Load ruger old vaquero
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Barry the Bear
Member
Don't know about factory regulation, but mine loves my pet load consisting of a 255 gr slug.
FROGO207
Member
^^^ 250m grain RNFP and your choice of propellant that is suitable for shooting to point of aim with my pair. Do not use the Ruger Only loads though.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
He said he bought the 'ruger old vaquero'. If I understand him correctly, that is the old large frame Vaquero. If it is the old Large Frame Vaquero, Ruger Only loads are fine in it.
In this photo, the revolver at the top is an 'original model', large frame Vaquero. The other two are New Vaqueros.
Too bad Ruger used a dumb name like New Vaquero, which causes so much confusion with the older large frame just plain Vaquero. Why they did not get smart and do like they do with their semi-auto 22s I will never know. You now exactly what you are getting when you buy a Ruger Mark I, Mark II or Mark III 22 pistol.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
All that said, it should be set up for a 250-255 grain bullet at 850-900 FPS.
Just like the .45 Colt is supposed to be.
That's what .45 Colts do best since 1873, and the way they should be factory sighted.
rc
Just like the .45 Colt is supposed to be.
That's what .45 Colts do best since 1873, and the way they should be factory sighted.
rc
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
Driftwood, your original and New Vacquero frames look identical to me. Can you visually see added weight or thickness in areas up close on the old one that I can't see in your pic? (I know the old one is supposed to handle hotter loads btw) Thanks
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
They don't look the same to me.
Look at the thickness and contour over the barrel threads of the top strap on the top one!!
rc
Look at the thickness and contour over the barrel threads of the top strap on the top one!!
rc
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
I know what you're saying RC, I just don't see it at all from this pic. I've never seen the old and New side by side. Anyway if there's a difference it's not nearly as different as it would be to my 50th Ann. 357 Blackhawk. Thanks
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
There could also be a difference in topstrap width that I can't see.
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
I see that the cylinder is beefier and longer yet I'm failing to find the topstrap being thicker.
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NewVaquero.htm
Still searching.....
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NewVaquero.htm
Still searching.....
jim in Anchorage
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My old model Vaquero wasn't sighted in for ANYTHING till I reamed out the under sized Cly throat's.
I put probably 400 rounds of max Ruger loads tru it With no ill effects.
I put probably 400 rounds of max Ruger loads tru it With no ill effects.
bannockburn
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With my Ruger Vaquero I get fairly decent accuracy and light recoil with a 255 gr. lead SWC and 7.5 gr. of W231. Pretty much shoots this load (and most factory ammo as well), to point of aim at around 55 to 60 feet.
Jimfern
Member
With 250 Gr lead bullets that I loaded to an estimated 900 FPS, I was able to hit at point of aim @ 15 yards out of my 5.5" barreled (old model) Ruger Vaquero. I used 15 grains of 2400.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy Again
Sorry, perspective and less than ideal lighting makes it difficult to see how much bigger the 'original model' Vaquero is than the New Vaquero.
But the size of the cylinders is where the pedal meets the metal. 'Original model' Vaquero cylinder on the left is 1.702" long (main body of the cylinder, not including the front bushing or the ratchet teeth). New Vaquero cylinder is 1.583" long.
'Original vaquero' cylinder is 1.730 in diameter, New Vaquero cylinder is 1.675" in diameter. Ignore the fact that one is 45 Colt and one is 357 Mag. A 45 Colt New Vaquero cylinder will have the same outside dimensions as a 357 Mag. The frame of the New Vaquero is sized down approximately 20% from the old one, to house the smaller cylinder.
The New Vaquero is pretty much the same size as a Colt Single Action Army. The 'original model' was bigger.
Uberti Cattleman cylinder on the left, Stainless 'original model' Vaquero cylinder in the center, 2nd Gen Colt SAA cylinder on the right. All chambered for 45 Colt. Notice how much more meat there is between chambers with the Vaquero cylinder than the other two. That is why the 'original model' could take 'Ruger Only' loads and the New Vaquero is not chambered for 44 Mag like the old one was. Sorry, I don't have a New Vaquero chambered for 45 Colt, but the dimensions would be very similar to the Colt cylinder if I did.
