The 480 Ruger

[Blackhawker]

Does anyone have any experience shooting and/or loading the 480 Ruger?  I'm curious to hear some opinions about it.  If given a choice would the 454 Cassull be a better choice or the 480 Ruger?

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I'm new at this big caliber hand gun hunting, and I dont see why they make anything larger than a 454.
  I dont see the need if you are hunting in the U.S.

A 260-grain bullet at 1,750 fps from a 7 1/2-inch Freedom Arms 83 matches the energy of a .30-30 rifle.

454 Casull factory loaded ammunition is available from Federal (300 grain JSP at 1630 fps), Freedom Arms (240, 260, and 300 grain jacketed hard-core bullets), Magtech (260 grain JSP at 1800 fps), and Winchester (250 grain JHP at 1300 fps, 260 grain JHP at 1800 fps, 300 grain JSP at 1625 fps).

[ole 5 hole group]

I don’t have a 480 Ruger but it’s a great round and is as easy to reload for as any other cartridge.  I have the 475 Linebaugh, which uses the same loading dies as the 480 Ruger.  In my opinion the 480 Ruger is head & shoulders above the 454 Casull and the recoil of the 480 Ruger will seem tame, as it’s less than the 475 Linebaugh and that’s not a heavy recoiling round with normal loads.   

The 454 Casull can be hotrodded as can the 45 Colt in a 5-shot cylinder but they don't possess the "killing power" or penetration ability that the bigger 480 Ruger does with a heavier bullet at lower pressure/velocity, meaning a lot less felt recoil.  One may not "need" all that power but it'll be there if you do and it can be loaded down to mouse fart level if desired. 

Ruger really missed the boat when they stopped production of the 5-shot 480 Ruger.   

[Blackhawker]

Yes, I've read a lot about the 480 being a lower pressure round and having less felt recoil but still having the same or better killing power than the 454.  The biggest thing keeping me from seeking a 480 is that I already load the 45 Colt (heavy) and there is the versatility of shooting them in a revolver chambered for the 454.  Other than that, I'd rather get the 480 if I happen upon one. 

[temmi]

I do have a 480 Ruger as does my oldest son.

It is an EXCELLENT round and I really like the Super Redhawk.

I  Handload for this round and it is very easy and forgiving. Up till now I have loaded Horn XTP 325g at about 1450 ft/sec.

BUT the new 300MP powder can take it ( 325g bullet)  over 1600ft/sec and the 400g Speer bullet over 1300ft/sec.

Even with all that power the recoil is surprising lite.

So far we have only taken Hogs but this December my son plans to take a Bison Cow…

All in all it is a excellent round and if I did not have one I would want one.

[Tom W.]

I sold mine and got a .454


I'd rather have the .480 back.
It shot so well with the cast RCBS 400 grain bullet, and the recoil wasn't near as nasty as the .454

[buck460XVR]

I'm new at this big caliber hand gun hunting, and I dont see why they make anything larger than a 454.
  I dont see the need if you are hunting in the U.S.

A 260-grain bullet at 1,750 fps from a 7 1/2-inch Freedom Arms 83 matches the energy of a .30-30 rifle.

With that philosophy, you must not see a need for any rifle larger than the 30-30 for hunting in the United States either, eh?

The biggest thing keeping me from seeking a 480 is that I already load the 45 Colt (heavy) and there is the versatility of shooting them in a revolver chambered for the 454. 

The .45 Colt AND the .454 Casull can be fired from a handgun chambered in .460 S&W........and the .460 S&W is the  highest velocity handgun in current production. Smith makes some purdy guns for it too.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Quote,,,"With that philosophy, you must not see a need for any rifle larger than the 30-30 for hunting in the United States either, eh?"

  You are correct buck,,,,I dont!

[temmi]

Capt Rick Hiott,

You should find someone with a 480R and give it a try...

They are nice, accurate and fun to shoot...

I had always been a 45 Auto guy but after I shot my sons 480... well I was hooked.

The 480 was my first revolver... and the 45Colt Blackhawk was my second

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I would rent one at the gun shop,,,but they dont have one.
 I dont know any body that has one.

[Lloyd Smale]

thats like saying a 35 remington is an overkill because it has a bigger bullet then a 300 mag shoots. In all reality there very close in killing power. The 454 has an advantage in being slightly flatter shooting but anyone who shoots much past a 100 yards with a handgun at live animals is someone i really dont want to hunt with. Out to a 100 yards the 480 does just fine. Sure the recoil is less in the 480 but anyone who can shoot full power loads in a 480 can learn to shoot a 454 or 475. Down side to the 480 is ammo and even brass can be tough to find sometimes. 454 bullets and brass are much easier to come by. I wont get any more sarcastic then to say this. Spare me the energy figures anyone thats used a 6 gun to take more then a few heads of game know that ft lbs of energy have no bearing in this argument. If you think a 260 grain jacketed bullet screaming out of a 454 is a more effecient load then a 400 grain cast a 1200 out of a 480 on something the size of a big bear or buffalo ive got this bridge

I'm new at this big caliber hand gun hunting, and I dont see why they make anything larger than a 454.
  I dont see the need if you are hunting in the U.S.

