Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk

[hylander]

I am thinking of buying a new Ruger SA .44.
But have a few ?
What is the differance in a Blackhawk and a Super Blackhawk ?
I will be hunting with this gun and plinking.
I would like to be able to load it hot.
I am also considering the Vaquero I like the feel of the Bisley grip, but will the Vaquero handle hot load's ?
Would the 5.5" or 7.5" Barrel be better.
I need all the advice I can get.
Also I will be hand loading for it.

[Lloyd Smale]

difference is the grip frames. The blackhawk has a slighly shorter grip frame and the supper has a squared off rear end of the trigger housing. Personally i like the blackhawk frame better but prefer the bisley over either. The vaquaro is just as strong as any of the otheres. there all the same main frame. Vaquaro just has a fixed sighted top strap. Some nice guns to consider are the stainless limited run bisley adj. sighted guns there 5 1/2inch guns and were made in .45 .44 and .41. they also make a bisley adj. sighted blue 7 1/2 I personally prefer the shorter barrels but for a beginner the longer barrel may be easier to shoot. Also i love the vaquaros but again for someone just starting the fixed sights can be alot of hastle to regulate as you almost have to make loads yourself to get them to shoot to point of aim or you have to file the front sight for elevation or turn the barrel to adj. side to side and once sighted in your pretty much stuck with the one load.

[Redhawk1]

Either the Blackhawk or the Super Blackhawk are good, the adjustable sights is what is best for hunting. Either barrel length will work. The Vaquero in my opinion is not a good set up for hunting.

[Catfish]

Ruger only makes the .44 mag. in Super Black Hawk don`t they? They used to chamber the Red Hawk in .44 mag., but I pretty sure that you can only get the .44 mag. in the Super Red Hawk now also. I personally lioke the single action revolvers with longer barrels. I`ve got SA .44 mag. with 7 3/4 and 10 3/4 in. barrels and a DA with a 4 in. barrel. The longer sight plain makes sighting easier when your trying to place the bullet on a small target, be it a can or a deers heart. I also prefer the old 3 screw Rugers. I got 3 and they are all 3 screws, they have far better triggers than the New Models, but the New Models can be made alot better with little problem. As for real hot loads all Rugers are about as strong as any gun on the market, but I think that you will find that you will be burning far more lite plinking ammo than the hot stuff. I shoot mostly cast bullets at about 945 fps., real mild load with good accuracy. I shoot hot. 454 loads in a Red Hawk so I`m not a woose, but the cast loads are so much cheaper to load you can shoot alot more. Were I you I would try to fire each of the guns you are considering befor buy one, oh yes and try yhem with heavy loads not plinkers.

[Tom W.]

The RedHawk is still offered in .44 mag, as is the SRH. You can also get a SBH in stainless steel with a fluted cylinder, rounded trigger guard, with the same grip frame as a Blackhawk, it's called the XR-3 Red frame. It's a joy to carry with the 5 1/2 inch barrel, and will handle stout handloads with ease.

[Lloyd Smale]

been hunting with vaquaros for years. The sights to me are actually more percise then the blackhawks. They make real fine hunting and packing guns once you get the regulated. My .45 with a 330 lbt kieth at 1100 fps has killed deer and bear shoots into an inch and hits hard. The gun will also shoot a 250 at 900 to the same point of aim and it makes for a good plinking load. To me youd search high and low to find a better hunting gun. There trimmer lighter and the sights are more rugged. Just takes a little more work to get them sighted in.

Either the Blackhawk or the Super Blackhawk are good, the adjustable sights is what is best for hunting. Either barrel length will work. The Vaquero in my opinion is not a good set up for hunting.

[Redhawk1]

been hunting with vaquaros for years. The sights to me are actually more percise then the blackhawks. They make real fine hunting and packing guns once you get the regulated. My .45 with a 330 lbt kieth at 1100 fps has killed deer and bear shoots into an inch and hits hard. The gun will also shoot a 250 at 900 to the same point of aim and it makes for a good plinking load. To me youd search high and low to find a better hunting gun. There trimmer lighter and the sights are more rugged. Just takes a little more work to get them sighted in.

Either the Blackhawk or the Super Blackhawk are good, the adjustable sights is what is best for hunting. Either barrel length will work. The Vaquero in my opinion is not a good set up for hunting.

That is why I put in my opinion. I do not like or will never buy a handgun with these sights again. To much guess work for me. I want to put the sights at the 6:00 position and pull the trigger and know that is where the bullet goes.  Better yet, I use my red dot and put it where I want the bullet to go, and end of story.