Super Redhawk - 454 vs. 480

[JW/OK]

Looking to buy a Ruger Super Redhawk for hunting, but about all I've found lately are chambered in 480 Ruger. Besides the ability to shoot 45 LC in the 454 what are the pros and cons of each?  Any appreciable difference in accuracy or recoil? Will be hunting whitetail, antelope and hopefully hogs.

[Graybeard]

Sounds to me like what you really need is a .44 Magnum.

Of the two tho I prefer the .480 Ruger. It makes a larger hole and has heavier bullets and that really is what shooting BIG bore revolvers is about.

[SHOOTALL]

The 454 shoots a light bullet flater/faster . It will shoot heavy bullets also but if you load a heavy bullet it reduces the amount of powder you can get in the case . If you feel you will be shooting deer at longer handgun range it might be a consideration . I have the 454 and have been looking to get the 480 as some say it has less recoil ( an excuse to get a new gun ) .

[efremtags]

To sum it up,

454 cal is best for long range (relative to handgun) as it can drive a 260gr bullet fast enough so it has useable trajectory out at 150-175 yards. It can also drive 335gr bullet fast enough for heavy animal hunting (buffalo). This chambering tends to recoil pretty fast with light ammo driven fast. It's scary for first time big bore shooters. Flinch factor is +++.

The 480 does not fare very well with light ammo and is really best with 325 - 400gr (375 is optimal) for closer shots with extreme penetration and terminal performace. Think of the 480 as a Limbaugh short. It does not have the extreme heavy recoil, so it is a little easier to master shooting, but it is far from a cream puff (especially in an unported ruger)

GB is right, a 44mag will do everything you are asking, at about 1/2 - 2/3rd the price for ammo. Haven't met a deer a 44 would not kill. I shoot 280GR hardcast and 300GR XTP. I'm thinking of developing a 225gr load with the new hornady ammo for longer range for deer.

[Redhawk1]

Without a doubt the 480 would be my choice. As Graybeard said, bigger holes. I don't think there is an animal on the North American Continent that cannot be taken with the 480 Ruger, and a good 400 gr. hard cast bullet.

[JW/OK]

Thanks for the input. I think Shootall may have it right, mainly looking for an excuse to buy another revolver! Already have a 44 mag SBH, 12" 30/30 Tender, 12"  45-70 Tender. Had a SRH Alaskan in 454 but wasn't Deer legal in Oklahoma, so sounds like I need a 480 Ruger. Yep, I think you talked me into it!

[timothy]

I'd go with the 454, 475 bullets are hard to find and expensive when you do. With the 454 you can buy bulk 500rd boxes of cast bullets and load them to whatever performance you want. With the 480 expect to order all components online, gunstores never have more than a box or two of premium bullets which is barely enough to sight in. I got the 480 and its a cool caliber, but I know if I had gone 454 I would have put 10X the rounds through it by now because of the availibility of bulk 45 caliber cast bullets.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup!!

Without a doubt the 480 would be my choice. As Graybeard said, bigger holes. I don't think there is an animal on the North American Continent that cannot be taken with the 480 Ruger, and a good 400 gr. hard cast bullet.

[Redhawk1]

I'd go with the 454, 475 bullets are hard to find and expensive when you do. With the 454 you can buy bulk 500rd boxes of cast bullets and load them to whatever performance you want. With the 480 expect to order all components online, gunstores never have more than a box or two of premium bullets which is barely enough to sight in. I got the 480 and its a cool caliber, but I know if I had gone 454 I would have put 10X the rounds through it by now because of the availibility of bulk 45 caliber cast bullets.

I can order 500 hard cast gas checked bullets for the 480 Ruger for about $10.00 more than the 45 Cal bullets for the 454 Casull.  Not a big price difference. Most gun shops in my area do not carry hard cast gas checked bullets, so ordering them on line is the only opinion for me.

If you are looking for cast bullets go to Montana Bullet Works, they have some great prices. http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page6.html

[irold]

No experience with the .480 , however, I do have a Ruger in the 454.  I like it.  I can load it up ....or down or as you said plink with 45LC.  With a full charge of 296 , it is more gun than I care to shoot.  It is unported.  With 240 XTP/mags and 30 grains of 2400 it is almost pleasurable to shoot and very accurate.  I don't believe theres anything the 480 will do that the 454 won't .  With out a doubt the 45 cal. is easier to come by than .475 , as far as reloading is concerned.  If you use the mentality of "bigger hole" ya might as well go whole hog and get a 500 something.  Good luck on your decision .....it really doesn't matter what ya end up with , as long as its what "you" want.   Regards

[Redhawk1]

No experience with the .480 , however, I do have a Ruger in the 454.  I like it.  I can load it up ....or down or as you said plink with 45LC.  With a full charge of 296 , it is more gun than I care to shoot.  It is unported.  With 240 XTP/mags and 30 grains of 2400 it is almost pleasurable to shoot and very accurate.  I don't believe theres anything the 480 will do that the 454 won't .  With out a doubt the 45 cal. is easier to come by than .475 , as far as reloading is concerned.  If you use the mentality of "bigger hole" ya might as well go whole hog and get a 500 something.  Good luck on your decision .....it really doesn't matter what ya end up with , as long as its what "you" want.   Regards

irold, I agree with you to a point, the good thing about the 480 Ruger is, yes bigger holes, but less recoil and pressure than the 454 Casull.

If big hole's is what someone is after, the 480 is a good size. But to jump to a 500 cal hole come with a lot more recoil.  I love my 500 Mags and my 510 GNR, but they come with a price. (Recoil)

I own both a 480 and a 454 Casull, I like the 480 much better, but that is just my personal opinion.

