ruger .41 magnum new model blackhawk 4 5/8 barrel questions...

[hipoint]

Hey guys, yep, graduated up from my much loved hipoint and got some rugers ;-) still like my hi point, but I wanted an auto with a hammer to be safer and the revolver was a gift... anyhow, on to the blackhawk... I don't want to start some peeing contest about .41 vs. .44 so while I respect your opinions, I prefer the .41 and lets leave that dead horse laying...

I first used this gun about 10 years ago (exact same gun, borrowed from my father) I was amazed at how well I shot it and have hounded him ever since, he finally gave it to me on christmas.. WOW! what a gift! anyhow, I used the gun on a deer/hog hunt and while we saw now critters I tried it out at the range while checking my rifle's zero... to my surprise (HUGE SURPRISE) I bounced a coke can 5 out of 6 times at the 100 yard rifle range. I never inspected the coke can up close (yeah there was lots of trash out there, none was mine) so I can't say if I "hit" it or not, but with a hand gun to me bouncing a coke can is close enough... I never knew a handgun could be 100 yard accurate before.

so fast forward 10 years, now I have the gun. it's been ugly here since I recieved the gun and have only shot it once and it was nearly dark and very cold outside (read numb hands), but at about 10 yards I was not hitting anything like I wanted to be. I'm blaming this on shooter error and the fact that my hands were numb and probably not too steady in that cold. I know that the ammo I used way back when was hollow point and silver, the only stuff I can find now is winchester 175 gr. silvertip, I can't remember what I used before, but I can't come up with any other hollowpoint ammo on the internet that's sliver.

so FIRST QUESTION, any of yall know if maybe someone stopped making a silver hollowpoint within the last 10 years that I may have gotten then but can't find now?

second question... this is the exact same gun that i used before, probably not having had more than 10 rounds through it since the last time that I shot it, but I don't really like how large the sights are... What are your thoughts on soldering or gluing a piece of very small copper wire to the top of the front blade to give myself a more precise point of aim?

third question... anyone who owns this gun with the 4 5/8 barrel have an recommendations on a 100 yard accurate round capable of taking a deer with that is commercially available? I may start loading just because of this gun alone, but if I can find something that works I'll just spend the money on ammo instead...


IN REGARDS TO THE THIRD QUESTION... I'm being pre-emptive here. I own a blueberry farm, fairly large one. The deer are constantly damaging my bushes and cost me a fortune so I have depredation permits from the state to take them down, these are nuisance animals and while I do eat every one I kill (or give it to someone who will when the freezer is full) this is not an opening for a question of hunting ethics, this is no different than coyotes killing baby calves, the deer need to go and when I get reliable with this ruger it'll be sure easier to carry it than carry a rilfe everywhere I go. while I own a large farm, it's in the mountains so 100 yards is about the max shot I can get around here anyhow.

thanks for your help folks!

 

[hipoint]

I bought a box of speer "handgun hunting ammo" at the store the other day, haven't gotten to try it, but it's got some pretty impressive stats on paper... anyone used this stuff? I'm looking for long range shots here as even my hipoint .45 would work for short range shots...

I'm trying to find someone who is consistently accurate with long range who can give me some sort of a "control group" that can tell me a commercial ammo to use, so I can hone my ability with it rather than playing around with different variables (thats the one thing that scares me about reloading, is so many variables i wouldn't know where to start)...

 

[steveno]

winchester also makes the 240 grain platinum tip which in my opinion would be better for hunting. the silvertip is more of a self defense load

 

[MikeJackmin]

I don't own a .41, but I'll offer a couple of general pointers.

First thing I'd suggest is to dryfire that gun, a lot. Don't worry if you don't have snap caps for it, start now and pick up the caps later if you think you want them. The trick is to set your sights on your target and drop the hammer without those sights moving, even a little. When you get real good, you can balance a quarter across the front sight and drop the hammer without knocking it off.

When you get that mastered, go to the range, and load two live rounds and four empty cases. In between each shot, open the loading gate, give the cylinder a spin, let it stop, and close the gate again. If you have any flinch it'll be obvious when the hammer drops on a fired case. If you don't, those two rounds that do eventually fire are going to show you how well you really shoot. I'm guessing they will land surprisingly close together.

Try the same game with four live rounds and two empties. Once you can shoot consistently without moving your sights, you'll know what to expect from your gun and you can begin to experiment with different ammo.

The ability to train like this is, IMO, one of the main advantages that revolvers have over autos.

