NEW TOY TO PLAY WITH

[gunoil]

got the itch to get a new cal fore a tc encore hand gun...  was looking at the 445 s.m. cannot find any thing about it...  any ideas .. i' got  a 44 mag, 30-30 win, 209 50 smoke pole.. and a 454 casull...  i' am open to  new ideas.. any other good calbers that come to mind??  was looking fore a strait  wall pistol calber...   thanks  michael :lol:  :lol:

[WildcatTC]

How about a 375 JDJ?

[sgtt]

I am going to look seriously at the 50 S & W.  Probably 12".

[EdK]

Yes, I have one of these. I think it is the best combination of straight wall case and max power in the Contender. Mine is a 12" SS custom barrel and it really shoots great. I pretty much stick with the heavier slugs - my favorite being the 300gr XTP. It can be used to reach 2000fps with 240s or exceed with 200s but I like those 300s in the 1500-1600fps window.

The recoil is stiff but I have a full bull barrel profile and scope, 3 rings and steel base to tame it a bit -  I just hate brakes.

With all of that said in an Encore I'd also consider the 454

[mtnman1]

I've got a contender with a custom 12" 445SM Muzzle Tamer barrel that I love. Never had any problems with the brake and this thing doesn't have anymore recoil than a 357. I think there are a lot of people that somehow think there's something wrong with shooting a braked gun, but I've shot my share of the big calibers without and I'd just as soon not endure recoil unnecessarily. Mine is a custom rechambered 44 Mag barrel which was crowned and lapped, and is unbelievably accurate. I wish I was capable of shooting up to this gun's potential.

The 445 shoots great out to easily 200 yds. It's an excellent round. Dan Wesson still sells a revolver in this caliber and used to publish extensive load data for it. They've revamped their website and no longer seem to have the loading data available online. I have some of their info somewhere that I can supply if you decide to go with the 445SM. I don't think you'll be sorry. I've also gotten loaded ammo from Conley Precision that is of excellent quality, which was almost as reasonable as hand loads. I started with their loads and acquired brass that way. You can also get Starline brass from most supply houses like Midway etc. I shoot a lot of the 240's and they are extremely accurate.

Good Luck with whatever you choose...

[gunoil]

got some good info  of a search. it is 3/8 inch long then a 44 mag case ..a 454 casull is 1.385 inches .  a 445 s.m is 1.610 .. so it sould do what a 454 will do maybe more?    yes i thank it will need a brake ..  i' have shot a 454 casull with 310 gr lead head bullets and 18 gr of blue dot   :eek:     it will be next year before i make up my mind and get the $$$$ . it will have a 15 inch barrel ..  thanks fore the help michael

[EdK]

I do not believe the 445 SM is a S.A.A.M.I. cartridge. However it is my understanding that pressures are similar to 44 mag pressure but with 24% more powder capacity it can do a lot more work.

Sierra Bullets load data in a 14" barrel says:
180gr 2350fps
210gr 2200fps
240gr 2050fps
300gr 1850fps

for comparison their 44 mag data also in a 14" barrel:
180gr 2050fps
210gr 1800fps
240gr 1700fps
300gr 1400fps

The 454 Casull has the pressure of a belted mag  :shock:

[fyrepowrx]

Gunoil;

i am a bit late in reading your posting, been sitting in a tree the last week.

i am somewhat of a fan of the .445 supermag. i had a 10" factory tube, and liked it fine, but recoil was a bit stout with heavy bullet loads.

I liked the caliber, so then ordered a 20" matte finish bull barrel in .445 for a nice light carbine. i thought the 20" bull would be heavy enough, so i omitted the brake. i was wrong, it absolutely stomps me so i would recommend the brake.

i sold the 10", and ordered a 14" stainless hunter .445 from the custom shop. received it a few weeks back. the muzzle brake REALLY helps. Both the 14" hunter & the 20" carbine will average about 1.5" inches or so at 100 yards with several loads... i like the idea that i can shoot regular "low powered" .44 mag loads on occasion  if i don't have time to reload much, plus there is a huge selection of .44 caliber bullets out there to choose from. if i remember correctly, in the Sierra data for contenders you will note the .445 shoots a 300 grain bullet faster than the .45-70, and does so in a barrel that is 2" shorter. i am not knocking the .45-70, i have 2 of them also, but it makes you think a bit.... Where i hunt the deer are small (average 125-150 pounds or so field-dressed) and the 200 grain .44 slugs do just fine... no need for 300+ grains of lead that i shoot in my .45-70's.

Of course you can justify both the .445 AND a .454 if you try hard enough, i always find a way to logically prove i "need" more barrels.. just one of the great things about being a TC fan! Good Shooting!