[cast-n-blast]

My local gun shop recently had there Ruger Days Promotion. It's like a rite of passage for spring to me. After the easter baskets are put away and the last bit of chocolate is finished from Mr. Rabbit, time to go shop for a new gun.

I've been wanting a SBH Hunter for years, but never got around one. But when this years Ruger catalog came out(rite of passage for post Holiday blues), I was quite excited to see the re-introduction of the SBH Hunter. So needless to say, one was placed on order.

Just received word that the SBH Hunter came in. Unfortunately, I have to waite 9 days for the usual background check in merry old Maryland to pick it up.

I'm anxious to try some new loads in the gun. I've just cast some 265 gr. FN GC bullets from a saeco mold I recently purchased. With a healthy dose of H110, I'll be set to blast away. Keep you boys posted.

Now, if Ruger would just make the SBH Hunter in .45 colt, I would be an extremely happy man.

                                      Jeff

 

[Cliff_Matt]

Sounds Great! Good to see other guys in Maryland.
I beat the "cabin fever" this year too and got a new Bisley .45 and love it!

I am looking for a local place to pick up reloading stuff and can't find anyplace that I really like. Any ideas?

New at handgun hunting but looking for hogs and wonder if there are any local??

You can contact me here or at [email protected]

Appreciate any feedback.  Have replaced the base pin (Bell Mountain), hammer spring (Wilson 19#) and sight ("One Ragged Hole") and am loading some 335 gr LBTs as soon as I pick up some more H110.
I Love it!
Stoked!!

 

[Marshall Stanton]

Jeff,

You lucky dog you!  That SBH Hunter is one fine gun! Had one before building a house in the country, kids, private schools, etc.... it went away with a lot of other toys.... was THE most accurate factory revolver I've ever owned!

It did require lapping to get 0.003" constriction out of the barrel shank/forcing cone area of the barrel, but after that, would shoot under 2" at 100 yards with proper trigger control and good proven loads.  It wasn't finicky about what loads it was fed, and thrived on the heavier bullets with H110/W296.

One of the new production models is on my wish-list once again.  Heavy yes, but what a treat in a treestand!  Always took the scope off and put it in the fanny pack while traipsing through the woods, but once set on a stand, the scope would come out of the pack, back onto the revolver, (always back to zero too I might add) and was a surgically precise piece of hunting equipment!

Let us know how yours performs!

God Bless,

Marshall

 

[cast-n-blast]

Cliff,
    Howdy, neighbor ! Also nice to see a local boy on the site. As to local re-loading shops, try the GUNSHACK, on main st., downtown Mt. Airy. Good supply of powders, primers, brass. etc. Ya' might also try 3R gunshop. These are the guys who do the gun route circuit, and they specialize in , yes, RUGERS. They also sell powder and primers for around $15.00 per pound/ 1000. 3R also has hrs. at Liberty safes, in downtown Frederick on Weds. evenings and Sat. mornings. Liberty safes are located at 73110 Grove Rd. 240-529-4936. Contact 3R at this number, tell them what you want and they'll have it down from their Pa. location in a few days . Also check out mail order places such as Mid-south shooter supply and Midway which are both on the sites links.

Congrats on your .45 Bisley. I liked mine so much I bought a spare, to keep the first company. Coincidentaly, I also shoot the 335 LFN over H110 as my heavy load. 1" groups at 25 yards, if I do my part(sandbagged) of course .


As to Hogs in Md., the only ones I'm familiar with are either in farmer Brown's pigpen or the local Harley Davidson dealership.

Hope I've helped you out !

                                         Jeff

 

[cast-n-blast]

Marshall,
          Great idea on carrying gun w/o scope to stand. Saves me from having to buy another holster. Not that I was real fond of the over-sized holsters for scoped handguns any way. Plus, who needs a scope, if you jump a buck up  on the way to your stand.

As you know from our previous conversations, I'm starting to accumulate a few molds. I have a healthy supply of 335 gr LFNDCGC cast for the triple 4(which incidentally, your resposible for) and my other .44 mags.

Many thanks for such a wonder site !!! It's such a pleasure  to converse with you and others about guns, reloading, experiances, and just good clean razing.

Please post something for the web-site contributions. My checkbook is ready to give.

                        Jeff

 

[Cliff_Matt]

Thanks for the info Jeff!  Can't wait to try the 335 LBT LFn's on something OTHER than Farmer Brown's stock or the Harley boys! Thanks again for the info. Enjoy the new SBH Hunter!
Cliff

 

[HandgunHunter!]

You'll love it. I've had one for about 4 months and it has gone with me to the range every time since it got it.  I actually like mine so much I bought a 2nd one when it became available.  I'm shooting 22 grains of 2400 with a Hornady 200 XTP and I've also tried the Garrett 310 Hammerheads.  Both shoot great and the Hammerheads will be going in the bag when I go to Africa in July on a handgun hunt.

