The recoil ?

[Hatari]

I have shot with a friend's Freedom arms in .454 casull. Is there a difference (great or small) of recoil between the 454 and the .475 Linebaugh ?

[SJPrice]

That is a wide open question.  Short answer is, yes.  The 454 has a very sharp quick recoil and with full loads can be wrist twisting.  The 475 on the other hands is slower with more roll, but with full loads will push back hard, very hard and over a "longer" period of time.  In my opinion there is a huge difference and it would be easy to identify similar loads in one from the other in a blind fold test.  Not that I recommend shooting with a blindfold mind you.

[dubber123]

I have never fired a 454, but I have shot my 4 3/4" 475 alot.  A friend of mine has fired many different 454's, and he shot my 475 once, and said never again.  He said the 454's will stand the barrel straight up in the air for him, and my 475 ended up a little past his right ear.  Alot of it is how you hold it, and recoil is subjective, another friend has both calibers, and says the 475 doesn't kick at all.  I'm still not sure what he's smoking, but thats his story and he's sticking to it.

[Marsh1]

Well, pursuant to this heavy recoil, I am expecting delivery of a short barrel .475 and have thought of shooting gloves. Can anyone recommend some and where to get them. Midway?
Marsh

[dubber123]

Marsh, try Midway, or Graf and Sons, Grafs is cheaper on shipping.  I have a Past glove, I don't need it so much for the recoil as to protect from the sharp edges.  Freedom Arms likes nice crisp edges on EVERYTHING, but those same edges don't like your hands.  I sometimes just wrap my middle finger and the web of my hand with a little medical tape, cuts down on the bloodshed if you are shooting alot of heavy rounds.

[SJPrice]

I find that the heavy recoil is best tamed by proper fitting SA grip panels.  Most are to wide for average hands and if they fit better you would find recoil to be much more tolerable.  At least it is for me.  May not work the same way for others.

[Dusty Miller]

The weight lifting glove a Wally World work good and they're cheap too.

[EdK]

It is common on this board to see posts where the 454 is claimed to recoil viciously and comparatively the 475 is your friend. Isn't this all really in how they are loaded? Since the trend is toward heavy-for-caliber bullets then comparing the 475 loaded with 400+ grain bullets and the 454 with 250s or 260s is really apples and oranges isn't it?

Given their straight wall cases of same length and similar weight bullets at similar velocities/pressures loaded for a FA model 83, really how could the 454 recoil more?

[dubber123]

EdK, somewhat along these lines, the 454 is said to be more "sharp" in the recoil department.  In the theme of the same weight bullet in either cartridge, I did shoot some 385 grainers in my 475, much lighter than my normal 440's, and th recoil was noticeably sharper, actually much less pleasant than the heavies.  If this helps prove your theory, it may explain the difference in perceived recoil.  Given the same weight bullet, I bet you are right, they probably kick the same.

[scott williams]

also, the 454 operates at higher pressures. my 475 with 400 grain bullets is more pleasant to shoot tham my 454 with 300's.