I have been thinking of getting a Raging Bull in either the 480 or the 454. I don�t know anyone that has one in the 480 to get feed back on it. The only write-ups I can find are on the srh. Does anyone have any experience with one and how does it compare to the 454. One of my reasons for going this route is the 480 is a lot less money. The srh is a bit bulky for my taste. To bad its not offered in the Bisley and the Freedom Arms is sweet but out of my budget.

Dave

The Raging Bull is a good gun but I think you will find that it is as bulky as the SRH, maybe more so.

I think Bill Graham, aka greybeard has a raging bull 480. Do a search for greybeards outdoors. He has his own hunting/shooting forums.

I have never had the opportunity to shoot a bull, so can't comment on it. I have both a Taurus revolver and rifle, and think they make good guns for the money. I've heard mixed review on the bulls, but I think much of that is bull, ie bashing the gun as foreign junk w/o giving it a fair shake.

I have shot a 480 extensively, and think it is one of the finest revolver rounds, and I think it is vastly better than the 454. The 454 claim to fame is high velocity, which it undesputedly achieves, but the price is very severe recoil. I don't mind big recoil, but I do mind a fast whippy recoil, which is what the 454 generates.

The beauty of the 480 is it doesn't need much powder to achieve it's power, it uses it's diameter to its advantage. Look at 44 mag data, 21 gr H-110 pushes a 300 gr bullet 1200 fps, look at the 480, 21 gr H-110 pushes a 400 gr bullet 1200 fps. That is 1/3 more power using the same amount of powder! The happy result is recoil is in the same ballpark as a 44, just on a bigger scale. Look at 454 loads, most burn 30 gr or more of powder, yet don't generate a whole lot more power.

If you're looking for flat shooting long range loads, then the 454 has it's niche. If you're looking for a big bore iron sighted sixgun, that will drop any animal reasonably hunted with a handgun, but w/o massive recoil, the 480 is the answer.

I've fired many 454's, 475's and 500's. I just had to shoot one 480 to be sold on the round, and in the years I've had it, and after the many thousands of rounds I've fired through it, I've never desired a different sixgun round to hunt with.

Have been carrying a 454 raging bull with short barrel for 4 years now as a back-packing protection gun (i back-pack solo..for my own reasons). Not everyone can carry this gun or shoot it. Basically, the bull is a smith on steroids. Very larger frame so requires a bigger hand. Just as smooth as a smith to dryfire. Even better balanced. Rubber grips are the best on the market. No gun that weighs 4 pounds loaded is compact, be it srh or bull, yet the bull in 5 inch is very comperable in bulk to an N-frame smith (M-29) in 44mag. The bull is more controllable even in 5 inch because of the great muzzle ports. Muzzle flip is less than a 38 in an L-frame smith. BUT..... the muzzle blast of full-house loads will scare hell out of most users. And the 454 is a very violent cartridge. 65,000psi in factory loads. Handloads of 350 gr at 1650 fps. 300gr at 1800. Recoil so violent that it feels like a baseball bat in the palm. Probably twice the power in full dress over a 44mag in full dress. Probably 1/3 more than a 480 or a 475 factory load, but much more violent. The violence disappears with a reduction in charge/pressure if you handload. At 44mag pressures, the bull shoots like a 22.
A friend has a 480 srh. Much smaller grip, easier to handle. Less power, obviously. Easier to shoot without flinch.
Have used the 454 on 2 typical 4 year old moose and one 3oo pound black bear at 25-30 yards. When hit with good chest shots, they all went down in their tracks. Just collapsed. The friend killed one moose with the 480. Seemed closer in killing power to a 44mag except penetrated deeper than the 44. Didn't shock like the 454 at the close ranges.
If i were hunting in the lower 48 and buying a handgun, i would prefer the 480 if i didn't handload. If i handloaded, I could shoot reduced loads in the 454 that would tame the gun considerably and still be comparable to the 480, yet still have the full-house loading available. In summary, both the srh and the bull are excellent guns, but the bull is much more sophisticated and much better balanced. Both can be carried. Both cartridges are more powerful than the 44mag, and shoot bigger slugs that penetrate deeper. Either combo is way ahead of the pack. What feels good to you?

Grapecreek,

What load was your buddy using in the 480? The factory Hornady loads really are little more then a 44 mag.

I'm curious that you say you'd pick the 480 if you handloaded, but not if you didn't handload. My take is 180 degrees apart. You have to handload the 480 to get it's full potential, and reduced loads are very easy. My favorite is a 310 gr cast over 9.7 gr Unique for 950-1000 fps. It'll put a cylinder full into 1" at 50 yds all day long. I even managed a 100 yd 1 1/2" 3 shot group. It feels like a heavy 44 special when loaded thusly.

I also wonder about the comment about the 475. I've fired several of them, and 400 gr @ 1400-1500 fps is more uncomfortable to shoot than a 454 load, and just as violent.

I don't know about the bulls cylinder length, but in the 480, it is possible to long load bullets and get the same case capacity as the 475 Linebaugh. I've also heard of at least one gun being re-chambered, highly unadvisedly I'll add. The 480 can push a 400 gr bullet 1400 fps, but the shootability goes out the window. That is what I like about the 480, it can push a heavy cast bullet fast enough to penetrate deep, but doesn't generate the violent recoil of the 454, 475 and 500.