New model vaquero

W

Wendyj

New member
I picked up a stainless 5.5 inch new vaquero a few weeks ago. Great looking gun and shoots good but unfortunately shoots 3 inches to the right at 25 yards. Farther at 75. Three shooters and a rest so I called my gunsmith and he wants $90.00 to turn the barrel a few thousandths and 50 rounds of my loaded ammo. I am seriously considering the ss Blackhawk in 4.75 barrel. Adjustable sights for when I change loads. Trade in will cost me $150.00 or so. Which would you do.
 
I would call Ruger and complain. You might find they will send a call tag and fix it for you. My brother has had to use Ruger's warranty service a couple of times and they were very good.
 
Yes, calling Ruger seems like the first step after all the worst they can do is noting and that simply leaves you where you are now.
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of fixed sight revolvers!!

First step, when a given load doesn't hit where you point it, is to try another load. Try SEVERAL. And, make sure its not just you, causing it.

Once you have determined it is a gun problem, and not an ammo compatibility problem or a shooter problem, THEN call Ruger.

Trade in will cost me $150.00 or so. Which would you do.
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Ruger's website shows a difference of $30 in the MSRP of the Blackhawk and (new) Vaquero in stainless. If a trade will cost you $150, I'd look seriously at WHY....and who was profiting...

Don't send it to the local gunsmith, YET.
 
Has had several factory and reloads. All so the same. It's on the way to Ruger via the gun store I purchased it at.
 
I used to have a Blackhawk, and they are good, and, with their adjustable sights they are so much easier to sight-in than the fixed-sight Vaquero. Plus you can change the settings for different loads. That being said, I actually prefer the Vaquero with its cleaner lines and smoother handling qualities. Yeah, it can be tricky to get them shooting where you want them to. And, once you have it sighted for a particular load, you are stuck with it the way it is. So you have to find out what you and your revolver both really, really, like, and quit fooling around with something else. Did you say which caliber you bought?
Now, what I have found with my 4-5/8" barreled Vaquero in 45 Colt, is that it doesn't matter much, if at all, if I am using a high velocity or low velocity load, or what powder I use; almost all loads shoot to the same point of impact at 25 yards, as long as the bullet weight is the same, or very nearly so. I prefer home-cast, 255 grain bullets, but 250 grain jacketed bullets will hit in the same place. 800 fps or 1200 fps, the only difference is power, recoil and terminal characteristics of the bullet. Lighter bullets impact lower and heavier bullets hit higher. So I suggest you choose one bullet weight and commit to it. You will need to file your front sight to raise point of impact, but be careful not to take too much off at once. It's a lot easier to take more metal off than to put it back on.
 
My husband got this one for me in 357. His is a 45 but a little stout for my hands. I tried some of our loads for the 686 I have and they are 158 grain Hornady. We tried some factory in 125 148 and some lead round nose and wad cutters. Even 38 special and everything was just too far off to the left. Sorry original post shows right but I'm holding 3 inches to the right for compensation. One good thing is it didn't seem to matter what ammo we were using it was punching silver dollar groups off a rest. Had to use a little Kentucky windage for heighth but figured that watching husband shoot his 45 with different loads. Didn't want to spend $550.00 and not have it a little better than it was doing. If it comes back from Ruger doing the same thing then off to the gunsmith to fix it his way. Think we are going to start casting and shooting all lead to save some money. Tire shop we use said we could have all the lead wheel weights we want so just need the equipment. I really like the feel of it.
 
Tire shop we use said we could have all the lead wheel weights we want so just need the equipment.

Remember the new wheel weights are NOT LEAD anymore ?
Sooner or later lead will be harder to find for free .
 
Be sure to let us know what Ruger does for you. I had a 45 birds head Vaquero that needed to be sent back for adjustment due to it hitting off target years ago. Once it came back it was right on target with the standard 250grn load. All on their dime.
 
I know this has been hashed a hundred times, or more, but there is no "New Model Vaquero."

Being picky, I know, but "New Model" defines the Blackhawk series which were made originally as Three Screw Models, and in 1973 redesigned as the transfer bar models, hence the "New Model" appellation. Since the Vaquero was never made as a Three Screw, the correct designation is "New Vaquero."

If not I, then someone else would have pounced on this.

Bob Wrigth
 
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Spend the money and get it zeroed properly. It's not Ruger's job and they probably won't do it anyway.


Ruger's website shows a difference of $30 in the MSRP of the Blackhawk and (new) Vaquero in stainless. If a trade will cost you $150, I'd look seriously at WHY....and who was profiting...
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Might have something to do with trading a used gun for a new one. :confused:
 
What? It's not Ruger's job?? Who's job is it? It's absolutely the job of the manufacturer to produce a product that shoots where it is aimed. People dont buy new revolvers just to have to send them out to have a barrel properly aligned with the frame. Ruger will absolutely fix this condition and I'd be very surprised if it didn't come back properly aligned and with a coupon for shopruger.com.
 
Calm down. Everyone grips a handgun differently and NO design is more sensitive to grip variations than single action revolvers. Two people can easily shoot the same gun to different points of impact. The ONLY way to ensure proper POI is to turn the barrel while YOU shoot it to test.

And these guns are all supplied with an extra tall front sight so that it may be filed for proper elevation. So no, they are not zeroed out of the box.
 
Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.
 
Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.
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The OP said 3 shooters tried it, and it was the same for them, so its probably the barrel (or the sight).

There is another trick to try before putting file to steel.

Its a STAINLESS New Vaquero.

Blacken the sights and shoot it again. It probably isn't, but it MIGHT be just that simple. Hurts very little to find out.

edited to add:

Oops, sorry, I missed seeing where the gun had been sent to Ruger.

Please let us know how things go when it comes back.
 
I had a Vaquero that was shooting left about 6" at 15 yards. Called Ruger. Got a shipping label to send it in. it came back about a week later shooting right on the money. Excellent service. Zero cost to me. I wouldn't trust many gunsmiths to do it for you. It's a new gun. Send it back to the manufacturer.
 
Filing down a taller front site wont do anything to address a gun that shoots 3" to the left, which is what the OP is experiencing.
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The point of that statement is that Ruger does NOT zero these guns.

Turning the barrel corrects windage problems. Not a difficult thing to do but I understand that some people are deathly afraid to do anything themselves.
 
IMHO, the rear sight groove is already wide enough. I'd rather turn the barrel than hog it out. Actually, I'd install a dovetail front sight before I'd widen the rear notch.
 
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