March 10, 2011, 03:44 PM | #26 |
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I vote for the 454. I had thought about getting a 460 but surmised that it would work against practical purpose. I have loads of 45 Colt brass and some 454 brass. I have a hard tme fathoming where and what situation I could get into that would necessitate 460 power...that careful bullet selection in 454 or 45 Colt would not do also for cheaper. On top of that, the the step towards 460 would be a step away from the use of 45 Colt brass in that weapon. The increased jump of the bullet from Colt brass through a 460 cylinder would be a detriment. The 460 is like the 357 Maximum...not needed.
There is no niche for the 460 to fill for a purpose driven purchase. The 454 Casull is a superb round and was needed to magnumize the 45 Colt ala the 44 Special/Mags... To me, the 454 in a single action is the epitome of sidearms for both horsepower and size. If I need more, I would pick up my 45/70. |
March 11, 2011, 04:02 AM | #27 |
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Every dangerous game on the planet has been killed with a 454 Casull. If you want to kill'm DEADER then go with the S&W 500.
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March 11, 2011, 12:23 PM | #28 |
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My vote would be for the .460 as well. I DON'T use .454 or .45LC in mine at all; but I handload a varaity of rounds in .460 brass. 255gn cast bullets at 900fps for light plinking, 200gn Hornadys at 2400 fps for a hard hitting deer round that is flat shooting to 200+ yards, and 365gn hardcast gas checks at 1800fps for bear (or elk, moose, etc). No need to use different case sizes (since I don't have a .454 or .45LC).
The only advantages of the .454 are a wider selection of revolvers and a much better selection of factory loads. If you go with a .460 or .500, you really need to load your own unless you have very deep pockets. |
March 11, 2011, 12:28 PM | #29 |
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Yes, hand loading is the only way to enjoy a 500 mag. It is a lot more fun to hand load, as well.
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March 11, 2011, 09:30 PM | #30 |
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I also went 460, just something about the versatility of 460/454/45LC more so if you already own 1 or 2 of the others (like me). Really was a no brainer for me to go 460 rather than the 500. Sure glad I did. As for deep pockets... yeah it cost a bit, but I scored 25 or so boxes of Hornaday 460 S&W ammo for @24.95 ea. Its hard to find Casull ammo at that price. Now I wish the guys at big horn armory can finish a 460 that chambers all 3 rounds! Thats what I want.
Right 2 plus a lever (puma 92 in 454). |
March 11, 2011, 10:24 PM | #31 |
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One cool thing about going with the 454 is that you can have the cylinder milled for moonclips and shoot 45acp from the same gun. Makes practice cheaper. I just had that done to my redhawk in 45LC.
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March 12, 2011, 08:54 AM | #32 | |
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Quote:
Since I only have the 480, I shoot 480's in it or nothing at all. I have plenty of revolvers to shoot other lesser powered calibers. Seems like a tie between 460 versus 454. Hence if I were going with the suggestions, I would get the 460 and be able to shoot 454's in it if you choose. The 454 is plenty of gun and S&W makes the 460 which for me is a good thing. |
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March 12, 2011, 08:59 AM | #33 |
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My thought is..
..why do people always talk about getting any gun...just so that you can shoot a less expensive rd from it if you want to... why even get a 460 then???.... if you want to shoot 45lc.. get a 45lc when I want to shoot 45colt... I shoot them from a 45colt...IF I want to shoot 460... I shoot em from a 460.. ..and most of the people that make these comments... most of them say that they have lesser powered guns already if they want to shoot something cheaper.
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March 12, 2011, 02:16 PM | #34 |
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S&W 500 350gr loads seem to recoil than that of the 300gr 454. The 500 seems to have more of that 45acp push and the 454 seems to have more of that 40S&W snap.
I would go and did go with the S&W 500.
