The BisHunter project is complete! …well…. sort of…. these things never really end do they! Anyway, It started out looking like this. I've never embarked on this kind of thing before. This is a learning process, and a fun one at that! I figure I'm still a beginner when comes to handguns, bullet casting and have only be reloading about 3 years. Never have hunted with one but that's about to change. Anyway….

Ruger 45 Colt Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter, Weaver 2x28, custom LBT mould that drops a 350gr WFN Hammer with WW Lead, panned lubed with homemade boolit lube made from Beeswax I rendered myself and mixed up with some other stuff. The throats were tight so I got a reamer and reamed them myself ( a first for me, a little nerve racking, this is one of only 279 of these guns made) that tightened up the groups. This is more fun than tying your own flies from birds you shot!



I had worked up the load and after the throat ream shot the group on the left a couple weeks ago. Today I set out to dial in the scope at 50yds. It was windy and my plywood target stand was moving slightly now and then but here's how it ended up. 6 shots 5 holes…whaaa??? a bishunter robinhood?? Yup, one hole actually is not quite perfectly round, shots 2&3. I don't know if I can shoot any better than this even if the gun can. I'm calling this a successful project.



I then shot 12 rounds in different shooting positions- sitting with no backrest with elbows on knees, a couple laying on my side and a some sitting with a backrest with elbows on knees. I hit the paper with all but 1 and half of them! I think those were the ones I shot laying on my side. I've got a good start. Now it's time to practice shooting from different field positions and figure out what my max range will be for a solid kill shot. I'm thinking 50-75yds max. Otherwise I may as well hunt with a rifle. But, what if that big bull just won't come in and he's at 100yds and I have a rest??…. :rolleyes: I also need to pull the scope off and do some shooting now that I know how the load shoots.




I'm pretty satisfied so far. The gun with this load is accurate, at least accurate enough for hunting and should pack one heck of a wallop. I'm slinging .452 355gr of WFN that's practically a wadcutter at 1197fps, 12 shot avg. Most important I think is that I feel very confident with it in that I could take it hunting tomorrow and not hesitate to shoot bear or moose with it out to 50+ yds. It might not impress the match target guys or those who shoot beer cans at 100yds but, it should do the job on critters. Hopefully I'll get to try it out on a blackie in a couple months.

Congratulations on a job well done. All it takes now is practice, practice and more practice. Best of luck...rawhidekid

It's coming along nicely!!!

If you don't mind, what number Ruger rings are those? I have a set of #3's to trade back to Ruger and am trying to decide what height I need for the same rig in .44.

Thanks,

Rick

Nice results!

Great job! All of the "work" that goes into the gun before the 1st shot is fired is just as much fun as sending a few down range.

On a side note, how do you like the 2x Weaver scope?

Snyd,

Care to elaborate how hard it was to do the reaming? I have 2 45's (one is a regular SBH Hunter) that will need the work. I figured it might be worth it to do it myself. Any post or articles you used as a guide?

And oh yeah, nice work. She's a beauty.

Very nice setup!

Looking great Snyd!!!
Won't be long till the bears will be poking their noses out...

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Yup, time to practice!

RickL- I'll have to see if there is a number on the rings but they are the standard ones that came with the gun as far as I know.

az_shooter- This is my first experience with a scoped handgun but so far I really like the scope. It is Japanese glass, excellent clarity, gathers light well, plenty of eye relief and the price was right. Got it somewhere online new for 150 bucks. Weaver says they designed it for 1000's of rounds 454 Casull recoil. It was the only 28mm 2x scope I could find. I did not want 4x or a variable. The larger exit pupil of the 28mm makes a larger "sweet spot" than a 20mm objective. Very easy to find the target and crosshairs. I think it fits the SBH Hunter perfectly.

zach0419- Reaming throats is a piece of cake with the proper reamer. I'd never done it. I got in on this deal over at rugerforums. Read the thread for info.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=77270&highlight=reamer

Guys are buying the reamer, doing their throats and selling it to the next guy in line. It ends up costing you like 5 bucks for shipping. I used it and sold it to another guy here in Alaska and it's back in the lower 48 now. Get on the list and go for it. I guess one reamer can do over 100 cylinders pretty easily before it starts to get dull.

Vance- ya, won't be long for blackies. I've been meaning to answer your pm at AOD but haven't gotten to it. I'm headed to Missoula in April. I'll be back the end of the month and will get going on the bait station.

No worries on the pm...
Life has been crazy here too. GOTTA get some amo loaded for both the 480 SRH & my 450 Guide Gun before the bears come out. Just helped my 16yr old daughter buy a beater Escort for a 1st cat & need to get that going for her, looking forward to proapecting season (my other passion that competes with hunting), spring honey-do list on my father-in-laws house that we are kind of inheriting that has had NO maintainance in years...
Spring is a busy time...
Have a great trip!