Need some advice on the Ruger Blackhawk Bisley model

[whatnickname]

I’ve been a fan of both the Blackhawk as well as the Vaquero in 45 Colt. As much as I like them, the second knuckle of my middle finger takes quite a beating from the trigger guard even with moderate cast bullet loads around 850fps with a 200+ grain bullet. Tried Pachmayr grips and while they saved my knuckle from the pounding I took, these turned into a non-skid surface with the usual skid marks in the palm of my hand if my hand became the least bit clammy. With a heavy load in the Blackhawk, I’ve had those grips split the skin in the palm of my hand. The grip configuration of the Bisley looks like it may be the solution I’m looking for. So from you Bisley shooters I would like to know if your second knuckle of your middle finger takes as much of a beating when you fire the Bisley.

 

[MidRoad]

Do you shoot pinky under with the regular Blackhawk grips? That may help if you don't. It will keep that knuckle further down and away from the trigger gaurd.

As far as bisley goes I've shot 255 gr @ up to 1000-1100 fps in 44 special. No knuckle hits at that rate.

But honselty a wood grip that lets the gun roll with pinky under should be not problem with what you said you shoot. Pinky under is how a single action grip modeled after a colt SAA should be shot. Ruger Bisleys are great too. I love mine,and the full 3 finger grip gives you better control and recoil management. IMO if you don't shoot pinky under with regular grips, give it a whirl before giving up on the regular Blackhawk grip for standard loads. But don't let my rambling dissuade you from getting a bisley, they are great.

Here's a thread you could skim through to get the idea.

https://thehighroad.org/index.php?t...-show-me-your-grip-and-grip-technique.839046/

 

[whatnickname]

Do you shoot pinky under with the regular Blackhawk grips? That may help if you don't. It will keep that knuckle further down and away from the trigger gaurd.

As far as bisley goes I've shot 255 gr @ up to 1000-1100 fps in 44 special. No knuckle hits at that rate.

But honselty a wood grip that lets the gun roll with pinky under should be not problem with what you said you shoot. Pinky under is how a single action grip modeled after a colt SAA should be shot. Ruger Bisleys are great too. I love mine,and the full 3 finger grip gives you better control and recoil management. IMO if you don't shoot pinky under with regular grips, give it a whirl before giving up on the regular Blackhawk grip for standard loads. But don't let my rambling dissuade you from getting a bisley, they are great.

Here's a thread you could skim through to get the idea.

https://thehighroad.org/index.php?t...-show-me-your-grip-and-grip-technique.839046/

Thanks Bones!

 

[Tallball]

I was raised on SA revolvers and taught to put my pinky under the grip at a young age. I have XXL hands, and have never had trouble shooting my Blackhawks, SBH, or Single Sixes. My knuckle never gets bumped.

My FiL Got his 7.5" SBH with a Bisley grip, and he likes it a lot. I prefer my SBH 7.5" with the regular "plow handle" grip. For some reason, he can't adjust well to the "pinky under the grip" hold.

Basically it's different strokes for different folks, and whatever works for you is what you should do.

Super Blackhawk

• Tallball
• Nov 23, 2017

 

[Varminterror]

The Ruger Bisley grip has the least middle finger clearance behind the trigger guard of any Ruger single action grip frame. Something to consider - if you're holding an XR3-RED or Dragoon frame loosely enough to get wrapped on the knuckle, the Bisley is a shorter trip to the same whack.

I've never experienced any issue with hitting my knuckle with the trigger guard - honestly, I've never been able to figure out how guys have it happen, since the fingers should be tight during recoil. But lots of guys do complain about it.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Study this photo. Notice I am curling my pinky under the grip. More importantly, notice that by doing so I have opened up a gap of about 1/4" between the trigger guard and the knuckle of my middle finger.

I learned this a long time ago. Shooting a single action revolver this way completely prevents my finger from getting whacked in recoil, even with my Black Powder 45 Colt loads which have a pretty stout recoil.






This is of course contrary to everything you have been taught about shooting a pistol. Pistol (semi-automatic) instructors will usually tell you to grip as high as possible, to minimize muzzle flip. But take a look at a 1911 some time. The trigger guard is continuous with the grip. It is physically impossible to get your finger behind the trigger guard of most automatics.

Case in point. When I first got into CAS, I decided to start shooting Black Powder. I was shooting a couple of standard 'original model' Vaqueros at the time. Everybody told me that for the stouter recoil of Black Powder I was going to need a Vaquero with a Bisley grip. So I bought one. I brought it to exactly one match, and then sold it. I had already discovered that for the stouter recoil of Black Powder, all I had to do was curl my pinky under the grip. Curling the pinky under the grip does the exact opposite of what all those pistol instructors say. It moves the hand down on the grip just enough that the 1/4" of space between the knuckle and the trigger guard appears.

I ain't whacked a knuckle in years.

By the way, I have fairly large hands, but even with my pinky curled under the grip, I can still reach the hammer to cock it.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I put a Super Blackhawk grip frame and hammer on my Blackhawk.
The pinky under the grip works with the original, but I shot a SBH a lot as a teen and prefer it with Magnum loads.
I have no clue on a Bisley grip.

