats all you have and you really want to carry, then go for it, but its a pretty horrid choice otherwise. I love shooting single action revolvers, but as a combat pistol (and CCW guns are, in my opinion, combat pistols) they are very, very far down the list of good choices. For hunting, fun, cowboy work, other types of carry? They are great. I carry a single-six with me fishing all the time.

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Then you haven't been paying attention to this board. I'd carry a single action for defense. I don't, but I would. Why not? Do you actually think you're going to miss 6 rounds and survive to need a reload? This birds head piece would carry a lot better than my Blackhawks.

I really prefer the adjustable sights of the Blackhawks. They don't look as cowboy cool as the Vaqs, but they sure perform better as in POI/POA adjustability. I can run the sight up to hit POA with light loads, down for heavy. I have a new model flat top .357/9mm convertible. You REALLY need that adjustable for that thing. i have a mark on the elevation screw for my 9x19 loads and a mark for my .357 loads. Weird thing, it hits same POI with .38 wadcutter as .357, my other Blackhawk ain't even close. But, a very light .38 hits right where my light 9mms hit, same POI, so I only need two adjustment points for several loads. I like shooting 9mm in that gun, WAY more accurate than I expected and is a great plinker. I have a Dillon Square Deal set up for 9, load all my other stuff on a Lee auto indexing turret press. I have lots of 9x19 components left over from my days shooting IDPA and lots of brass, sorta why I wanted the gun. The gun is VERY accurate with all loads I shoot from .357 magnum to 9x19.

I own three Blackhawks and a Ruger Old Army, so I have a small little collection of 'em. They're all great shooters! My 6.5" .357 has taken me a couple of hogs and a deer. It's iron sighted, so with my eyes getting a bit worse, I don't hunt with it anymore, but it's a great gun for such. My .45 Colt is my BBQ gun, engraved stainless with Sanbar stag grips.

Here's my single action collection. Only 4 are ruggers, the rest are cap and ball. However, I have a Howell .45ACP conversion for the Pietta '58 Remmy.



Here's my new .357/9mm convertible.

dakota1911, I keep scrolling back up to look at that picture of your gun. Very sharp! And I like that it's .45 ACP. That would look great as a second (crossdraw) gun on my western rig.

Oh no.....I'm getting that feeling again.