It's really a personal choice, the 480 recoil doesn't come at you nearly as fast as the 454. You can shoot a big, heavy bullet in the 480 at a more modest velocity & still kill anything in North America & also shoot it quite often without the punishment. But, again, you have to make that choice if you want to gear up for another caliber. I've had both & the 454 didn't stay around very long, I've taken moose & elk with the 480 & friends have borrowed it to take their moose elk & bison, all one shot kills with big, heavy bullets in the 1000-1100 fps range, and it's pretty easy to handle at those speeds. But, again you'll have to decide if you want to gear up for another caliber. Good luck, either way you go.
Dick