A few other things. The New Vaquero in these photos is an early one, the way they first appeared. Compare the hammer spur to the 'original model' Vaquero. With the 'original model' the hammer spur was low enough that you could sight the gun with the hammer down. You cannot do that with a Colt, the hammer spur is too tall. Why would you want to sight a single action revolver unless it was cocked anyway? When the New Vaquero first came out, it had a high hammer spur similar to a Colt, to look more like a Colt. New Vaqueros now come with a few different hammer styles, it seems shooters today want to be able to sight the gun with the hammer down, but for the life of me I don't know why. Ejector rod handle was changed slightly on the New Vaquero to resemble the Colt ejector rod handle a little bit more. And the New Vaquero is no longer available with the fake 'color case' finish. If you don't buy Stainless, you get a blued frame.
Sorry, perspective and less than ideal lighting makes it difficult to see how much bigger the 'original model' Vaquero is than the New Vaquero.
But the size of the cylinders is where the pedal meets the metal. 'Original model' Vaquero cylinder on the left is 1.702" long (main body of the cylinder, not including the front bushing or the ratchet teeth). New Vaquero cylinder is 1.583" long.
'Original vaquero' cylinder is 1.730 in diameter, New Vaquero cylinder is 1.675" in diameter. Ignore the fact that one is 45 Colt and one is 357 Mag. A 45 Colt New Vaquero cylinder will have the same outside dimensions as a 357 Mag. The frame of the New Vaquero is sized down approximately 20% from the old one, to house the smaller cylinder.
The New Vaquero is pretty much the same size as a Colt Single Action Army. The 'original model' was bigger.
Uberti Cattleman cylinder on the left, Stainless 'original model' Vaquero cylinder in the center, 2nd Gen Colt SAA cylinder on the right. All chambered for 45 Colt. Notice how much more meat there is between chambers with the Vaquero cylinder than the other two. That is why the 'original model' could take 'Ruger Only' loads and the New Vaquero is not chambered for 44 Mag like the old one was. Sorry, I don't have a New Vaquero chambered for 45 Colt, but the dimensions would be very similar to the Colt cylinder if I did.
A few other things. The New Vaquero in these photos is an early one, the way they first appeared. Compare the hammer spur to the 'original model' Vaquero. With the 'original model' the hammer spur was low enough that you could sight the gun with the hammer down. You cannot do that with a Colt, the hammer spur is too tall. Why would you want to sight a single action revolver unless it was cocked anyway? When the New Vaquero first came out, it had a high hammer spur similar to a Colt, to look more like a Colt. New Vaqueros now come with a few different hammer styles, it seems shooters today want to be able to sight the gun with the hammer down, but for the life of me I don't know why. Ejector rod handle was changed slightly on the New Vaquero to resemble the Colt ejector rod handle a little bit more. And the New Vaquero is no longer available with the fake 'color case' finish. If you don't buy Stainless, you get a blued frame.
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
Wow, the topstrap thickness difference in the Vaquero vs the Colt is huge?
Driftwood Johnson
Member
NO!
Stop trying to scale photos that are not very distinct.
The key to the difference in size between the New Vaquero and the 'original model' Vaquero is the size of the cylinders. Everything else flows from that.
Stop trying to scale photos that are not very distinct.
The key to the difference in size between the New Vaquero and the 'original model' Vaquero is the size of the cylinders. Everything else flows from that.
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
Driftwood, I said "between the Colt and the Vaquero"......and I can't just stop.
BCRider
Member
Getting back to the sights for a moment...... 
I'm assuming that you got the gun used. So if the previous owner shot a lot of lighter cowboy action loads it is possible that he trimmed the front blade to make the POA match the POI. This would have been done to match the muzzle rise of THAT bullet weight and THAT muzzle speed from a given charge to suit the shooter's needs.
Now you come along asking about using hotter "Ruger Only" loads. Or, for that matter, just plain full power SAMMI loads. If the sights were set up for lighter loads you're going to find that the hotter loads tend to hit lower than your POA.
The good news is that if this is what you want to shoot it means that the front blade was left tall. So you'll be OK for reducing the height to match the POA to the hotter load POI.
Just keep in mind that you can't shift back and forth between light poppers and full power loads and keep the sighting consistent. So take some time to decide on which sort of load you'll shoot the most and regulate the sights to suit that load. Then just use some Kentucky Elevation for lighter or stronger loads from that. And for typical handgun distances this means a little hold under for softer/slower loads and a little hold over for hot loads.