 

[whatnickname]

Howdy

Study this photo. Notice I am curling my pinky under the grip. More importantly, notice that by doing so I have opened up a gap of about 1/4" between the trigger guard and the knuckle of my middle finger.

I learned this a long time ago. Shooting a single action revolver this way completely prevents my finger from getting whacked in recoil, even with my Black Powder 45 Colt loads which have a pretty stout recoil.

View attachment 841358




This is of course contrary to everything you have been taught about shooting a pistol. Pistol (semi-automatic) instructors will usually tell you to grip as high as possible, to minimize muzzle flip. But take a look at a 1911 some time. The trigger guard is continuous with the grip. It is physically impossible to get your finger behind the trigger guard of most automatics.

Case in point. When I first got into CAS, I decided to start shooting Black Powder. I was shooting a couple of standard 'original model' Vaqueros at the time. Everybody told me that for the stouter recoil of Black Powder I was going to need a Vaquero with a Bisley grip. So I bought one. I brought it to exactly one match, and then sold it. I had already discovered that for the stouter recoil of Black Powder, all I had to do was curl my pinky under the grip. Curling the pinky under the grip does the exact opposite of what all those pistol instructors say. It moves the hand down on the grip just enough that the 1/4" of space between the knuckle and the trigger guard appears.

I ain't whacked a knuckle in years.

By the way, I have fairly large hands, but even with my pinky curled under the grip, I can still reach the hammer to cock it.

View attachment 841359

I'm definitely going to give that a try. Thanks

 

[WrongHanded]

My experience with the pinky underneath grip is that it's great with my .41 mag, but on the .44 mag it was very unpleasant (painful on my pinky) and still somewhat hard to control.

So I put a Bisley grip frame on that .44, and it is very easy to control recoil now, though slightly less intuitive to point.

 

[MaxP]

I love Bisleys, but have found that in stock grip configuration, in the hotter calibers like .454 and .480 Ruger, my middle knuckle makes contact with the trigger guard. IMHO, the ultimate solution is a set of custom grips that fill your hand properly. That said, the most user friendly out-of-the-box grip I have met when dealing with heavy recoil is Magnum Research's interpretation of the Bisley grip, but I digress.

 

[BullRunBear]

Another shooter with catcher mitt size hands. I've never had a problem with plow handle Blackhawks rapping the knuckle although I've been reading about the problem for decades. Maybe the pinky under hold I have to use made the difference. It probably helps that I no longer shoot fire breathing ammo. My hand loads are usually in the mild to medium category or whatever the revolver finds accurate. A medium power cast bullet load can usually knock down a steel target at 100 yards, which is the most I ask of it. If I still hunted that would be a different matter.

Having said that, the Bisley grips look interesting and I should get a Blackhawk with them just for curiosity and fun. You can't have too many single action revolvers.

Jeff

 

[Reeferman]

I finally was able to get a Bisley in 45 Colt. I have a SBH in 44 magnum that I just can’t shoot anything hotter than a 44 special load these days because of the plow handle. I always thought all of my S&W revolvers fit my hand like nothing else until I got that Bisley.

 

[CraigC]

The Bisley is the most comfortable for me, as long as it has custom grips that are thicker and properly shaped compared to factory. In that regard, the Hogue panels are excellent. I've never had an issue with my knuckles shooting the Bisley, even in .500JRH.

 

[edwardware]

Given the sock-knocking recoil of 45 Colt Ruger Only loads, I won't put my pinky under the grip nose. . . I'm afraid I'd only be able to count to 9.

 

[BSA1]

Another ditto for curling your pinky under the grip. I have shot a lot of CAS and CMSA. For CAS most shooters use two hand grip. Mounted Shooting is strictly a one hand affair. When you are sitting on the hurricane desk of a mustang running flat out you have to keep one hand on the reins. (I have no idea what sitting on the hurricane deck of a mustang means. It is something I made up that sounds exciting.)

Getting back to Mounted Shooting a Bisley style hammer is a big help with one handed shooting. The spur of the Bisley hammer is lower so you don’t have to reach as high with your thumb to cock the gun. The advantage is you don’t have to break your grip as much to cock the gun.

The Ruger Bisley hammer is a simple drop in part on the Vaquero. Different grip and hammer makes for a lot of change

 

[Holdmonkey]

I shoot a Blackhawk Bisley in .45 Colt, and I have small hands. I get the knuckle rap, as well. Don't know if the pinky under grip would work for me, but I'm definitely going to give it a try.

 

[dickydalton]

I've shot a bunch of Brain Pierce's Tier II loads for the RCBS #270 285 grain bullets and some 250 grain loads in the Tier III range that I shot in my 460 before in my Bisley and never got rapped with these Texas grips on it. That Tier II load is the most accurate load I've shot in it so far.

DSC00001

• dickydalton
• Jul 18, 2018

 

[RealGun]

When I switched from a 44 Magnum Flat Top with its smaller grip to a Bisley Super Blackhawk, shooting 44 Magnum got a whole lot more enjoyable. I don't load real fire breathers except I go full up with IMR4227, a powder that is remarkably more forgiving and well suited to the job. On the other hand, my 41 Magnum Flat Top does fine using the rubber finger groove grips, which are kinda ugly and fit poorly but work well.