A 260-grain bullet at 1,750 fps from a 7 1/2-inch Freedom Arms 83 matches the energy of a .30-30 rifle.

454 Casull factory loaded ammunition is available from Federal (300 grain JSP at 1630 fps), Freedom Arms (240, 260, and 300 grain jacketed hard-core bullets), Magtech (260 grain JSP at 1800 fps), and Winchester (250 grain JHP at 1300 fps, 260 grain JHP at 1800 fps, 300 grain JSP at 1625 fps).

[buck460XVR]

Quote,,,"With that philosophy, you must not see a need for any rifle larger than the 30-30 for hunting in the United States either, eh?"

  You are correct buck,,,,I dont!

That's cool.......IMHO, firearms and their caliber are a matter of preference, kinda like the hair color and the bra size of the women that intrigue us. I don't see a need to trash anyone's choice in either. Altho the 30-30 is a great  caliber for short range deer sized game, for me, there are other venues out there that are better suited for other hunting platforms, may they be milder or more powerful than the venerable 30-30.

Besides, variety is the spice of life.

[temmi]

I would rent one at the gun shop,,,but they dont have one.
 I dont know any body that has one.

I know... and that is a shame.

It's one thing to produce a POS and then walk away... but Ruger had produced a winner and was unable to capitalize on it.

I do hope you run into one... I bought mine used.

[SHOOTALL]

Rick the hand gun even the hand cannons need all the help they can get. Bottom line is bigger hole faster life bleeds  out. I have heard the 480 kicks somewhere between a 44 mag and 454. If so and being bigger both can be good things.
And I agree a 30-30 is all you need but the rest are still alot of fun to shoot and master .............

[41 magnum]

you should be able to find one on www.gunsamerica.com

[Spencer, Carey]

The .480 Ruger does not have the blistering speed of the .454, but does have the ability to throw substantially heavier projectiles. We must keep in mind that the longer the projectile stays within the target(microseconds)the more energy is released, and conversely the more hydrostatic shock provided which is what creates the wound channels, both permanent, and temporary cavities. Think of a quartering away shot on say, an elk. While we may not be able to differentiate between the penetration on a smaller game animal such as an east coast whitetail, the heavier bullet afforded by the 480 class round is where we are able to see the advantages on larger game. Again, how dead is dead? Bullet placement, and construction are paramount. With these considerations met, the
454 will kill anything that the 480 will. Its all in what is more important to the individual shooter. As I have told my sons, your 22 will kill just as dead as your 44, it just wont be as messy. Remember your ethics, and shoot the gun that you like.

[BAGTIC]

First there is no such thing as "hydrostatic shock". Static implies something that is constant or unchanging. It is a shame that the shooting community picked up this expression from from journalistic hack. The correct terminology is "hydraulic shock".

Secondly the amount of hydraulic shock created is not dependent on "dwell time". It is a function of the rate of deceleration. A bullet that loses speed slowly creates less 'shock' than one that slows quickly even if both stop inside the target thereby having the same 'dwell time'.

[Spencer, Carey]

Have to agree to disagree on that one pal. Did someone hurt your feelings somehow? You seem a trifle insulted for some reason. Happy shooting!

[Spencer, Carey]

Okay. The terms Hydrostatic shock and hydraulic shock are used interchangeably in the majority of articles that I see. Now by your definition, I can certainly see that your term is in fact a bit more accurately descriptive. Now, if you knew enough to know the one term, I must assume that you knew enough to know of the other was used to refer to the same type of energy transfer. Different strokes man. Now as water is a noncompressable liquid, and tissue is a compressable solid, obviously the effect on the two is not 100 percent identical. However, the % of water to solid in tissue mass is a high 90's percentile which means that while not exact the difference between the two is nearly nonexistent. My physics are sound sir. I only gave an observation on the animals that I have personally shot, videoed, examined post mortem etc.  Second, the "dwell time" most certainly does have an effect on how much energy is deposited on target. Along with frontal area, rate of expansion, and a myriad of other variables which are not constant across the board due to the many different calibers/velocities that are brought to bear in the course of an investigation in matters such as these. Now bottom line is this. The debate between small and fast and large and slow was around before either of us was here and will be here long after we have both lost the ability to pull a trigger. Lets just keep on having fun and enjoying the opinions of others.