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March 12, 2011, 11:28 PM | #35 |
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So I think I have decided that I am going to go with the 460 caliber due to the versatility of the round. Now I need to decide if I want to go with the S&W or the magnum research BFR. Is the Smith worth the extra few hundred dollars? I like that the cylinder flips out on the Smith because that is what I am familiar with. Is it obnoxious/difficult to load and unload the BFR since the cylinder doesn't flip out? Any other pros/cons? Thanks for the advice.
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May 20, 2011, 12:08 AM | #36 |
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May 20, 2011, 05:28 AM | #37 |
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mes227,
Again I admit that I have only fired a .454 once and never a .500 so I am going with the felt recoil opinions of others on previous threads here. you will find by searching ".454" that several people have said their 454's kick harder than their .500's. Not my words or opinion.
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May 20, 2011, 07:34 AM | #38 |
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BFR
Next to FA the BFR's are one of the finest revolvers made today. I've never heard a complaint about them other than they are heavy, which most big bore revolvers are going to be. Try one out along with the S&W and see what feels best in your hands. I would give the nod to the BFR because I believe them to be better made, but that's just my preference.
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May 20, 2011, 07:46 AM | #39 |
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I think any big bore caliber when it is introduced gets at least some buyers who purchase it, for no other reason than so they can hold it and say "This is the most powerful handgun in the world"
Seems to be the case with this Gun-o-phile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EoJowwbhu8 |
May 20, 2011, 07:59 AM | #40 |
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Someone said,,,,"From reading some of the threads on here from knowledgeable people, they say the recoil of the Casull is absolutely brutal"
Not true. I had to video the recoil of the Taurus Raging Bull while shooting Magtech 260 Gr because my friends didn't believe me when I told them I could shoot the gun with one hand. The ported barrel does the trick! Check it out,,,,,(Click on the ugly guy)
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May 20, 2011, 08:22 AM | #41 |
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I have a ported Freedom Arms with the .454 and .45ACP cylinders. GREAT set up! Recoil even with the hottest .454's is very manageable to me. A novice friend of mine put a cylinder through it and he was almost unimpressed with the recoil since he had read about it being so horrible.
With the ACP cylinder I can shoot it a ton while not breaking the bank and really enjoy the FA. One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is portability. For me the .454 is a portable weapon. Many of the others are not something that I would want to carry around as much. To me, the .454 will do all I need to ever do with a handgun. The 500 is really cool but not for me.
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May 20, 2011, 09:01 AM | #42 |
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.454 vs .500 smith
I have had a couple of .454 casulls and two .500 smiths. The thing I like
about the .500 is, I can load it up or down. I cast my own bullets for it, and I have loads from 850 fps to over 1650 fps with the same bullet. The .500 in full house loads is a hand numbber! There some so-called macho guys on some of the forums who state that the recoil from full house loads are not that bad! Baloney! I have shot ALOT of hard kickin handguns in my life and I would have to say the .500 is right up at the top! The .454 casull does seem very much sharper recoil, tho, I guess because the gun shooting it is so much lighter in weight. Just my 2 cents. |
May 21, 2011, 12:06 AM | #43 |
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Imo, it all depends on how you plan to use it. I have a 7.5" SRH in 454 and for me, it is great. I can carry it on my hip and draw and fire one handed when needed and generally use it like a handgun. For me, it is the upper limit of what is practical.
I thought about getting a 500 after they came out but seeing an X-frame Smith in person cured me of that. I see it as more of a specialized tool like an Encore and while I appreciate it for what it is, it just doesn't fit my definition of what a handgun should be. I would still love to shoot one though. |
May 21, 2011, 04:01 AM | #44 |
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My .454 Freedom Arms single action is one of the best built, if not the best built handgun I have ever owned. I carried it everywhere from Africa to the mountains of Colorado with confidence. But, and there always is a but in life, the 500 has it own claim to fame. It is bar none the best selection for serious problem solving issues in regard to dangerous game about to puncture my sensitive hide! You load it with 'Punch Bullets" and you have one of the best bear self defense handguns made today ... although you may have to convince the bear of that fact.
