well, i just did some testing on my 454's and i have some interesting chrony numbers. i use W296 and the difference b/w my 7.5" and 10" is pretty marked, at least with that powder and those two individual guns. using federal 250gr barnes x bullet loads, their data says 1530fps out of a 7.5" gun. not sure if that's with a ruger with a larger cylinder gap or if the rounds were hotter but my 7.5" was averaging about 1610 fps and my 10" was 1770fps. with my own loads worked up very very carefully and slowly which i won't post what i use for it b/c it very very well may not be safe in other guns runs hornady xtps 300 grains at 1940 fps out of the 10" and 1760 fps average out of the 7.5". out of my buds 6" he bought from me the loads ran right at about 1650fps. with the shorter barrel the muzzle flip was most impressive and despite how you'd hold the gun it was still pegging him at the top of the forehead about 50% of the time. the 10" was much much more tolerable. predictably the 7.5" was right in the middle. i find the 7.5" the best all around in that caliber but the 10" is great with the millett sights for strictly hunting. 6" and down for packing woods backup, but if i wanted shorter than 6" i'd go with a 475 or a 45 colt.
btw, those rounds did not show any signs of pressure or primer flattening. still easy extraction and i've had some earlier corbon factory loads blow primers out the back of the case and so i know they were higher pressure but they were old factory 240 grains and listed velocity was 2090 fps out of a 7.5" gun.
these rounds have the most impressive results on deer i've seen. the xtps on axis deer hold together, have not had a failure or jacket seperation and expand to over an inch. wound channels are much beyond what i've ever got with flatpoint cast bullets out of any of my other pistols so while in the minority, i do choose jacketed bullets for elk and below, though with elk i use the barnes. have not had a failure. i had a friend have his 480 ruger cast bullets fail on a bison's shoulder. it appeared two of the larger fragments penetrated into the vitals but on autopsy it was hard to tell if the first shot was enough to finish it but the second passed through. i've had great results with beartooth bullets out of the .475 and i've found them a little tougher than the cast bullet perfomance hardcasts. anyway, i did mispeak earlier and the .475 i sold was a 5.5" gun and i should have a 4.75" gun in the spring. hope this in anyway helps.