Some folks here may laugh, but I do most of my dryfire practice while laying on my back, with the gun pointed at the ceiling. It's much easier to hold the gun that way and my arms don't tire as quickly, allowing me to focus on controlling the muscles in my hand, which is where most of the work needs to be done. After a few thousand clicks the muscle memory sets in and it gets easy.

 

[hipoint]

that's something that I read about the silvertip being more of a defense round. I'm thinking that a non-hollowpoint would be best for my uses, .41 is a pretty big hole without opening up and i would think a shot in the vitals would do the trick. I don't CC a gun, and don't really have any worries about using this thing on 2 legged varmints, just for the deer. I would really like to be able to consistently do the 100 yard shots, that would mean I would no longer have to deal with carrying a rifle everywhere I go around here, that is a real pain seems as if I'm either damaging it by having it in a work area, or if it's on a vehicle it isn't close enough when I see the deer.

I realize that my 100 yard shots 10 years ago were just me having a "good day" but 5 out of 6 shots is more than just luck in my opinion so I know I can do it again, I just have to get out there and practice some...

any thoughts on the piece of wire or something similar to give me a more precise point of aim?

 

[hipoint]

@ mike, those are GREAT tips! something I can start doing now, it's been so ugly out here lately that I really want to do something ;-)

 

[rcmodel]

gluing a piece of very small copper wire to the top of the front blade

Bad idea.

You don't need a precise sight point like that on a revolver, or a long range target rifle.

When properly sighted in, set the small thing you want to hit at long range centered on top of the wide front sight blade.

As long as you concentrate on the front sight, and not the target or rear sight?
Or keep shifting your focus back and forth between all three?
You will hit the small thing.

Your gun is capable of amazing accuracy at much more then 100 yards, once you get "front sight, front sight, front sight" firmly fixed in your head.

The other thing about single-action accuracy is using a hard grip.
If you don't squeeze it like you were choking a snake, it will slip in your hand differently every shot, recoil differently, and the bullets will land all over the place accordingly.

Using a very firm consistent grip every shot Will go a long way toward small groups.


I can't help with the "silver bullet from 10 years ago" question.
The only one I can think of off hand would be Winchester silver-tip.


rc

 

[CraigC]

RC set you straight on the sights.

The 175gr Silvertip is not a self defense load. However, it is dated technology. You really need to be handloading to be able to reach any appreciable level of proficiency. For practice, any good 215gr SWC will do. If I were using the .41Mag for deer, I would opt for the 210gr Gold Dot. Gary Reeder swears by the 170gr Sierra in the .41Mag and .41GNR and I would be willing to try it and see.

 

[hipoint]

Thank you RC, you've always been extraordiarily helpful with my posts. I think that you may have hit my problem dead on, I need to focus more on the front sight and the thing, I try to worry too much about the rear sight I think...

I know it's purely mental, but I do much much better when shooting at a "thing" than at paper, ie. coke can. I make 150yard shots on deer that are more precise than I can ever make on paper... I think when there is a "thing" involved I unconsciously focus more on the thing and the front sight than on paper.

I only got off 3 rounds a few days ago (when it was cold and dark) but they were way off, pretty sad newbie shooting there. I really wish it would stop raining (remember I'm a farmer and I'll kick myself for saying that) so I can go out and waste some money ;-)

 

[hipoint]

craig, I picked up a box of the 210 gr. gold dot hunting ammo sunday, haven't shot any of it yet. I really hope I can get to the level that I want to be at without blowing tons of money on ammo, this is one expensive round!

If I weren't so intimidated by all the variables (plus my own deficiencies in handgun shooting) i would start reloading right away. I will probably have to anyhow, but I want to remove the variable of "me" before I start laying down that much money for equipment... I call my home "the gun ruster" because we don't run AC in the summer and it gets to 90 percent humidity in here often. If I got into reloading I think I would have to buy/build a humidoor to keep the supplies in so the primers/powder wouldn't go bad.

 

[22-rimfire]

For deer, I would choose the expensive Remington 41 mag 210 gr jacketed soft points. The hard cast bullets aren't really necessary, but you can find them. HSM loads 250 gr "bear loads". I'd practice with Georgia Arms loads and do hopefully a quick change to the Remingtons for hunting.

Congrats on getting this revolver from your Dad.

I first used this gun about 10 years ago (exact same gun, borrowed from my father) I was amazed at how well I shot it and have hounded him ever since, he finally gave it to me on christmas

One question? Did you go through a FFL? You might have mental issues?

 

[hipoint]

haha, right? well just because I don't CC doesn't mean I don't have my CCW ;-) just don't see any reason for me personally to carry off the farm.