Revolver Choices for Cowboy Action Shooting

Rodney has made the decision on which revolvers he intends to use for Cowboy Action Shooting. This week, he brings them out to the range to demonstrate his choices.
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FIREARMS USED
.45 Colt Ruger Vaquero
.45 Colt Ruger New Vaquero Bisley Frame
.45 Colt Ruger New Vaquero (custom)
AMMUNITION USED
.45 Colt House of Payne 185gr JHP

[@kbjerke]

I live in Ontario, Canada. A retired senior, I decided to get into CAS a few years ago. I participated in competition pistol shooting back in the 1980s and 90s but have shot only informally since then. I've been slowly acquiring the necessary hardware for CAS, and presently I've almost completed my belt and holsters, which I'm building from "scratch." I still need to build/modify some sort of carrier for all my equipment. Looking at yard sales for some sort of stroller I can modify! Thanks for the video!

[@roderick2315]

.45 long colt, 250 grain bullets. Big boy stuff here :) Good info in the video, thanks.

[@AmmoMart]

Thanks for watching and I just grabbed a box of what we had lying around the shop so in practice it certainly won't be that stuff! Appreciate all the support more than you know.

[@LUVDOGS1954]

Well reasoned and well presented video, thank you. My first single action was a Herter's German made (Schmidt) .357 Magnum. I still have it...from 1968! Now I have five...or six SA revolvers... maybe seven...ah heck, I love em'.

[@AmmoMart]

Thanks for the view. I always loved SA revolvers too. Watched too many westerns with my uncle when I was a kid I guess. I truly appreciate the comments and am going to start filming my practice sessions to create a video diary of how long it takes to get decent at it......if I ever do.

[@abee.s.corpus2455]

Good video. The choice between the types of revolver, even staying with Ruger products, is largely subjective. Lowered hammers are a plus if you shoot without a support hand (Gunfighter or Duelist style) but some who use the thumb of the support hand to cock the hammer (what the Handbook calls the "Traditional" shooting style) find the higher spur on the "standard" Vaquero/New Vaquero to be faster. The Bisley has a lower spur but the grip angle is different from that of a "plowhandle" grip frame; to me it feels more like a DA revolver in the hand. Ruger's Montado and the SASS Edition New Vaqueros have a lowered, wide checkered hammer spur. Another option is to replace the high spur hammers of a Vaquero/New Vaquero/Blackhawk with Super Blackhawk hammers (lowered, wide, grooved spur). SASS rules require that a (six shot) the revolver be loaded with five rounds, hammer resting on the empty chamber. Failure to load the revolver properly is a Stage Disqualification. Starting at time index 8:09 I see that the hammer fell on an empty chamber, followed by five rounds that fired. There is a technique for loading a Ruger correctly that is easily taught. In a Ruger "New Model" single action revolver (this category includes the "original" Vaquero) with factory transfer bars in place, having a live round under the hammer is objectively safe. The SASS rules take into effect the original Colt lockwork in which a hammer down on a loaded chamber is an unsafe condition.

[@rbkroeck]

Love this series

[@mkshffr4936]

Bisley is nice. I love the look of Pietta's Alchimista II.

[@AmmoMart]

I will certainly check out the Pietta! Thanks for the rip.

[@AmmoMart]

Sorry....tip.

[@mkshffr4936]

@@AmmoMart 😊

[@Bryce01650]

Are you going to continue this series?

[@jasonsmith1375]

Enjoying following along on this journey. I missed if you picked your cowboy name, what did you go with?

[@AmmoMart]

I am thinking of using a viewer's suggestion of Darth Brooks. I thought that was amazingly clever. I better get it applied for before someone else does. Thanks for viewing.

[@mypetvelociraptor]

Do you have to have matched Cowboy guns for your pair? Can you have a 1873 peacemaker and a 1858 Remington!?😅

[@Salieri47]

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your journey into CAS. Unless what I see & read is way off, the Ruger Vaquero is pretty much the only readily available (in a limited way) USA SAA style revolver, choosing it as starter CAS revolvers makes sense to me. You can always be choosier, if necessary, with an import as you progress. I'm guessing in actual CAS competition losing count & shooting spent casings will cost you time, maybe penalty points.

[@AmmoMart]

It definitely costs you and the mental process of tracking that information while shooting is going to take a little getting used to. I am used to counting my rounds left in the mag but applying that to an assigned shot pattern is really something fairly new to me. Looking forward to the challenges!! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@Salieri47]

​@@AmmoMartI'm used to watching Paul Harrell keep count with 30 & 50 (& even a 100 rounder) magazines. It always amazes me. I've worked my way up to counting five rounds 😮 😅.

[@roderick2315]

Duel wheeling, fun shooting but I have difficulty doing it accurately :)

[@AmmoMart]

Me too so far!!

[@MarkStevens-m9x]

Like your old piano teacher said practice practice practice. Just focus on your off hand.

[@abrampl]

7 months ago just try it 5 months ago became cowboy! Greetings from Poland 05/Jan/2025

[@allensooter8429]

Just so you know, that ammo is not legal for cowboy action shooting. There is a power range you must keep in mind. Good luck with the learning curve.

[@AmmoMart]

Thanks for that tip. I should have used some legal ammo but in my haste to get the video filmed I just grabbed what we had lying around the shop. Seriously, any tip you can leave me will be greatly appreciated.