That's cool! Couldn't tell by the ad, but I wonder if the stainless would fit the single six. The ad calls the stainless frame, Vaquero stainless steel. Maybe that's just the descripton. I think I'll just polish mine up more. $4 worth of sandpaper, or $112 for a new grip frame (but it is a grip I'd like to try).

slovenly
Suz

Suzanne wrote:

I think I'll just polish mine up more. $4 worth of sandpaper, or $112 for a new grip frame (but it is a grip I'd like to try). slovenly Suz

Suzanne,
That sounds like a good plan. As much as I like new guns, I feel better carrying a used one that I don't have to worry about getting that first scratch on. I think I'm do for another single action soon. I was looking on GunsAmerica last night and seeing some nice used old style Ruger Vaqueros. My local gun shop usually has some good used Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks, but the old style Vaqueros are a bit harder to find.
Don

When I lived in Az. I used to hunt rabbits with the 32 magnum, I really love that pistol, very accurate too. It was fun shooting rabbits until one day I popped one in the nose. He repeatedly jumped straight up in the air, over and over and it about made me sick because there wasn't anything I could do, the poor thing was jumping so much I couldn't shoot it and I would have popped it with a board or a tennis racket if I had one. It finally quit and I got off another shot. I was always proud of my decent head shots till that day. Shotguns for rabbits, if I ever go shootin for rabbits again.

BigBlue, don't know if you know this but the older Vaqueros are beefier than the new ones. I just read an article on them HERE,depending on your hand size, the newer ones are quite a bit smaller. I think even my old 32 magnum is built on the .357 frame. Don't know if they're still doin that or not.

gonzo
Suz

I also spend quite a bit of time reading the articles at Gunblast. Unlike most gun magazines those boys can be trusted. Boy you must be a pretty darn good shot to be able to take head shots at rabbits. I've owned quite a few Ruger's, but I'm always buying and selling to support my latest need to have gun. Wish I had the funds to keep them all, but that's not in the stars. My first was a single-six .22LR/.22 mag. Since then I've owned a 7 1/2" barreled Blackhawk in .45 Colt, an old Vaquero and a Bisley Vaquero and a Super Blackhawk. My last was a 50th Anniversary Blackhawk in .357. I liked the size of that the best and it balanced better with it's heavier steel grip frame. I had to sell that when I came across a real nice S&W Mod. 19 in .357 and of course had to have it. I've never owned one of the new Vaqueros. This is the first time in quite a few years that I find myself without a Ruger single action. Maybe I'll change that on my next trip to my local gun shop.
Don

Aw shucks, those rabbits are easy prey! When it gets really hot in the desert, you look for them standing in the shade of a cactus or creosote bush or mesquite tree or a rock and just stay on the opposite side to sneek up on them. You can get pretty close. They think they're hidden and they don't want to run in that heat, so they tend to stay put. Sometimes for fun we would climb up on a hill with a 22 semi-auto rifle and chase rabbits with bullets. Never hit one that way, but they're fun to chase. I miss that wide-openess of the desert. Yeah sounds like you've been through the gambit with the Rugers. The only other Ruger I had was a .22 semi-auto bull-barrel pistol. Sold it cause I couldn't figure out how to get accurate with it, then I bought a S&W 9mm semi-auto, sold it for the same reason. I have a Glock model 23 now in .40S&W and for some reason I don't have any problems getting accurate with it. It's either me or the balance of the guns I guess. I've always had a hard time with semi-auto pistols. Single actions are nostalgic and just plain cool though. You could deer hunt with that model 19. I've been thinking about doing that, don't have a pistol for it but lugging around a rifle a day pack and climbing hills is getting to be a chore. Any recommendation for a hunting pistol?

bone-lazy
Suz

Suzanne wrote:

Aw shucks, those rabbits are easy prey! ..... Sometimes for fun we would climb up on a hill with a 22 semi-auto rifle and chase rabbits with bullets. ..... The only other Ruger I had was a .22 semi-auto bull-barrel pistol. Sold it cause I couldn't figure out how to get accurate with it, ...... Single actions are nostalgic and just plain cool though....... You could deer hunt with that model 19. I've been thinking about doing that, don't have a pistol for it but lugging around a rifle a day pack and climbing hills is getting to be a chore....... Any recommendation for a hunting pistol? bone-lazy Suz

Gidday Suz...I love hunting rabbits, although our rabbit out here is a little more cunning than the ones you used to hunt. Nothing better than setting up a blind over-looking a rabbit warren and sniping it with my .22 single shot using Remington Sub-Sonics...love it.

The .22 pistol you may have had was a Ruger Mk I or Mk II. I had the Mk I and taught all my daughters to shoot with it. I found it to be a very accurate little pistol...with the right ammo...and the girls loved it.

A Model 19 for deer hunting ....I have only one thing to say about that.... NO!!! My first revolver was a S&W Mod 19 and it was a great revolver. But even though it is a .357 Mag, it is not designed to survive on a constant diet of them nasty bugger Magnum rounds. How do I know...I split the forcing cone on the barrel of my Mod 19 using Magnum loads.

For a hunting pistol, there are any number of good quality strong revolvers that are suitable...but I would put the .357 Mag at the bottom of the calibre list. It is a marginal calibre for larger game and if you need to use it against something evil mean wicked and nasty, like a bear, then it is barely adequate (no pun intended). If you are hell bent on a .357 Mag, then I would suggest the S&W Mod 586 or Mod 686. My choice for a revolver would be in a calibre that starts with a "4"...preferably a .44 Magnum or .454 Casull.