[Sverre A.]

Me too - tought about something "bigger" than .454.

But that was before I experienced it`s capacity 

[Smokem]

I have run just about everything thru my 454 SRH from light 45Colts to Hot-n-Heavy 454's. My preference for Maine deer and black bear is a 300 grain 45Colt+p(from CorBon). It has plenty of power and VERY manageable recoil. I really like the versatility of a handgun chambered in 454 casull.

[Camp Cook]

I load from plinker 200gr RNFP to top 345gr WLNGC cast and jacketed 45 Colt loads and 240gr to 405gr jacketed and cast 454 loads in my 454 Casull Ruger SRH's.

I also had one shortened to 4.25" I get 1330fps with 405gr Beartooth WLNGC's.

It can do anything a 44mag/480 SRH can and everything they can't.

I feel that the 454 Casull SRH's are the most versatile handgun/cartridge combo available today.

Here is a pic of my 454 Casull SRH's... 

[jwp475]

The 454 shoots a light bullet flater/faster . It will shoot heavy bullets also but if you load a heavy bullet it reduces the amount of powder you can get in the case . If you feel you will be shooting deer at longer handgun range it might be a consideration . I have the 454 and have been looking to get the 480 as some say it has less recoil ( an excuse to get a new gun ) .

  Heavier bullets are always the way to go for long range shooting in either a rifle or handgun.
  The longer heavier bullets will have a higher BC and carry a lot more momentum to the target. Light fast bullet lose veloity at a very fast rate. Bore diameter and bullet wieght are constants that do not change as does velocity during the bullets flight

[jwp475]

Sounds to me like what you really need is a .44 Magnum.

Of the two tho I prefer the .480 Ruger. It makes a larger hole and has heavier bullets and that really is what shooting BIG bore revolvers is about.

Without a doubt the 480 would be my choice. As Graybeard said, bigger holes. I don't think there is an animal on the North American Continent that cannot be taken with the 480 Ruger, and a good 400 gr. hard cast bullet.

 

The above quotes sum it up very well IIMHO

[SHOOTALL]

jwp475 , depends , shooting 400 gr.+ bullets at deer seems a waste . However extending the point blank hold of any weapon is a good idea in the hunting field if you do not fall below the power level need for a quick kill as it takes guess work out of it. However on the range or at extended range i can see your point . For me i would limit shots on white tail deer to 100 yards with the open sighted 454 i shoot . a 250 gr. bullet works well .
All that said the designer himself wrote or helped write an article saying the 454 was designed to use lighter bullets at higher speed . The article went on to state that to use heavier bullets limited the space for powder an aspect of design he was well aware of .

[Redhawk1]

SHOOTALL, I used the 400 gr. bullet in my reference because, that is what I use. I use a bullet that will work for large game, so I know it will take smaller game. My point with all this is, when you find a bullet that shoot well in your gun, and you gun is sighted in for it, WHY in the world would I look for another lighter bullet because someone thinks it is too much.. Dead is dead my friend. 

[Sverre A.]

"Here is a pic of my 454 Casull SRH's..."

The short-one:  Is it a gunsmith`s selfproductionramp or?

[SHOOTALL]

and if i hunt where the light bullet does all i need and my gun is sighted in for it dead is still dead . I have to say we agree . My point was bullet choice depends on many things and to say only heavy for bore bullets work is just not so . Besides i was taking issue with only heavy bullets being useful at distance . In a rifle OK but a revolver at best maybe. I shot a 44 in competition for several years . Tried the 300 gr bullet but found the 240 worked better at long range as it had all the power needed and less sight adjustment was needed . Again we prove nothing is certian but differences

[jwp475]

jwp475 , depends , shooting 400 gr.+ bullets at deer seems a waste . However extending the point blank hold of any weapon is a good idea in the hunting field if you do not fall below the power level need for a quick kill as it takes guess work out of it. However on the range or at extended range i can see your point . For me i would limit shots on white tail deer to 100 yards with the open sighted 454 i shoot . a 250 gr. bullet works well .
All that said the designer himself wrote or helped write an article saying the 454 was designed to use lighter bullets at higher speed . The article went on to state that to use heavier bullets limited the space for powder an aspect of design he was well aware of .

  Yes a 250 grain bullet will ceratinly kill a Deer, but a heavy weight will also and if the size of the quarry increase then there is no need to find a new load

The heavy weights take Deer just fine







 And the heavy weights also take the Big boys with aplumb

[jwp475]

SHOOTALL, I used the 400 gr. bullet in my reference because, that is what I use. I use a bullet that will work for large game, so I know it will take smaller game. My point with all this is, when you find a bullet that shoot well in your gun, and you gun is sighted in for it, WHY in the world would I look for another lighter bullet because someone thinks it is too much.. Dead is dead my friend. 

+1.  Redhawk is spot on one bullet does it all, big, little, short or tall it will take them all. That is the beauty of the heavier bullet IMHO

[SHOOTALL]

at the expence of hold over and hold under

[LarryL]

I can only speak to the 480 as I have not owned nor fired the 454.  My 480 will shoot ~3" or so groups at 100yds as long as I do my part.  As the picture shows, it works fine on deer.   

Since it both shoots and takes deer very well, I guess I'll stay with it!  It's all about bullet placement and how good a shot you are anyway.  Either one will take deer out to 125 yds or so without trouble.  If you want to go longer, maybe the 454 is a better choice.  Since I hunt the NH and ME woods, I don't have to worry about shots like that too often!!

[454Puma]

I can only speak to the 454 Casull as it's what I have. There's not much it will not kill that I would hunt.