I am looking at buying a 454 this summer. I am leaning towards the Ruger. The Freedom Arms is out of my budget right now. Which one do ya'll like. Will be used mainly fo rdeer hunting and will be scoped. All comments are welcome thanks.

Have you shot one yet, not very pleasant, i shot my friends freedom arms model 83 wow what a kick.I like the looks of thre ruger super red hawk with the gray stainless finish . the price seems right.

Just a short comment about .454 Casulls. I have fired a Freedom Arms .454 with a 7 1/2" barrel, and YEP it rolled my wrists quite a bit. I lust over a .475 Linebaugh with the 6" barrel and actually tried to order one but Freedom Arms is behind on production. So I purchased a 5" Raging Bull in .454. This is my first Taurus and I must say, ALL who have handled it loved it. If you intend on using optics, you'll have to buy the 6.5" or the 8 3/8" models, since the scope mount won't fit the 5 incher. Does the Bull kick you ask? With the porting, about like a .44, and much less than the Ruger. Muzzle flash is, well, SPECTACULAR!!!!

[ 06-14-2002, 08:45: Message edited by: mindcrime ]

I start by saying that I'm a Ruger fan. The 2 Raging Bulls I've seen here at the range have both had to be sent back for work. One only fired a cylinder full before the cylinder locked up the other started to free wheel. My Ruger had stood up to all the rounds I've put threw it. Including some 400gr cast bullets. It does kick, but some Hogue grips took care of that. I would go for the Ruger..

brewtcl,

Depends on you want.

Ruger is good, easy to put a scope but recoil is heavy.

Taurus is good, easy to put a scope but recoil with ported barrel is like a .44 Mag.

Both are accurate out the box.

JD HHI 6092, I was wondering was the ammunition the Bull shooter had reloads? If the loads were stiffer than SAAMI standards(ie Freedom Arms loads), I could see a possible problem. With my handloads and a good crimp, my Bull seems to shoot very well, and I am overall pleased with it. I still want that .475 Linebaugh Freedom Arms 6" though!

Greetings all,
I want to inject my comments here regarding the 454. I only own one, the raging bull. Now as impressive as it may be, it has problems. It is on its way back to the factory as we speak. After only a 2 years and maybe 800 rounds, it started getting loose. I mean to lose to shoot safely. The wear I could see was from normal operation. I just think that the materials used are not of the quality they should be for a gun of this cal. I have fired both the freedom arms and rhe ruger and like them both but of the two...FA. I now wish I had saved a few more months and gotten the freedom arms. One thing to remember is that you can always load down, to help manage recoil if it is a concern.

My recommendation, Freedom Arms.

In order of preference:
Freedom Arms
Ruger
TC Encore
Raging Bull

You know the old saying that only a rich man can aford to buy cheap stuff? That goes in spades for the .454 unless you plan on only shooting factory loads. I waited, waited, and waited some more until I finally found a FA that was used. If you shop around you can get one for about $1100, which is what I pad three years ago. The Ruger is strong and a good piece, but it is not in the same league as the FA. Every Raging Bull that I have seen-nine or ten-has some movement in the cylinder at lock-up which is just not tollerable on a 55K PSI cartridge. The Ruger usually has some play, but the five or six I have seen are tight at lock-up which is where it really counts. How long they will stay tight I don't know. But any looseness at all will only get worse with use. I have over a thousand rounds of full throttle 355 gr. loads (1700 fps) through my FA and it is still as tight as the day I bought it. I know you want it now, but you will be bucks ahead in the long run if you can find a FA.

I like my Ruger. Recoil is stout. It is accurate. I load down (or shoot 45 Colt) for practice. I don't notice recoil much when I hunt.
FWIW
Tom

The Bull has some loose tolerances, and will shave the jacket on .451 bullets, causing little pieces to gum up the action. I experienced this early on. Also, initially, I had some problems with the hammer safety engaging, but a good cleaning, and working it some with some remoil cleared it up, it has never happened again.

After switching to cast .452 bullets, I have had no problems. I think this is the biggest problem people have with the bull, they want to use jacketed bullets, but won't spring for the ,452 FA stuff. If you want to shoot ammo designed for a 45 colt, get a 45 colt.

Is it accurate? Way more accurate than I am. It is extremely consistent on windage. I am into my 4th box of primers, and most of my brass came from factory loaded rounds, so I have well over 3000 rounds through it. It may have loosened up some, but After the initial sight adjustment when I first fired it, I have not needed to touch the sights.

It is inexpensive, giving you the most features for the dollar. The best grip, IMO, and much needed porting.

If I do a big-bore revolver again, I'll probably opt for a better piece with a porting job and a custom grip, but I have no major complaints.

The XTP's are sized .452 and they shave copper at the top and lock the cylinder after one to three rounds with my RB. The hardcasts I get always work fine though. I get 1500 fps out of my 5" bbl with 300gr Win. Factory or 31gr H110 under the XTP's or 300gr hardcasts sized .452" over the Oehler 43. The .451's would barely get 1250 fps.

