I spotted this revolver in the used handguns case at my local sporting goods store.
I know, I am weak and couldn't resist.
I inspected the mechanical items on the revolver several days ago.
I did some homework for a day and much to my surprise, it was not a standard production model.
It is used, but I would be surprised if it had fifty rounds fired through it.

According to the Ruger website serial number lookup, it was shipped from the Ruger Factory in 2024.
The serial number lookup also gave me an official Ruger model number, which appeared on the TALO Distributors website.
The factory case/box and all the original documentation was included.

This Ruger/TALO model has three items not usually seen on regular production Ruger Vaquero's or Ruger New Vaquero's.
1.) High Gloss polished stainless steel finish.
2.) High polish Super Blackhawk hammer factory installed.
3.) Black linen micarta grips.

Even though the roll stamp on the left side of the frame says Ruger New Vaquero, this variant is the large frame size and chambered in .44 Remington Magnum.
Most Ruger New Vaquero's use the smaller frame, as the regular/smaller New Vaquero frame is the size of a Colt Single Action Army revolver.
The Cowboy Action Shooters demanded the Colt SAA sized New Vaquero frame for their .38 Special mouse fart loads.

If it shoots as good as it looks, I will be a happy guy!
It is a difficult revolver for taking photographs, it has more shine than a Cadillac chrome bumper!
I am looking around for a suitable "BBQ" holster for the "BBQ" revolver.

Talo_Vaquero by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260114_174512114 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260114_174628264 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Cool! Hold on tight!

I am planning on feeding it my standard .44 Magnum reload.
200 grain Hornady XTP with a max charge of Hodgdon CFE Pistol Powder.
Think load intensity of a warm .44 Special factory load.
It's well below "hot rod" H110, WW 296, and 2400 performance.
It will be fun shooting it with my reload.

Good idea.

Cee_Kamp,

Is it just me or is the front sight further back than normal? Is that a design feature or something practical I’m not aware of?

Very nice looking revolver. I have always liked that design and that one is sharp.

Beautiful, I sold a Ruger 44 Mag Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter a few years back, it was a great shooter.

Great looking gun, should have just stuffed it back in the safe...

Ruger Super Blackhawk

Otto,
To me, the TALO Vaquero looks just like the stock photos on the Ruger website.
Here are a few more. Slight photo skew angle perhaps?

PXL_20260114_174655154 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260114_174530283 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260114_174715008 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

HRK, You should have kept that Ruger!

Not only unique and interesting, but beautiful, too. Nice score!

Over on another Forum slightly more "geared" towards Single Action Revolvers and Western "style" accessories, I placed a WTB ad for a BBQ holster for the Vaquero
I would greatly prefer to buy something gently used.
I am at a point in my life where I just refuse to deal with custom leather wait times whenever possible.
I'm also not likely to be doing any cattle drives or shootouts at the OK Corral.
Maybe several times a year for BBQ events at the recreational property/cabin.

A Member over on that Forum has a fancy floral carved holster, along with a matching cartridge loops/holster belt. You know the "look" as it is on every Western type TV show and movie.
It isn't made by one of the famous makers, but it IS a damn fine looking Western rig.
The guy mailed it to me if I paid the postage. He also mailed it and provided a tracking number before I even got my check written and mailed.

If the soon to arrive snow apocalypse doesn't destroy the expected delivery tomorrow, I may be able to get some photos posted.
Western rigs made by the "famous" makers can easily reach $1000 and more. The "off" brands are still worth hundreds.
Single Action Revolver holsters are really more like buckets, they are rarely form fitting like a nicely made IWB concealed carry holster for a semi-automatic pistol.
The guy did me a serious favor!

My son & I had a range trip planned for Monday, but with the snow apocalypse coming, we figured the roads and the Gun Club driveway would be a problem with two feet of fresh snow.
So we went to the range this afternoon. The 50 foot, 12 shooting stations, heated/ventilated indoor range was a perfect place for trying out the Vaquero revolver.
It was 4 degrees Fahrenheit outside, my fingers were becoming numb just thinking about shooting on the outdoors pistol range.

The Vaquero was a handful shooting it with my deer hunting reload. I'm using .44 Magnum brass, a 200 grain Hornady XTP projectile, and a maximum charge of Hodgdon CFE pistol powder.
The online Hornady reloading data says the velocity is 1343 FPS. This gives a USPSA Power Factor of 268.6 which is still impressive for a somewhat reduced .44 Magnum load.
Obviously, when trying to wring out maximum performance from the .44 Magnum, H110, W296, and 2400 will give you the highest velocity if you are trying to do that.
My goal with the above reload was to have a .44 Magnum load usable for whitetail deer hunting and have a more pleasant shooting experience.

The Vaquero performed perfectly. It even shoots reasonably close to the point of aim. But it still is a handful and you better be hanging on tightly!
The profile of the Vaquero barrel is much more slender compared to a Ruger Super Blackhawk barrel. Without the extra forward barrel weight, my deer hunting reload was still quite snappy.
I will need to come up with another reload for usage as a more generalized range use type. Berry's Bullets sells a copper plated swaged lead 220 grain FPRN projectile and it looks promising.
That projectile, along with the published starting load of Hodgdon CFE pistol powder has an advertised velocity of 904 FPS. That should be much more fun for casual range usage/plinking.
This Berry's Bullet reload will have a USPSA Power Factor of 198.88, so a significant Power Factor reduction which translates into softer recoil.

