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| I don't think the 480 has that much of an advantage over the 44 for whitetails, and the average black bear. It's when you get into the critters that are 700# and up that the 480 really has an advantage, IMO.
As the previous poster said, you need to handload the 480 to get it to it's potential. Check out the favorite loads forum and search for my 480 thread, it'll give you a good idea of what the 480 is capable of. |
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| Both gentleman summed up well that the cartridge is best a reloader. The 480 is where the 44 stops. As for the feel of the gun. When I shot both the Super Redhawk and the Super Blackhawk hunter 44 back to back you can feel a difference. To Me, the SBH hunter grip feels short and that gun move in the hand more (As disigned) The SRH has more of a push and less recoil (IMO) because of the weight and grip. When you get into 480 standard loads feel like the 44 heavy loads. When the heavy handload start the 480 shows it bigbore potential. The recoil is a bit more stout with the palm of the hand getting slapped harder and the posibility of the middle finger hitting the triggerguard.
Performance has similar effects with like bullets at similar weights. The 480 will work with handloads on bigger amimals.
Check out Paul H post. Lots of info.
If you want bigger than 44 a big bore at a resonable price this is a good choice. The 44 is for more people who don't want the reloading.
My two cents
Hcliff |
| | | Posts: 305 | Location: Green Bay, WI | Registered: 09 September 2002 | 
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| quote:
Originally posted by Tanoose:
I always felt that if i ever went bigger then the 44 mag , the cartridge i would choose would be the .475 Linebaugh. Someone posted that the 480 could be loaded to the linebaugh velocitys. I dont think this is possible . Or is it?
I don't think the 480 should be loaded to 475 levels, because the recoil jumps dramatically, but I just don't think the benefits in the field are worth it. You can easily push 400's 1200 fps, and my buddy loaded them up to 1350 fps, do you really need 1500 fps?
My std hunting load is a 460 gr WFN @ 1050 fps, actually more pleasant to shoot then 400's @ 1200 fps, and just as accurate. Check out the penetration tests at last summers linebaugh seminar, that bullet at that speed from the 480 penetrated on par with the 454, 475 and 500. IMHO, anything that needs more in the field, then it's time to jump from a handgun to a rifle.
I think most folks miss the point of the 480, and it's niche, a reasonably priced, extremely accurate factory gun, that has sufficient power for hunting very large game, but is still shootable by the average shooter. I've shot many 454's, 475's and 500's, I honestly cannot shoot them accurately with full patch loads, I know many can, and many cannot.
The 480 produces very near the power level of the 475, but with much less powder burned, and much less recoil.
I've done limited work with long loaded bullets in the 480, but didn't get 475 performance, though I didn't really push it. Most cast bullets have their front lube groove located where you can use them as an auxiliary crimp groove. The lee 400 gr bullet has dual crimp grooves so that you can load it long for the 480. I did find some rounds were hard to chamber when loaded long, and I won't carry ammo that doesn't chamber easily in the field. The 460 gr bullet has to be loaded long, as crimped to the std canalure, the gas check will bulge the case, and the round won't fire.
Here is a link to my loads thread http://www.serveroptions.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=25;t=000222
[ 01-16-2003, 01:26: Message edited by: Paul H ] |
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| quote:
Originally posted by Tanoose:
I always felt that if i ever went bigger then the 44 mag , the cartridge i would choose would be the .475 Linebaugh. Someone posted that the 480 could be loaded to the linebaugh velocitys. I dont think this is possible . Or is it?
It is possible but not recommended, especially with a SHR. The 480 Ruger is just like the 45 Colt and can be pushed all the way if needed. Mr. Casull used to use the 45 Colt to derive his famous 454 so this same technique applies to the 480 catridge as well. The 480 Ruger is a very fine cartridge the way it is and I just cannot get enough of it. Have fun and be safe guys! |
| | | Posts: 1002 | Location: Midwest USA | Registered: 01 September 2001 |
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| quote:
Originally posted by Tanoose:
Hows the recoil in the 480 using the ruger super red hawk. Is it anything like the 454,? i SHOT A 454 IN A FREEDOM ARMS WITH A 7 1/2" barrel , and top be honest it was to much for me , didnt like it one bit.
