454 recoil

goodolsavage

goodolsavage

New member
Okay guys i want this forum to be for people that are interested in buying a 454 casull specificly. But also to be specific on what 454s have different felt recoil,

How would you guys compare a 454casull to other COMMON gandguns with common calibers. I would like more comparisons to .357s since i would Imagin that would be the most common magnum revolver sombody would have shot.

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454 and 44 magnum recoil comparison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h3fG_LCqhE

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

It's easy to see the difference in .44 Magnum recoil VS 454 Casull recoil in my above YouTube videos.

In my .44 Magnum video, I am shooting a 240 grain Remington gas check round from a S&W 6 1/2" Model 29-2.

In my 454 Casull video, I am shooting a 300 grain lead semi-wadcutter round from a S&W Model 460 magnum with a 2 3/4" barrel.

Mark
 
I have a Raging Bull w/6 1/2" barrel. Comparing that to my Colt Trooper MKIII, 357mag, there is no comparison. The Colt I can shoot comfortably ALL day, that's not gonna happen with the casull! I also can compare it to many other 367s I've shot, and would still offer the same statement. Having said that, the casull I have isn't totally obnoxious, just something I wouldn't want to spend the whole day shooting. If ya' know what I mean.
 
I have a S&W .460 X-Frame with a 5-inch barrel. I'd rather shoot .460 ammunition than .454 Casull. The .454 seems to have faster / sharper recoil than the .460.

Here are some common loads that can be found in commercial ammunition for a .44 magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger

A .44 magnum shooting a 300 grain bullet at 1187 feet per second (FPS) in a 3.0 lb gun gives 22.6 ft / lbs of energy and the gun recoils at 22 FPS.

A .454 Casull shooting a 300 grain bullet at 1650 FPS in a 3.2 lb gun gives 38.6 ft / lbs of recoil energy and the gun recoils at 27.9 FPS.

A .480 Ruger shooting a 325 grain bullet at 1477 FPS in a 3.3 lb gun gives 33.3 ft / lbs of recoil energy and the gun recoils at 25.5 FPS.

You can see the pressures and recoil by directly comparing the .454 to the S&W .460.

The Casull with a 300 grain bullet loaded to a velocity of 1780 FPS has a working pressure average of 49,850 PSI.

A .460 S&W with a 300 grain bullet loaded to a velocity of 1825 FPS has an average working pressure of 43,200 PSI.

That may give you a better idea of why the Casull feels like it has faster / sharper recoil than the .460 S&W.
 
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How would you guys compare a 454casull to other COMMON gandguns with common calibers. I would like more comparisons to .357s since i would Imagin that would be the most common magnum revolver sombody would have shot.
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False Premise. 357 WHAT??? I have 3 357's... a 3" SP101, a 6 1/2" BlackHawk and a 6" GP100. How about compared to a Scandium framed ultralight 357? THOSE right there are BRUTAL in the recoil Dept.

Having shot a 454 SRH 7 1/2" next to my 44 Mag SRH 7 1/2" I'll say the 454 has more kick but nothing I couldn't control and nothing that would make me flinch. But then again, I know how to roll with the blow. The question should be a 454 in WHAT gun?
 
This is kinda a threat for people looking into a 454 and might be worried about recoil. So any gun

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srh 454

I will say this I had a SRH 71/2 barrel with the factory wood rubber grips. I was shooting full power reloads a lot and damaged my joint in my thumb. I sold the 454 but I still have a couple of 44 that I shoot. It was the most brutal recoil I have ever shot. I shoot a LCR 357 with no problems. I am a big guy but the 454 took its toll on my thumb joint.:)
 
I have a 6" GP100 in 357 magnum.

I have a 7 1/2" Ruger Redhawk in 44 magnum.

I have a 7 1/2" Freedom Arms in 454 Casull.

I shoot mostly full power loads - that's why I have magnums.

I've been a pistol shooter since the early 80's.

The GP100 is like shooting +Ps in my snub.

You can feel the 44 mag Redhawk, and while the recoil is heavy to some people, it doesn't phase me at all, and I don't flinch.

The 454 Casull can be painful to shoot, the recoil is tremendous, and I still have to consciously, and deliberately NOT flinch. My gun is pointed to the sky after each round, and now and then I find myself taking an occasional step backwards after a shot, with max power loads in this gun. The medium power Casull loads that a I shoot most often, while a lot warmer than 44 magnum feel about the same as the 500 S&W I shot that had a longer barrel.

As has been pointed out to me, the platforms upon which the new 460s are commonly used are ported and balanced in a way that gives far less felt recoil than the guns chambered in 454 Casull.
 
Freedom Arms ported .454 here.
IMHO, there is NO comparing the recoil to any SA .357.

Similar to what Buckhorn says, I describe the .454 recoil as 'sudden'.
Recoil is not really that severe, just fast.
The Freedom Arms .454 requires you to 'stay in the gun' with a very firm hold throughout the firing sequence.

