TALO Custom Ruger

[Jeff Higgins]

A new single action followed me home last night, a Ruger Super Blackhawk made in a limited run for TALO (only 500 made). Caliber is .44 magnum, barrel length a handy 3.75". It has the standard Blackhawk grip frame with the rounded trigger guard, and the unfluted Super Blackhawk cylinder. The grips don't show up that well in the photo below, but they are a really pretty black micarta. All in all, a cute little packin' gun.

My two "standard" loads are shown with it. We'll see which one it likes the best and zero it accordingly. On the left is the old original Keith load, consisting of the original design 250 grain Keith SWC, cast from wheelweights in RCBS mold # .44-250K. Seated over 22 grains of H2400 and lit by a CCI standard large pistol primer, it goes into the mid 1,300 fps range from a number of revolvers with 6" to 7.5" barrels.

On the right is the LBT 300 grain LFN, also cast from wheelweights. This one is seated over 22 grains of W-W 296 and sparked by a CCI large pistol magnum primer. It too runs in the mid 1,300 fps range from a number of revolvers.

Here she is, a little fistful of fun for sure:

[Superman]

She's a cutie. Like the curvy cheerleader. Remember her?

Wish you were going to be at the Swap Meet, but I know what it's like to watch the four-second explosions. Enjoy.

[Jeff Higgins]

Oh, I'll be at the swap meet. Probably going to the drags on Sunday.

Gonna shoot the new Ruger after work today...

[Drdogface]

That is sweet. Likely a mite too heavy for me as a carry piece but I like it a lot. I like a piece that I don't even know is there when I carry, but I'd try this one

[Jeff Higgins]

I'm thinking more along the lines of an outdoor, backwoods carry piece for backpacking and general woods bumming. Certainly not a concealed carry piece.

One of my long time favorites for my roaming of the backwoods has been a very similar gun, also a limited run Blackhawk. This one has a standard 4 5/8" barrel, rosewood stocks, and is chambered in .45 Colt. The "special" feature on this one is the polished finish, where standard for Ruger has always been matte. Standard load for this gun pretty much mimics the 300 grain .44 load; a 300 grain LBT LFN cast from wheelweights over 23 grains of W-W # 296 for just under 1,200 fps.

Here they are, side by side:

[Drdogface]

I like them both. Makes sense for a wood carry. I went deer hunting years ago in Wyoming and carried my 44 Mag stainless Vaquero. My local gunsmith makes some incredible handguns with the Superblackhawk as the starting point. He makes his own cylinder and chambers for a lot of crazy stuff...even 45/90 if you can imagine... Has his own wild cat round made by Bufflao Bullets... "50 JRH", and no, I've never dropped a hammer on any of them

[ODDJOB UNO]

try a across the chest holster. you will thank me in spades as yer popping yer fly rod or spinner rod on giant azz'd TROUTS!

uber comfy over my waders.


remember if the poo goes down, both of your hands are full with a rod/reel and a beer can in the other. yer gonna have to drop something to slap leather. decisions decisions.


try some hornaday leverevolutions. plastic pointy tips. my 1894SS/1894CSS marlin loves them as well as all of my smiths. .357 and .44 mag.


corbons(320 gr) thru my 4" magna ported barrel , is truly an eye opening experience.


when i 1st got the corbons and loaded them up............i was very hesitant.



and with damn good reason. can you say "FREEKING AWESOME!"

[Joeaksa]

Boy that puppy is going to bark!

Cannot wait for a shooting report back.

[jyl]

I love the Ruger SAs. Classic, solid guns. My first handgun was one of them, got when I was 10 y/o. Still have it.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by jyl

I love the Ruger SAs. Classic, solid guns. My first handgun was one of them, got when I was 10 y/o. Still have it.

I grew up on Colts and still love them dearly, but Rugers are definitely the classic single action of our time. They are, in all honesty, superior to any Colt I've ever used. They are far tougher guns and will take a lot heavier loads. Plus, you can buy three of them for what one Colt will set you back.

My 21st birthday present to myself was a Single Six, the first handgun I bought when I could legally purchase one. I still have that gun and use it regularly.

