Question fur yous ruger super Blackhawk guys

Leadbelly

Leadbelly

New member
I'm looking to get a new .44 mag this spring for deer hunting this fall. The only guns that are in stock in my area are rugers. I've only owned one ruger revolver, a gp100 .22. That was the most inaccurate six gun I've owned to date. I know every brand puts out bad ones and good ones, and that one bad one I bought was more than likely built by second shift on a Friday night. I'm thinking I might give one of these super Blackhawk .44's a try. The question I got is how well do these shoot at fifty yards on average. Do they shoot well from all chambers, or just four or five? Thanks ahead of time.
 
I love both of mine. I killed a coule deer and a hog with them. One is a 44 mag, the other is a 45 colt. I have no problem bustin bowling pins at 100 yards with either. I like the 300g bullets (Speer, or Hornady), they will shoot through most anything, especially the Speer 300g psp.

Mike
 
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Thanks nockhunter,
There where quite a few nice looking rugers in some interesting calibers. I wasn't aware they made a .44 spl Blackhawk, glad to see that caliber being offered. Have you tried cast bullets in your gun? If so how did they do?
 
I have a Super redhawk in 44Mag. It's heavy but accurate. Its not the exact model that you asked about, but I enjoy a double action revolver. 100 yd targets using Unique powder and cast bullets makes for a fun day of shooting. I have an sp101 in 357 as well, Ruger is a good choice. Good luck
 
I have a Super Blackhawk. Bought it brand new in 1973. Nowadays they refer to them as "old models" or sometimes "three-screws" but it was my first handgun and it will never be sold except possibly by my widow. Shot it so much that 20 years ago I had to send it back to Ruger to have a new barrel put on it. Still got the old barrel too as they sent it back to me when they sent me the gun back.

I used that gun in IHMSA competition in both standing and revolver categories. Got a few trophies with it too. When I lived in the country I shot that gun just about ever day. Mostly I shot it with bullets made from wheel weights that I cast myself. Before I got into casting I used the 240 grain Sierra JHC with copious amounts of 2400 powder to get 1500 fps out of it. How I managed to ever hit anything with that load is beyond me these days. I don't like to shoot anything remotely close to that in power anymore. A 180 grain lead slug at 900 fps is just fine with me now.

Anyway, in the 40 years since the "new models" have came out they have changed very little and excellent used ones are easy to find. They still shoot very well and will last you and your offspring a lifetime. I know for a fact that I am going to be dead and gone long before my Super B is.
 
I traded for a Super Blackhawk 44 magnum years ago. I had a Smith 29 at the time. The Ruger's narrow backstrap, and the curved grip made it very hard on your hand. Lots of felt recoil and muzzle jump. It was accurate, but much harder on your hand than the Smith 29 with the same loads. The Ruger shortly went down the road. When the Red Hawk came out, it was a joy to shoot, and was much better to scope and hunt with.
 
Rusty,
Good hearing from you again. Those hot loads once ran sound like some of the stunts I use to pull when I was young. I learned fast how to put a S&W back in time. My mother always says the worst thing that ever happen to me is when my greatgrandfather gave me copy of mcgivern and Keith's books along with a new service colt. As you can probally tell by my post I read the book but never really learned to write
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I've worn out enough six guns of other makes that I think I'm going to give the ruger a try, especially if they have held their own against other guns in competion. Glad to hear I'm not the only one running lower velocity loads through a six gun. Those big magnum loads really ain't nessiary. I will probally push a 240-250 @ 1000-1200fps. Thanks for the input.



Nine horses,
I thought about the recoil caused by that grip. I remember shooting some hot .45lc rounds through a colt saa. Those loads where not far from a .44 mag factory loads and the gun rolled some in my hands. I did look at the Bisley model and I am consider getting one of those instead.
 
Orneryoldfart357,
Those super red hawks are good looking six guns as well. I pick one up today and looked at. This one was chambered in .454. I'm sure it would be a kicker, but the revolver being chambered in the round really shows how stout those guns really are. Thanks for the reply.
 
I bought the sbh hunter in 44mag a few years ago. It's a good shooter with both cast and jacketed. I like the hunter model as a scope can be attatched directly to it without any special mount.
 
Over the years I have owned several Blackhawks in 44mag 41mag 357mag and even a custom in 30carbine. After installing a set of Hogue grips these guns were a pleasure to shoot and extremely accurate. Eventually they got sold so I could dive into the world of the Thompson Contender. Although not as accurate as the Contenders, they were all shooters and much easier to carry afield.
 
Bought this one new about 15yrs ago, .44mag, 7.5" barrel, Simmons 2-6x32mm scope, Hogue grip, with a Limbsaver bow insulator on the rear strap. Been shooting factory fodder Hornady Leverevolution 225grn FTX's out of it lately.

RugerSBH_zps209712ba.jpg


Have I've had two other Super Blackhawks, one a .41mag hunter, shouldn't have sold that one. Have a few other New Model Vaqueros (fixed sight frame, but similar internals) in .44mag also, went through 6 sets of Vaqueros for fun when I was cowboy action shooting. Had at least one set of every model offered in the Single Six .32H&R (made a killing selling them already). Have been through a few Super Redhawks, carry an SP-101 as my winter daily carry. Have also been through a couple dozen other S&W's, Colts, Taurus, a BFR... My experience with Ruger revolvers is that a simple trigger job (couple coils off the spring and pop one leg of the trigger return spring off of the spring rest), and a little work on the sights makes them as shootable and accurate as anything out there.