I am exceedingly pleased with the new-to-me Vaquero. It is a very nice revolver.

The fancy BBQ holster/cartridge belt rig arrived in the mail today. The Vaquero fits the holster perfectly. I tried the cartridge belt rig on over blue jeans and a pants belt, it also fits perfectly.
I agree, the "look" is a bit over the top, but for summer BBQ events at the recreational property/cabin, it's absolutely perfect! Oh, and my Girlfriend laughed at me when I sent her a photo.
It isn't brand new, there are some scuffs in the leather dye in places, the buckles need some Flitz polish, but for $22.95 for getting it shipped here, I certainly am not complaining.

PXL_20260125_020913003 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_020924905 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_020931995 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_020955385 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_021002490 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_021113939 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20260125_021052241 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Very nice, that thing will haul that Vaquero around in style!

Yeh, I'll bet that .44 deer load will put a wallop on them (and your wrists, lol). Considering how many deer I've put down with 124gr 9mm, a 200gr XTP at 1300+ would probably kill them twice lol. I had my Blackhawk in .45 Colt out the other day and forgot how much that plow handle grip moves around in your hand under recoil. I know it's designed to do that, but it takes getting used to as I don't shoot it much and it's the exact opposite of what I'm trying to do with a DA revolver of semi-auto. Having to re-establish my grip for every shot makes consistency difficult, but it kinda comes with the territory anyway when you have to manually re-cock the gun for every shot.

My go-to .44 load for plinking is a 200gr cast over 10gr of Unique. That gives me right around 1100fps out of the handguns (almost 1500 out of the rifle!), and is enough that you still feel it but it doesn't beat you up.

^^^
My oldest son is about your age.
He's a relatively new pistol shooter, recently acquired a Springfield Armory Prodigy and a SIG P211.
Mostly 9mm and .380 and .22 rimfire in his beginners collection.
I told him to try the Vaquero yesterday, but make sure he was finished shooting his stuff first.
He loaded six rounds in the Vaquero, shot one, and stood there for 30 seconds or so trying to decide if he wanted to shoot the remaining five.
He did shoot the six in the cylinder, but commented when he was shucking out the empty cases, that six rounds was enough for his lifetime.

quote:

Originally posted by cee_Kamp:

He's a relatively new pistol shooter, recently acquired a Springfield Armory Prodigy and a SIG P211.

...


He did shoot the six in the cylinder, but commented when he was shucking out the empty cases, that six rounds was enough for his lifetime.

Well, for a new shooter he's certainly developed a taste for the good stuff! But a 9mm 2011 is pretty much the polar opposite of that hand cannon!


Lol, one of these days I'll bet he changes his mind. I don't enjoy beating myself up every time I go to the range, but every now and then it's fun, plus there are certain shooting tasks that 9mm just won't accomplish. It's nice to have a couple of big bore handguns on tap for when you need them.

He's looking into acquiring a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter model in .44 Magnum for handgun deer hunting on the property.
But those have the longer heavy top rib barrel with scope ring attachment cuts directly into the barrel rib, huge scope and rings, and they really are quite mild shooting even
with some fairly hot factory ammo simply due to the massive weight.

He would also like something for across the chest holstered as a companion piece to a centerfire bolt action rifle.
He borrowed my Ruger Blackhawk 6.5" bbl (Lipsey's 10mm) for his handgun while he carried his rifle this past deer season.
He was a bit unhappy that I wanted it back.

Yeah, everyone has different perceived "needs" and will select different handguns for what they believe is the "right" configuration for them.
I just try and make suggestions so he won't make expensive purchasing errors.

And you are absolutely correct, sometimes a big bore revolver IS the correct tool for the task!

Sorry if I missed it, at work. Is that holster an eBay find Cee_Kamp?

Short version... Posted a WTB ad on another Forum for a BBQ holster or complete rig.
A generous Member offered it for the cost of shipping. I accepted the deal and mailed him a check for $25.
The makers stamp isn't what I expected, it's Made in El Paso, Texas. I was expecting Made in Mexico.
It isn't made by the famous El Paso Saddlery.
But I am not complaining!

quote:

Originally posted by cee_Kamp:
He was a bit unhappy that I wanted it back.

I have a couple of guns that my son feels that way about. I told him he he has to wait until I'm dead, lol.

I am always in the hunt for nice used custom leather holsters for handguns that I own.
First, no waiting!
Second, good pricing.

Over on another Forum, I spotted a nice used Texas Jack "Sweetwater" holster. El Paso Saddlery is the maker.
It's much more usable for regular pants/gun belt carry when out in the woods, vs the combined gun belt with cartridge loops and a drop holster for fancy Barbecue Events.

Before purchasing, I messaged the seller and asked them if they had a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag with 4-5/8" barrel and a Ruger Vaquero large frame with 5.5" barrel.
The seller responded with photos of the holster and both of the above mentioned revolvers in the holster. No surprises about fitment!

It will be several weeks for my mailed paper check to cross the USA, the check to clear at the bank, and then the holster shipping back across the USA.
Two weeks of waiting vs two years waiting for a new holster to be built?
I can live with that!

Edit: I removed the sellers low resolution holster photos from this post and added one photo from earlier today after the new-to-me holster arrived in the mail.
I tried all of my 4-5/8" and 5-1/2" barrel length Ruger single action revolvers in it this afternoon. All fit nicely!

PXL_20260227_180312293 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cee_Kamp,

Holster arrived today!