The Ruger Bisley and the BFR .454 Casulls are about the best disguised 45 Colt revolvers out there without the reaming to open up the throats. They run a crisp .452/.453.
Most 45 Colt chambered Rugers are on the small side and need opened unless early model Blackhawks. Like 1970s.
45 Anacondas are .455.
45 Smith 25-5s are fat, sometimes .454 to .457
The last forty year 44 Rugers are pretty well standardized at .430/.431 but anything else gets iffy.
Smith 45 Colts from the 90s up are .452 that I've run across.
I've seen 44 Smiths from the 90s go .427 in throat diameter, so its best to buy and fix if needed.
Original Anacondas go .429.
I think poking an elk with either has been done more than a hundred times both ways, but to me handguns are about frontal area and the 45 Colt dumped an elk or a horse way before the term "magnum" entered firearm nomenclature, so I'd advise the 45 Colt....
FWIW both can be loaded with powders that aren't any nosier than a 200gr. 1200 fps. 10mm; none are fun without "ears" and throwing 400 rounds down range, nor are any going to blow your ear drums with two rounds...
Last edited by HawkI; 03/28/23.