When I got the pistol almost 30 years ago, I had it ported and had FA do a trigger job.
The trigger is LIGHT. I am used to the trigger, but it is the only pistol I own that I do not allow others to shoot out of
concerns of someone using a light hold and catching the front sight in the forehead.

I would not recommend a .454 to anyone who has not spent some real quality time behind a .44 first.

JT
 
I shot one today. Not really that bad. It was a raging bull. Hornady 300grain loads. Honestly very little flip out of that gun. Does kinda hurt the palm a little but i got small hands. About 2-3x worse push than a 357

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I have a large frame Freedom Arms( model 83 ) in .357 Mag... in 4 3/4" octagonal barrel ( its about 50 oz )....and I've shot a few Freedom Arms model 83's in .454 Casull in 7 1/2"...../ the recoil in the .454 Casull is significantly heavier. Its not a problem to shoot it ...but a box is plenty for me. The .357 Mag I have in that gun ...is a very soft shooting gun...and I will routinely put 2 or 3 boxes thru it with no problem. I have only fired a Freedom Arms large frame gun in .44 Mag one time - I think it was a 4 3/4" ...and it was fine ...more recoil than the .357 Mag...but not a problem.

Freedom Arms also makes a mid sized frame .( model 97 )..which does not fit my hands - so I don't care for it ...and its closer to the weight of an N frame S&W probably...so that model of Freedom Arms will give you a lot more recoil - just because its lighter in any caliber...

N frame S&W's ( model 27's, 28's, 627's in .357 mag / 29's..and 629's.in .44 mag .....in 3", 4", 6" and 8 3/8"....) . and in a 3" or 4" N frame the .44 Mag is significantly heavier recoil than the .357 Mag...and if the N frames were made in .454 Casull, it would be much heavier recoil ../ I can shoot a 2 5/8" - 4" model 27 or 627 (.357 Mag) all day long ...where a box of .44 Mag in a 3" or 4" gun, one box is plenty.

I have some arthritis in my hands...and my knuckles..and a .44 Mag with a short barrel wears me out / but I can shoot a .44 Mag all day in a heavier 629 or model 29 in a 6 - 8 3/8" barrel with very few issues. ( size of your hands might make a difference...I'm 6'5" and 290 and have large hands...but I still don't want a steady diet of .44 Mag in a lighter, shorter barrel .( like less than 4")..or even a longer barrel in .454 Casull.

For what its worth....I like the .475 Linebaugh caliber in the large frame Freedom Arms ...a lot more than the .454 Casull...its a little less recoil / without the big "Thump" I feel in the .454 Casull.

If I order a couple more Freedom Arms large frames....they'll be a 4 3/4" octagonal barrel in .44 Mag ...and a 7 1/2" Octagonal barrel in .475 Linebaugh...not the .454 Casull...
 
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If you are semi-frugal, I would suggest you get the 454 in a BFR. Single actions seem to handle the heavy recoiling calibers better than double actions. I don't enjoy shooting my SRH in 480 Ruger, but shooting the same loads in the BFR are much more pleasant to shoot.

I don't own a 454 Casull revolver. So, take my suggestion as just that.
 
In addition to 454 revolvers I have a lever action rifle in 454. It has a recoil pad and it needs one. I would describe the recoil as heavier than a 30-06 but lighter than shooting a 3 and 1/2 inch Magnum turkey load from your shotgun. Stout but manageable and a lot of fun. Nothing like getting 2500 fps from a 255 gn bullet.
 
Go here and compare the Recoil E(Energy) of like bullet weights.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_recoil_table.htm
An 1147 fps 300 grain .44 Mag recoils with 22.6 ft/lbs. A 1650 fps 300 grain .454 Casull with 38.6 ft/lbs. Velocity matters, as does bullet weight, but one handgun will feel more like recoil than another. Take the 7.5" SuperRedhawk. A .44 weighs 53 ounces, the .454 52 ounces. 38.6 ft-lbs. is going to be noticed more than 22.6 ft/lbs. The single ounce isn't going to affect anything.
Pay close attention to "However, perceived recoil, what the shooter feels, is a highly subjective matter." Not all handguns are the same, so you need to compare like handguns, not all handguns chambered in just any magnum cartridge.
If, for example, the Desert Eagle came in .454, it'd feel like it has less recoil due to the gas operation. Felt recoil out of a .44 Mag DE is nothing. Even though the friggin' thing is made for monkey hands.
A BFR weighs .6 lbs. more than a SurperRedHawk. And the design of the SA style grip helps absorb recoil. Buckets of factors apply to felt recoil, not just the cartridge though.
 
I has a SRH in 454 for awhile. Truth be told, it was not at all pleasant to shoot many times. My hand hurt ! Should have tried using a batters glove ?
44 Mags in the Super Blackhawk are fun !
 
I've always been a recoil junkie, I was really disappointed the first time I fired a 44mag.

I wasn't at all with the 454, 13 times in a row was all I could handle .
 
I wasn't at all with the 454, 13 times in a row was all I could handle
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That should give you a hint about the recoil. The 13 times is about all I lasted the first time I shot my 480 Ruger SRH. I was pretty much done for shooting that day as my hands were shaking.
 
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