Thanks for the replies.
Unfortunately my living conditions bar handloading. So experimenting and getting comfortable with increasing loads will have to come through factory ammunition. So far I have purchased Winchester reduced velocity and silvertip, Magtech, and Winchester 45LC rounds.
Not being able to handle the 454 factory loads left me with a feeling of being dejected. I looked around the range to see if anyone noticed me sheepishly reaching for the "cowboy" 45LC rounds. At this point I hadn't shot them and from research it sounded OK so long as it wasn't before the 454 loads. I felt like it was the equivalent of riding a bike with training wheels. But better to hit the target with a weak load than not at all.
What was strange is that the recoil from the 454 loads didnlt feel that bad. Sure, I learned to wear gloves which helped with cuts on the thumb, but it seemed like a lot of my unsteadiness resulted from the sheer sound and the abrupt buck of the load. The recoil itself didn't hurt me physically, it was more of the intensity of it all that I had a hard time with. Also felt, in hindsight, the trigger had to be squeezed about 3 seconds after pulling focus on the target. More and my shoulders would tighten and anxiety rise for the next shot. i think I had this idea that if I waited longer things would suddenly just "click" and the bullets appear where i wanted.
When I was a teenager my father would take me out to the desert to shoot targets. I was always attracted to the larger handguns. At the time he had a 10mm Colt, a Dan Wesson 357 Maximum and a 44 Super Redhawk. Though we predominantly shot the 22 and small caliber rifle rounds (223/mini14) because of cost, there was a thrill when shooting the larger handguns. I really enjoyed the 357 round because it did not have alot of recoil, was accurate, and it felt fast and powerful. The Super Redhawk was cool but it always managed to pinch my hand for some reason.
Reminiscing with colleagues from work is what brought me to a recent gun show. There I saw the Freedom Arms 454 Casull.
I knew of it because I was eyeing a 353 version that I spotted in a local ad a few weeks back. This seller had probably had about 30 pistols laid out on the table but the 454 Casull didn't get alot of attention. For me it was the only thing I saw. I went back the next day (the last of the show) expecting it to be gone. Needless to say, it wasn't. I don't know about her history other than the seller saying she was exposed only to a handful of rounds, but regardless I was ready to be the surrogate.
This was a way for me to bring back nostalgia. Granted I could have just bought a 22 caliber something or other, but I feel like craftsmanship and quality are a big part of the underlying experience. I am really proud to own such a fine instrument. Just looking at it makes me happy.
Well, I am looking forward to going to the range and practicing this week. Hopefully, I can relax a little more this time.
The sling strategy seemed like a smart way to carry and restrain some of the bite at the same time. Probably suited more for a longer barreled version, eh.?
Again thanks for the comments they felt reassuring.
'night
