454 casull vs 460 sw

In this case, since the two cartridges are the same diameter and operate at the same pressures, length is the only concern. Pressure curves are a non-issue in revolvers.
 
That's some fine shooting and illustrates my point. You're using twice as much powder, carrying twice as much revolver yet unless YOU can shoot consistently at 200yds, it's a lot of extra for no good reason.
Click to expand...

That went over my head as I don't understand your point. A .460 gives you a .45 Colt for plinking (and small powder charges), a .454 if you want a little more pop, and a full on .460 S&W if you wish. Does it weigh more than a J frame Smith, yes; but not so different than one of my Contenders. Did you mean the accuracy is not needed unless shooting 200 yards? While it may be overkill to hit the same bullet hole at 25 yards, accurate guns ARE more interesting. :D
 
I don't call that versatility. I personally wouldn't buy a 5lb gun to shoot .45Colt mousefart loads from. I can do that much more easily with a 36oz SAA. Nor would I buy one to shoot .454 loads from. I can do that much more easily in a 45oz FA.

IMHO, 99% of the so-called advantages espoused by .460 owners are inventions designed to justify their purchase. "Because I want one" is a perfectly legitimate reason for owning one and I don't condemn anyone for doing so. I just don't want any would-be first time handgun hunters to think they "need" such a monstrosity to kill deer.
 
Gotcha, you don't want a .460 so I am guessing you don't own one now or ever did. My posts are based on actual experience. Large bore, powerful revolvers are not for everyone and the fact that a .460 is a little less than 12 ounces heavier than my Dan Wesson that I used to hunt with may be too heavy for some folks. The OP asked about .460 in a .454 and received his answer. From actual experience shooting one, a .460 is effective for deer--not so much because of the energy but it is near the head of the pack in flat trajectory for revolvers which takes range guessing out of the equation at all reasonable pistol distances. Just aim at the deer and you don't have to worry about holdover. BTW, As someone who has actually shot .45 Colt loads out of the XVR, I thought it was great fun. We all have our preferences. YMMV.
 
Last edited:
Throttle back on the condescension son. Some of us have been shooting and handloading for big bore revolvers for a long time. Long enough to not be impressed by the guys making noise at the range with the biggest cannon they can afford. No, I do not own one or want one, or a .454 for that matter. I've also been around the block enough to know that I do not have to own one to have a valid opinion of them. I believe in diameter and mass and do not worship velocity and energy. A sixgun is supposed to be portable and packable, which means it is just fine riding in a belt holster. Whether it's a .22LR or a .500. The X-frames are neither portable nor packable. They are impressive on paper to teenagers but paper doesn't get the job done. Like I've already said, they're great if you don't mind hauling around a 5-6lb gun that shoots flat to 200yds but very few need that and fewer still can actually utilize it. So the wiser among us use no more than we need and let the chest thumpers haul around the biggest, most user-unfriendly monstrosities available.
 
Impressive, yet irrelevant array of trophies. Which one of those trophies proves that .460 X-frames are good for deer at 100yds? I could show you 20 Olympic gold medals and it wouldn't make my opinion, on this subject, any more valid.

So, are we gonna talk about guns or turn this into a measuring contest???


I trust the readers of the posts have figured out which of us know what we are talking about.
Click to expand...
If I don't know what I'm talking about, then exactly what have I posted that is incorrect or untrue? My basic point is that unless you're shooting deer at 150-200yds, the .460 is unnecessary. Unnecessary weight, recoil, muzzle blast and expense. The X-frames cost quite a bit more than your average standard chambering and are more expensive to feed. If I don't know what I'm talking about, does that mean that it is necessary? Please explain.

You think my NOT owning one makes my opinion invalid. Well that's interesting but doesn't really address the issue, does it? I think your owning one makes you heavily biased, perhaps even blinded. People will go a long way to justify their decisions, particularly when money is involved.
 
Last edited:
IMHO, 99% of the so-called advantages espoused by .460 owners are inventions designed to justify their purchase. "Because I want one" is a perfectly legitimate reason for owning one and I don't condemn anyone for doing so. I just don't want any would-be first time handgun hunters to think they "need" such a monstrosity to kill deer.
Click to expand...

