44 mag Vaquero load help

OK...so I'm old and I thought the Vaquero required lighter load pressures then the NMBH...

Id like to load up some cast 230 gr. for a friend with an older Vaquero who thinks they can take full house loads.

Your pet loads with cast would be much help!

Thanks

I'd start with 9-10 grs Unique.

The early Vaquero 44 magnum were as strong as any 44 magnums. Most people did not load them real hot because they were mostly used in cowboy action shooting where later 44-40 and 44 specials filled the bill. The four inch 44 magnums in any model is a handful to shoot. If you are willing to shoot one, the Vaquero 44 magnums are up to the task. For fast burning powder loads, Unique, 231, and Universal Clays work well. Slower burning powders that work well are H110/296, 2400, and H4227. There are many other powders that work well in this cartridge.

jgt said:

The early Vaquero 44 magnum were as strong as any 44 magnums. Most people did not load them real hot because they were mostly used in cowboy action shooting where later 44-40 and 44 specials filled the bill. The four inch 44 magnums in any model is a handful to shoot. If you are willing to shoot one, the Vaquero 44 magnums are up to the task. For fast burning powder loads, Unique, 231, and Universal Clays work well. Slower burning powders that work well are H110/296, 2400, and H4227. There are many other powders that work well in this cartridge.

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Wow, just goes to show that as one ages, a body just CANNOT trust memory... I was so sure that I recalled reading that the Vaquero was to be loaded down.

In my old 44 mag super Black and my then tuned Redhawk, I shot 250 cast over 22.5 gr. of 4227. he tried those and said in the Vaquero it was unpleasant to shoot.

He wants something more controllable. When he wants to hunt, he'll use the Redhawk he bought from me...

Anymore advice on how much of what powder behind a 230 cast?

9 -10 grs Unique will shoot good,, with that 230 gr cast!

CONTENDER affirmed that the New Vaquero was not made in 44 mag for the simple reasons that it didn't handle the 44 mag pressure but the older Vaquero did handle the 44 mag pressure...the gent who has the gun I'll load for didn't like my deer loads that shoot well in the 7.5" redhawk, so I'll load up some light loads with some old Unique I have and see how they shoot for him..

Anyone else want to chime in, please do...

Would that 230 gr. bullet you have be like the Lyman 429215 with GC?
I shoot that type bullet weighing 230 gr. from Matt's Bullets using 9.0 gr. of Unique in .44 Mag
thru my S&W M69 4.2 inch barrel. A very good shooting load for that gun!

Thanks for your reply, MUS408. I cannot sayWhat mold they fell from, as I bought these many, many years ago from a chap in MT who had a casting biz...but they're not gas checked... I have an old Lyman mold that is a 250 gas check I believe, but this op came up to load some light rounds for a friend, so I took it

The New Vaquero models you are relating to as not as robust as the old ones, are the .45 caliber Vaqueros. They are the ones that should only be loaded to something less than "Ruger only" loads. That is not to say they aren't strong enough to shoot a load that is safe, but probably uncomfortable for the majority of people. All the 44 Magnums were safe with any listed loading manual loads.

jgt said:

The New Vaquero models you are relating to as not as robust as the old ones, are the .45 caliber Vaqueros. They are the ones that should only be loaded to something less than "Ruger only" loads. That is not to say they aren't strong enough to shoot a load that is safe, but probably uncomfortable for the majority of people. All the 44 Magnums were safe with any listed loading manual loads.

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^^^^^^^exactly^^^^^^^^
A 44 magnum is a full pressure round. If the Vaquero gun is a 44 magnum it can shoot 44 magnums.
Now if that Vaquero is a 45 colt THEN you need to know if it is an original Vaquero or a New Vaquero. The original Vaqueros can take 'Ruger only' loads but the New Vaquero should only be loaded to factory 45 colt or to Stage 2 loads which are less than 'Ruger Only' loads but more than factory loads.

My favorite Heavy but not Max loads for the 44 magnum with a 240gr bullet around 1200 fps are...
18.0gr of Accurate #9 or 13.0gr of Blue Dot or 9.4gr of Universal or Unique

Boils down to 'ALL' Ruger SA .44 Mag revolvers are on the same large cylinder frame. Shoot SAAMI loads to your hearts content.

Thanks, everyone!! I resolved that my aged memory is just that--aged.... or confuddled; The 44 mag Ruger SA Vaquero is stout enough for what one can handle...

NOw I'll cob up some mild, mild loads as the chap isn't fond of shooting the SA with stout loads..

Rclark said:

Boils down to 'ALL' Ruger SA .44 Mag revolvers are on the same large cylinder frame. Shoot SAAMI loads to your hearts content.

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Bingo! ps