Bending front sight blade on original Vaquero to target?

[Tallbald]

I bought a beautiful original Vaquero 7 1/2 inch stainless .44 Magnum back this summer. Loving it with cowboy action level loads (due to arthritis in joints). Fixed sights of course. At 25 or so yards it hits maybe 6 inches to the right.
I'd like to correct this, but having never adjusted a staked, fixed front blade sight I thought I best ask for guidance here first. I obviously don't want to damage the gun or loosen the front blade sight. I'd leave it as-is before risking that.
What steps does a person take to make the adjustment please?
Thanks. Don

 

[Mtn Biker]

I had one that shot hard to the left and a call to Ruger got me fixed up. I did make sure I had other shooters experience the same issue and it also shot left when I shot it off hand. It helped me convince Ruger that it was not just me.
They sent me a shipping label and fixed it under warranty.
It looks like they tipped the front site blade but I can hardly tell they did.
Shoots to the sights now.

VL

 

[Old Judge Creek]

My first BisVaq was like that only worse. Out of the box it printed about 12" to the left at most SASS distances & targets.
I called Ruger.
I sent it back with a note requesting it be regulated to print to point of aim with a 240 grain bullet chronographed at 950 fps (IIRC) and it came back two weeks later on the Friday before a match.
I shot it the next day at the match and it was spot on.

The ONLY downside was that I had to pay for shipping to get it back TO Ruger.



I recommend sending it back.

 

[Tallbald]

I wonder how they regulate the front sight at Ruger? A bending fixture of some sort perhaps? Truthfully I'd rather do it myself. Don

 

[Old Judge Creek]

I wonder how they regulate the front sight at Ruger? A bending fixture of some sort perhaps? Truthfully I'd rather do it myself. Don

Well I know "how" to do it but for me time and 'place' is an issue. When I get over to the ranch, I've better things to do with my time. So, for me at least, it's simply easier to let them do it.

 

[CraigC]

Turning the barrel is a better solution.

 

[greenmtnguy]

The barrel might be overtightened (or under tightened) causing the sight blade to lean left or right. Often, but not always, it is a matter of turning the barrel in the threads using the proper tools. Sometimes the blade needs to be resoldered. If it isn't off by too much, some owners file a little off the opposite side of the rear right groove, but I wouldn't do that myself unless I was sure that the barrel wasn't canted by an incorrect amount of turning

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Old Judge, good to see you. I haven't seen you post in quite a while. Glad to see you back.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

"Turning the barrel is a better solution."
YES!! +1

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

"Turning the barrel is a better solution."
YES!! +1

+2

 

[bcgunworks]

Turning the barrel is the best way

 

[David Bradshaw]

The Ruger Peacemaker style sight is silver soldered in a little slot cut in the barrel. As recommended above, give Ruger service in Newport NH a call. A minute rotation of the barrel rather dramatically shifts Point of Impact at target.
David Bradshaw

 

[Tallbald]

Thank you all. Don

 

[Hondo44]

My first BisVaq was like that only worse. Out of the box it printed about 12" to the left at most SASS distances & targets.
I called Ruger.
I sent it back with a note requesting it be regulated to print to point of aim with a 240 grain bullet chronographed at 950 fps (IIRC) and it came back two weeks later on the Friday before a match.
I shot it the next day at the match and it was spot on.

The ONLY downside was that I had to pay for shipping to get it back TO Ruger.



I recommend sending it back.

Did you call them first? Always call and request a postage paid box be sent to you if they don't offer. They pay shipping both ways on those warranty type issues!

 

[arquebus357]

Can a laser beam bore sight cartridge be used to verify the front sight blade alignment ?

 

[DGW1949]

Can a laser beam bore sight cartridge be used to verify the front sight blade alignment ?

It would get you perty-close, but it won't make up for shooter or recoil induced variables.

As for sighting in a fixed-sight SA:
Starting from square-one, the first thing ya gotta do is take whatever steps is needed to insure that the front sight is 90-degrees plumb to the barrel.....AKA "straight up". After that (assumeing that the mill-cut for the rear sight is centered to the bore), any windage proplems will be shooter related.
Just in passing, you'll probably find that most fixed-sight SA's used with SAAMI-spec ammo will also need the front filed down a bit if you want the gun to shoot to POA. And bear in mind while sighting in that a 6-o'clock hold aint "to POA".

Hope this helped.

DGW

 

[Mtn Biker]

Turning the barrel is a better solution.

When I sent mine in that was what I assumed they would do. The repair order copy that came back with it did not specify what they actually did to regulate the sights. I can not see any evidence of anything looking different on the gun but it definitely shoots much better.
If I stare at it long enough I can convince myself the front sight blade looks different that I remember but it could be my imagination.

VL

 

[arquebus357]

Can a laser beam bore sight cartridge be used to verify the front sight blade alignment ?

It would get you perty-close, but it won't make up for shooter or recoil induced variables. DGW

How does Ruger make up for shooter or recoil induced variables when they repair the guns ? Do you send them paper targets and they adjust the front blade based on where your holes are ? What about the next person that owns the gun.

My particular Vaquero is dead on by the way and it's dead on using a laser beam 357 cartridge.

 

[DGW1949]

Can a laser beam bore sight cartridge be used to verify the front sight blade alignment ?

It would get you perty-close, but it won't make up for shooter or recoil induced variables. DGW

How does Ruger make up for shooter or recoil induced variables when they repair the guns ? Do you send them paper targets and they adjust the front blade based on where your holes are ? What about the next person that owns the gun.

My particular Vaquero is dead on by the way and it's dead on using a laser beam 357 cartridge.

I can't answer for Ruger on how they do what, but my gut say's that different guns require different fixes.
I get your point on "what about the next person?".....yep, it aint unusual that different shooters get different results from the same gun. Just the same though, my take on the matter remains that before we start-in learning a "new to me" gun, we first gotta insure that the gun is "right".

You results with your laser beam thingy indicates to me that you must know how to shoot....and that your gun aint recoiling much. Still though, if you go to switching loads around, it'll start hitting higher or lower. That's just simple physics.

DGW

 

[arquebus357]

No....I'm not really a "shooter". Retired with limited funds so I really can't afford to be a "shooter". To me, the laser is like any other version of bore sighting. You won't be able to get elevation accurately, but you can establish windage.

If your sight picture windage is not the same as the bore sight windage and you don't have an adjustable rear sight, the GUN has a problem.