The 480 Ruger felt recoil should be like a heavy 44 Magnum. If you are a reloader, then this should be a non issue, as you can adjust the powder to suite your taste. Later. |
| | | Posts: 1002 | Location: Midwest USA | Registered: 01 September 2001 |
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| quote:
Originally posted by Tanoose:
...Someone posted that the 480 could be loaded to the linebaugh velocitys. I dont think this is possible . Or is it?
I think I may have been guilty of a comment or two along those lines. With bullets seated long, you CAN approach 475 velocities, but as Paul pointed out, recoil gets ferocious, and you're basically defeating the purpose of the 480. I've been there and done that. I ran Cast Performance 370's seated long over a charge of H110 I won't mention here all the way to 1500 fps, and I don't have any desire to do it again -- they just weren't any fun!
There were a couple of 475 Linebaugh shooters at Cody shooting basically the same load. I shot Paul's 460 WFN's at ~1100 fps, and got virtually the same penetration, and the recoil isn't even in the same ballpark. |
| | | Posts: 269 | Location: Missouri, USA | Registered: 11 March 2001 |
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| I agree with Cannon and Paul too. The 400gr at 1500 fps is pretty much an abusive monster. The 460-500gr at 1000-1100 are much nicer to shoot, believe it or not. I rate the recoil like this in the guns I've fired, top to bottom = highest to lowest. 475LB 400gr at 1500 SRH ![[Eek!]](images/icons/shocked.gif) Painfull, VERY painfull. 454 Casull 300gr at 1500 5.5" Raging Bull ported Not too bad...I would imagine better than a SRH grip. 475LB 400gr at 1500 fps 5.5" FA ported again not too bad, the grip makes it work nicely. Huge difference over the SRH! 480 400gr at 1200 fps SRH ![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif) Nice top end for this grip design. 480 500gr at 1000 fps SRH Nice top load again 480 400gr at 1200 fps 5.5" FA ported ![[Cool]](images/icons/cool.gif) Super sweet 475 500gr at 1100 fps 5.5" FA ported about at tie with the load above. Again, very nice. What'd ya think? [ 01-16-2003, 11:00: Message edited by: Brent Moffitt ] |
| | | Posts: 913 | Location: Palmer, Alaska | Registered: 15 June 2002 |
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| quote:
Originally posted by Tanoose:
Hows the recoil in the 480 using the ruger super red hawk. Is it anything like the 454,? i SHOT A 454 IN A FREEDOM ARMS WITH A 7 1/2" barrel , and top be honest it was to much for me , didnt like it one bit.
I think the comparing the 480 to the 44 in recoil is valid, it has the same feel, just a heavier push. Another good comparison is looking at a 44 mag load of 21 gr H 110 over a 300 gr cast doing 1200 fps, and the 480 using 21 gr H 110 over a 400 gr cast doing 1200 fps.
As I said before, I've shot 454's, 475's and 500's, and I can't handle the recoil. The 480 to me as at a threshold, the recoil doesn't bother me, but any more, and it does. The 454 to me has a much sharper and more uncomfortable recoil. Look at load data and see how much more powder it burns! When you're burning near 30 gr of H 110 in a handgun, it recoils, and hard! |
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| Paul H
Have you harvested anything big in Alaska with your SRH yet or are you using it as backup most of the time? I missed a deer this year with mine. Not the guns fault, mother nature and shooter error.
Heath |
| | | Posts: 305 | Location: Green Bay, WI | Registered: 09 September 2002 |
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| Unfortunately, the only game I've taken with it were a pair of spruce hens ![[Frown]](images/icons/frown.gif) I put a 310 gr LFN loaded to 700 fps under the hammer for small game loads. It is very effective ![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif) I've been hunting via canoe the last few years, and it is nice to have something that can be quickly brought into action, which is where I see an iron sighted revolver coming into it's own. I have never hunted solely with a handgun. I do always pack the 480 as a backup when hiking and during other outdoor activities. |
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| I have been a dyed in the wool Ruger shooter for many years in fact most of the guns I own are Rugers. I like the SRH 44 mag and the SRH 454 but I simply think that the 480 Ruger is an answer to a question that no one asked. In my own opinion the 454 smokes it in performance.
I can't believe I said something bad about a Ruger, Oh well S--t happens. |
| | | Posts: 223 | Location: Oklahoma | Registered: 11 July 2002 |
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