Author Topic: Ruger Vaquero .44mag..... (Read 1794 times)

oo_buck · « **on:** February 13, 2006, 02:52:34 AM »

Alrighty,

Last year I bought a brand new Old Model Vaquero. I just finished my first box of shells through her, and I am consistantly shooting to the left from my point of aim.......

I think I read somewhere on this forum before, that Vaquero is Spanish for "shoots left"..... Why is this such a problem for these fixed sighted guns? Do they not try to regulate the sights at all?

Now, I am pondering the fix for this beast..... Will Ruger fix this?

I know that I can send it to Bob Munden, and for a small charge he will regulate the sights, for whatever load I choose. Anyone ever use Mr. Munden's services?

Maybe it would be easier to change ammo? I know that some ammo will shoot to a different point of aim....but at $21.00 / box, I could regulate it to what I'm already shooting a couple of times......

Any suggestions?

Locally available, I have either Winchester 240 JSP. or Remington 180gr JSP.....

The Winchesters are hitting about a foot to the left at 20yds......
If it's as simple as switching brands, will the 180 JSP's be enough bullet for deer size game?

Castaway · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2006, 04:10:37 AM »

Have you put it on sandbags and fired it? Yesterday at the range two buddies came, one with a 44 Mag, the other with a 357 and each set up targets at 15 yards. After a cylinder each, they were convinced the sights were off as neither had hit even the cardboard. After sandbagging, both were on the paper requiring only slight sight adjustments. A 44 Mag is difficult to shoot and anticipation of recoil may cause you to "push" the pistol . Sandbagging wil eliminate most of that. If you find it shooting to the left still, another type of ammunition may be in order. It's the bane of fixed sight pistols as each load has the potential to hit different places.

Prof. Fuller Bullspit · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2006, 05:02:28 AM »

Shooting to the left is common on these guns. It's mostly caused by pushing the gun to the left as the trigger is pulled.

Try shooting left handed and the gun will hit to the right for the same reason.

You can retrain your trigger finger with practice or you can get the sights adjusted. If you haven't done so already, lighten the trigger spring a little. This helped me break the shot a bit better with less of a chance for me to push the gun to the left.

Zcarp2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2006, 07:20:47 AM »

A question for the Professor,

Pushing to the left is when shooting one handed? If so, would a 2 handed, weaver stance be better? I shoot 2 handed most of the time and have rarely tried one handed (.357 and .44) and didn't like the accuracy - more practice needed.

I ask because I dislike shooting off bags.

thanks!

jimster · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2006, 01:53:53 PM »

Ruger does adjust to point of aim if you send it to them, some send in a target with the gun. But Ruger will adjust.
I pesonally don't like a six gun with fixed sights that shoots off to one side, so I'll do what it takes to get it straight. As far as single actions go, if they are shooting left, the gun maker, or smith can turn the barrel in just a very slight bit to get the POI to come back to the right. There usually is enough cylinder barrel gap to do this, but if there is not, you'll need a smith or the manufacturer to perform the extra work, unless your a pretty handy.

Read ion this sight where someone sent their Ruger in, and they said they got it back shooting dead nut POI with standard loads.

Squeez your shots off ever so slowly, so slow you surprise yourself when it goes off, using a bit of a rest, you'll see where she shoots when you sqeeze em off nice and slow. that would be where the gun shoots if you do your part. I don't jam the gun into a sandbag either, I support my hands and wrists a bit, but leave the gun butt and barrel free. That's just me, not saying I know much, but I've seen guys jam the butts of their guns into sand bags and wonder why it shoots so far off. Well, a single action in your hands bucks a certain way during recoil. Not an expert here, just what I've read about and observed at the range.
Shooting off hand, especially with one hand...if your Ruger shoots in a different spot than where it was when you were being careful, it's just your habbits. Like pulling it instead of squeezing it.
Anyways...if you figure it shoots to the left with carefully squeezed off shots, your probably right, and I'd send it to Ruger and get it shooting where standard loads shoot. You'll be a lot happier in the end.

Sheesh...so I ramble on or what???