Some of the cowboy action match bonus stages I used to shoot allowed "Modern" weapons with adjustable sights, so I'd prop this revolver on top of a fencepost rest and ring the 100yrd bonus gong, usually 12". Used to be a pretty safe bet when I was practicing a lot.
 
I have several Ruger sixguns in both SA and DA. ALL of them are very accurate. GP 100 .357, Flattop Blackhawk .44spl, SRH in .44 mag and .480R, SBH Bisley Hunters in .44 mag and .45 colt.
I would hesitate to buy another one if the mood struck me right.
 
Don't overlook the Bisley Blackhawk (or Hunter) in .44 Mag. Some folks prefer the Bisley grip for hard-recoiling loads.
 
Originally Posted By: Terry N.Don't overlook the Bisley Blackhawk (or Hunter) in .44 Mag. Some folks prefer the Bisley grip for hard-recoiling loads.

Yes, the Bisley is very nice for the heavier recoiling SA revolvers. All of my SA are Bisley.
 
I have a Blackhawk 6in .357 and a Super Blackhawk 10.5in 44mag. Both are very accurate out to 100yds from a good rest. I have taken whitetail with both but prefer the 357.
 
I have 4 Ruger revolvers. As for Blackhawks, the choice is easy. Go Bisley or go home.

I MUCH prefer the Bisley configuration. And MUCH prefer the 45 Colt chambering in said configuration.......

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100_0302.jpg


100_0317.jpg
 
2much,
I'm heavily leaning towards the Bisley. I to love the .45 long colt, but I got a safe full of em, and only own two .44 mag m29 that I feel need to be retired out. I love those grips you got on your gun !! The only thing I don't like about the rugers is loading is different from the colt saa with half cock, but I will get adjusted to it. Going to try to pick a gun out this weekend or next. I will post pics and do a accuracy test on it later.
 
Originally Posted By: LeadbellyThe only thing I don't like about the rugers is loading is different from the colt saa with half cock, but I will get adjusted to it.

Power Custom has an app for that...

Er, rather they sell drop in aftermarket parts for that. Runs about $165 for the half-cock hammer and trigger conversion right now (just did a Super Blackhawk for a hunting buddy), spring kit included. For about $250 you can get the half-cock hammer and trigger conversion, a free spin pawl (so the cylinder will turn either direction when you have the gate open), and an altered transfer bar (otherwise you have to file on your factory bar a bit). These "upgrades" were pretty much required if you wanted to sit at the "cool table" of cowboy action shooters. Used to be belt mountain oversized base pins and an extra power base pin latch spring, half moon ejector rods were required too. But then again, not sure ALL of those changes really were improvements.

The trigger kit and half-cock hammer, with the free-spin pawl ARE real improvements.

My only gripe with them, in the world, is that they don't offer a beaver-tail hammer like the factory SBH hammer in one of their kits.
 
Varminterror,
Please don't get me started on moding this one out. It will end up like my 625 .45acp. So I take it these guns ain't to bad to work on? Thanks for the reply.
 
Originally Posted By: LeadbellyVarminterror,
Please don't get me started on moding this one out. It will end up like my 625 .45acp. So I take it these guns ain't to bad to work on? Thanks for the reply.

The Power Custom kits are pretty straight forward. A little honing here or there to ensure clean fit, but it's essentially a drop in. I like to polish all mating/bearing surfaces of moving parts in all of my guns, even brand new from factory, so I'm probably biased to do work on a "drop-in kit" even if it didn't necessarily need any fitting.

One problem (with a super simple fix) I've had over the years with multiple Ruger Single Actions is the detent spring. The "cam" that's cut into the loading gate the drop the cylinder stop when the gate is open can be a bit sharp and will gall the tip of that spring. I bend the vertical leg of the spring to press against the frame, and re-shape and polish the spring tip. I also hone a very slight radius onto the "cam" on the gate to prevent it from digging into the spring tip. Nary a hiccup after that. Reminds me of the "Marlin Jam," cam digging into another part, causing a problem. Preventative measure = super simple fix.

I did my first action job to a Ruger SA when I was 15, poor man's trigger job with some polishing compound on the sear engagement, cut a few coils, and popped a leg of the trigger return spring off of the stay and I had a beautifully clean, light trigger. That got me hooked on tuning revolvers, especially for cowboy action shooting. Learned a few more tricks about proper action jobs and have done literally dozens since then (would guess it's still less than 100, but probably getting close). Especially with the availability of the Power Custom kit and parts, spring kits, etc, it's way too easy. I'll admit, I AM sad that you can't get the Belt Mountain base pins through Midway anymore, but you can still go direct.

So if there's one thing that revolver hunters should thank Cowboy Action Shooters for, that'd be it. They all want "slicked up Rugers that reload like Colts", because it means the chamber lines up with the gate for reloads on the clock, and with the free-spin pawl, you can go back if you miss one, and the "booger-slick" actions and light springs mean faster spit times. Aftermarket support for Rugers shot through the roof.
 


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