Super Redhawk .454 - "light" loads?

D

dogfood

New member
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a Super Redhawk in .454 Casull for awhile. Ultimately, it will be used for deer hunting - but in the meantime, I want to use it for bowling pin shooting.

Here's my concern. There has been some written about using "light" (.45 Colt-ish) loads in the .454, and how the accuracy is not as good, as the .454 has a 1-in-24 twist (which is designed for high velocity optimization). Therefore, lighter loads don't work as well, as this twist rate is too slow for the lower velocities. Apparently, the .45 Colt revolvers have a 1-in-18 or so twist.

So, does anyone have any real world accuracy experience using light loads in their .454's? For bowling pins, I'll be looking to send a 255 gr. SWC at 900 fps or so.

Thanks,
Dogfood
 
with a slower twist and a slower velocity the only way to keep bullet stability is to shed some weight. If you stick to 200 grain bullets, you shouldn't have much problem. Buy a box of cowboy action shootin ammo and see how she shoots.
 
Yeah, you will never really know until you actually try the loads. Cowboy loads aren't expensive, so give them a try. You may be suprised!
 
255 gr in a 1 in 24 should be a tack driver out to ~ 50 yards.
More depends on the actual diameter of the chambers/barrel in this case than on the rate of twist.
Slug the chambers and the bore, and size your bullets (hard cast lead) ~ .001 to .002 over the slugged size.

Raw "velocity" - as in
"the .454 has a 1-in-24 twist (which is designed for high velocity optimization)." has nothing to do with the effect of the rate of twist. Someone has mislead you there.
The 1 in 24 is intended to deliver optimal .454 Casuall loads, which are heavy (300 - 330 gr) slugs. Since the .454 Casuall is a high velocity round, I can see how it can be somewhat misleading.

Rate of twist determines how "heavy" the slug can be in relation to the bore.
Since the advent of actual "bullets" as opposed to round balls, rates of twist have become faster to accomodate the longer bearing surface of the bullets.

Rule of thumb - heavier the slug in relation to the bore, faster the twist needed to stablilze the slug at distances . <-- A slug that can be stable out to 75 yards may tumble @ 100.

I don't have a .454. I do have a Winchester Trapper in .45LC though, and I did work up a number of "warm to hot" loads for it. The Winchester has a 1 in 30 something RoT. 250 gr slugs are at it's extreme edge for accuracy out to ~ 50 yards. It's far happier with 230 gr, and happiest of all with 200 gr. Actual velocites of the loads seldom figure into things, except that it does like loads on the warmish side. (1100 - 1200 fps). I suspect that's more the gun's preferance for slower powders than anything else.
 
Hal - You bring up an interesting point - and, most likely, I didn't present my thought process in clear terms.

All things being equal (which they never are), I think we're in agreement that heavier bullets require a faster twist rate. With the .454, it appears that the designers wanted to optimize the twist rate for the heavy bullets that were planned for the cartridge - but still keep the pressures within a reasonable range (provided you can call 50,000 CUP or so "reasonable"). Certainly, a 1-24 twist will show less pressure than a 1-18 twist (again, all other things equal).

So, I was looking at this from more of a .45 Colt perspective. Assuming the 1-18 twist is "correct" for a 255 grain bullet in the .45 Colt, what happens if we change barrels to a 1-24 twist. Do we still have enough twist to stabilize the 255 grain bullet at the standard .45 Colt velocity? That is essentially what I would be doing with a light load in the SRH .454.

Based on your input, it appears I should be OK to 50 yards, which is the maximum distance I would consider with the light load anyway. I just may have to buy one of these.

dogfood

P.S. - Note to the other guys who replied - Good suggestions, but I don't own one of these revolvers, so I really can't test anything.
 
Dog,
1 in 24 will be fine for 255 through 310 gr @ any reasonable velocity (under 1400fps) at ranges under 100 yards.

The advantage you'll get using the 310 gr over the 255 gr is in the additional penetration the sectional density of the heavier slug will provide.

Again, all other things being equal, a .45Long Colt using a 310 gr slug @ magnum velocites (above the speed of sound), is the ballistic twin of a .44 magnum 240 gr load @ similar velocities. The advantage the .45LC has is that it gets there @ a far lower pressure. Lower pressure = less recoil and less wear and tear on the shooter and the gun.

"Do we still have enough twist to stabilize the 255 grain bullet at the standard .45 Colt velocity?"
1 in 30 something will suffice for the 255 gr slug, so 1 in 24 is fine.
 
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