Ruger Blackhawk .357

R

randy merta

New member
Well after visiting the fine state of Arizona last year and hunkering down with some good ol'boys from that fine state I have what I call 'Western Fever'. I love everything about the west and have plans to come west more often. I have been looking at some single action six shooters for quite some time now and sprung for one three days ago. A fellow copper I work with 'had' a new model Ruger Blackhawk in 357. The pistol had a action job,trigger job, blade front sight installed and the adjustable sight removed welded the top and machined a notch on the top strap[vaquero style]. I bought it from him,went to Walmart bought a box of 38 special and a box of remington 357 magnum. Well the 38's were really nice to shoot but the 357 mag's were well kinda heavy on the recoil. Now remember I have been a police officer for 16 years and was issued a 686 S & W in 357 when I first signed on. I don't remember the recoil being that heavy. I am looking for info on reloading for the six shooter and any thoughts or experience you may have with the Blackhawk. Here is my thoughts and tell me if I am wrong. Load and shoot 38's for fun and practice and buy factory 357 mags for packing in bear country[when I'm with daveyboy]. Also any mods you would suggest. Thanks in advance.
Randy
 
Just the difference in grips between the Ruger and the S&W would account for some of the recoil difference, the blackhawk will probably feel harder. You didn't indicate bullet weight for either load but I suspect the 357 was also pushing a heavier slug, which also increases recoil. In my experience a full load 357 also has a real sharp recoil blast, probably harder than most other pistol rounds.

The Blackhawk is a good western carry gun and if shot well will take small game, probably up to bear, but I believe most people feel it's SMALL for general bear defense. If you do, I recommend heavy cast slugs rather than hollow points.
 
I bought my wife a Ruger new model Blackhawk .45LC for our 4th anniversary. She'd been drooling over one for years. Sadly, she almost never lets me play with the pistol. I'm gonna have to get my own soon.

Here is a pic I took one day when I sneaked it out. BTW, before the safety freaks get all bent outa shape, the placement of my finger was intentional for the purposes of the picture. An indexed finger doesn't look as cool on a single action revolver as it does on an autopistol.

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL639/2678265/5658292/77957557.jpg (click the link since the image exceeds the pixel limitation.)

The pistol is very accurate, and my wife can whoop me accuracy wise with it, when I'm shooting autopistols.

The recoil of the standard .45 is very light, but you can load 'em hotter than a .44mag. Though I've never done that because my wife simply likes to plink with it. BTW .45LC ammo is EXPENSIVE.

Overall, I'm amazed at the fit and finish of the pistol as it came from the factory. Truly a mechanical marvel. It points very well and shoots where you expect it to.

I got the pistol slightly used for $285 at a local gun store.
 
It's probably been 15 years since I've owned a Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk/Single Six..... I've gone to all double-action revolvers because I like the ease of reloading a swing out cylinder.

I'm not a large person by any means, but I never found the recoil objectionable..... AFTER I replaced the grips with a good set of Pachmayrs! Rubber grips that fit your hands properly go a long way towards making a light-barreled, .357 single action comfortable to shoot!

Now the muzzle blast on the other hand..........

me!
 
Recoil is very subjective. Many people prefer the smooth roll of a single action as opposed to the straight back jab in the web of the hand that double actions give. The gun is behaving differently with the single action, rolling upward instead of the more direct line a double action gun gives you. If you have large hands the slim stocks of the factory single action gun could be hard to hang onto. The suggestion of the aftermarget softer rubber type grips can make the recoil seem entirely different. The Pachy's mentioned have a filler behind the trigger guard and a more pronounced shoulder somewhat like a double action revolver and you could very well find them more to your liking as you're more comfortable with that style and feel. I like the filler behind the trigger guard as I find the back of the guard slams into my knuckles on my .41 & .44 Magnum single actions. For bear or big game with the .357 maggie I'd look real hard at a heavy 180 grain hard cast LBT type bullet pushed to max velocities. For a factory loaded jacketed bullet the 180 grain Winchester combined technolgies/Nosler hollow point is a good choice, as is the heavy weight Gold Dot bonded core bullet. You've got a very rugged, usable, shootable handgun, enjoy.
 
I've been wanting to get one for the longest time now myself(I bought the holster before the gun). I've heard the recoil on the .357 is rather noticeable. In looking at the blackhawks, I found that they make one in 30 carbine and also the 9mm extra cylinder for the .357. One gun owner said the 30 carbine is nicer to shoot then the .357, Is there any truth to that? Does anyone know how the 9mm shoots?
 
Personally, I wouldn't waste my gun money on the 9mm/.30 Carbine in the Blackhawk. .38 Specials are about as mild as one could ask for in that heavy revolver. Especially the target wadcutter load. The .38 would more than likely be more accurate than either of the two you mentioned, with the added advantage of having the .357 capability if/when you need it.
 
I agree 100% with GC. Not to mention how easy .38's are to find and inexpensive they are! The 30 carbine is a rifle cartridge - if you buy factory ammo, the muzzle blast from the slower burning powders in a short barrel must be horrible!
 
I have both the 357 and the 30 carbine in the blackhawk. The 38/357 has a 9 mm cylinder with it. The accuracy with the 9mm cylinder is horrible. the 30 carbine has extreme muzzle blast.
I keep it for sentamental reasons. My dad gave it to me for my 15th birthday. Soon after that I talked him into buying me a lee hammer loader for it. I would sit in the back room of the house and hammer out reloads. I only had 50 shells and would shoot them up then hammer out some more and do it again. That experience led me to where I am today. I now have a room built in my house that holds nothing but my reloading system and firearms. The blackhawks are great fun to shoot. I wouls recommend the 38/357 and put a set of Pachmayer grips on it. 38 ammo is cheap and 357 ammo is deadly. one note on the 38 cast bullets. They will lead foul badly. The best way I have found to remove it is to carry 6 rounds of jacketed bullets with it. after plinking with the cast bullets and before ending the day. fill up the cylinder and fire all 6 jacketed bullets. it will clean out the lead.
 
I had one of these Blackhawks years ago - wish I still did! It was a great revolver. I shot more .38's than .357's, but it was a fun gun to shoot. I never owned a .30 carbine/9mm version, but I had friends that did. NOT ONE of them kept the gun after a few weeks. The 9mm was about as worthless as they come in the accuracy department, and the .30 carbine was NOT fun to shoot due to muzzle blast, cylinder gap blast,etc.
 
I think some of the "problem" of recoil with the Blackhawk is that Folks put the wrong grips on them.
Let the gun move in your hand, it is supposed to. As you re-[beeep] it you will "re-grip" it. Do not put rubber or other other "friction" type grips on the gun, you are trying to counteract the design of the revolver. Let it slip.
My two bits.
Carl

Hee hee, the "bleep" is what you do when you pull the hammer back. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
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my wife and i do a lot of shooting all year. for getting
her out of a bad mood, all i do is take her out shooting.
her favorit handgun is her new model blackhawk 357. as
others have said, she likes the 38 specials for targets.
but she has never complained about 158 grain 357 when she
is out hunting, whatever. you would have to see it to believe the way she hits praire dogs out at 50 and 75 yards
she is not very big, but maybe she likes shooting so well
that the recoil of any of her guns does not bother her.

dudechance
 


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