[Spencer, Carey]

Of course as the bullet slows, less energy is transmitted by that bullet, but that energy has a cummulative effect. It may not be putting out the ft/lbs at the exit hole as it had at the entrance hole, but it IS still transmitting energy that is added to the previously transmitted energy from that same projectile as it traveled through the animal in question. The longer the projectile is in the animal, the more of the energy that the bullet was carrying is put into that animal. All the way through to the stopping point if there is no exit.

[butchen]

I don't know why but the 454 is a real kicker....even the 460 mag feels like it has less recoil. Now I don't have a 500 mag X-frame I have a 12" MGM ported barrel for my Encore and it kicks like a hot 44mag to me that is not much, but I shoot a lot of hot 44's and 45's and even a 45-70 Contender SSK mag-na-port hot loaded (that is a but kicker with hot loads). But to get back on the subject the 480 felt kick is lots lighter, to me, than the 454................But that is just me......

[Capt Rick Hiott]

The Taurus Raging Bull 454 with the vented barrel does not kick much at all. Here is mine with a Magtech 260Gr soft point.
 

[Redhawk1]

Does anyone have any experience shooting and/or loading the 480 Ruger?  I'm curious to hear some opinions about it.  If given a choice would the 454 Cassull be a better choice or the 480 Ruger?

I like both rounds, but I like the 480 Ruger more. It makes a bigger hole.  I own two 475 Linebaugh's, and I shoot 480 Ruger's in them all the time. Is one better than the other, I would say no.  It is a personal choice.

[EdK]

I don't know why but the 454 is a real kicker....even the 460 mag feels like it has less recoil. Now I don't have a 500 mag X-frame I have a 12" MGM ported barrel for my Encore

Your 460 kicks less than a 454 even though you are not shooting it out of a revolver chambered for the 500 S&W magnum but rather a 4.25lb single shot pistol?

[butchen]

Your 460 kicks less than a 454 even though you are not shooting it out of a revolver chambered for the 500 S&W magnum but rather a 4.25lb single shot pistol?

I am sorry I didn't make my self clear to me a 460 kicks less than a 454 in the same gun (the 460 S&W). It don't sound right but that is how it feels to me the 454 has more of a snap.................the 500S&W is an Encore with a MGM 12" with a break it don't kick much at all...... sorry about the mix up...........I was just saying that I don't have a 500S&W X frame to compare it to is what I was trying to say........must have been sleepy when I wrote that ....lol
happy shooting

[Redhawk1]

Your 460 kicks less than a 454 even though you are not shooting it out of a revolver chambered for the 500 S&W magnum but rather a 4.25lb single shot pistol?

I am sorry I didn't make my self clear to me a 460 kicks less than a 454 in the same gun (the 460 S&W). It don't sound right but that is how it feels to me the 454 has more of a snap.................the 500S&W is an Encore with a MGM 12" with a break it don't kick much at all...... sorry about the mix up...........I was just saying that I don't have a 500S&W X frame to compare it to is what I was trying to say........must have been sleepy when I wrote that ....lol
happy shooting

I owned 5 of the 460 Mag, and every 454 Casull I shot in them had a lot less felt recoil then the 460 Mags I shot. That was with the same weight bullets.

[Blackhawker]

Just a note: I ended up buying a 454 Super Redhawk with a 7.5 inch barrel a few months ago.  I'm quite happy with it thus far.  With iron sights I can keep a five shot group of 2 inches very consistently at 25 yards.  I'm taking it hunting (varmint hunting) very soon.  I'm sure it'll be fun.

Thanks for the comments and advise.  Maybe some day I'll pick up a 480 too should I come across a good deal.
Blackhawker

[Fire Fox]

I have two 480,s and two 454,s in Ruger Super Red Hawks. I like the 480 better for most shooting. It has less recoil and noise for me. In my experience on deer, bear, hogs, and Asian Buffalo it did just as good as the 454's and they went down just as fast. In the 480 I have been using precision cast 370 grain with 24.5 grains of H110 and Federal large mag pistol primers . This load has broken both shoulders on a 2500 lb bull with no problems at 75 yards. I have also used the Lee 400 gr with 21 gr of H110 and the same primers with good results.
The 480 has been very accurate with these loads. Hope this helps.

[Fire Fox]

When talking dispatching power on revolver handguns. I tend to follow the advice of the old buffalo hunters philosophy of large diameter heavy bullets work good on big game. The velocities of both calibers seem to be very close in comparing the old buffalo rifles ( black powder) and the modern big bore revolvers. I also tend to stay more with the taylor factor of diameter -velocity comparison for me this seems gives a better description of the kill potential of a round in revolvers. The taylor factor shows a pretty good comparison for the 454 verses the 480. In this they are very similar in dispatching power. Just my opinion for what it is worth.

[Swampman]

I believe if they'd have chambered the .480 in a 5 shot Blackhawk, It would be a lot more popular.