PT7’s Vaquero .357 Range Report

[PT7]

I’ve made it to the last “resident” in my gun cabinet….and so did you! This is a brand-new revolver, and it is the kind I’ve wanted for six years but never brought home.

Ruger Vaquero S/A .357 Magnum Six Gun (Model # 5159)

The pictures once again tell the story.

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NIB Vaquero2.jpg (183.93 KiB) Viewed 3660 times

NIB Vaquero3.jpg (189.71 KiB) Viewed 3660 times

NIB Vaquero4.jpg (179.97 KiB) Viewed 3660 times

Finally got this long-awaited Vaquero in late January this year. Had to have it ordered special through a TALO distributor. I know it doesn’t have the more traditional Six Gun blued or case-hardened appearance, but this stainless-steel model looked really sharp to me. It carries a 4-5/8” barrel, special edition "Dooley Gang" star-engraved hardwood grips, weighs in at a hefty 40 oz., and has a fixed, integral rear sight with a front blade. The shooter makes all the sight adjustments with this model!

To me, the stainless steel and the "Dooley Gang" wood grips nicely complement each other. The grips are highly-textured (nicer than I expected) and make it very easy to solidly hold and control the gun’s recoil.

A Someday Holster
I hope to get only one accessory for this revolver. If you take a glance at DAVIDF’s post in this thread on 12/13/17 http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... s&start=10 ,
you’ll see a photo he shared of the carry holster he got for his Bisley Super Blackhawk. This is the exact holster I’m considering for my Vaquero, including the bullets’ carry. I have a Simply Rugged holster for my LCR revolver, and it’s a quality, perfect fit. Plan to order one (when I gather the pennies together) to be made for this new gun.

Range Report
Now for some comments about my experiences of shooting a S/A revolver. Quite a switch from my normal revolver focus of shooting only the D/A platform. I’ve made three range visits so far and sent a total 183 rounds downrange.

Ammo
Since this was my intro to a new revolver, I used what I consider a good target practice round. CT_Shooter gifted me with some of his .357 Magnum reloads, Zero 130gr FMJs. I really liked how they performed in my SP101 and BASS IV derringer, so an easy choice. The Vaquero also performed well.

One Target
Used a single 6” splash target mounted on white 12” x 15” piece of cardboard. Wanted to easily see both target POIs and flyers. Not a total surprise, but a lot of flyers out of this new gun. Definitely the shooter’s challenge as the Vaquero performs well.

I like to post targets that “show off,” especially when I shoot really spot-on. Who doesn’t? It’s not as much fun to post an “initial” target, which shows how much shooting improvement is needed. But there were a number of factors that cropped up, and these POI results helped me to see them.

The 6" splash is on 12"x15" white cardboard

6-inch splash at 7 yards.jpg (147.93 KiB) Viewed 3660 times

POIs and the Next Challenges
I shot 42 rounds (seven cylinder loads) off hand at distance of 7 yards. I think I counted 41 POIs here, which include those hits covered with black target patches. Here is what I learned:

~~Left hand thumb usage to cock the hammer. New-to-me, as I didn’t have to pay any attention to this when shooting D/A revolvers. Quite helpful that the hammer does operate very smoothly.
~~”Seeing” the sight radius with the integral sight system. My windage was fairly good, but the elevation needs attention. It will be fixed with future practice.
~~Ouch! The grip was a challenge only because of the large hands I have. My right-hand middle finger was being sternly “bitten” by the rear of the trigger guard. Quite a distraction for every shot fired. It may have caused a few of the flinches I experienced, too. BTW, I’ve already got this resolved.
~~Keeping the revolver “steady.” This might have a little to do with the hefty 40 oz. weight. I will definitely adjust and get a “handle on it” as the gun is extremely well-balanced.

Am I content?
Yes, very much so!! This is a fantastic revolver, and I sure wish I bought it sooner and not wandered around the ranges without it for the last six years!! It is more than a hoot-to-shoot gun.

Future goal.
I’m looking forward to more outdoor range time, and primarily shooting at black steel targets. Although this is a brand-new fireman in my gun cabinet, since I don’t any longer have a Henry deer-hunting rifle, I think this revolver will be my go-to deer-hunting gun for this coming November doe hunt. Using my son’s-in-law ground blind (we’ll hunt at his 20-acres in northern MO), I will place a 12”-square steel target at 40 yards. And I simply will practice until consistently ringing that steel! I’ve been reading an interesting book on big bore revolvers as they are used for hunting. I’m researching some options/guidelines on how to select a good ammo choice for white-tail deer hunting, shooting from a 4” barrel. Really am looking forward to this summer and getting up-to-speed with this Vaquero. I’ll keep you posted on my plan’s progress.

Thanks to all who rummaged through my gun cabinet with me. It tells the stories of the changes in my firearm residents, and changes in my firearms focus during the ½ year or so break I had from the Forum. It was a good glance for me, too, and fun to write.