Hello, my name is Gdawgs. I am addicted to big guns. I bought a 460 just because I wanted one. :D

DSCF0388.jpg
 
454 casull vs 460 sw
Click to expand...

Hmmm. 16 inch gun .vs. 18 inch gun. Which would be better?

For deer? Either one will kill any deer made so instead look at the platforms offered and see which handgun fits you better.

Deaf
 
Hello, my name is Gdawgs. I am addicted to big guns. I bought a 460 just because I wanted one.
Click to expand...

Damned good reason. Did you try two rings and then go to three rings? How does that hawg shoot?

Might be a little big to carry on your belt. :D

The long cylinder turns me off. But the more I read these 460 S&W thread, the more I may make an exception.

Maybe in a year or so on the 460 for me. I am still getting used to the 475/480 BFR.

These 460 thread are as much fun as bear threads!
 


This is a picture of my target of a bear charging me from 25 yards away. The gun is a S&W 460 Magnum and the three rounds fired were 300 grain 454s. I shot this snubbie off hand to compare the .454 to the 460 magnum rounds that I had used to sight in the gun. As the picture shows, the 454s shot slightly to the right of my point of aim. The below Youtube video shows me shooting the first round (under tape 1" above other two rounds) at the target.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ10KIdDRwo

Mark
 
Did you try two rings and then go to three rings? How does that hawg shoot?
Click to expand...

I went to three rings right away. After doing some research on scopes, several people recommended three rings, so that's what I did. It shoots well if you do your part. Shooting heavy recoiling monsters is not easy, at least not for me. It's real easy to develop a flinch and not realize you are doing it. I have been able to shoot a .5" group (four shots, fifth shot was a flyer) at 50 yds with it. Haven't gotten it to the 100 yd range yet.

BubbaBlades - I don't think I'd want to shoot 460's out of your Smith. That's gotta hurt. Those 454s look plenty painful. I love your charging bear!
 
I am addicted to big guns. I bought a 460 just because I wanted one.
Click to expand...
Like I said, ain't nothin' wrong with that! I'm about to have a Bisley flat-top .500JRH built and will use it for deer hunting mostly. Not because I think I need one to slay Bambi but just because I want one. A 440gr at 1000fps ought to do the job.
 
I really bought the .460 because I heard from folks I trust that it was accurate. If Smith did not come out with the .460, I would have most likely bought a .454 at some time. I shot a lot of silhouette in the 80s into the early 90s and learned a lot about revolvers during that time. We started out with most folks in revolver class shooting mostly Rugers and Smiths in 44 mag. When Dan Wesson came out with the .357 Super Mag, the game changed and it became the revolver to beat. When the FA .454 Casull first showed up, it was competitive right out of the box. No one had a doubt it would knock the 50-60 lb rams down but the old heads watched what how well it hit the turkeys at 150 meters. Those were the toughest targets to hit due to their shape and they were far enough away to make it hard. The .454 impressed me with its accuracy as it was at least as accurate as the Super Mag that had been developed for years if not more so. When I got the .460, it was more accurate than my Dan Wesson after just a little load development. A very impressive round.

As far as deer hunting with a .460 (or a .454 for that matter), I think both are good choices. They are powerful for a revolver round but around when I live anyway, only about 5% of the hunters in gun season use a handgun and even fewer use a shotgun. So 90%+ are using rifles. A common rifle, a 30-06, can easily have 500-1000 ft/lbs more energy than a .460 and folks don't consider that over gunned. So it is all in how you look at the big picture. Hope this helps.
 
There is, in my opinion, not a single deer anywhere in the 48 contiguous stages that cannot be cleanly and humanely taken with a 45 Colt (loaded to the more powerful levels, not the old Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting levels).

The 454 is harder to control, practice with and more expensive to feed if you don't handload.

The 460 is harder to control, practice with and more expensive to feed if you don't handload.

The more powerful rounds do reach out to farther distances, but not significatly so (in my opinion) as the sight radius is usually the limiting factor in the clean, humane kill criteria. The 460 does shoot significantly flatter, though, making distance adjustments simpler (as mentioned before in another post).

The more powerful rounds require heavier, less packable guns. The more powerful rounds require more tolerance for recoil and often induce shooters to flinch (so require more practice)

A scoped 460 Smith vs a similarly scoped 454 Casull vs a similarly scoped 45 Colt will do better, sure. Is it worth the extra trouble? I think not.

