Hard hitting load 454 casull.

R

Righthawk44

Inactive
I just bought a ruger super redhawk 7.5" 454 casull. I'm looking for a load that will freight train a large deer. I use mostly H110 powder and I have been reloading straight wall magnum pistols for several years. I was just wondering if anyone had any bullet suggestions or a pet load thats good at 100 yards and closer?
 
Probably anything fired from it. I shoot a lot of .45 Colt and shoot 300 to 350 grain loads using H110 at 1100-1200 fps. I've shot through several inches of yellow pine 4 x 4 posts and OSB board. I don't believe anything fom Black Bear and smaller would stand a chance against these loads. The .454 Casull has taken about every animal on Earth.
 
Well, im fixing to jam about 36 grains of H110 under a 240gr Hornady xtp-mag and see what comes of it. I have some 300gr xtp-mags as well but im afraid they would have little to no expansion on a small delicious yearling. Which believe it or not my 445sm had terrible results this year, I killed both deer I shot, however the 10 point I shot broadside just behind the right shoulder and had no exit. And the tiny yearling I shot ran off like nothing happened and suddenly just flopped after about 80 yard with no blood trail to speak of. I was shooting 300gr xtp @ roughly 1350fps. So I decided to step up to the 454.
 
That's a valid point. However I do enjoy the difficulties involved in shooting something that has a bite to it. If it's not difficult to master then what's the point of practice.
 
300 Gr gas checked home made SWC cast bullet 16-18 BHN

27.0 gr H110

or 27.0 gr H4227

Either one will get there.

I have an abundance of both powders, so they both are used equally in my SRH.
 
45 cal and you're worrying about expansion ???
a cal hole right through a deer will usually do it unless you have a very tough deer and you haven't hit a critical piece. Going all the way through gives you a good blood trail , more important than the mythical expending all the energy in the deer. Energy does not kill the deer ! A premium bullet will improve things like the Barnes or a Swift A-frame.
 
A load that works for me is a Hornady 250 XTP HP with a CCI standard primer and 30 gr/IMR4227. That load Chrono's 1475 fps from a 7 1/2" FA83. If all you have is H110 try 28-30 gr with the same bullet. The load mentioned has a lot of bang flops under its belt.
 
Another load I use that shoots really well is Matt's 350 gr WFN with 26 gr/ IMR4227 and a standard primer. My son and I shoot these from FA83 and are completely safe in our guns. PM me and I will give you another load I won't list here.
 
The 454 is a hot rod 45 Colt. It runs at rifle pressure, so be careful. I would suggest a 305 or 315 Gas Check from Matt's Bullets to avoid leading. If you want jacketed, then Hornady XTP is the ticket. Don't be concerned about the 300 opening up - you're poking a big hole through them. In my Colt, I have been amazed at the penetration at just 1050 with my preferred 285SAA. Shoots through deer, hogs, and blacks to 40 yards from any angle.
 
Wait, the OP can’t obtain the results he wants with a .445SM so he goes to a marginally more effective .454? His perceived failures were due to poor bullet choice, not the cartridge. Be that as it may, if he can’t get the results he wants with the .454 then he needs to switch to rifles.


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Poor bullet choice was my fault, all the other Hornady bullets I have shot worked as advertised. But from what I understand the xtp-mags hold together well, so I should get a nice clean exit on my next large Missouri deer. Not a fan of rifles and long shots, I want to see what color their eyes are before I shoot them.
 
I am shooting a 265 cast gas check out of a 460 mag. It groups around 3" @ 100 yards and is moving along at 1828 FPS but by no means a max load. I would think it would work just as well from a 454.
 
The Hornady XTP Mags are tougher than the standard XTPs. The only one I’ve used was a 240 out of an M1894 Trapper at about 1500 fps. Complete pass through broadside on a small deer.

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Hit him with a wide meplat, in this case the weight is not all that important. Don't push it too fast or the pressure wave in front of the meplat will act like a point and push tissue out of the way rather than cut it.
 
"The Hornady XTP Mags are tougher than the standard XTPs"

Yes, they have thicker jackets and quite a bit tougher. I only have a sample size of one as far as actual use on game but I shot a large hog with a 300 grain XTP mag. It entered the left jaw and exited in front of the right hip. I don't see penetration on any deer being an issue.
 
Practical experience here... for white tails, anything even close to .45 long will do it.

My experience comes from using a Freedom Arms 71/2 inch barrel with hot 300 grain XTP magnums. Knocked em flat. So did 240 grain. So did downloading them.

So did “ruger only” .45 colt loads out of a 5 1/2” Blackhawk. Knocked whitetails flat.

So did 18.5 grains of 2400 under a Keith style swc... but instead of punching through the lungs, hit them in the neck or shoulder. I used that same load with 240 grain xtp s.

Factory .44 magnum stuff worked just fine for my dad out of his Blackhawk.

I am really glad I had a chance to shoot .454 Casull when I was younger and tougher and had the fantasy of going to Africa to visit my sister and brother in law. They managed a game preserve. They decided to have kids, and came back to the states... just as well.

Explore some loads, don’t feel you need to hit a white tail with an atomic bomb. 18.5 grains of 2400 and a 240 grain xtp will do you well and is pleasant to shoot. A cream puff compared to many of the Casull loads I’ve detonated through deer.

Enjoy it, even if it’s a fantasy of shooting elk or moose or hogs or African buffalo, it’s one I enjoyed thinking about and working up monster big bore hand cannon loads for. It was fun to annoy the Glock kids at the outdoor range with loads that required maximum earmuffs AND ear plugs both!
 
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