I always wanted to get one, but never did, and didn't have a chance to shoot one either. A buddy did have a very light bisley made with an aluminum bisley grip frame (don't know where he got it, a cylinder cut down to 45 colt lenbth, and a 4" barrel. It is a wonderful little packing gun, and very accurate.

I'd start at 7 gr of unique and work up under a ~250 gr swc. That'll start you at ~700 fps, and at 10 gr, you'll be near 1000 fps. I don't know that a 1000 fps load would be too enjoyable to shoot with the birdshead grip though.

A 250 gr bullet @ 700 fps is certainly enough for an ear or base of the skull shot.

Hello All,
After reading the articles on the Freedom Arms model 97, I thought about something to carry as a "back-up, finishing round". The Freedom Arms gun is a nice one, but WAY expensive. I found a Ruger Vaquero called the Sheriff's model. It has a 3 and 5/8 inch barrel. It's chambered in 45 Long Colt. I'm thinking of using the "cowboy action" load of 255 grain lead SWC. Anyone have experience with the gun or load? The gun has fixed sights so I won't be hunting with it as my primary weapon. Any thoughts or information would be appreciated.

Bob257

I've shot a couple of these revolvers and have been generally pleased with their performance. They are easy to pack and should do the job well for you.