trail gun

[conhntr]

I am in the woods 1-2 days a week all season (sep-jan). sometimes i carry a .22, sometimes a shotgun and generally am after squirrels, birds, rabbits etc. i hike a long distance and my "hunting" is more of about exercise/hiking than anything. because of this i dont carry a centerfire rifle. however i have decided i want a revolver to carry so i can take a few doe this year for eating. since i am out all the time i can wait for a good oppurtunity and shots will be kept to 20yards (through the year i have deer walk right over me sooner or later).

so to the question it looks like a ruger single action is the answer. 44mag makes the most sense to me with the variety of loads available (i dont handload). i like the looks of the vaquero and think the fixed sights would be better for that much holster carry. do these guns generally shoot to point of aim (if not can it be easily corrected?)

and last question; i like the single-six as well but dont have the scratch to get both, if i use the cowboy action 44special loads how big of a mess would they make out of a rabbit/squirrel?

 

[rcmodel]

so i can take a few doe this year for eating.

SO how many deer can you kill on one license in a year in your state?

Fixed sight guns will generally only shoot to POA with one bullet weight & velocity.

If you go lighter, heavier, faster, or slower a lot, you need adjustable sights.

A LRN-FP cowboy .44 Spl. load will not mess up small game any worse then a .22RF HP.

rc

 

[conhntr]

cool info on the 44spl thats what i was hoping; it pretty much just pokes a hole in em huh?

as far as deer; in VA bag limit is 2 a day. you get like 4-6tags with the license then you can buy additional antlerless tags...

 

[rcmodel]

Since you don't reload, and can't work out hunting loads for a fixed sight gun that will shoot to POA.

I would suggest the Ruger Blackhawk over the Vaquaro.
You can get holsters that pretty much protect the rear sight.
It takes a lot of abuse to knock them out of kilter anyway.

rc

 

[conhntr]

ya my only concern is i have a ruger mkII with the 5.5 bull with adj sights. that rear sight is so loose in its dovetail it will move almost 1/8" and then i have to push it back with my thumb.

i really want the color-case vaquaro it just looks so much cooler! couldnt i get it regulated to the 44spl loads that i would use the majority of the time; then it would shoot xx" high with the mags?

 

[rcmodel]

Well, first, you need to take the sight off the MKII, put some red or blue lock-tight on it, and put it back on. You can also use a center-punch to raise some burs in the sight dovetail which will make it fit tighter.
There is no excuse for having an adjustable sight rattle back and forth in the dovetail when it's so easy to fix.

The Blackhawk rear sight is not dovetail mounted. It sets down in a recess in the frame, and is pinned in place at the front. Think just the adjustable part of your MKII sight.


Different loads don't just shoot "high" when you up the power.
You will usually find both Windage & Elevation changes necessary when changing from light .44 Spl plinking loads to .44 Magnum hunting loads.

The gun not only kicks up more, but torques to the side more to due to rifling spin.

If you just gotta have Color Case-Hardening, then you will have to get good with Kentucky Windage guesstimating, and learn how much to hold off to hit what you want to hit.

rc

 

[MikeJackmin]

If you don't mind keeping track, there is no reason why you can't use a fixed-sighted gun with multiple loads; if you know that a certain load prints X inches high at a given distance, you can do the math and adjust your sight picture pretty quick. It's not ideal, but it'll work fine if you don't mind the mental exercise.

I've never shot any small game with a .44 cowboy load, but I'd suggest limiting it to headshots if you want something to eat at the end of the day.

 

[rcmodel]

Well I have, as well as .45 ACP FMJ, .45AR LRN, and .45 Colt LRN-FP.

As I already said, they are no more distructive on small game then a .22LR HP.

rc

 

[Peakbagger46]

I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk .45 and can tell you the sights are very tight and appear sturdy. It is my woods gun in bear country that replaced my .357 snubbie for that role. Great gun.

Don't know about shooting small game with it, but RC knows his stuff. I can tell you I make a lot of "Glockenfeffer" with my duty pistol for practice. It is great fun to shoot them with the .40FMJ rounds, and I don't get a lot of meat damage on the cottontails.

 

[calaverasslim]

Since you don't reload, and can't work out hunting loads for a fixed sight gun that will shoot to POA.

I would suggest the Ruger Blackhawk over the Vaquaro.
You can get holsters that pretty much protect the rear sight.
It takes a lot of abuse to knock them out of kilter anyway.

rc

I gots to go with RCModel. I would strongly suggest the 5.5" Blackhawk 44 Mag, which you can shoot the 44 special of your choice in.

If you want to reject the 44 mag, then get the short barrel 45 Colt. 4 & 5/8" barrel and it has the adjustable rear sight. Either of these guns will take some inadvertent abuse and keep on ticking. I have and use both with good success.

 

[jmr40]

At those ranges any revolver with adjustable sights and 4" or more barrel should be fine. The 357 mag would be plenty as would the 44 or 45 loads as well as the 41 mag. I would even feel comfortable using my Glock 20 in 10mm at those ranges.

 

[HB]

Looks like good advice above and I would certainly recommend sticking with adjustable sights. Even if the fixed sights are dead on for your deer hunting loads, they usually aren't as nice as adjustables.
HB

 

[MCgunner]

.357 magnum will kill your deer inside 50 yards no problem. The bonus to .357 is that .38 wadcutters won't mess up small game as bad. I handload, but there are plenty of rounds available in .357, 180 grain loads pushing near 800 ft lbs from a 6.5" Blackhawk. Buffalo Bore comes to mind.

