which .454 SRH?

M

MadScientist

New member
What are the pro's and con's of the two Ruger .454 SRHs? I only have experience with a SW 686 (I think 6") and a couple of shorter pistols so I'm not sure if I should pick up the 7 1/2" or the 9 1/2".

I'm pretty confident that the weight of the 9 1/2" wouldn't be a problem so would that be the potentially more accurate/more powerful revolver? (can you treat barrel lenght in a revolver like you do for a rifle? i.e. longer barrel equals greater bullet speed?)
 
Mechanically I doubt the 2" of barrel length is going to make a difference accuracy wise. If you picked 100 of them at random from the Ruger factory I'm sure you'd find 7.5" that are more accurate than 9.5" and vice versa. However if you're using iron sights you might find it easier to shoot the 9.5" accurately. The longer sight radius should make it easier to shoot those nice little groups everyone wants.

You should also get 50-100 fps more velocity from the 9.5" gun vs the 7.5", depending on the powder used.

If I were you I would pick the one I liked the looks of best and not worry about the minor differences that the 2" of barrel length will make.
 
I had a 9 1/2 inch SRH in .44 mag, and I finally sold the darn thing. I put a 4X Leupold scope on it, and it felt like it weighed a ton! It really was a bit much to shoot accurately without a rest, so I finally got rid of it. If I had to do it again, I would definitely get the shorter barrel. I also wouldn't scope it. IMHO, scopes just don't belong on handguns.
 
Got to say I don't agree with JayCee on the scope issue.

I have a 9 1/2" SRH in .44Mag, and I shoot it much better scoped. That fine cross-hair beats the heck out of a front sight blade that is much wider than the target at 30yds.,let alone 50yds.

As for barrel lenght, that depends on what you want to do. I would trade my gun for a 7 1/2" model in a flash, but then I don't hunt, so muzzle velocity is a moot point. Busting bricks is not as crucial as getting a clean kill.

The scoped revolver I have is a two-fister. A shorter barrel might do me some good, but only because I would scope it. That way I could benefit by having less weight on the front end without giving up the longer sight radius. The trade-off would be a little more recoil.

On the other hand, if you are buying a range gun, the longer barrel will draw some comments. :)
 
I have a 9 1/2" 44 Mag and 7 1/2" .454. Both of them are scoped and are too heavy to shoot consistent groups without using a rest. I doubt that the extra 2" is going to make much of a difference in a round like .454 but you will get somewhat different results with the 250 gr, 260 gr, and 300 gr ammo.
 
Yeah, my views on scoping handguns are definitely in the minority! I have 2 FA 454s, one of which is a 7 1/2 inch, that I still haven't scoped. I know scoping would make them effective beyond the 50 yards or so that I typically limit myself to when I'm hunting with them, but I still can't bring myself to do it. It would just make them more cumbersome to use, and I like carrying them in a belt holster.
 
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