All in all it's easier to hold under and keep a good sight picture. So if you want to mix your loads I think I'd look at setting the sights up to shoot right to POA for the hot loads. Then for softer loads just use a little hold under.
I'm assuming that you got the gun used. So if the previous owner shot a lot of lighter cowboy action loads it is possible that he trimmed the front blade to make the POA match the POI. This would have been done to match the muzzle rise of THAT bullet weight and THAT muzzle speed from a given charge to suit the shooter's needs.
Now you come along asking about using hotter "Ruger Only" loads. Or, for that matter, just plain full power SAMMI loads. If the sights were set up for lighter loads you're going to find that the hotter loads tend to hit lower than your POA.
The good news is that if this is what you want to shoot it means that the front blade was left tall. So you'll be OK for reducing the height to match the POA to the hotter load POI.
Just keep in mind that you can't shift back and forth between light poppers and full power loads and keep the sighting consistent. So take some time to decide on which sort of load you'll shoot the most and regulate the sights to suit that load. Then just use some Kentucky Elevation for lighter or stronger loads from that. And for typical handgun distances this means a little hold under for softer/slower loads and a little hold over for hot loads.
All in all it's easier to hold under and keep a good sight picture. So if you want to mix your loads I think I'd look at setting the sights up to shoot right to POA for the hot loads. Then for softer loads just use a little hold under.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
The top strap of the Colt is .220 thick. The top strap of the New Vaquero is .246 thick. A difference of only .026. The New Vaquero top strap looks thicker in that photo because it has a more pronounced flat surface on the side, whereas the top strap of the Colt is almost completely curved with a very small flat surface on the side.
The photo is not the best in the world, the Colt is slightly out of focus, so its top strap detail is not as crisp. Sorry, it is the only photo I had on file when I posted the comparison of the two guns.
This photo of the Colt is in better focus and may make the shape of the top strap clearer.
The photo is not the best in the world, the Colt is slightly out of focus, so its top strap detail is not as crisp. Sorry, it is the only photo I had on file when I posted the comparison of the two guns.
This photo of the Colt is in better focus and may make the shape of the top strap clearer.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
My suspicion is the OP meant what distance are the sights regulated to. Which means how far out will the point be where the bullet trajectory crosses the sight picture.
In the old days, Colts were regulated quite far out. I forget exactly how far, but 200 yards is what I seem to remember. Sight regulation is controlled by how high the front sight is.
The bullet trajectory actually crosses the sight picture at two points, one fairly close in while the bullet is still rising, and one point much farther out after the bullet has started to descend. But at exactly what distance the trajectory crosses the sight picture depends on many things, including height of the front sight, amount of recoil, how the shooter holds the gun, and how much the shooter allows the gun to recoil.
If you look closely at that photo of my 'original model' Vaquero you will see that I flattened the front sight slightly with a file. I did this at the range, after carefully wrapping the muzzle with electricians tape to protect the barrel from the inevitable slips of the file. Every time I fired a group I would file a little bit off the top, then fire another group to see how much the point of impact moved. I probably repeated this process about ten times until I was satisfied with the result. However, it is pointless to do this with a fixed sight revolver if you have not settled on a load. Change loads, or change your shooting style, and the point of impact will probably change.
In truth, I have a couple of dozen single action revolvers now, and I have not filed down the front sight on any of them other than that old Vaquero. Just not worth the effort, for CAS all I do is aim at the lower half of the target and I always hit it.
P.S. take a close look at the front sight of my 4 3/4" Colt. At some point somebody welded a little bit of metal onto the top of the front sight to raise it a little bit. Done before I owned the gun.
AlfonsDeWolf
Member
I get it now Driftwood. I think the Vaquero is rolled slightly in the pic to show a bit more of the top of the strap vs the Colt therefore making it look much thicker. Your measurements show the Vaquero's is only 11% thicker. I thank you for that. BTW, your pic is great
Well, I learned some things (though not what I was asking lol)
I would like to know(if anyone does) what available factory loading seems to shoot to point of aim in an original vaquero?
I have no desire to shoot 45 colt plus p in it though I do in my Blackhawk and wanted the old model so in the unlikely event I made a mistake it wouldn't be catastrophic.
I would like to know(if anyone does) what available factory loading seems to shoot to point of aim in an original vaquero?
I have no desire to shoot 45 colt plus p in it though I do in my Blackhawk and wanted the old model so in the unlikely event I made a mistake it wouldn't be catastrophic.
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