Take good care, Everyone! Be safe when shooting.
PT7

[RanchRoper]

Great report, and beautiful revolver too. I looked long and hard at the Ruger Vaquero, as it came highly recommended. Nothing wrong with that target either, that bad guy is pushing up daisies.

[GFK]

Nice firearm!! Good shooting and thanks you the report as well. It seems like you have a good plan. I would like to get to the range more to refine my shooting also. But, I do this thing called work for now. I seemed to have grown accustomed to eating and sleeping. However, I foresee a day when I will be able to get up and run outside to play.

[RetiredSeabee]

That’s a beauty for sure. I love the grips they are unique.
Dialing in a new gun is half the fun of shooting it.

[PT7]

Thanks for noticing my "plan." It provides something to work toward and look forward to. I'm retired now, and barely remember that "thing called work."

I consider my firearms hobby a type of work, but definitely a lot more fun. Hang in there and keep on eating and sleeping. Before you know it, your retirement season will arrive.

Nice firearm!! Good shooting and thanks you the report as well. It seems like you have a good plan. I would like to get to the range more to refine my shooting also. But, I do this thing called work for now. I seemed to have grown accustomed to eating and sleeping. However, I foresee a day when I will be able to get up and run outside to play.

[North Country Gal]

PT, very much enjoyed your trip through your gun cabinet. It's been fun for all of us.

That is a fine looking Ruger and now your on your way, with lots more fun to come. Yes, shooting single action revolvers is different. Be glad to help with any questions and am more than willing to share what I know about shooting SAs and I know other SA shooters, here, feel the same. Just holler.

[PT7]

Appreciate the opportunity "to holler" whenever needed, NCG....thanks much. I'll look forward to your observations and advice, and the other S/A Forum voices, too.

Actually, what will be interesting is discovering those differences between shooting a S/A revolver vs. D/A ones. The only other S/A handgun I've used a lot is the BASS IV derringer, which is S/A and an O/U as well. That is a really cool combination.

Once spring is in full force, then followed by summer, I will definitely spend outdoor range time with the Vaquero. I'm gonna bet you'll hear from me easily enough when I holler!

PT, very much enjoyed your trip through your gun cabinet. It's been fun for all of us.

That is a fine looking Ruger and now your on your way, with lots more fun to come. Yes, shooting single action revolvers is different. Be glad to help with any questions and am more than willing to share what I know about shooting SAs and I know other SA shooters, here, feel the same. Just holler.

[North Country Gal]

Here's a couple of tips that will get you started.

That hammer has a longer distance to fall on an SA before it hits the firing pin, compared to a DA revolver when shooting it in single action. Your follow-through, then, is very important on on SA. Good way to practice that is dry firing.

Those traditional plow handle grips are designed for fast draw and great balance, but they make it a bit more challenging to get a consistent grip, shot to shot, and a consistent grip is a must for accurate shooting with any handgun. On the advice of some friends who shoot cowboy action, I switched over to a pinky under grip on my Colt clone 357 a couple years, back. Works wonders. Almost impossible NOT to get the same grip every shot. Also makes working the action with your left thumb more positive. Might be worth a try. Best of luck.

[PT7]

Tips are always welcome, NCG...thanks!

Of the two tips you mentioned, I have already thought quite a bit on the plow hand grips on my Vaquero, especially after finding how they bit my shooting hand's middle finger with the back of the trigger guard. In another shooting Forum, I read a thread where any number of the owners of Ruger S/A pistols have the same thing happen. Anyway, here is where I'm at.

I got a book through my library on using big bore revolvers for hunting. The author says he is a long-time big game hunter, and most always uses large-caliber revolvers. Fortunately, he includes the somewhat smaller .357 Magnum, as he commented that shot placement is the key to effectively and humanely bring in a harvest (spot on), and not totally dependent on the caliber. So I'm learning a lot of what's behind revolver hunting, and the pros and cons of the .357 caliber.

The first major section I read in his book is called "hunting mechanics." He briefly talks about the importance of the grip. His notes his preference on a Ruger is the Bisley, which he says for him feels like less recoil impact than under D/A shooting. One other grip he really likes is the Freedom Arms' Model 83 grip.

OK. Also researched and found that my plow handle grips are labeled an XR3 model, as Ruger has designed various grip models over the years. Then I found a pretty good historical summary of Ruger S/A grips on this web site http://www.gunblast.com/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames.htm Included are a lot of good photos, and some very interesting comparative grip frame drawings. I took my Vaquero grips off to see if the frame or grips were marked in any way. Shucks -- it revealed zip. The only letter was a "K" stamped on the metal frame. But based on the dimensions in the Hamm comparison, I again see that I have the XR3 model that measures 3" by 3". One of the shooters forum fellows did some measuring off the drawings in Hamm's article to his guns. He found the Bisley grip to be .177" (almost 3/16") closer to the trigger, very similar to my (as he called it) 'knuckle busting' XR3 size plow handle grip frame. A final stat I've found so far is that metal frame width of my revolver is 7/16", and again there are different frame widths on these Rugers.