Lost Sheep
 
This is just my oppinion on the matter: I have a 8 3/8 460 Mag XVR, 454 Casull SRH, and two Ruger .44 mags.

When it comes to hunting, I use a Ruger SBH Hunter Bisley in .44 mag. The .44 Mag has dropped elephants. How much gun do you need especially when you consider humane handgun distances?

I bought the 460 to hunt elk with someday but I doubt I seriously will. I later really learned to appreciate its accuracy. I also bought it because I just wanted it and I had the cash at the time. It is fun hitting sillhouettes at 300+ yards though. I would never take a hunting shot at that distance..!

My SRH 454 actually has more recoil than the .460. The 454 is a great round. I like it very much. I actually got the gun NIB for the trade of a rifle that I had that I no longer shot or wanted.

Weight is a factor. The .44 Mag and .454 weigh in the 50+ ounce range not counting optics. The X-frames weigh 70+ ounces empty.

The 460 has its place though. It gives 45-70 level performance in a handgun. Some folks like that factor. I later realized it was too much power for practical use. I may use it for that purpose some day but not for a while. I want to master handgun hunting before I try it on an expensive hunt.

I will keep them all. I love big bore revolvers. I am a recoil junkie and I have a problem.......
 
Lost Sheep said...There is, in my opinion, not a single deer anywhere in the 48 contiguous stages that cannot be cleanly and humanely taken with a 45 Colt (loaded to the more powerful levels, not the old Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting levels).

The 454 is harder to control, practice with and more expensive to feed if you don't handload.

The 460 is harder to control, practice with and more expensive to feed if you don't handload.

The more powerful rounds do reach out to farther distances, but not significatly so (in my opinion) as the sight radius is usually the limiting factor in the clean, humane kill criteria. The 460 does shoot significantly flatter, though, making distance adjustments simpler (as mentioned before in another post).

The more powerful rounds require heavier, less packable guns. The more powerful rounds require more tolerance for recoil and often induce shooters to flinch (so require more practice)

A scoped 460 Smith vs a similarly scoped 454 Casull vs a similarly scoped 45 Colt will do better, sure. Is it worth the extra trouble? I think not.
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with your post except for the last statement "I think not.". I decided that the big heavy revolvers are the way to go with the 44+ power levels. I tried carrying a rifle too, but after a few days, decided that IF I want to hunt with a handgun, then I should limit my tools to the handgun. So, the size and weight factors become less important since I am essentially comparing the handgun to a rifle/long gun at that point in terms of portability and the handgun wins, even the X-frames.

You are obviously a 45 Colt fan. That's fine. I like the 41 magnum. It will also take any game animal in the lower 48. But I have chosen the 480 Ruger in the SRH platform.

Codefour said... My SRH 454 actually has more recoil than the .460. The 454 is a great round. I like it very much. I actually got the gun NIB for the trade of a rifle that I had that I no longer shot or wanted.
Click to expand...

Having never shot a 454 Casull, I really don't know. But I have and do shoot the 480 Ruger from a SRH and you have to get used to shooting them. That revolver is not the most friendly recoiling platform. I feel the same way about the Redhawk. I have little desire to learn to shoot the 454 in any platform. But some of the other >45 caliber offerings that you can shoot from a short cylinder (vs long such as the BFR) have a lot of appeal. But the power level is pretty much just a personal choice. The same reasoning applies to the larger caliber rifles, for example 45-70, and using them to hunt deer with.
 
I tried carrying a rifle too, but after a few days, decided that IF I want to hunt with a handgun, then I should limit my tools to the handgun. So, the size and weight factors become less important since I am essentially comparing the handgun to a rifle/long gun at that point in terms of portability and the handgun wins, even the X-frames.
Click to expand...
This IMHO is one of the biggest factors when comparing the 460 to .454 and other cartridges of 454 length. The 460 pretty much pushes your hand into handgun or rifle range. It's one of the things that swayed my decision to go 480 I have a choice I can use my Scoped SRH and have the ability to make most any shot I could with a 460. Or I can carry my 5 1/4" custom BFR holstered and carry a rifle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top