Mainer · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2006, 02:38:04 PM »

I have a .44 Mag. Bisley Vaquero, and it consistently shoots to the left 2" or so at 25 yds. It does so even when using careful aim, a two-handed stance, and light .44 Special loads in .44 Mag. cases.

Last Saturday I had one especially tight group of 6 shots in just over 1" center to center at 25 yds, but again it was about two inches to the left of point of aim.

At the local 50ft indoor range I have tested whether the shooting to the left phenomenon is me or the gun. After firing several groups with the Bisley Vaquero I fired at the same range with another single action revolver. With the other revolver, all of the shoots went dead center (but slightly high).

Thus, this appears to be an actual problem with these guns and not just shooter error.

Steve P · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2006, 03:17:37 PM »

My 45 colt Vacquero tried to convince me it shot to the left. Then I changed from the whimpy UMC factory loads to my hand loads. I have my own loads of unique and 296 or 2400, CRS. Now it shoots center, just a little high or low depending on which load.

As suggested in the prior post, try switching ammo.

Steve

paul105 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2006, 03:22:52 PM »

Bob Munden does good work. His turn around time is very good. He won't just adjust your sights to fix point of impact problem -- he'll only do that in conjuction with one of his action jobs.

I have two Ruger New Vaquero's. One shoots about 3" left at 25 yards, and the other one is dead on windage at the same distance. Over the years, I've noticed that on my adustable sight handguns I almost always end up with the rear sight adjusted a bit to the right to hit dead center windage. This kind of leads me to believe that the New Vaquero that is "dead on" really might shoot to the right for somebody else. Everybody sees the sights differently, holds the gun differently, shoots different loads, light conditions vary, etc. etc.

I would certainly try several different loads, using sandbags, under varing light conditions to see if that helps minimize or cures the problem. If that doesn't work, make sure you have selected a load you want to use before having adjustment made. Some times you can end up chaseing that point of impact all over the target.

FWIW,

Paul

K.K. · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2006, 03:58:59 AM »

I have the same problem with my vaquero in .45 LC. I sent it to Ruger, nad they supposedly turned the barrell and replaced a few parts. When I shot it again, it still was shooting left. I am frustrated, but haven't tried a large enough quantity of different ammo to comletely write it off. I am considering trading for a balckhawk with adjustable sights. At least I can do my own adjustments.

Prof. Fuller Bullspit · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2006, 05:11:55 AM »

Quote from: Zcarp2

A question for the Professor,

Pushing to the left is when shooting one handed? If so, would a 2 handed, weaver stance be better? I shoot 2 handed most of the time and have rarely tried one handed (.357 and .44) and didn't like the accuracy - more practice needed.

I ask because I dislike shooting off bags.

thanks!

I noticed that my guns were shooting to the left when I shot both one and two handed. It was because of the way my finger pressed the trigger and how my hand engaged the grip as I was squeezing the trigger.

I had to retrain my trigger finger. In part I think this is because the trigger finger often hits the frame where the trigger emerges from it when you are engaging the trigger. As your finger moves in, it also wants to move to the left (towards the midline of your body).

I have a half dozen or so single action rugers and they all shot left until I fixed my trigger finger. The exception seems to be the Bisley. I don't know if my trigger finger was trained when I got the pair of Bisleys that I shoot or if the larger grip, or more rounded trigger of the Bisley helps alleviate the tendancy to push the gun left as I engage the trigger.

As Steve and Paul have already suggested, try at least two different loads and Jimster suggested, really concentrate on squeezing the trigger slowly and keep the trigger finger ONLY on the trigger. Don't let it touch the frame of the gun. You might also use the left hand to provide some lateral support to the gun to help prevent it from moving left.

If the problem persists Ruger will do some adjustments for you. Any good gunsmith can do the same. It amounts to turning the barrel which moves the front site.

Some people I know take a file and cut the right side of the rear site. This moves the impact to the right and serves to widen the rear sight at the same time. You can't do too much of this though before you run out of rear site channel and it looks funny!

Also, find a good left handed pistol shooter and hand the gun to him or her. If it still shoots left it really could be the gun. In the end, do what it takes to make the thing hit where you look!