I haven't shot my Vaquero enough yet to be that familiar with the grip, how best to hold it, etc. I do know that the knuckle-busting is no fun, but have already somewhat alleviated that issue at my last range visit. I got a high-quality, thin leather golf glove for my right hand. And it's thin enough that I didn't need to cut the end off from the trigger finger....it easily slides into place whenever I shoot. The "hits" on my knuckle have been considerably softened now, and shooting is better.

You mentioned that you "switched over to a pinky under grip on my Colt clone 357." I believe I understand that correctly. My hands are fairly large, and I cannot grip the plow handle grips with all fingers. The pinky ends up under the bottom of the grip. Again, I'm not sure how this makes a difference?

All of the above to say this. Got to get to know my Vaquero much better, and yippee, that means more range time! I like my golf glove "fix" so far, plus it also helps keep a solid grip on the stock textured "Dooley wood grips." So I'll not be making any immediate grip changes, but it is something that needs to be looked at closely, and I will change 'em out if needed. Thanks again for your tips. This start of learning S/A revolvers is already much fun.
PT7

Here's a couple of tips that will get you started.

That hammer has a longer distance to fall on an SA before it hits the firing pin, compared to a DA revolver when shooting it in single action. Your follow-through, then, is very important on on SA. Good way to practice that is dry firing.

Those traditional plow handle grips are designed for fast draw and great balance, but they make it a bit more challenging to get a consistent grip, shot to shot, and a consistent grip is a must for accurate shooting with any handgun. On the advice of some friends who shoot cowboy action, I switched over to a pinky under grip on my Colt clone 357 a couple years, back. Works wonders. Almost impossible NOT to get the same grip every shot. Also makes working the action with your left thumb more positive. Might be worth a try. Best of luck.

[North Country Gal]

Sounds like you have the same problem as my husband. He has big meaty hands and his pinky is always hanging loose with any single action grip. My advice, in your case, is to put the pinky to work, solidly tucking it under the bottom of the grip, rather than just hanging free. This will provide a repeatable reference point for the sake of consistent hand placement on the grip. It will also anchor the gun, not allowing it to slip in the hand as much, when cocking the hammer. With that two-hand cowboy action hold, using your left thumb to cock the hammer, this will make for more positive control of that hammer.

You may even find that that pinky support of the grip will reduce how much the gun bucks in your hand, giving you better control for follow up shots. Best of all, it may also reduce the amount of knuckle busting. It's that gun movement in the hand that produces that knuckle busting.

A case in point with how your grip can control the pain issue is my recent post on my little Kimber K6s 357. If I shoot this little piece of dynamite with a loose grip, it bites me, big time, with the trigger guard busting my trigger finger. Not fun. If I use a pinky under the grip, with a strong, very firm overall grip, no pain at all.

Another example of how that little finger can help support the gun is my old pal, my SA Mil-spec 1911 45 auto. A loose grip with this 1911 is a sure way to get hammer bite. Found that locking the pinky solidly around the grip helped to prevent this. Went one step further and added a wrap around grip that gave my little finger even more surface to grab. Hammer bite is now a thing of the past. I know you love those grips on the Ruger, but you can change the thickness of grips on Ruger SAs and that can also help in a similar way.

As for the Bisely versus plow grip. I've been back and forth on that one for years. What works for others is no guarantee it will work for you. You've got to try both. Again, it's not just the type of grip on the gun, it's how you grip that particular style that counts. To the point, when switching to a pinky under with the plow grip, I know find the plow grip to actually be more comfortable for me to shoot than the Bisley, which is too big for my pinky under grip. No more Bisley grips for me.

[PT7]

I remember quite a while ago when Sir Henry shared about a period of intensive self-training he did in order to improve shooting of his .22 rimfires rifles. A lot of the tips he shared made sense to me, I've remembered them, and also applied some to my own shooting. Thanks to SH and his help along with much range time, I believe I shoot my Henry SGC .22LR pretty darn well now!

I think the same friendly trail is opening up here for the new-to-me SA revolver shooting. I'm most interested in working with the "pinky that is always hanging loose." It is a shame to let it be blown about in the wind when it can help control the Six Gun! I like your suggestions, and will work on that at my next range time. Plan to also check out your recent post on the Kimber K6 .357 revolver.

Re. the plow grip. Since the Vaquero SA shooting is mostly an unknown to me, I'll stick with the stock plow grips for now. If the pinky power you suggested helps, I may stay with these "Dooley" grips. Shall see "how it all fits."

Much appreciated tips, NCG....thanks!
PT7

.....that pinky support of the grip will reduce how much the gun bucks in your hand, giving you better control for follow up shots. Best of all, it may also reduce the amount of knuckle busting. It's that gun movement in the hand that produces that knuckle busting.

[North Country Gal]

You're very welcome. As with shooting any kind of handgun, it's ALWAYS a work in progress. Just when you think there's nothing left to learn, you quickly learn it ain't so.