The .454 works well in this arena as well, and is more compact, which makes it faster to bring to bear, while the 500 is like carrying a short, big bore rifle in its effect on living creatures. With the new 500 special ammo it is more friendly to the recoil shy folks out there. I am one of the rare breed that does not notice recoil much, but I am smart with it as well. Heavy hitters are not for shooting tin cans all day anyway; they are for shooting dangerous things up close and personal. If you want to shoot 500 rounds a day, buy a .22!
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May 21, 2011, 04:05 AM | #45 |
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+ 1 for the 454
If the 454 can't take what you would hunt, the 500 probably won't either. If you want the most bone crushing penetration that you can get out of a handgun, consider the 475 Linebaugh. It outperforms both the rounds in discussion in penetration tests by John Linebaugh. It is the perfect mix of diameter, speed and bullet weight. Energy means nothing for the most part. Any of these three rounds, when loaded correctly, can take anything you would ever shoot.
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May 21, 2011, 09:25 PM | #46 |
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I would approach the choice between the 454/460 and the 500 by what size bullet you want to hit something with. If 250-325 grain bullets are what you want, I would go with the 454/460.
If you need something larger, I would go with the 500. On the subject of recoil, IMHO the Casull and the 460 with the 300 grain bullets has the same amount of recoil as the 500 with the lighter weight bullets provided the barrel length is the same. I have worked up some heavy loads with the 500 using bullets in excess of 450 grains and the recoil is much more noticeable than the 454/460 with heavy bullets. |
May 21, 2011, 11:31 PM | #47 |
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Get the $300 Handi-Rifle in 500 S&W. I did. It has been the most fun I have had in the world of firearms. I buy and shoot hard cast lead gas check bullets only at about 25 cents each so I can't understand saying the 500 cost more to shoot. All the super magnum calibers are reloaders calibers anyway. The vast majority of people who shoot them regularly, reload.
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May 21, 2011, 11:45 PM | #48 | |
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Quote:
Jim |
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May 22, 2011, 12:45 AM | #49 |
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Another vote for the 454, sharp muzzle blast,heavy recoil,IF it has to die 454 WILL KILL IT
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May 22, 2011, 09:07 AM | #50 |
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SRH in 480 Ruger
I have looked at X Frames off and on. To Big and to Heavy to suit me.
Next I am not a big fan of single actions. In a hunting revolver a Super Redhawk is about as big and heavy as I want to tote around. The Super Redhawk comes in 44 Magnum, not bad with 300 grain bullets. It comes in 454 again not a bad choice, but has pretty snappy recoil. And last in 480 Ruger, which is out of production, but still available. I personally like the 480 Ruger. For the Super Redhawk platform for Grips we have Hogue Tamers to soak up recoil. A very good addition, and the first thing I would add to one. I have added them to 3 so far. It comes machined for Ruger Rings. If you get a new one, or one with unused rings you can send them back to Ruger and exchange them for 30mm. OR buy a set of new ones, I have done both . This lets you install a 30mm UltraDot optical sight. About as good as it gets at revolver distances. The next thing I would add is a Marbles Fiber Optic Front Sight in Green. Just incase I needed to use open sights. They really glow in low light. To me the 480 Ruger has about as much recoil as is tolerable with full house loads for any extended amount of shooting. It pokes nice large holes in what ever you shoot with it. I would plan to reload for it, and get a good supply of brass on hand. I have about 500 rounds of brass for mine, and may put a little more in the pile just to make sure I have a lifetime supply, as I plan to keep the 480 Ruger as my hunting revolver from now on. Reloading is the only way to go with a big revolver so that you can afford to shoot it. Handgun Ammo at $1.50 to $2.50 or more a shot is way to expensive to shoot enough to be good with it. I would stay with a Super Redhawk myself. Your 44 will work just fine. The 454 is another good choice. And my choice the 480 Ruger. All will work fine for you. Bob |
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