Range report .357 Blackhawk

[Bob F.]

Read Jim March's excellent @ the top re: picking a sound revolver and several other posts re; .357 for deer & Ruger Blackhawks in general.
Been wantin' a woods gun and always preferred a revolver in that role, though I prefer a semi auto for ccw.

Local shop had a 6.5" .357 BH that looked good (except for the white paint blob on the front sight-easy to fix). Checked out good, almost no BC gap, faint ring from the bolt dragging. Otherwise solid, price OK, not great, but I WANTED it!!

Loaded some new Starline, 14gr 2400 Fed SPMag primers topped with 158gr XTP-HP. Not impressed. Read more here and several said ya' gotta push Jacketed bullets a little to get best result in the Rugers. Somebody else said try reg SP primers w/ 2400. Loaded 10 rds each of 5 different loads, all w/ Fed SP (not mag)primers. The first 2 loads were 158 XTP's, the other 3 with 158gr Bull-X SWCs. Shot 5 of each with shooting glasses from sandbags, the 5 of each w/ my bifocals, fighting to see the sights and targets! Darned old age! Yes!! HOT load of 2400 w/ 158 XTP's is my hunting (deer) load, 4 rounds into <2" @ 25yds, pulled one. Midrange 158 SWC over max load of 231, same result, same POA/POI. And, of course, 3.2gr 231 behind 148gr WC in .38 cases for shooting flies off the 25yd target! LOL! Love my Blackhawk!!! Now gotta get a Bianchi "Lawman" holster for it, and find a cooperative deer!

I really want to thanks the folks here for a lot of help, some of it even indirect! I thought of trying 110, but saw the thread re: flamethrowers. Fun, but not now.

Thanks!!

 

[seadog]

I just picked up a nice 4 5/8 3 screw myself a few days ago. Made in 1967. Extremely accurate and fun plinker.

 

[Jim March]

With a 6.5" tube on tap, you've got enough horsepower to use expanding ammo on deer. The XTP is among the best hunting hollowpoints made, esp. when your power level is adequate for the task but not by that much (read: something that expands fatter won't punch as deep and you do need depth for fore/aft shots with that combination).

 

[Tony Mig]

Good choice, I once had a stainless Blackhawk with the 6.5" barrel. I don't...(at least not yet)....re-load my own, but the one factory ammo I used to love to shoot out of that gun was Federal 158 Gr. SWC. That stuff was loaded hot, and I could knock a fly off a coke bottle at 50 paces with that ammo.

Enjoy the new Blackhawk, and good luck hunting with it.