Got my Blackhawk!

wildmanh

wildmanh

Part time Leather Bender/Sheath maker
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Messages
7,764
I mentioned in the Tax Poll thread that I got my Ruger Blackhawk, but I didn't want to take over the thread so I started a new one.

Friday was payday and I couldn't wait till Saturday so I could get my gun. Well my shooting buddy Josh loaned me $300 in cash so I could get my gun Friday and shoot it. Payed him back when my check cleared Saturday. I need direct deposit so I can have my cash Friday instead of Saturday like he does.

I used part of the $300 to pay off the gun, part for food and the rest for ammo. As I said in the other thread I got a 50 rd box .357 Magnum, 50 rd box .38 Special and a 100 rd box of 9mm. Friday evening Josh and I shot through most of the .38 Special and .357 Magnums. Still should have about 30 rounds left of those for Monday and the whole box of 9mm. :)

We both were really impressed at how well the Blackhawk shoots out of the box. It's even better then my Single Six. The single Six shoots beautifly now and is really smooth. But out of the box it wasn't smooth at all. After about 750 rounds the Single Six smoothed out and shot straight. The Blackhawk is smooth and feels great. Still need to break in the barrel but that won't be a problem. Josh was so impressed by how nicely it shot out of the box that said many a time this weekend that he wanted one him self.

The blast coming out of the 4 5/8th inch barrel with .357 Mag isn't bad, though I liked shooting the .38 special better. I got this size because it is the closest match to my Single Six's 5.5" Barrel. Will be posting side by side pictures with in the next few days. For now, here are pics from Ruger's Web site: New Model Blackhawk® Convertible .357 / 9mm and New Model Single Six® Blued Convertible.

Seems to be between .25 cents and .30 cents a round to shoot .357 Magnums. Anyone have an aproximate cost per round if you reload? So far I've saved all my .357 and .38 brass. Can get 9mm for around .13 to .14 cents a round so might not reload that. Then again maybe I will. What do you all think?

I'm really happy with my purchase. The gun feels right in my hand, like it was ment to be. You've all probably experienced this; Get a new Khukuri and it just feels right so you keep it, like that blade was ment to be yours. Well thats how my Blackhawk felt when I picked it up before putting it on lay away. It still feels like that a month and a half later. It just feels right. Now if my hands would just get used to shooting it. LOL!!

Thanks for listening! Any advice or stories are welcome!

Heber
 
Yup, it's a great piece. I have that exact model, and I like it quite a bit. I bought a bunch of GA Arms .38 SWCHP and .357.

John
 
Whenever I get my pistol permit that is likely to be my first purchase. I had one once, but gave it to my sister in law. I had a 5.5 44mag at the time! That was my all time favorite handgun.

I will say that your priorities are a little off. You listed food before ammo!
:D

(Actually, I get cranky if I don't eat though!)

I'm also thinking of getting a Bearcat and converting it to 22mag, as a pocket gun. I don't think they offer it in a two cylinder version any more.

I'm getting back into Rugers again. Was/is my favorite firearms brand. I have a 10/22, the Number 1, and just traded some stuff for my first ever Ranch Rifle. yeah, I joined the 20th century at last, and bought a semi auto!

Glad you like it! Single actions generally feel "right" to me too. Small hands.

take care,

Tom

PS It was Erasmus of Rotterdam who said "When I get a little money, I buy books. If I have any left, I buy some food and clothing."

Just substitute "guns" for "books", and it works for me!
 
Heber?

If you don't want to get into all the reloading ritual and equipment, you might check with your local police department and see who they use for ammunition, or if they know of a reloading source.

A few of them probably shoot recreationally and may know someone who can beat retail prices and still provide quality.

There are hundreds of thousands of dust-gathering reloaders and box upon box of supplies sitting in closets all over the country, originally purchased by someone who really INTENDED to reload their own stuff.

Nice review. Have fun.
 
Strong, affordable, accurate. The best might be the ability to use them as a platform to build all sorts of dream guns.
I've got a Bisley Blackhawk that has been tweaked a bit. Shoots better than I can.

The only thing I can berate you for is not getting a real caliber. Like .45:D
 
Congratulations on a fine choice. A .38 Blackhawk is equal to a wide range of tasks and superior for some of them.

Powder and primers for 50 rounds of .38 Special will be about $1.25. 50 commercially cast bullets will be about $2.50. Thus, the cheapest load will be $3.75 per box of 50, or about $.07/shot. If you produce your own bullets from scrap lead (free), subtract the cost of bullets and that will bring it down to $.02/shot.

If you want to shoot magnum loads, add about $.50 or so a box for more powder. If you want to use fancy bullets, add whatever those cost, which can be quite a bit.