 

[Logos]

Model 60: Smith 3-inch J-Frame w/adjustable sights (and laser grips if your eyes are getting older like mine). These are invaluable in low light, like late in the day or early in the morning.

Get the .357 model but use mainly .38 Special varieties tailored to your needs. Take a few .357s just in case.

 

[MCgunner]

These are invaluable in low light, like late in the day or early in the morning.

And illegal to use on game in Texas. Check your state laws. With a M60, though, I'd much, much rather have the 5" adjustable sight model as a trail gun.

 

[Logos]

Three-inch, five-inch......both good.

Laws from state to state will vary. Some permit it, some don't.......some are just vague on lasers, but the salient point is that they'd have to witness you using the laser and the odds against that are great. No law against having it, just some laws in some states against using it on game, usually large game.

All it does is help older eyes aim with youthful precision.

Believe me......I'm gonna use it.

 

[conhntr]

i already have a 686+ 6" 357. looking for something different here. im stuck on the 44 for ammo choices, and was stuck on the vaquero for the good looks. i might be able to handle a blackhawk idk...

so other than fixed sights and not having the color case available what are the differences?

most definently not looking for the 3" 357. i want something fun to shoot!

 

[MCgunner]

Well, you're going to be totin' the super blackhawk in .44 mag, 5 1/2" barrel would be my choice. I like my 4 5/8" .45 colt, but then, I do handload. I'm afraid, though, it'd mess a squirrel up beyond recognition. LOL! Rabbit might not be too bad a shape with it and a 255 lead flat nose. Friggin' bullet's bigger than the game on squirrel, though.

Tell ya what I like to tote now and then, though I don't walk as far as you're talkin' about. I have a .410/.45 Colt Contender. It shoots good enough to hit a doe at 50 yards no problem with my hot handloads and the .410 is awesome on small game to 25 yards or so. I've taken both squirrel and running rabbit with it along with a few birds on the wing. That thing is a hoot out in the field and it ain't that heavy to carry. I use a shoulder holster, but a flap holster carried cross draw would be a good option, too.

I carry the gun with a .410 up the spout and pull the choke off and slide a .45 in the tube if I think I might get a shot on something that requires it, hogs around my place, though I have yet to shoot a hog with that particular barrel. It'd slice and dice one, though, pushing a 300 grain pill at 1200 fps.

 

[conhntr]

well i looked around on the rugerforum and it looks like the blackhawk is the way to go.

i know ruger does alot of special runs did they ever do a case color blackhawk in 44?

 

[conhntr]

nope; went to the gun store today and held/looked at the blackhawk/vaquero at the same time.

alot of the reason i want this gun is for the "cool" factor. i already have a 686 that will plug a 1"raged hole at 25 yards. what i want is something that is fun/cool to carry in the woods. the blackhawk just has that huge ugly topstrap im not feeling. the vaquero looks so much better and i love the case-color. im just gonna hope for the best as far as sighting goes and deal with it...

 

[hiram2005]

A man should always get what he wants when it comes to guns.

 

[MCgunner]

I've hauled both a .357 Blackhawk and a .45 Colt blackhawk all over hell's half acre. They do the job. They might be a little heavier than some choices, bit they didn't weigh me down on all day hikes. The .44 is the better choice for the non-handloader than a .45 Colt, but I really like that .45. I've yet to fire an inaccurate Blackhawk.

The Vaqs are nice on the eyes, but I GOTTA have adjustable sights for a trail gun. Light loads shoot a lot lower than heavy in my guns. I have the rear sight elevation screw marked for light and heavy loads in both guns. A front sight insert Keith style can help with the sight picture for the light loads, though. That's one way to get around it, and you can use the inserts like Keith did, for long range shooting.

 

[remingtondude58]

Have you thought about a Taurus Judge? I am not a Taurus fan, but it seems like it would be perfect. You would have your 410 for small game and your 45 colt for deer, plus I think the 410 part would be your "wow" part.

 

[MCgunner]

Judge? Not me. So long as the squirrel is no more than 10 feet, you're golden. My Contender has a choke attachment that not only chokes the shot load, but stops its spin before it exits the barrel. It is effective to 25 yards on small game and birds. The Judge is a home defense gun, nothing more. Try to make it a rabbit gun, you're deluding yourself.

Besides, the Judge is around 500 bills, a little short of 500 at Academy I think. I can get a Blackhawk for that and, well, I'd rather have a Blackhawk on the trail, FAR more accuracy with .45 Colt and more power capable. Don't try to fire "Ruger/TC only" loads in your Judge, not made to handle that pressure level. It ain't that it's a bad gun, you're just trying to make a screw driver out of a hammer. Proper tool for the job.

In the OP's case, he wants a .44 mag anyway. I can understand that. Buffalo Bore .45 Colt is expensive, way more than I'd wanna pay for ammo. Thank God for reloading presses.

 

[MrPeter]

I just ordered this one today for a similar reason. I don't hike as much as you, but when I do, I hate having a giant hunk-o-steel on my hip weighing me down uncomfortably when the chances of me using it are so slim (and lower stakes than when carrying for SD).

This guy is much smaller than it looks thanks to the 5shot cylinder, which is more than enough for hunting. Small enough to be concealed even. SUPER comfy grip (you gotta try it), adjustable sights, long enough barrel to be accurate and get OK velocity from most loads, and ported. Available in SS (my preference) and inexpensive ($509 @ cabelas).

I sold my 6" GP100 after the first hike I took. That thing weighed a TON and was very distracting to carry around. This is my answer.
I also prefer DA\SA revolvers.