How does one identify the New Vaquero as opposed to the orig

According to Buffalo Bore 1505 fps - Ruger pre 2006 large frame Vaquero 5 ½ inch barrel I'd stick with the large frame Ruger for most heavier loads. And I do.

designed bullet traveling 1100-1200 fps will stop most anything on the North American continent.

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Yep... And you can do the 1100fps in the mid-frame under 250-270g bullet.

Here's what Buffalo Bore has to say about that cartridge and Ruger Vaquero:

Barnes placed the crimp groove in a location that affords a short cartridge OAL; therefore the loaded cartridge will fit into the short cylinder of the FA mod. 97. The OAL for this cartridge is 1.572 inch. Which means you can chamber it in revolvers that are too weak to fire +P loads. So, use this ammo ONLY in ALL LARGE FRAME RUGERS, (i.e. Black Hawks, all Red Hawk iterations chambered in 454 Casull and 45 Colt, and pre 2006 Vaqueros) Colt Anaconda, all FA revolvers chambered in 454 Casull and 45 Colt and Dan Wesson revolvers, Winchester and Marlin mod. 1894, all falling block actions made of modern steel, TC Encore and the Handi Rifle.

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https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=254

Note the colored text. Not a good idea to use these in a New Vaquero (the one with the three digit prefix to the serial number).

ndcowboy said:

A mold, some lead, a melting pot (could be an old cast iron pot), a heat source (anything from an electric melting pot to a campfire), a dipper/ladle to pour with, and some leather gloves and eye protection would be your minimum. Pretty cheap and easy to start. But when a guy decides it is fun, he can add a lot more tools, molds, and gadgets.

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I respectfully disagree with the statement that a campfire is a suitable heat source. A campfire, a large cast iron pot, a long handled soup ladle and a cup cake pan are a great way to cast your scrounged scrap lead into ingots but for casting bullets heat control and comfort would be lacking.

However, white gas Colman stoves and both electric and gas kitchen ranges work well under 35-40 pounds of lead in a cast iron pot. I used only my RCBS dipper until I inherited an RCBS 22 pound bottom pour. The RCBS pot is luxurious but for an experienced dipper casts no faster and the larger quantity of lead on the stove maintains a more constant temperature while being continuously topped off. A variety of molds than a quality lead thermometer are much higher priorities than an electric pot IMO.

Thanks again, guys, for all your help. Please forgive me if I come across a little overly excited about all this. I looked over my posts, and realized I am coming across as a teenager with little or no hunting/shooting experience. I am 54 years old, and was once a very active hunter. I especially enjoyed handgun hunting, and have owned some real hand cannons(magnum research lone eagle in 308 Winchester, Thompson Contender in 45-70 etc, etc)...As I said, I once was a very active hunter, and a firefighter for the better part of 20 years....and then, in 2007, I injured my back...I have now gone through two back surgeries, and have been "put out to pasture", so to speak. I quit hunting, fishing, and everything else that I enjoyed, sold all my guns(had to pay the bills), and settled down to a life of utter boredom....then about a year ago, my 12 year old daughter decided she wanted to learn to hunt. My nephew loaned us a .243 bolt gun, and I took her to the range. I set three clay pigeons up at 100 yards, laid out a mat on the ground, and instructed her on the ins and outs of shooting. To make a long story short, she made three shots....and scored three hits! I told her that shooting the targets was a far cry from shooting a live animal, but at least I know she is physically able to make the shot. I have now joined a hunting club for the first time in many years, and am looking forward to making happy memories with my daughter, up in a tree stand....assuming that I will be able to get my fat old arse up there. So, please forgive my obvious excitement, and my coming across as a complete newbie....but the truth is, I feel like I did when I first hunted....excited....and, most of all, young again. Thank you, guys for your help. It means the world to me.