.357, or ,45?

[Judge Jake McCord]

How many pards prefer the Blackhawk or Vaquero in .357; how many in .45; and why?

Judge Jake

[Danny Bear Claw]

I own 4 Vaqueros.  A matched pair in SS with 7.5 inch barrels, a Vaquero Bisley blued with 5.5 inch barrel and a Birds Head Vaquero with 3.75 inch barrel.  All are 45s.  Big guns should shoot big bullets.

The 38 special was not invented until 1899 and the 357 magnum not until 1935 which means they ain't "old west" cartridges.

OK... let the flames begin!   

[Cyrille]

I like mine in .45 caliber. Why?
 cause that was the first Vaquero I owned. Now I have 5 .45s LC 1 .45 acp and two rifles in .45 LC caliber.
'sides haveing to only  reload one caliber cuts down on mistakes, and makes loading simpler and I ain't nutthin if I ain't simple.

[Advertising]

[Three Legged Pete]

Have two, a standard Vaquero wearing a 4 3/4 inch barrel and a New Vaquero wearing a 5 1/2 incher.  Both blue with case hardened frames.  Both are in .45, basically for the same reasons stated by Danny Bear Claw.  My persona is an 1880's cowboy and .45 seems more accurate for the persona than .38 or .357.  Also have two rifles, a '66 and a '73, both also chambered in .45.  I know thats not really accurate historically, but it is sure is convenient to only have to pack one kind of ammo.

[Judge Jake McCord]

I'm with you .45 pards. I'm sure I could shoot much better using .38's in a .357 than using a .45, but the name of this game should be fun and authenticity, not competition. Besides, the more you handle the big guns the better you get with them, and the big guns are what you want if you ever have to use one for self-defense.

Judge Jake

[Adirondack Jack]

Ilike my .45s.  I can run anything from 1300 fps 300s when I need to knock a hole end to end through a heffalump, all the way down to 200s at a hair over 600 in "curious little cartridges" that fit my .45s jest fine.  The little .45s will run with the .38s in competition, and yet the next day, if I want, I can load up the monster .300 grain "Ruger Only" loads in the same gun.  Gotta love that kinda versatility.

I like the big hole a .45 makes, the lower bore pressures of the bigger pipe for a given amount of "swat", and oh, I dunno, I jest like big fat bullets

[L.G.]

  My 2 Bisley Vaqueros are .45's, same as my Schofields, my '92, and my Thunderbolt.  When I got into this game, I sold my beloved Redhawk and went with the .45's.  Warthog forever!

[Silver Creek Slim]

My better-half has a brace of blued and CC Bisley Vaqueros in .45 Colt. I have a brace of SS Bisley Vaqueros in .45 Colt.

Slim

[Tuco Forsyth]

.44's

[Mustang Gregg]

Actually neither caliber.   
I gotta agree with Wolf Creek Wilie.  We only shoot .44's (older Vaqs & BV's).
And we also have a bunch of M-92's & Marlin M-1894's in .44.

MG, CJ, WW, CG, TST, RTS.

[fourfingersofdeath]

thirty what? Are we talking about one of them new fangled smokyliss riffles or something? Small calibres are ok for belly guns, but you gotta stick it in his ear to be sure of it!  Mick.

[Will Dearborn]

I'll jump in.  My Vaqueros are .357.  I don't reload yet.   I'm still getting the guns I need to compete.  I just dumped a .45 auto to get the Vaqueros.  I'm hoping it'll cost less to feed these than the .45 Auto.  I shoot about 3-4 times a week for several hours.  I'll take a little smaller score on the "cool factor" for now and get my shooting a little cheaper.  (And even if it's NOT cheaper... don't burst my bubble.  A man needs his illusions.  It's what keeps us from going off the deep end, some days.  *snicker* )  When I DO hang the Vaqs up for a while in the next year or so...  I hope to go to RUger Old Armys with a .45 conversion cylinder.  But bear with me.  I'm new and poor. 

Further, when I go to ROAs, my wife will probably take over the Rugers.  The girl is sorta shortarmed.  The .357s (loaded with .38s, most likely) will be perfect for her.

[Deadeye Don]

I have a New Blackhawk in 45 colt and an extra cylinder in 45 ACP.
It is one of 2 of my non NCOWS legal revolvers.   I keep the 45 colt cylinder in loaded with silvertip hollow points for home defense.   There is nothing quite like 45 caliber in a single action!!!     Safe shooting.  Deadeye.

[greenwood county cowboy]

.45 colt.........cause its cowboy

[Trailrider]

.44's

Yup!  Either .44-40 or .44 Extra Long Russian (aka .44 Mangle-em)! Unfortunately, Ruger has chambered the New Vaqueros in NEITHER!     If they do, or at least in .44 Special, I will be tempted.  Otherwise, I will stick with my OM Vaqueros in .44 cal.

[22lr]

Yup!  Either .44-40 or .44 Extra Long Russian (aka .44 Mangle-em)! Unfortunately, Ruger has chambered the New Vaqueros in NEITHER!     If they do, or at least in .44 Special, I will be tempted.  Otherwise, I will stick with my OM Vaqueros in .44 cal.

If they do... I'll order 4, two blue, two stainless.  (Call me indecisive.)   

[Modoc]

    Less see.............

Sierra Packer has a brace of orriginal flat-tops in 357, there's one 357 OM Vaquero, One 357 3 screw black hawk, and a pair of 44 Mangle-em OM Vaqeros which are mine.  I am in the process of liquidating to get a brace of NM 357 Vaqueros and one more OM 357 .  Primarily to simplify away shoots , besides Kurt N. Kleimer is going to need a pair in the "near" future

[Billy Boles]

.45 colt.........cause its cowboy

yep

[Will Blastem]

I couldn't make up my mind so I got 2 of each. I love my .357/38's...I love my 45LC's ...jes wisht I had 4 hands

[Captain Lee Bishop]

It never occured to get them in any other caliber than .45. I have two SS NVs in that massive caliber. I have a fetish for all things .45 I guess, as I love ACP as well, love 1911s, tommy guns, grease guns, you name it.
So when I got into CAS, I knew there was a .38/357 option, but it never crossed my mind to look into it. I have never regretted the decision, especially when I loooked into CAS factory loads for each caliber and found out you really don't save much by going to .38 anyway.