Future of the 480 Ruger?

[KYsquirrelsniper]

I'm just curious what everyone thinks the future holds for the 480 Ruger cartridge.

To me, it seems that the 480 may become an obsolete cartridge within just a few short years. Taurus has dropped it from it's line-up, so Ruger is the only mass-producer making guns for it right now (at least that I know of). There's very few factory loads available for it too, which hurts it with the average shooter. The 500 S&W already has a much larger following than the 480 (probably due to the "mine is bigger than yours" philosophy more than anything). With S&W having the 500 and 460 in it's line-up, to me it seems likely that a big 475 is going to be the next thing to be stuffed into the X-frame, which could kill the 480 for good. It's a shame too, because the 480 does seem like a purposeful cartridge for big game.

[Redhawk1]

I think the 480 will still be around, but more like the 41 Mag. Both are great rounds, but the following is not as popular as other cartridges.  Also the 500 Mag is not a my gun is bigger than your gun, it is truly a very usable round.  It is all just personal choice. 

[Questor]

After the novelty of the latest big cartridge wears off, the cartridges survive based on merit in the field. The 480 has a lot to offer the handgun hunter: good bullets, a big hole with deep penetration, and reasonable recoil built into sound guns that are configured for handgun hunting. The one big strike against it is that cheap cast bullets, as are available for the 44s and 45s, are not readily available, so the gun remains too expensive for most guys to shoot frequently. Another big strike against it is that it's in the same niche as the 44 magnum. 

Do I think it will last? As long as handgun hunting remains popular, they should get a reasonable number of sales. But I don't know how many is enough to keep it alive.

While I've always liked and wanted a 480, I've not been able to justify it to myself because the 44 is so good.

It's hard to tell with cartridges. I wonder how the 45GAP is doing. Great idea, but it doesn't seem to have gained much popularity.

[corbanzo]

FA and Magnum Research still make some guns in the .480 Ruger also. 

The .480 is one of those good old rounds, which has proven itself for many years.  It's all in the name and advertising now a days.  The popular guns are going to be the big ones with the marketing behind them.  Is there going to be any company which is going to push the .480 like the .500 or .460 or even a 9mm?  The truth is no, because people now a days want to hear about the new next best thing, that is where the money is.

The thing about the .480 is that it has a definite proven hunting application, as well as beating the heck out of a target.  It is one of those rounds that will lose ground in the commercial world of handguns, but isn't going to dissapear quickly into quicksand.  I say it's going to be quite a number of years if it actually happens that it stops mass production, and will never totally stop production.  The .480 Ruger won't be a wildcat. 

[Lloyd Smale]

it will be around for many years. Its probably the best ballanced big bore round made. If ruger and marlin would get off there duffs and chamber it in the blackhawk and 94s i truely belive they couldnt make enough of them.

[Cheesehead]

I thought the 480 was presently available in a lever rifle.

Cheese

[fowler]

I second the motion that Ruger needs to get behind it's own cartridge better and make a 5 shot Blackhawk or much better yet a 5 shot Bisley in .480 and you would find a big increase in sales. All the factory 480s I have seen are god awfully ugly beyond reason! That can not be helping it in sales dept. I want a reasonable sized (thats why I will not buy a X frame anything) holsterable, revlover that packs a punch. For me they are 45 colts right now, I would love a .475 Linebaugh but the gun cost and frankly not needing to be belted that hard everytime I shoot it (obviously would be down loaded except for hunting) has kept me from one. Now if Ruger makes a single action 480 that is of reasonable size I'm headed to the gun store and trying to explain to my wife why I need another gun again....

[BlkHawk73]

  I see it becoming another sleeper like the .41 magnum and .44 special have bcome. Every so often they get a breath of fresh air but remain relatively on the sidelines.  Too many are more interested in the "mine is bigger" than having an adequate amount of oomph rather than one that's overkill. 
  If Ruger adds a single action chambered for thie namesake cartridge, I think it'l help but otherwise...

[KYsquirrelsniper]

I thought the 480 was presently available in a lever rifle.

Cheese

I think you're probably referring to the Marlin 1895RL that was supposed to be introduced. The gun (chambered for 480 and 475 Linebaugh) reached the catalogs and Marlin's website, but for reasons unknown to me, it never reached production . That would have been a very practical rifle for short range big game and wouldn't have eat you up with recoil, but.......

[Golsovia]

If the 480 Ruger doesn't stay with us there will be two very obvious reasons for its demise. One, Ruger is not making what customers will buy, a good moderate sized single action and two, the fact that more people have not shot one to see for themselves that it packs significantly more oomph than "standard" mags without being a wrist crusher like the "mine is bigger than yours' mags.

[Redhawk1]

If the 480 Ruger doesn't stay with us there will be two very obvious reasons for its demise. One, Ruger is not making what customers will buy, a good moderate sized single action and two, the fact that more people have not shot one to see for themselves that it packs significantly more oomph than "standard" mags without being a wrist crusher like the "mine is bigger than yours' mags.

I have shot the 480 and the recoil is more than a 44 Mag, some people don't like the recoil of the 44 Mag either. So recoil is stout to some people.
As far as you comment about the mine is bigger than your's mags, I don't find the 454 Casull or 460 Mag as a wrist crusher. Nor do I find the 500 Mag to be a wrist crusher. I shoot my guns for me not to impress anyone else with a "mine is bigger than yours' mags."  You can make a point about Magnum handguns without the sarcasm in my opinion.