Anyone have experience with Buffalo Bore .45 Colt Deer Grenades?

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TwistingInTheWind

TwistingInTheWind

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I have a Ruger old model Vaquero (2 number prefix serial number) and have been sitting on a box of these +P Buffalo Bore "Deer Grenade" bullets for a while because frankly, I'm sorta intimidated.

So I thought I'd ask if anyone has some real world experience with these and if so, what?
 
I have no experience with those but do with the original Vaqueros in .45 and .357. They should handle them just fine. You will definitely know you have pulled the trigger. 260 grains at 1500 fps should quite exhilarating, to say the least. ;)
 
Buffalo Bore says that if you can handle the recoil, they make an excellent social load.

A well practiced Cowboy Action shooter with a brace of Vaqueros loaded with Deer Grenade +Ps would be a site to behold and nothing any honestly sane man or beast would ever want to face so help me GOD.

I’ve got a dozen of their 325 Outdoorsman’s and have fired them from my 5.5” Blackhawk. The words “stout but manageable” as so many gun rug gurus spit actually applies here.

I am a small man, only 5 foot 7 inch, yet can handle the snap without so many issues provided good technique. A hell of a lot of fun to shoot and big medicine for bruins or attacking Karens where penetrating through the blubber layer is key.
 
Looking at the specs, they would appear to meet -- if not exceed -- factory 44 Mag for the same weight bullet.

'...Interesting..."
 
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Not being familiar with Vaqueros, is yours the large frame model? In the Buffalo Bore extra info they have velocity stats for a pre 2005 Ruger Vaquero with that specific round.
 
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Never fired this load. Have fired a full power 454. It was a blast. Literally plus fun. Why shoot a .44 mag, when you can have a .45 mag. Expensive to say the least.
 
I can say with absolute certainty that from a levergun they recoil like a full power 30-30. Take that for whats its worth
 
wcwhitey said:
Not being familiar with Vaqueros, is yours the large frame model? In the Buffalo Bore extra info they have velocity stats for a pre 2005 Ruger Vaquero with that specific round.
Click to expand...

TwistingInTheWind said:
I have a Ruger old model Vaquero (2 number prefix serial number)
Click to expand...

I know it says on the literature it should all be ok, but I was really wondering if anyone had DONE it using a Vaquero before I push the boundaries that far.
It is a very hot sounding load and truth be told, I'm a little yellow...
 
I "love" BBs descriptions of their ammo!

It sounds horrific and I bet it really is! Nasty!:what:

◼︎ At an impact velocity of 1,100 fps it will mushroom to about 80 cal. and should push right through any deer with a broadside shot.
◼︎ At an impact velocity of 1,500 fps it will mushroom and some of the mushroom will fragment off and send bullet particles flying through the deer, but much of the mushroom and shank will remain intact and should push through any deer hit broadside.
◼︎ At an impact velocity of 1,900 fps the entire mushroom will turn to shrapnel and send bullet particles all throughout the deer. The shank will remain intact, but will re-mushroom and do horrific damage inside the deer and will probably push through any deer hit broadside.

Of course, results will vary depending on how much bone, if any, is hit, etc... This load was designed specifically to do horrific damage to deer sized animals such as average black bear and hogs. It will make an incredible anti-personnel load if you can handle the recoil. It is flash suppressed and will not blind the shooter if used in low light when the criminal element and wild animals are most active.

The cartridge OAL is 1.585 inch and as such will chamber in any 45 colt firearm such as the Colt SAA or its clones, but firing this +P load in any firearm not designed for it would be disastrous, and could injure the shooter or bystanders. Please be responsible and use this load only in firearms designed to handle the pressure of +P ammunition
 
TwistingInTheWind said:
I know it says on the literature it should all be ok, but I was really wondering if anyone had DONE it using a Vaquero before I push the boundaries that far.
It is a very hot sounding load and truth be told, I'm a little yellow...
Click to expand...

I completely get it. I would be the same!
 
I used to shoot them a decent amount in my Blackhawk convertible (decent amount respective to their high cost).

