.45 Colt or .357 Vaquero
- Thread starter RCPerkins
- Start date
.45Colt is the more authentic round. But it'll push you into reloading pretty quick unless you've got deep pockets and patience about finding ammo for it.
Just a note. Depending on why you want an SAA you may want to look at other options. The current Vaquero isn't a faithful copy of the old Colt. It looks the same on the outside but the interior is "updated". For example there's a hammer block. Also you don't need to go to half #### to load since opening the loading gate retracts the cylinder latch. None of this is authentic.
Meanwhile the Pietta and Uberti replicas still have the authentic Colt 4 clicks as you #### the hammer as each function in the action is checked off. Last fall I got a Pietta in .357 off the EE here. I was so pleased with the gun that I got a second one to make up a cowboy action shooting pair from Marstar. The second one was almost but not quite as smooth as it arrived but a little homebrew 'smithing soon put that to right. Or I could just have shot a few hundred rounds threw it to do the same thing. The fit and finish was more than good enough to make me happy with the product. If you should decide to go with a more deeply faithful copy of the Colt you could do worse than to go with a Pietta.
Or if this will be for general plinking and target shooting I'd go another way. I'd hold out for a Blackhawk in .45LC and get into reloading. I've shot some cowbly .45LC and they were very underwhelming. But I've since shot some "proper power" .45LC loads from an Super Redhawk chambered for .454Casull. The full on .45LC rounds were definetly enough to make a person grin foolishly in wonderment. Yet they were not painful like you find with some .44Mag guns. And they were FAR more enjoyable than .454Cassul which try to rip your hand from your arm. But for a steady diet of such fun I'd want to have the more sizable and solid Blackhawk to launch such things. If for no other reason than the adjustable sights would allow you to adjust to differing batch velocities and bullet weights. The fixed Vaquero sights being limited to adjsutment by filing are somewhat limited on that front.
Just a note. Depending on why you want an SAA you may want to look at other options. The current Vaquero isn't a faithful copy of the old Colt. It looks the same on the outside but the interior is "updated". For example there's a hammer block. Also you don't need to go to half #### to load since opening the loading gate retracts the cylinder latch. None of this is authentic.
Meanwhile the Pietta and Uberti replicas still have the authentic Colt 4 clicks as you #### the hammer as each function in the action is checked off. Last fall I got a Pietta in .357 off the EE here. I was so pleased with the gun that I got a second one to make up a cowboy action shooting pair from Marstar. The second one was almost but not quite as smooth as it arrived but a little homebrew 'smithing soon put that to right. Or I could just have shot a few hundred rounds threw it to do the same thing. The fit and finish was more than good enough to make me happy with the product. If you should decide to go with a more deeply faithful copy of the Colt you could do worse than to go with a Pietta.
Or if this will be for general plinking and target shooting I'd go another way. I'd hold out for a Blackhawk in .45LC and get into reloading. I've shot some cowbly .45LC and they were very underwhelming. But I've since shot some "proper power" .45LC loads from an Super Redhawk chambered for .454Casull. The full on .45LC rounds were definetly enough to make a person grin foolishly in wonderment. Yet they were not painful like you find with some .44Mag guns. And they were FAR more enjoyable than .454Cassul which try to rip your hand from your arm. But for a steady diet of such fun I'd want to have the more sizable and solid Blackhawk to launch such things. If for no other reason than the adjustable sights would allow you to adjust to differing batch velocities and bullet weights. The fixed Vaquero sights being limited to adjsutment by filing are somewhat limited on that front.
Both of the above speak wisely.
.38 are cheep to buy, .357 will give you plenty of boom to get your grin on. .45LC is more authentic, and can be loaded to have a bigger boom.
I load my .45LC pistol rounds with black powder. As a slow burning powder, the recoil is more of a "thump" than a "snap", and nobody I've let shoot it has had a problem with the recoil (though I do start the ladies/smaller guys off with cowboy loads to get their confidence up). Plus there's pile of smoke. Very John Wayne
If you're doing this as baby-steps to get you into cowboy action, you might want to also consider what you want for a rifle. Matching caliber will make your life easier
Personally, I went with .45LC partly because a little bit more modern rifle (in my case, a Marlin '94) will have the look for cowboy action, and can be loaded heavy for perfectly good bush gun (shorter range, heavy bullet to push its way through the twigs).
Really, you can't go wrong with either
.38 are cheep to buy, .357 will give you plenty of boom to get your grin on. .45LC is more authentic, and can be loaded to have a bigger boom.
I load my .45LC pistol rounds with black powder. As a slow burning powder, the recoil is more of a "thump" than a "snap", and nobody I've let shoot it has had a problem with the recoil (though I do start the ladies/smaller guys off with cowboy loads to get their confidence up). Plus there's pile of smoke. Very John Wayne
If you're doing this as baby-steps to get you into cowboy action, you might want to also consider what you want for a rifle. Matching caliber will make your life easier
Personally, I went with .45LC partly because a little bit more modern rifle (in my case, a Marlin '94) will have the look for cowboy action, and can be loaded heavy for perfectly good bush gun (shorter range, heavy bullet to push its way through the twigs).
Really, you can't go wrong with either
'
I agree. But for some folks want the "Real Thing" experience and have other guns to use for hardcore range time.
I like the idea of black powder rounds out of a more authentic gun just to feel what the old time shooter's experienced.
I haven't done it yet but I'm going to load up some .357Mag casings with black powder with 158gn boolits over top to shoot a cowboy action day sometime soon just to get an idea of what they are like.
Mind you I've already shot most of last season with my trusty Uberti cap and ball black powder Remington clones. And I still grin to think of it.
And yes, the Holy Black makes more of a BOOMPH! than the CRACK! ! of smokeless.
Buffalo Creek Law Dog
Regular
I started CAS with the Ruger New Vaqueros in .357/.38 and ended up using Piettas in .357/.38 for my main match guns with the Vaqueros as back-ups. Both are good guns however, as already stated, the Piettas are more authentic. Also .38's are a lot cheaper to shoot than .45's.
To add to other peoples comments. If you want an authentic 4 click colt style revolver then you need to look for a pre '73 Ruger Black hawk.
The size is fairly close to an authentic Colt SAA with all the upgraded springs and you still get the 4 clicks like the colt with the added bonus of adjustable sights.
The Ruger you can of course load up a bit warmer than the docile .45 colt you buy in the store and replacement parts are easy to find.
The vaquero and the New vaquero are nice but don't have the 4 clicks, open the loading gate and this releases the cylinder for loading.
The size is fairly close to an authentic Colt SAA with all the upgraded springs and you still get the 4 clicks like the colt with the added bonus of adjustable sights.
The Ruger you can of course load up a bit warmer than the docile .45 colt you buy in the store and replacement parts are easy to find.
The vaquero and the New vaquero are nice but don't have the 4 clicks, open the loading gate and this releases the cylinder for loading.
