More bang for your buck..

W

Wasteofmoney

New member
I've been looking real hard at the Super Redhawk in both of these calibers and I need to know something. I'm very familiar with the .44mag(own a Model 29) and I'm wondering on the recoil on the .480.

I've shot a .454 and do NOT care for the increase in recoil. The .480 is supposedly just slightly heavier than the .44mag. I can deal with slightly more but not the jolt I get from the .454.

I will hunt whitetail's with this gun and I know the .44mag is suffficient(have taken 6 with my Model 29). The .480's numbers look very impressive though, especially out to 125 yds.

I have a few long canoe/hike trips set-up for next summer in the Adirondacks and would feel more at ease with a little more POP than my .44mag provides.

Thanks for your comments.
 
I think you may find that the apparent heavy recoil of the .454 is not so unpleasant after you've fired a decent number of rounds through it.

I have a .454 Super Redhawk and just love that gun. One major advantage is that you can fire .45 Colt out of it too. A wider variety of factory ammo is more readily available than for the .480. Also, if you reload; .45 caliber components are much more readily available than the .475 equivalents.
 
The .480 Ruger has less recoil for sure and more stuff on it than a .44 Magnum.

Sounds like you're set on the .480, and your reasons are right on.

Go for it, and enjoy! :D
 
I'd go with the .454 because you can shoot .45LC in the same gun. Then you have both light target loads and heavy duty hunting loads in one platform. The .480 is a single caliber that may or may not catch on.

Regards,
Glen
 
GARRETT'S 44 MAG AMMO
$65 / 50 CTGS

31O-GR SUPER-HARD-CAST HAMMERHEAD AT 1325-FPS

THIS 44 MAGNUM AMMUNITION IS RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN TC CONTENDERS AND ALL 44 MAGNUM REVOLVERS IN GOOD CONDITION.

ENERGY: 1200 FT/LBS; TAYLOR KNOCKOUT VALUE: 25; MEPLAT: .320"; CHAMBER PRESSURE: 34,000-PSI; SECTIONAL DENSITY: .239; TRAJECTORY: +2" @ 50-YDS; ZERO @ 100-YDS; -8" @ 150-YDS

Rather than buying another pistol you may find that you can get the added punch you'd like by getting some premium ammo. Garrett's web site You would not want to use this stuff on a regular basis but for what you have outlined here it may be enough.
 
Or look at it another way: Buffalo Bore loads their .454C at less than published peak pressures to get recoil down to a point where mere mortals can cope.

From their page at:

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/

In 454C, they have a 360grainer doing 1,425 - in 480, a 370grain does 1,300. Putting the .454C just a bit ahead of the .480, but not by a crazy amount.

They also sell much milder .480 stuff, a 370 pulling 1,000fps. No such milder load in .454C, but lots of choices in .45LC+P, such as a 325 doing 1,300. And of course .45LC is available as mild as 250grain at 700fps commercially.

So me, I'd do a .454C even if I didn't want to deal with the full power envelope that caliber can handle. Because if I ever found myself in Griz country, I *would* load up the full monty and hope adrenaline from a charging bear would dang well let me handle "full armageddon" loads :D.
 
Thanks Gents! Good points and info here.

I will continue my research and make sure I get to shoot a 45LC and a 480 to help my decision.

I'm not so concerned with the 454C being uncontrollable or too painful. I just don't think I'll need that much POP. When I go for Whitetails, I use my .270 and not my .338. If coyotes are the target, I use my 22-250 and not my .270.

The 454C's numbers are terrific but I'll hopefully never run into a mad 400 lb Blackie here in upstate NY. Most blacks are in the 150-250 lb range here. Other than that, I don't feel I'll need anything more than a .44 or .480.
 
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