If you would be happy with a single shot, then a TC Contender in a rifle calibre is the way to go in my mind. The up side to this is you can use the same calibre in your rifle and pistol...less expense when it comes to hand loading components and if need be you can use rounds for either in the other.

Some food for thought there Suz.

Cheers, Vince

I've heard the same thing about the Mod. 19 before I bought mine. It was the first thing I checked when I examined the gun. I have done a bit more research on it and from all I can find out about it the main problem was with smaller 110gr. and 125gr. bullets being pushed to max. loads. From what I was able to determine the smaller bullets don't properly seal the gap between the cylinder and barrel and in some cases caused the cracks to occur. While I think some of the heavier bullets in the .357 would probably work just fine in most cases for taking deer, it wouldn't be my first choice either. When it comes down to it I just trust a rifle to do the job better. I have to admit the light weight of a handgun sure has it's appeal. I guess that's why most of the rifles that I've been buying are getting lighter and lighter. I usually carry a handgun along with the rifle when I'm hunting, but it's more as a backup than anything else. I have in the past used a handgun for a finishing shot on downed game. Take a look at the hole in the middle of bison's skull. I made that with the Mod. 19 using a 158gr. bullet. The 45/70 did a great job dropping the Bison in one shot, but he needed a finishing touch.
Don

I sure do like that skull ............ that is real nice!

Vince!! Thanks for the advice. I remember you saying that about splitting the forcing cone, didn't remember it was a model 19. I have to tell you the deer I got this year was shot at about 30 yds. I went back and measured to see how far it was. At that close range I think my 32 magnum would have done him in. It is so thickly wooded where I hunt you're down right lucky to even see a deer. In the spot where I was there actually was an open area of about 150 yds, and all up-hill too, so the possibility of a longer shot is there, but you can always cut it in half by placing yourself in the right spot.

BigBluey!! what a great job cleanin up that skull, how did you do that? What did you do with the horns, mount them?

Anyways I never really looked into using a pistola to hunt with but it's always been on my mind, the TC has a pretty long barrel too, I could get a 14" 30-30, but I think they're butt ugly guns. I like the rifles but not the pistols. Ok I better shut up.

Hand-over-mouth
Suz

Suz if your thinking about a large caliber pistol for deer Magnum Research has a good selection of calibers in the BFR. They do have it in a 30-30.

www.magnumresearch.com/Browse.asp

I like the look of the Magnum Research BFR....Biggest Finest Revolver....I always thought it meant....nah...doesn't matter.

I hear ya on the looks of the Contender Suz...but a 10" bull barrel is not a bad looking pistol...but beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder. The 14" Contender is not really the pistol I would consider carrying in the wild...just too big....the 10" is much easier to handle...and will do pretty much anything the 14" will do, and as well.

BB...the Mod19 will do the job, and do it well,....it's just not heavy enough to use a constant diet of magnum loads. I even found that the top strap in mine was developing a blast cut. The main bullet I was using was a 155gn round nose FMJ. That is a nice looking skull ya got there mate. How did you "process" it?

Cheers, Vince

Wiersy!! thanks for the link, I've never looked at those before. Quite a handfull I'd say and even on the pocketbook! Setting one off with 5lbs of gun behind it might give me a skull fracture. I'll have to see if I could even get my hand around one, after I sell somemoccasins to buy it. Just kidding, but that's a bit much for my modest means. You guys are makin me think though, thanks.

untied, hangin loose
Suz

Revolver hunting,

I would suggest a Ruger Super Redhawk, 44 magnum. You should be able to find grips to fit your hand. I like to factory grips. It is easy to shoot with or without gloves. If you want a scope no problem. Mine has an Aimpoint. Regardless you can do to it what you need. The Ruger has the added advantage to handle just any load factory, even the the Buffalo Bore heavys.!
Mine shot Federal American Eagle brand 240 JHP so well I never did reload for it.

I like the 7.5 inch barrel, but there are other options. If Money is a factor watch the pawn shops and let people know you are looking.

Longwalker

Good story on the bison. My brother-in-law asked me to accompany him on a bison hunt. He said that he wanted to have me there as a backup shooter just in case. To be honest he was scared to death of the bison and even more so once he saw the size of them close up. He paid for the hunt, but when it came time to pull the trigger he turned to me and said go ahead you shoot it. Well I hemmed and hawed for all of two, maybe even three seconds and then I took the shot. I hit it with a handloaded 405gr. Rem. SP bullet from my 45/70 loaded to about 1650 fps. and knocked him right off his hoofs with one shot. My brother-in-law had a taxidermist do the skull and gave it to me along with a lot of the meat. He's having the head mounted and the hide turned into a blanket. Getting the chance to shoot a bison, something I didn't even dream of ever being able to do, was more than enough for me.
Back to the subject at hand. The Ruger single action Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks can be had used at very good prices. New they are about $400 and $500 respectively. Used I've seen them from $250 on up. Layaway is always a good answer. There aren't too many guns, that I've bought, that I could afford to just lay the cash down.
Don

I have a 9 1/2 Super Redhawk and find it challenging to shoot without a rest due to it being so muzzle heavy. The 7 1/2's aren't as bad but also can be a challenge at times.

Just food for thought !!!