I have read several of these opinions from experienced Handgun Hunters.This is just one.

This issue is so important that I am compelled to state something entirely contrary to my handloader�s ego: Those hunting dangerous game with the 454 are strongly advised to use an appropriate factory load. Having handloaded and fired many thousands of 454 rounds, using various types of bullets (ranging from 200 grains to 525 grains), and having listened to many accounts from other serious 454 users, I am persuaded that it is truly difficult to produce full-power 454 handloads that are 100% dependable!

At least one handloading Alaskan hunter has found out the hard way that a pulled bullet is certain to occur at the worst possible time � as just you fire a shot that wounds, but does not stop, an enraged Kodiak bear intent upon serious mayhem. While that hunter is reported to have survived, we suspect he learned that a 454 revolver is something less than an effective club.

I am not saying that you cannot produce 100% reliable full-power 454 loads. What I am saying is this, I would prefer to use factory ammo for such applications.
------------------------------------------------------------What is your opinion on Factory or Reloads for Dangerous Game in a Handgun??

Jayco.

This is from the Buffalo Bore web site.

The .454 Casull is one cartridge that BBA does not load to it's full pressure limit. When loaded to it's full pressure potential the .454 Casull can become unreliable and unpleasant to shoot. At upper pressure levels, heavy bullets tend to jump crimp - tying up the cylinder. (wouldn't this be great in an emergency) Also, fired brass can stick in the chambers. BBA feels that a 360 gr. bullet (or 325 gr. bullet at 1525 fps) at 1425 fps is still very powerful, comfortable to shoot, and TOTALLY RELIABLE. At these levels, these bullets give up nothing in killing performance
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I guess handloading to max or close to it in the .454 really might cause some problems.Do you trust your reloads when your life is on the line???I am curious on you Hangunners opinion on this touchy subject.

Jayco.

The only misfires i have had over the years have been from Factory ammo. If my life depended upon it i would only trust the loads i put together, at any rate i would only have myself to blame if i had a mishap.
The only bullets that jumped crimp on me was when i was load testing my 454 with 308 gr lead gc bullets with 35 grains of H110 powder. After finishing the load testing it appeared that 31.5 grs of H110 produced the best grouping with .875" for all six rounds out of my SRH 454 9.5" at 25 meters. 4 of the shots were .375" center to center, 5 shots within .625 center to center. I use a factory crimper in a seperate operation to crimp and with the load that i found to be a tack driver i will have no problems.
When hunting any dangerous game anything can happen that is why you usually have back up with you, even when you are hunting with a rifle.

I have read stories about factory cartridges that did not fire. I have reloaded for the past 30 years and I now know that once I have taken the time to work up a load that performs well in any given firearm it is easy to duplicate that load. In my opinion this can not be done with factory loads due to the fact that I don't know what type of powder they are using and how consistent they are from lot to lot. Bullet placement is the most important factor in taking any kind of game be it dangerous or not. I trust my reloads more than factory especially if my life depends on it.

Swede44mag

M.L. McPherson

Synopsis: We now have many factory ammunition options for use in 454 Casull chambered revolvers. In terms of energy, these loads range from top-end 44 Magnum to nearly 308 Winchester rifle levels. Bullet designs include non-expanding, controlled expansion and violent expansion. Generally, these loads offer exemplary performance. Importantly, it is quite difficult for the handloader to create 454 ammunition surpassing factory offerings in terms of accuracy, energy or (especially) functionality.
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Sometimes when I read this stuff it makes me wonder why I try to reload Hunting ammo.It is cheaper for practice but it appears from some that reloading the .454 to its capeabuility for Hunting or protection is maybe not the thing to do or count on.I have never had a bullet jump but I have never pushed the button to max either.

Best of luck......Jayco.

jayco, in 50 years of handloading for revolvers I have NEVER had one fail to fire and have NEVER had one tie up the cylinder. One of the problems I see here is everyone wants to load whatever bullet they have to it's very maximum velocity instead of the most accurate load. Why they think they need so much power is beyond me. A few hundred FPS lower does not kill any less in any animal. I guess it is a macho thing. Using the proper boolit is the key to success, not how fast you can make it go. The crimp also has to be adjusted for the hotter loads and this shortens the life of the brass.
I would never buy factory loads for hunting because I have more faith in handloads.