They pack a punch. I got a hogue rubber grips because of those rounds in that platform.

First time I shot them I had the cheap stock plastic grips. I'm pretty sure my hands still have nerve damage and have checkered imprints in them to this day... I tease, but it hurt
 
I was shooting 250 gr xtp’s over 11.5 gr Unique through my original 4 5/8” stainless Vaquero .45 Colt yesterday. While not a maximum load, they were a tad exciting compared to standard .45 Colt loads.

Let us know how they shoot for you when you’ve had a chance to fire some. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
While I'm sure they will perform I have never used them. I'm A big fan of Grizzly Ammunition and have used them in the last. They have a 265gr 45 Colt +P load which uses a WFNGC bullet that is extremely effective. I also use the bullets from their Sister Company Cast Performance, the exact bullets used in the factory Grizzly Ammo. They are on the same site connected by a link. They have 8 or 9 different 45 Colt loads ranging from 200gr to 330gr bullets. They are actually less expensive than the BB ammo too by $15.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
While I'm sure they will perform I have never used them. I'm A big fan of Grizzly Ammunition and have used them in the last. They have a 265gr 45 Colt +P load which uses a WFNGC bullet that is extremely effective. I also use the bullets from their Sister Company Cast Performance, the exact bullets used in the factory Grizzly Ammo. They are on the same site connected by a link. They have 8 or 9 different 45 Colt loads ranging from 200gr to 330gr bullets. They are actually less expensive than the BB ammo too by $15.
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I have had good luck with Grizzly, I used to use their .45acp+P in my rotation.

But my range buddy had a ton of issues with revolver ammo (I think 454, can't remember. For a 460 XFrame).

Anyways, bullets unseating from brass and primers blowing.

Might be a bad batch, but it was enough for me to be cautious
 
ArchAngelCD said:
While I'm sure they will perform I have never used them. I'm A big fan of Grizzly Ammunition and have used them in the last. They have a 265gr 45 Colt +P load which uses a WFNGC bullet that is extremely effective. I also use the bullets from their Sister Company Cast Performance,
Click to expand...

Grizzly offers two loads with this bullet, one at around 950 fps, the second ~1350 fps - Have not used either.
However, I load this CPC bullet with Longshot powder to approx 1000 fps out of a S&W M25. Load and bullet has been effective on various deer size game - accurate, fairly easy on gun and shooter. Plus these will cycle through most lever action carbines, including M92.
 
I guess I could see hot rodding the 45 Colt for bear encounters but deer?... I shot a Michigan buck with a cowboy action load in an 1873 Winchester. Complete pass through heart/lungs. He went 75 yards and piled up. Granted this was a rifle but I would have expected the same results with a revolver.
 
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Riomouse911 said:
Let us know how they shoot for you when you’ve had a chance to fire some. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

IF I try some I will post but to be honest: I'm probably not going to try it until I see something even comparable. I am not the type to push it that far without a reason... seems like lots of extreme loads are still a couple hundred FPS below this and the people loading/shooting them feel that's still pretty extreme.
But speaking of reasons:

Stay safe.[/QUOTE]
Steve Milbocker said:
I guess I could see hot rodding the 45 Colt for bear encounters but deer?... I shot a Michigan buck with a cowboy action load in an 1873 Winchester.
Click to expand...

I have roots in Michigan and Tennessee.
I enjoy camping in remote areas of both places... bear, cougar, 'yotes, even a possible elk, wolf or moose is possible depending on where I'm at. I camp all winter long and am sort of hoping to trust these as a wilderness round without blowing my hands off.

I use these: https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=45 when deer hunting and seems I can't miss when I shoot them.
I bought some of those deer grenades because the name was so fun I intended to give them to a friend as a gimmick present. He bailed on deer camp that year and I've been sitting on them ever since and kinda have this scared curiosity because on paper, I have a pistol which would technically shoot them.

We are all working with the guns we have I suppose.
While there may be many like it, this one is mine.
 
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