IMO the 480 Ruger is the best handling big revolver cartridge around. Loaded to 48Kpsi it is a pussycat compared to dealing with the Casull or Linebaugh and kills every bit as well. A 410 grain HC at 1,250 fps is the ticket. I remember a user stating it was the 416 Rigby of handguns. Low pressure, big punch. Certainly well above the 44 Mag in big game revolver ability.
That was the outcome I expected but not the one I got. I have owned Ruger Bisleys in .454 and .480. I bought the .454 several years ago and, though I've done a bit of handloading for it, mostly shoot the full power Hornady 300 grain factory load which lists around 1625 fps. It is decidedly a handful. I thought the reputed recoil reduction of the .480 sounded attractive so I bought one. With Hornady 325 grain factory ammo and similar handloads, I found the recoil to be worse, not better, than the .454, so after a couple of months I punted the .480 and kept the .454 .. absolutely NOT what I intended going in.
For now I am sticking with near max loads in the .454 with jacketed 300 grain bullets but when I run out of the heavily jacketed Hornady "mag" 300 and Speer gold dot hollow point, I'm going to back the loads down midway between "Ruger only" .45 colt loads and .454 loads and use bullets of a slightly lighter construction.
Tom