A couple presses you might want to glance at are the Dillon Square Deal B @$319 and the CH4D 444-X Pistol Champ(CH4d dot com) @$324. The 444-X is my all-time favorite - have had one for 25 years and will probably keep it till they take it away from me in the nursing home.
 
Nice revolver Heber!
I have a Blackhawk in .44 mag, 4 5/8" bbl, blue steel, it was a limited production run in 1990. They make them in s/s now but I perfer blue steel, the action sooo much smoother, and I take care my guns, no rust problems for me.;)

I just shot 300 rds Friday, and started to reload them. For the .44's I buy cast bullets, and the loaded bullet runs about 15 cents a piece after I buy the brass. Cast is about all I shoot now. I use a RCBS rock chucker single stage press. Had it for about 35 years and it is still going strong. The only advantage with a single stage is it allows you to go slower and check each round carefully. Always buy powder that fills the case at least half way so there is no chances of an accidental double charge of gun powder. You can buy 9mm as cheaply as reloading. Just shop for FMJ surplus ammo, $6.00 a box.

I used my .44 on 5 elk hunts in the Wasatch Mts in Utah. I always shot the elk with a rifle but after I filled my tag, I would carry the handgun to help packout the other peoples game. I shot a grouse with it too but left it for the guides for dinner. With hard cast, it just makes a hole clean through, no meat damage.

Have fun and enjoy your new single action pistol!:)
 
My only pistol is a Ruger revolver. Very nice gun.
 
Sweet! I have a Blackhawk, but it's seen a lot of use. Old Model 3 screw .45 Colt / .45 ACP convertible with the anodized ejector rod housing. 4 5/8" barrel. Always wanted one of the newer ones.

Norm
 
Did you know Norm, the older 3 screw is a highly prized collector gun? You have a classic, don't get the safety update version free from Ruger, unless you insist they return the "old" parts. :)
 
Heber,

Have you had an opportunity to shoot the 9mm through your Blackhawk yet?
If so, how was it?

I would like to know if you noticed any difference in accuracy between shooting
9mm and shooting 38spcl/357mag. I've heard some folks say that they felt the 9mm
was a bit less accurate, due to the barrel having to be sized for the
38spcl/357mag (.358" diameter), rather than the 9mm (.355" diameter).


Thanks in advance
John
 
jmpstock said:
Heber,

Have you had an opportunity to shoot the 9mm through your Blackhawk yet?
If so, how was it?

I would like to know if you noticed any difference in accuracy between shooting
9mm and shooting 38spcl/357mag. I've heard some folks say that they felt the 9mm
was a bit less accurate, due to the barrel having to be sized for the
38spcl/357mag (.358" diameter), rather than the 9mm (.355" diameter).


Thanks in advance
John
Click to expand...

John, I shot 50 rounds of .38 special and 50 rounds of .357 Magnum in the gun then switched cylinders and shot 100 rounds 9mm. Since it's a brand new gun and I was getting used to it, I can't say which is more accurate. Though near the end of the box of 9mm I was getting pretty good with it. Once I get it sited in at 10 to 15 yards and get used to shooting it, I'll probably comment on accuracy between the different rounds. But I don't think it will matter. 9mm is about the same diamiter as .38 they are with in hairs of each other if different at all. At least Eye balling and feeling the two next to each other I can't see a difference in diamiter.

Sure is fun to shoot. :)

Wolf_1989, That Bisley sounds nice. I've thought about getting some Bisley grips for my Blackhawk, if they are avaliable. Been told they are nicer then the standard grips which IMO are pretty good already.

Heber
 
Heber,

Thanks for your impressions, I wondered how much difference in accuracy
a .003" difference in diameter would make.

I have a Blackhawk in 38-40 & 10mm, and I must say that they are beautiful & fun guns.

Thanks,

John
 
Hey, first visit in a long time and a Blackhawk thread! I've had about 50 years experience with the Ruger BH...starting with a 4-5/8" Flat-top Old model .357 in the late 1950's. I now own .41 OM, .45 NM 200th year Convertible, and .357 NM Stainless BH's; a very accurate and precise .44 SBH NM from 1978 (with which I won a lot of trophies and money when I was competing in IHMSA silhouette in the 1980's,) and the last of several .22/.22 Magnum smallbore Rugers (also in stainless steel.) So you can see, I like 'em!!
My .357 Stainless, a 1979 piece, was kind of rough when new. But at the time it was the first out-of-the-box, ALL-STEEL Ruger .357, and I loved the solid heft and inherent strength of the gun. I've used loads that I wouldn't reveal in it...and have used it as both a woods gun, and silhouette/target piece. It has just got smoother and more accurate as the years have gone by. It puts .38 wadcutters into the bull like a target gun, and still digests heavy hunting handloads with equal accuracy. You don't know how good a Ruger SA can be until you've owned and cared for and shot one for a generation or two! These can be called 'the one gun every shooter should own!' :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top