Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Need help: 44 Mag vs 454 Casull vs 480 Ruger

Allen,
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<br>When I get back home from Saudi in a couple weeks I'll take a look and see what's out there. I have decided to buy a progressive press so I can load lots of 223 ammo for Highpower. This has the added benefit of easing my handloading concerns for a handgun. I have a lot of shooting and loading to do, and if the progressive works well enough, it will be a big timesaver--after I find the loads using my single-stage Ammomaster.
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<br>Have you shot any critters or know or read of anyone that has with the 480?
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<br>Blaine

Blaine,
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<br>I can't add much to the conversation other then all the 480 owners I know are extremely happy with the gun.
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<br>I've only taken two spruce hens so far, no real test of its capablilities! The load was very light, 310 gr LFN @ 700 fps, yet it left a 2" exit wound. That same bullet can be easily driven 1500 fps, and would be devistating on game 500#'s and under. Despite being able to drive the ligth bullet that fast, I prefer 1000 fps, it has mild recoil, is enough for smaller large game, and the accuracy rivals that of many over the counter rifles.
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<br>My second favorite load is a 390-400 gr cast @ 1200 fps. I would put that up against any large animal I'd be willing to take on with a revolver. It is not the most powerful load in the round, but, it is accurate, and most important shootable. Kinda like comparing a 416 rem mag to a 416 Weatherby. I don't think you see a signifigant increase in terminal performance, but at the shoulder, recoil is greatly enhanced.
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<br>480, powerful, accurate, and most important shootable. Those that don't shoot one can't see how it is so good. Those that do, can't imagine using anything else.

I was nosing around on Hodgdon's website. They show the following load: 370 grain LFP, 26 grains of Lil 'Gun, 1539 fps. Can a 454 Casull can push a 370 grain bullet that fast in a 7.5" barrel? This load changes my perception of the 480 Ruger. That load would be sunstantially more powerful than a 44 Mag, and at least the equal of a 454, if not surpassing it. I wonder how it recoils?
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<br>Cast Bullet Performance does make a good selection of hard cast .475 caliber bullets. Maybe this thing will catch on. On the other hand, I'll bet I can find a barely used Super Redhawk 454 for a good price............
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<br>I guess I'll sort all this out when I get home from the desert in two weeks.
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<br>Blaine

"370 grain LFP, 26 grains of Lil 'Gun, 1539 fps. I wonder how it recoils?"
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<br>Blaine, there would be no doubt in your mind that it went off ;-)
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<br>While the 480 can be loaded to impressive levels of power, I'd recomend sticking to something along the lines of a 400 gr over 21-22 gr H110 for 1200 fps. This is a very shootable load, and I doubt many critters would be able to keep that bullet from exiting. Increasing the velocity would only flatten the trajectory, but if you're handgun hunting, it's about getting in close.
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<br>I have a feeling that a 370 gr @ 1500 fps would be fairly unpleasant to shoot. Still, I've been wanting to try Lil gun with my 460's. The fastest I pushed them with H 110 was 1150 fps, but extraction was sticky, so I backed off to 1050 fps. I think Lil gun will allow 1200 fps, not that I need that, but, you know, in the interest of science.

Paul,
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<br>It's just nice to know the 480 can be loaded up to those velocities. In my mind, a 475 cal bullet at 1500 fps has way more killing power than a 454 360 caliber bullet at 1600 fps.
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<br>Blaine

I wholeheartedly concur! That said, from what I've heard, the 480 is also a hammer at milder velocities. I talked to a guy from Virginia who was using a 435 gr cast, at I'd guess 1100 fps, and he said the two does I took just dropped at the shot. He also took two groundhogs, one an interesting shot, through a small tree.

I'll take FA's new .500 Wyoming Express over them all. (Since I already have a tackdriving 10" .44 Ruger Flattop ) ;-)

Dennis