Happy New Year All!
Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
nice shooting.
I have a convertable 45colt/acp gun too, but it's a vaquero. When I first got it the acp rounds shot to the left of the colt loads. Sent it back to Ruger, and they fixed it. Now ball ammo and cowboy loads print the same.
I also have a 4 5/8" 45 colt. I bought is with some wear on it so I had is cerakoted. Sniper Grey and Graphite Black looks good and makes the gun nearly indestructible. It has probably the best trigger I've ever seen on any gun. probably 2# and not a bit of creep.
I also have a 3 screw blackhawk with the 4 5/8" barrel in 41 magnum. Took me 25yrs to find one and it is a sweet gun.
I have a convertable 45colt/acp gun too, but it's a vaquero. When I first got it the acp rounds shot to the left of the colt loads. Sent it back to Ruger, and they fixed it. Now ball ammo and cowboy loads print the same.
I also have a 4 5/8" 45 colt. I bought is with some wear on it so I had is cerakoted. Sniper Grey and Graphite Black looks good and makes the gun nearly indestructible. It has probably the best trigger I've ever seen on any gun. probably 2# and not a bit of creep.
I also have a 3 screw blackhawk with the 4 5/8" barrel in 41 magnum. Took me 25yrs to find one and it is a sweet gun.
I don't smoke or drink. I spend my money on gunpowder and gasoline.
- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 6823
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Those are beauties. Neat what you did with that old 4 5/8" Blackhawk. Makes for a great carry or woods gun. To be honest, my 4 5/8" Blackhawk is my first in that barrel length, even though I've been shooting these Rugers all my life. I normally prefer the 5 1/2" - my usual pick - but now that I've been shooting the 4 5/8", I love it. Will definitely be looking for more in that length.
The 41 mag is such a great cartridge, but the only practical way to shoot it is to reload and I don't have time to keep up with what I need to reload, now, not even close.
The 41 mag is such a great cartridge, but the only practical way to shoot it is to reload and I don't have time to keep up with what I need to reload, now, not even close.
Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Bandit, you had to do that? Now I need more Blackhawks! 
- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 6823
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
There's always room for another Blackhawk. 
Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Great shooting North Country Gal! Thanks for posting that. Blackhawks are certainly accurate. A Big Boy or maybe one of the new Original Henry Rifles in .45 Colt would match yours perfectly. Those Original Henry's are beautiful.
I have two stainless Super Blackhawks in .44 Mag, a 4 5/8" and a Bisley with a 3 3/4" barrel. I really love the Bisley, but shoot the 4 5/8" a bit better with the longer sight radius. I carry the Bisley concealed sometimes in a Simply Rugged "Loaded Pancake" holster. They don't recommend that one for concealed carry, but it rides very high and conceals well even with the six cartridge loops. Semi autos are great and more practical than my Super Blackhawks for concealed carry, but if I could only have one handgun I couldn't part with my Bisley.
I am shooting my own hand loads in my .44's only, including my Big Boy. So, it is cheaper than factory remanufactured 9mm. And, a great excuse to spend most of my time with revolvers and Henry, rather than my AR's and Glocks. My hand loads are lightly loaded, probably only 850 fps or less with a 240gr and 950 fps or less with a 200gr out of the Super Blackhawks and probably no more than 100 or 150 fps faster out of the Henry. Really light recoil out of all of them and very quiet out of the Henry.
Since my Super Blackhawks are stainless, I really need to get one of the new Big Boy All Weather's to match!
I have two stainless Super Blackhawks in .44 Mag, a 4 5/8" and a Bisley with a 3 3/4" barrel. I really love the Bisley, but shoot the 4 5/8" a bit better with the longer sight radius. I carry the Bisley concealed sometimes in a Simply Rugged "Loaded Pancake" holster. They don't recommend that one for concealed carry, but it rides very high and conceals well even with the six cartridge loops. Semi autos are great and more practical than my Super Blackhawks for concealed carry, but if I could only have one handgun I couldn't part with my Bisley.
I am shooting my own hand loads in my .44's only, including my Big Boy. So, it is cheaper than factory remanufactured 9mm. And, a great excuse to spend most of my time with revolvers and Henry, rather than my AR's and Glocks. My hand loads are lightly loaded, probably only 850 fps or less with a 240gr and 950 fps or less with a 200gr out of the Super Blackhawks and probably no more than 100 or 150 fps faster out of the Henry. Really light recoil out of all of them and very quiet out of the Henry.
Since my Super Blackhawks are stainless, I really need to get one of the new Big Boy All Weather's to match!
Made by Henry, Or Not Made At All
- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 6823
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Thanks, David. Couldn't agree more on the reloading. The only way to shoot the 44 mag or the 45 Colt is to reload, unless, of course, you don't mind spending a ton of cash for factory ammo. That's been my undoing with both cartridges, since I have so many irons in the fire with all my hobbies, I can never sneak away for an hour without interruptions for the sake of reloading and we all know better than to interrupt our reloading, once started.
The saving grace for me on my Blackhawk Convertibles, the 357/9mmm or 45 Colt/45ACP is the cheap factory ammo option with either 9mm or 45 ACP in aluminum cased ammo. My 45 Blackhawk actually loves the cheap aluminum case 45 ACP. Very accurate. By shopping around, I can get bulk 45 ACP ammo for about the same price per round as 22 mag or 17 HMR. 9mm, even less. Still could go cheaper by reloading, of course, but, for now, it's doable for us.
Also, MUCH prefer shooting these semi-auto pistol cartridges in a single action with an extra cylinder to a double action revolver using moon clips. Do NOT like the hassles of using moon clips.
The saving grace for me on my Blackhawk Convertibles, the 357/9mmm or 45 Colt/45ACP is the cheap factory ammo option with either 9mm or 45 ACP in aluminum cased ammo. My 45 Blackhawk actually loves the cheap aluminum case 45 ACP. Very accurate. By shopping around, I can get bulk 45 ACP ammo for about the same price per round as 22 mag or 17 HMR. 9mm, even less. Still could go cheaper by reloading, of course, but, for now, it's doable for us.
Also, MUCH prefer shooting these semi-auto pistol cartridges in a single action with an extra cylinder to a double action revolver using moon clips. Do NOT like the hassles of using moon clips.
- tx gunrunner
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 888
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:33 pm
- Location: near Ft Hood Tx

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Don't let NCG fool you ........... She carried a 44 Mag SBH with a 7 1/2 barrel in here purse .

- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 6823
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
Yup, it's true. There is a movement back to carrying larger guns for concealed carry. This bad boy is a lot easier to find in my usual cluttered purse than a J frame Smith.


- tx gunrunner
- Firearms Advisor
- Posts: 888
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:33 pm
- Location: near Ft Hood Tx

Re: Back to my cowgirl roots, the Ruger Blackhawk 45
That was a 3 screwNorth Country Gal wrote:Yup, it's true. There is a movement back to carrying larger guns for concealed carry. This bad boy is a lot easier to find in my usual cluttered purse than a J frame Smith.