357 or 45 LC

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Freakinflyin

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1... Is one better than the other for cowboy action or is it just cost of consumables...

2... What is the prefferd barrel length for comp.

3... And just for fun is there a prefferd barrel length for twirrling

I'm thinking of a pair of ruger saa's one birdshead and the other reg. grip

Any thoughts...?

Thanks
 
.45 is definitely more authentic, but generally will have more recoil. The gamey guys have gone to .38/.357 to try and better their times. I shoot .45's and have no intention of switching to the smaller bores.

As to barrel lengths I shoot a 7.5 and a 5.5, they are fine but when I purchase a set of New Vaquero's they will be 4 5/8", they seem to point and balance better to me plus they will come clear of the holster a bit quicker.

As to the twirling - I'm not touching that!
 
3. Ok maybe I've just watched too too many western flic's growing up and the hollywood crap has gone to my brain, always thought it was really cool and would be fun to try... maybe I'll stick to a tin cup, lol...!!!

What about the birds head grip...? Local shop has one in 357 and was thinking of grabbing it. If I bought a second in 45 LC reg grip would that be a mistake to mix calibers? Already have a Win 94 in 44mag so I guess it would be a real mix.

Thanks

ps. no smokin going on, into rc helicopters as well, names from another site helifreak :)
 
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HOWDY; no smoking , anymore, bit of drinking
1- is one better to do well with , YES 38s are the cal. of competters.
45s perfered by cowboys and myself ,but i also have 357 when I feel that way.
MIXING cal. is tough to do . many a cowboy has stuffed a 45 into a 44 rifle ,or 44/40 it get nasty. The stress of a big match ,the sound of the timer BEEEEP brain fade!
Most folk will end up with ONE cal. Cost is a real fact and getting more so.
Haveing balanced handguns ,the same is the way to go .
It is a matter of where is your head at and what do you wish to accomplish , win , dream you are Roy Rodgers , blow big smoke with a bunch of friends , how serious or smile and chuckles .
I do not want to think of the holsters and shotguns I have tried. Try to do one cal. and one load if you can ,. These are a few of my thoughts yours may vary .

ENJOY
VICIOUS
 
If you already have a .44 caliber rifle why not get .44 caliber revolvers? I shoot Ruger Super Blackhawks (1- 4-5/8", 1-5-1/2") using .44 Special brass with 165 grain bullets. Also looking to buy some .44 Russian brass.

Also shoot Ruger Bisleys in .45 Colt using .45 Cowboy Special brass and just started playing with a pair Ruger Old Armies but my favorites are the .44's.
 
The delema I'm facing is I would realy like to have Vaquero's, I understand that the birds head Vaqueros are no longer made but the local shop has a couple of new BH357's. New vaq's don't come in 44mag or it would be easy...
I think the only way out is to spend a $hit load of money yet again lol...
 
Shooting 2 obviously different cartridges like .357 and .44 isn't bad to start with. A lot of cowboy shooters carry their ammo for a specific stage to the loading table in a "loading block" rather than carry loaded ammo boxes, which have to be recovered after you shoot the stage. Make a loading block in 2 calibers!
If you visit a number of cowboy action matches, you will realize that the vast majority of shooters, don't use a Winchester. After a few matches, a lot of shooters like to "tweak" their kit, which could mean changing guns. I am lucky enough to be able to shoot Cowboy in either .357 or .44 Mag. It just depends what I feel like that morning. My .357 Rifle feeds .357 brass better than .38 special, so my loads are all light .357. Bring what you have an have fun.

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Howdy ; I must ehco Garand in that the winchester 94 is the least favourite rifle for for CAS.
It breaks lifters ,jams with ammo that is not just right and is hard to slick up. Sorry dnot want to bash your rifle but when you RO a lot you notice these things.
As to what to do if there is a pair of birdhead ruger in 357 that you like at a fair price get them , sell the 44 win 94 and get a Marlin 1894c or cowboy 94 in (I use marlins) If you are FLUSH then the winchester 1873 rifle 20 inch barrell is a prime choice , you will get one or the other eventually. Get to a match and check them out all will become clear.
 
First off thanks guy's for all your input, it helps alot... one last question. Does it matter mixing old vaquero with the new model, I've heard that there might be some differences in their mechanic's making things a little confusing during a shoot...?
 
HELLO . differance - weight , size , feel are the thing you will notice. The loading , cocking , and how they are designed not so much. The idea is to not tell the differance between the two handguns in your holsters when shooting , it a pureist gamer thing ,do not comfuse the brain when under stress BEEEEP !
 
If I where to do it all over again I would definitely get 2 identical pistols. At the moment I use a 5.5" and a 7.5" (both Blackhawk .45 Colts). I am trying to save up for a pair of New Vaquero's in .45 with 4 5/8 bbls.
 
+2 on getting identical pistols. I've shot 4.75" and 7.5" guns the past couple of years. Have now gone to a pair of 5.5" ones. The difference in weight and balance between the different barrel lengths is enough to throw your rythmn off slightly. I prefer 45 Colt over .38/.357 since it's 1) authentic, and 2) the guns balance better since they have less steel in the barrel. YMMV, and I shoot Duelist so balance is more important to me.

As far as the rifles go, I would agree with other postings that say you should lose the '94. They WILL jam during a match at some point. If you absolutely need a 'newer' Winchester, get a '92. Alternatively, the Marlins run extremely well, and they are a lot easier to clean since you can pull the bolt out. If you get into it at all from a historical perspective though, there's no sound or feeling like that big honkin' hunk of brass lifter going up and down on a '66 or '73.

If you at all think that you may shoot blackpowder, you should think hard about choosing 44/40. They are a bit of a pain to load, but I find that using .429 bullets combined with the very thin/soft case necks, seals the chamber up very well and results in minimal blowback into the action. This has not been my experience with the .45 Colt.

Carp River Drifter
 
Good post Freakinflyin, I'm in the same boat and watching this thread closely. Why all the ball bustin' about twirling?
A while ago someone posted a clip of Sammy Davis junior doing a twirling routine that was very impressive. Anyone know how to find it?
 
Ha ha...I was just going to let the twirling go...

I've watched a few more westerns on the tube since I started this thread and as far as I can tell...if you can't do at least 3/4's of a twirl there's no possible way to get a gun back to the holster! :D

Cheers all
 
If you want to twirl, don't do it at a cowboy action match or they will escort you off the property. Cowboy Action is all about fun with cowboy guns but absolutely nothing comes before safety and the primary safety rule is muzzle control. Only places you can technically even handle your revolvers are at the loading/unloading tables, at the firing line and at designated safe areas. Other than those locations they are "safe" which means holstered, in your gun cart or boxed and locked. Sweep anyone including yourself and that is a stage disqualification, sweep a second time, match disqualification. Great people, even better fun but safety before everything else.
 
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