 

[cast-n-blast]

HandgunHunter!,
                     Greetings Bwana, If you happen to need a gun bearer to help lug those 2 SBH Hunters, I will gladly volunteer my services <!--emo&--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo--> Heck, I'll even bring my SBH Hunter to back you up with!

I'm very enviable of you for your African safari. Be sure to let us know how you make out and how the SBF Hunter performed with your chosen load. Good luck !

                       Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

I'm going by myself as of right now.  It's a plains game hunt in South Africa and if you're interested in going I can send you some info.

 

[cast-n-blast]

HandgunHunter!,
                     Thanks for the invite, but unfortunately time and money are factors in which there just isn't enough of either.

That's a heck of a nice buck posted on your profile! When and where was he taken, and what caliber contender was used ?

                            Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

Jeff, I killed that buck in '86 in Loudoun Co. VA he scored BC 161+ net.  There was a small area at the time that held some huge bucks, and that wasn't even the "big one".  I saw the big guy twice and he was probably somewhere around 25" wide and 10-12" G2's. Sadly it's now been paved over with houses & mickyD's.  I was using a 7mm International Rimmed (30-30 necked down) with Hornady 120 gr. Spire HP's.  I'm now using a 309 JDJ as my main deer gun.  You can check out some of the other big bucks I've taken in VA at http://www.handgunhunt.com/images/index.html

Have a good one.
Gary

 

[cast-n-blast]

HandgunHunter!(Gary),
                             LOUDON CO, VA !, shoot, that's just the other side of the potomac river from me. I'm in Poolesville, Md., small world. Are you still in the area ?

I checked out your web site, interesting stuff.

                             Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

Hey Jeff did ya get it yet?

 

[cast-n-blast]

To All Interested,
                      Picked up the SBH Hunter today! I put a 2X Leupold scope on her and a 30 oz. wolff reduced power trigger spring. I also polished the main hammer spring strut and all contacting moving parts. She slicked up nicely ! Going to have to replace the cylinder pin w/ a Belt Mountain pin, probably the Keith #5 style, to tighten up cylinder play.

Will take her out for her maiden voyage this week-end if time and weather(and Honey Do list) permitt. Have some LBT 330 gr. LFNDCGC that I cast and loaded up over some H110. Will see how she does prior to lapping.

Will let you know how she does. My fingers are crossed.

                        Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

Cool!   I ordered 2 Belt Mounatin pins yesterday myself but I haven't done any other work on  them yet.  i'm  a little leery of the wolf spring.  I don't want any misfires when I'm hunting.  Who else has used them extensively without a misfire?

 

[cast-n-blast]

Gary(HandgunHunter&#33<!--emo&--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->),
                             By mis-fires, are you talking accidental discharges, or gun going off by malfunction ? I've replaced all my Rugers with Wolff trigger springs, with no ill effects. Perhaps your worried about lite hammer blows ? The trigger spring has nothing to do with that. I leave the hammer spring alone. Of course, this is with single actions.

                                      Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

No, I would be worried that the gun wouldn't fire when it was supposed to.  The spring that causes the hammer to fall is the same one that affects the trigger weight and putting a reduced weight spring in to lighten the trigger will often fail to have enough strength to ignite the primer every time.  
Don't know what Wolff says but some aftermarket spring manuf. specifically state they don't recommend the mod for hunting or self defense guns.

 

[cast-n-blast]

ooops!! Disreguard, computer boo-boo.See below.

 

[cast-n-blast]

HandgunHunter!,
                    On Ruger single action pistols, the hammer spring is responsible for hammer strike force. The trigger spring is only resposible for the force necessary to pull trigger to release the sear. That is why I ONLY replace the trigger spring for a lighter release. I have never had a misfire due to lite hammer blow. I have the same fears as you of letting Mr. Big Buck get away due to misfire. Again, the trigger spring has nothing to do with hammer blow on Ruger single actions. Now on Ruger Redhawks, this is a different story, as the hammer and trigger spring are one in the same. The Super Redhawk,  improved on this,  and has separate springs for both functions. Too bad, because I hate the Super Redhawk compared to my .44 and .45 Redhawks. That's why I live with the heavier trigger pulls on these fine guns.

I finally had a chance to go to the range today and shoot the gun in question for this thread. The old gal did O.K. With 330 gr. LBT LFNDCGC homecast bullets over H110, chronograghed at just under 1300 fps. My first 12 shots made a one hole group of 1.2" vertical by .85" horizontal, at 25 yds. Point of impact was 1/2" right of the bullseye.  Needless to say, I was a  pretty happy camper. I think I could improve group size some more if I rested the barrel on the sandbag instead of  just my hands.

Am anxious to see how she does at 50 and 100 yds. I didn't have time for that today. Just wanted to get her on paper. I am very encouraged and can't waite to wring her out some more.

Let you know when that happens.  

                      Jeff

 

[HandgunHunter&#33;]

Jeff, you're absolutely right.  Don't know why my brain wasn't engaged when I wrote that one.