445sm vs 454casull hunting

[sckaterbrain]

I want to get a shooters opinion on hunting with a 445sm vs 454casull up to 100/120 yards on pigs/hogs. I was sold on the 44mag but had to piece mill to get on on a sb2 frame. Found the a BC 45lc and thought why sell the barrel to get 44mag when I could just go 454casull. I have read lots of the reviews/recipes for both here on the forum but not many hunting reviews. ( found some reviews on other sights but they are handgun reviews )
I am ordering a BC 45 LC but  it kill two birds with one stone. I want the BC stock and sb2 frame so the question is the the 44/445sm worth selling the 45lc barrel or is the 454 casull as good or almost.
Thanks Robert

[Spanky]

Either one will hammer hogs but since you have the 45 I'd ream to 454 and be done with it. The 445 is great but I wouldn't get rid of the 45 to get it.
Recoil might be a little harsh with the steel plate on the BC stocks when shooting the 454 but that's an easy fix.



Spanky

[yooper77]

the 445 Super Magnum is good, but I would choose the 454 Casull over it.

Cheaper brass, and more factory ammo selection if you don't reload.

yooper77

[yukondog]

Keep the 45, shoot it for awhile before you take it to 454.

[petemi]

Keep the 45, shoot it for awhile before you take it to 454.

That's what I did with mine, and it is staying that way.  I have Handis in .445, .357 Maxi, .45-70 and .500 S&W, so I don't see a need to do it.  For me, the .45LC Carbine is fine as it is.  It is a sweet little potent rifle.

Pete

[cwlongshot]

I agree both are good calibers, but the Casull wins out IMHO hands down.

The 445 is hard to get ammo and brass is even harder.

The 454 's factory ammo is available and brass is readily available.

Performance between the two is a moot point. Either will fit the bill.

Personally, I have never been a 44 fan, cannot tell you why... I always remember a story about a man carrying a 45. He was asked why he carried a 45. He responded because they don't make a 46... 

I have a 454 in a CR carbine and love it. I have been shooting game with heavy loaded 45 Colts in both rifles and revolvers for many years. I have the utmost confidence in it.

CW

[crossfire]

Starline has suspended production of .445 SM brass. That leaves cutting down .30-40 Krag or .303 British brass to make cases. If you are going to that effort, rechamber the rifle to the longer .44 Rhino (1.75"case) if you want to still shoot .44 Magnum or just rechamber to the .444 Marlin.

The Casull wins.

[petemi]

Midway USA informed me they shipped my Starline .445 brass last Friday.  I haven't been out to the mailbox since Tuesday, so it is probably there.  I doubt Starline discontinued it, just waiting for more backorders.  I've done the .30-40 Kraig routine, and it is a pain in the butt.  Not only do you have to cut the cases, but you've got to turn down the rim.

An adder:  I just went out to the mailbox and the .445 brass was there.

Pete

[cwlongshot]

Woohoo! Now get loading Pete!! SEE a range report coming.....

CW

[crossfire]

I doubt Starline discontinued it, just waiting for more backorders.

I'm glad you got your brass. Starline suspended production of .360 Dan Wesson brass "pending sufficient backorders"....that was over three years ago. Not much different than discontinued.

[petemi]

Woohoo! Now get loading Pete!! SEE a range report coming.....
CW

Got the boolits, brass, time and powder so it'll get done soon.  It's been a long time waiting.  The .445 is super fun in a Handi, and has considerably more authority than the .44 mag.  My barrel is an older overbored one, so the Lee Factory Crimp Die makes chambering chubbier bullets easy.

I doubt Starline discontinued it, just waiting for more backorders.

I'm glad you got your brass. Starline suspended production of .360 Dan Wesson brass "pending sufficient backorders"....that was over three years ago. Not much different than discontinued.

Why don't you just trim back Maxi brass rather than wait 3 years?

Pete

[bajabill]

An adder:  I just went out to the mailbox and the .445 brass was there.

Pete

great news for many here

[crossfire]

quote: "Why don't you just trim back Maxi brass rather than wait 3 years?"

Maximum brass is more expensive than the .360 Dan Wesson brass would be and requires inside reaming in order to fully seat the bullets. It's faster and easier to recanneure the bullets and use Magnum cases. With a couple of exceptions, that precludes using cast bullets though.

[gcrank1]

I sure don't know all there is about hunting ( or anything else) , but it seems to me that anything I want, or need, to shoot will fall to a well placed 45 Colt standard load and especially a +P 45 Colt load in a rifle (carbine).
Of course, a 300gr. bullet In a 45-70 loaded 'down' to that hot 45 Colt load will do as well and I still have more to work with to the potential of that larger cartridge.

[petemi]

gcrank1, If I had to make a choice of one, and I don't have to, it would be the .45-70.  You can do about anything to it, and it just sits there and grins at ya.  It's been around 120 years....must be good for something.  I'll do some research and report back........yeah, like you folks don't know already.

Pete

[Jimbo47]

I reamed my .45LC to .454 Casull with the main purpose of being able to load near a full case of Trailboss powder and use 275 grain lead cast bullets for a mild shooting hog gun.

I also loaded up some 300 grain XTP jacketed hollow points over 25 grains of IMR4227 just to have a mild load using the other powder I had on hand that I use in the 45LC.

I just got back from the range and the Trailboss is perfect and what I had in mind.

With the 45LC I couldn't obtain the velocity I can with the 454 and it's such a mild fun to shoot load I think I may stick with the trailboss for hogs and plinking and move up to the IMR4227 for my deer load which would be good out to at least 150 yards + and not get beat to death from the recoil since it's still a nice light load to shoot.

I fired a box of Hornady 300 XTP's I bought just to get some brass after I reamed mine and go ahead and call me a wimp, but they were pretty stout and not fun to shoot, and also they shot my scope base loose about halfway through the box.

That's fixed and I shoot one ragged hole with both the Trailboss and IMR4227 at 50 yards.   There is several inches of vertical difference between the loads which will require resighting once I change over, but they both hold a tight group.

Love that .454 Casull

[cwlongshot]

I have yet to try trail boss in the 454..... My very first loading was a 300 GD casull bullet with just under a starting load of powder. H4227 IIRC.... It shot great at fifty giving me just over an inch in a ragged hole. Recoil is mild.

I the. Loaded up the 200 FTX bullet with just over a starting load of either lilgun or 296 cannot remember. But again it's a great shooting load with no testing. I just picked a load and tried it and was twice now rewarded with good shooting loads.

I too am beginning to love my 454....

CW

[Jimbo47]

I really like the Trailboss powder and it's just plain fun to shoot, and I had loaded it to the max with the 45 LC but I wasn't all that impressed with the velocity especially at hunting ranges of 50 yards and beyond.   Not that it wouldn't do the job, but I really like the way a max load (Don't compress) in the 454 performs and with the accuracy it's going to be fun.

I'm going to try some lighter weight bullets and see how the TB performs, and I should be able to bump up the velocity quite a bit to extend it's range.

I don't want to change out the Classic Carbine stock or put recoil pads on just yet, but when the need for speed arises there is still that option.