Accuracy of Ruger SBH

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dayman

New member
I am planning on getting a 4.62" Ruger SBH this spring. The plan is to start casting/reloading, and using it for my daily practice.
I'm hoping to be able to get my costs low, but have a little more fun than the .22 can offer.
I know that I could reload for my semi's, but my range is out in the woods, and I don't want to dig through the leaves/mud for shells.

Anyway, recently I was reading some old threads that seemed to be implying that the accuracy of Ruger single actions was not very good out of the box. I hadn't heard that before, but - if true - this wouldn't be the first time I missed something.
I'm not looking for perfection, but I'd like to know that my gun was capable of <2" groups at 25yds so that I can get useful feedback from my groups.
I can put some money into gunsmithing if I need to, but I'm not looking for a big project.

As always, thanks in advance.
 
dayman,

In all modesty, I'm a good shot. All of my Rugers can shoot better than I can hold.

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These were shot offhand, standing, two hand hold.

Bob Wright
 
That's a new one, the Ruger SBH not being that accurate out of the box, only NIB 44 Magnums I ever heard about having accuracy problems were some of the first production Virginian Dragoons due to oversized throats. IMHO accuracy problems with a Ruger SBH are due to uncomfortable grips and shooters who overestimate their shooting abilities.
You did not state if you were using cast or jacketed bullets. The more knowledgeable reloaders and bullet casters will emphasize the value of slugging your bore and casting bullets that fit it well, with jacketed bullets
firn the brand that works best for you. Best rule for load development is to load 5 rounds with increasing powder increments until you find your pet load.
 
Cool, thanks.
That's what I thought, so I was confused.
I was looking at a bunch of stuff that popped up on Google, and outside of this forum I don't have too much of an idea of who to take seriously.
Maybe they were comparing them to rifles for hunting - it's often hard to tell on the internet.
My plan is to start casting, and really enjoy the whole process.
In any case, my nickles are adding up, and my excitement is growing.

Thanks again.
 
You don't really believe everything that's on the web, do you?
Consider the source.
Lots of ignorance all around us.

Some friends and I were at the range one day and another fellow was about to throw his Blackhawk .357 in the trash.
He literally couldn't hit anything he was aiming for.
Not even close - at 10 yards.
Convinced it was the gun, it looked like he was about to throw it over the berm.
So, we all in turn volunteered to burn up some of his ammo to see how bad it was.
It wasn't.
It weren't the gun.
So we showed him how to shoot it, and by the end of day he had a whole new respect for his Ruger.
Before he left he was hitting gallon jugs of water at 100 yards.
 
Hi,
I only have one single action Ruger. Its a 357/9mm 4 5/8 large frame. This revolver is much more accurate than I can shoot. Even with the 9mm cylinder I can shoot well out to 25 yds. At my age of 63 yrs old this revolver will out do me. I am very happy with the revolver.

Good luck,
Howard
 
I have owned a 7-1/2" SBH and two other Ruger 45 Colt single actions over the last 3 decades, and all of them would shoot 2" groups at 50 yards off sandbags with good handloads, and even some factory ammo.
 
All guns are different... So YMMV ... But the .44Mag (and .44Spec) revolvers I have are all accurate. As above better than I can do. I personally like 5 1/2"+ barrel length for shooting as I tend to shoot them better than the shorties.... BTW, the shorties are just as accurate .... it's the shooter :) . Now back to shooting some 'real' revolvers .... my .45 Colts ;) .

Bob, as my wife would say ... you have to many guns and only two hands to shoot them with. How many do you really need? :p . Nice collection!
 
I have several Rugers singles and I have never shot factory out of them so I have no comment on that. As far as reloads only my old Blackhawk with 45LC and 45ACP cylinder was poor.
It likes larger bullets and with .454 diameter it became very accurate.
The 45 acp is,,, well lets not talk about that.
I recently got a new Blackhawk in 44 special for Christmas and with a 5 ½ inch barrel it will shoot very well.
My experience with Rugers, there better than some guns but nothing to complain about. it’s the other aspects of Rugers that make them such good guns.
I just wish they would leave the Gettysburg address off the barrels.
For the 45LC Penn 255 GR semi wad with 231 has become my go to load.
http://www.pennbullets.com/45/45-caliber.html
 
My old (early seventies) SBH would keep its favorite load inside two inches at 100yds all day if I didn't screw up. This was with a 2.5x scope and a sandbag. Sadly, Hornady changed their 240gr JHP, and I haven't yet found another load that is as accurate. The original recipe was 10.5gr Unique over a Federal LP primer. I can't vouch for new Rugers, but my old one is damned accurate with the right load.
 
I've seen people talking about throat size issues on .45 caliber Rugers, not so much(or at all) on the .44 SBH's.

My own .45 Colt BH shoots just fine, so I"ve never bothered to check the throat size. :)
 
Ruger improved the accuracy of their large-frame single actions in 2007. They did a new cylinder making process that reams all the chambers with the same bit/reamer tools, leading to uniform chambers instead of the prior pattern of mis-matches when they did an all-six-at-once setup with six different reamers going at once.

You can ID these improved guns (on the large-frame series!) by looking for the "lawyer's warning billboard" on the barrel. If it's on the side, it's the older setup. Newer, it's under the barrel.

This does NOT apply to the New Model "mid-frame" series that first came out in 2004 with the New Vaquero. It's also on the 44Spls (all), the 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk "Flattop" specials of 2005 and a few of the new Blackhawk Flattops in 45LC/45ACP convertible. All of these "mid-frames" have the improved cylinder and have from the beginning (2004). When I was shopping in 2005 I went with the New Vaquero because it had that process done when the large-frames didn't yet have it...my gun is very, very accuracy (and is even a bit moreso now that it's been converted to 9mmPara with a true .355 Douglas Premium barrel grafted in :)).
 
From a rest at 25 yards my SBH will shoot 1.5" groups consistently. This is a light/medium load with only 9 grains of Unique under a 240 swc. My gun is from the mid 90's, don't remember what year I bought it.
 
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