Attn: Raging Bull owners.

L

Lightsped

New member
I am considering the purchase of a Taurus Raging Bull. Why? Well, why not? I probally won't shoot it very often due to the cost of its ammo, but still it would be fun to own a Bull.

My question is: Which caliber should I buy? 44 Mag, 454, or the 480? The Raging Bull is offered in all of these calibers. What are advantages and disadvantages to these various calibers?
 
What do you plan on doing with it? Hunting, maybe? What game? If you are considering hunting whitetail deer and possibly boar, but nothing bigger, I can think of no practical reason to go with 480 or 454 over the 44 magnum. Both handily outperform 44 mag, but given the realistic situations in which you might take a shot at either of those animals, the extra power is wasted power. Bigger game? Then you may want to consider 480/454 Casull. But then again, 44 mag has been used effectively by skilled hunters on elk and brown bear. On the other hand, I do know a couple people who have 454 Casulls who only target shoot with them and don't hunt, believe it or not. The only thing that makes me hesitate about the 480 would be long term availability of reloading components and factory ammo. It remains to be seen if the 480 will have a long life. 44 and 454 components and ammo are plentiful. I would hate to invest in a gun that 10 years down the road I wouldn't be able to shoot because no ammo was available and components were cost prohibitive. Buy what you want, its your hard earned money after all. Good luck!
 
Well, I doubt I will ever hunt with the Raging Bull. I have a bad habit of just acquring guns for no real reason. I do occasionally go to the range. I just thought a Bull might be a interesting gun to add to my collection, as I have liked them since they first came out......
 
I was just now informed that the Raging Bull also comes in 45 Long Colt. So now the Bull will come in 45 Long Colt, 44 Mag, 454, and 480......

I am still looking for opinions on the various rounds for the Raging Bull, as well as advantages and disadvantages for each caliber.
 
unless you load your own .45 colt you will be very disapointed in this round.it is a weakling,especially in a big bull.you will fall over forward from the lack of recoil.the 45 colt hasent enough recoil to hold up the barrel.if you getting a ragin bull get the .454 casulle or dont bother.
 
Can the 45LC be fired in a 454 Casull gun? Sort of like a 38 being fired in a 357? How much does a box of 45 LC range ammo go for? How about 454 Casull?
 
If all you're planning on using it for is fun shooting and you don't reload I would go with the 44 for the same reason you would get any other 44 - light special ammo or magnum ammor when you want to blast away with something bigger.

The same logic could be applied to the 454 since you can fire 45 Colt ammo in it you can have either light or heavy rounds as your mood suits you but 454 ammo is substantially more expensive than 44 Magnum rounds.

If you handload the 45 Colt or 454 makes sense, you can load up some very stout 45 Colt loads for the big Raging Bull or load light plinkers.

The 480 I think would almost require you to be a handloader due to the cost and availablility of factory ammo. .475" bullets are likely going to be around forever, at least in cast form due to the popularity of the 475 Linebaugh round. I think you'll always be able to mail order bullets. Brass shouldn't be to much of a concearn, no one loses brass from a revolver so you'll only lose it from wearing it out which should take many firings.

I think having a 480 would be a lot of fun, but the current price of 475 bullets compared to 44 or 45 leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you're just using it for plinking or target shooting.

If I were buying one, and I might be in the coming months, I would go with either the 45 Colt or 454 Casull, most likely the 454.
 
Around here range 45 Colt ammo is about $20/ box. http://www.ammoman.com has it for ~$9/box if you buy a case of it. 454 Casull ammo goes for anywhere from $35-50/ box.

And yes you can fire 45 Colt ammo in a 454 just like 38's in a 357. It also has the same potential problem, since you're firing a shorter round there can be some build up in the cylinder after firing a lot of 45 Colts that could prevent 454 rounds from chambering.
 
Lightsped has already confessed to "a bad habit of just acquring guns for no real reason".

Sick, sick, sick. Hope I don't catch it!

:)
 
I dont think ive ever had a good reason for buying a Rifle or Handgun i just like haveing a lot of guns i dont think it is a bad habit its just a habit that costs alot of money.

The best thing that has ever come out for guys like us is a little thing called a Class 3 SOT license i will never regret getting mine :D

Out of all the thousands of dollars this has cost me i have yet to buy a revolver but will pick up one ASAP

If i was you LightSped i would go for the .454 or .480 because .44mag is a great round and all but if i was just going to buy a gun for looks i would go for the one with a bigger hole in the barrel ;)
 
I love my Model 444 (Raging Bull in .44 Magnum). Honestly, it's probably the most accurate handgun I've ever fired and the weight and porting reduces recoil tremendously.
 
Went to the local gunshop and held a blue 454 Raging Bull with the 8 3/8 inch barrel. It felt pretty good. A bit heavy, but I still liked it. I am now actively looking for a chrome 454 with the 6.5 inch barrel......
 
I like getting guns just for the heck of it, now if I were just rich.
I believe if your going to get a hand cannon...........then get a hand cannon! 454!, you can always reload, or find someone at the club to do the reloading for you. Oh, get the looooong barrel, just in case some smelly old bear bothers you, or some punk yuppie.
good luck
DA
 
On the topic of buying a Raging Bull 454 then reloading .45 LC to save money, is it feasible to buy the .44 magnum Raging Bull for target shooting/fun shooting, shooting it often (100 rounds a week?), but using light-grain hand reloads in 44 magnum to save money?
 
You can purchase the 444 and shoot 44 Russian, 44 Special and 44 Magnum. I have been entertaining the idea of a 444 or a 44 in 44 Magnum and a custom 3" barrel. Amputate, recrown and Hi-Viz with Pachmayr Compac grips. I feel that 480 Ruger will be available as long as Ruger exists.
 
I love my 454 Raging Bull. Quality is outstanding.

I have a 6.5" Raging bull with a Ultra-Dot scope on it and it is IMO the best size for hunting. I can carry it on the hip with out being too heavy. I also use a cross-chest holster to carry it under my hunting coat and it is very concealable.
I reload my 454's down to a mid-level power and it is a pussycat to shoot. 250grain to 1600 fps. It is more than enough for North American big game.
I find the S&W X frame to large and bulky to carry. I am not that impressed with the 460's ballistics. It is a step sidways from the 454 casull in power. The 500 S&W is a geat African game pistol and fits the X-frame but the 460 is marginally faster than the 454 casull.
The Raging Bull in 454 casull is probably the best Gun/Caliber combo since the 44mag/model 29.
 
If recoil is your concern, then don't be concerned. Winchester makes a 250 grain mild load for the 454 that still packs a punch but in the Raging Bull has less recoil that a lighter uncompensated 44 mag.
My Raging Bull is an amazing gun, extremely tight and accurate and I got it for less than half the price of a 460 S&W. Not to mention it just looks cooler IMHO.
 
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