[Jeff Higgins]

Well, I made it out to the range today to give the new Ruger a bit of a workout. It's everything I thought it would be, and more. I shot about five cylinders full of my 250 grain load, offhand, at 25 yards, to get the feel of it and see how well it liked that load. It wound up liking it just fine, thank you very much:



This was typical of the groups I was firing with it today. Five in a fairly decent group, with a sixth "flinched" out of the group (this one had me clearly anticipating its recoil, and "pushing" the one low).

Then I went to the 300 grain load. On the fourth round in the very first cylinder full, the trigger guard managed to split my trigger finger open from about the base of the nail to the first knuckle. Blood all over the gun. My day was over. I guess I'm glad it liked the 250 grain load...

[azasadny]

I'm not a wheel-gun guy, but those sure are pretty!!!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Nice belly-blaster. I have a pair of .44 Blackhawks myself, and they are the most favorite of my wheelguns without a doubt. It's good to see TALO is still ordering good, tasteful configurations.

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

On the fourth round in the very first cylinder full, the trigger guard managed to split my trigger finger open from about the base of the nail to the first knuckle. Blood all over the gun. My day was over. I guess I'm glad it liked the 250 grain load...

Yikes. Normally it's my middle finger that gets punished, courtesy of the flat backside of the trigger guard on my longer Super Blackhawk. I've taken to wussing out and wearing a shooting glove a lot of the time. I make my living with my hands; I can't afford to be a Real Man (tm) anymore!

[Jeff Higgins]

Yeah, my middle finger on my right hand has a pretty decent callous on the knuckle that rides behind the trigger guard. It's been taking such a beating for so long now that there isn't much that's going to hurt it anymore.

I do like the Pachmayer shooting gloves, although it's been years since I wore out my last pair. I should get another pair of those things. Unfortunately, they wouldn't have helped today, since they don't (and we don't want them to) cover the trigger finger.

I guess this is just going to have to be a "carry a lot, shoot a little" gun. That's o.k., though, I certainly have plenty of other more comfortable "shooters". I'll only bring this one out to shoot enough to stay familiar with it. With about a dozen other Single Sixes, Blackhawks, Vaqueros, Super Blackhawks and Old Armies, though, "familiarity" with the Ruger single action is never a problem.

[vash]

jeff. i have never shot a pistol with those curvey gunfighter like styled grips..sorry, i dont even know the terminology..

are they more or less comfortable compared to a modern styled revolver grip? pro/cons?

[Bill Douglas]

Nice piece Jeff.



A guy at the range has a Blackhawk and says it hugely accurate and almost impossible to blow up.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by vash

jeff. i have never shot a pistol with those curvey gunfighter like styled grips..sorry, i dont even know the terminology..

are they more or less comfortable compared to a modern styled revolver grip? pro/cons?

That's the shape of a single action revolver. Jeff's been slowly winning me over on those. They roll backwards during recoil. Just enough to be in position to cock the hammer again. A hot .45 Colt load is about as much power and lead as you can handle with one hand.

[Jeff Higgins]

Like Superman says, the Single Action grip shape is designed to roll back in the hand under recoil. This both allows you to re-cock the hammer, and it goes a long ways towards mitigating recoil. I find the Single Action grip shape far more comfortable to shoot with the very heavy loads in the bigger calibers.

It is not, however, an inherently "accurate" grip shape. It does not have any real definitive features that will consistently place the hand in the same position every time. Double action and auto pistol grips tend to be much better as far has providing a tactile way to ensure the hand is holding it the same way every time.

This is very important in handgun shooting. Any difference in grip position, or grip strength from shot to shot will show up on the target. Single Actions make consistency in this a good deal more difficult, and thereby require a good deal more practice to master. Especially since they are designed to move around in the hand under recoil. You really have to pay attention to reposition your hand after each shot, and to make sure it's back in the same place every time.

[vash]

ahhhhh..i get it. pretty obvious once you explained it..thanks.

[Taz's Master]

Lipseys has a Bisley version (3.75" .44mag) that might make the recoil a little more managable. Although that group makes me think that in spite of the finger trauma Jeff's got little problem with recoil management.