BTW, I was looking at a FA 475 Linebaugh Field grade with Express sights and trigger overstop for $1650.00 before I bought the SS Bisley Vaquaro 44 to be converted to 500L.

The 475 is new and at a dealer in town so if you want it.......

I thought they might be a little hard to find.

Mindcrime, it's the 6"........

[ 06-15-2002, 12:36: Message edited by: Brent Moffitt ]

I agree with the idea of waiting a little longer and buying a FA used or new, you will be glad you did. It will hold its value better to, so in the long run it isnt that much more.

Brent, the XTPs I used were all .451 diameter. These were the 250gr. I didn't know they had a .452.

I shot some FA factory ammo out of it, and didn't get the same results, so I assumed that a larger jacketed bullet would behave better. Maybe not?

I'm pretty happy with a 250gr 454 round. I can vary the velocity for flat trajectories at 200m, and for POA at 50m with the same sight setting. I have a nice 325gr load for hunting.

LV Eric,
I agree with the idea of waiting a little longer and buying a FA used or new, you will be glad you did. It will hold its value better to, so in the long run it isnt that much more.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you for me the FA is the top of the top regarding revolver SA. I have one and I'm waiting my second for the end of this year.

Just sad that the FA cylinder is too small to be chambered in .500 Linebaugh.

Just a thought, I got the bug last summer and bought a Super Red Hawk. Boy was that a bad decision! I first shot the SRH and got a bloody face for shooting it. I shot Hornady 300gr. I sent the Red Hawk back to Ruger expecting there usual good service and then got shafted. It started out as a passable gun when Ruger got done with it, it was transformed into a chopped up piece of shit!!!! They open up the chamber throats to .455 to .457 and then cut the cylinder gap to .007 then they cut a bevel in the end of the breach end of the barrel! Now it has two forcing cones!!! Go Figure. I sent it back twice more asking them just to undo the damage they inflected on my gun. They refused saying it was in tolerance. Uh I traded the junk for a Taurus Raging Bull and never regretted doing so. The Bull is made to much tighter tolerances then Ruger ever could and it shoots half inch tighter groups. Don't take my word for it get a caliper and measure for your self.

[ 06-26-2002, 19:27: Message edited by: Colonel ]

Colonel,

Could you please explain what happened to cause the bloody face and subsequent firearm shipment back to Ruger? I'm having a hard time picturing it....

Thanks, Bill

Bill M;
The pistol was shaving "copper" from the jacket, and coming back into my cheek. The top strap had evidence of a jacket separation because there on the underneath of the strap was a gold color stain.

Thanks for the report Colonel. I wouldn't think that it would be able to "find it's way" almost straight back, but you learn something new everyday! Definitely sounds like timing, cylinder chamber position, or forcing cone problem to me.

I would think that opening the chamber throats would make it even worse, provided that they were where they were supposed to be, because it would have even less control over the bullet? As to the bevel at the breach, maybe they were just trying to "funnel" everything down the barrel....

Sorry to hear this happened to you, and thanks for the report. Another reason to never forget your safety glasses!

Bill

Bill M;

I am really sorry too, I waited six months for the Super Red Hawk only to be disappointed on the first shot. I have four other RedHawks (357, 41, 44, 45Colt) all in perfect operating condition. I wasn't expecting this *&%&* thing. My guess is the concussion from the muzzle blew the fragment bass-ackwards. Ruger did what I considered reckless and unprofessional gunsmithing and afterward total failed to own up to the F*&$ed up work there employee did and then cared little about customer relations when they refused to make it right! It left a bad taste with me that still today I can't bring myself to consider buying a Ruger firearm, in reality I parted with all my Rugers except the RedHawks and my 45 Colt Bisley. This gun took a trip to Ruger The same time as the SRH for small chamber throats. They were very small at .498, I asked them to open to .452, they said only they would open to specs. The repair department did a excellent job and open each and every throat to .452. GO FIGURE! I cann't

I've noticed there seems to be a lot of quality variation in handguns, even within the same brand.

With rifles and shotguns you get lemons and there are things you watch out for with certain brands of course but not really the same varaitions in quality people report from handguns, as above. or so it seems to me.
What do you think the reason is for this?

Karl.

Just had a thought,since I have no experience in this area maybe it has to do only with the extreme end of handgun calibres -454 etc.

karl.

Nothing is perfect in life especially with a mass produced product. For around $600 for either a Ruger or a Taurus, it is well worth it to try it out. Most problems arise usually can be addressed adequately by the manufacturer. Of course, there would always be a few isolated cases where things get out of hand but that is life. Cheers! Ming

Wait an save your coins for a Freedom Arms. I have owned the Ruger and Taurus and there is no comparison in the accuracy department. I have two Freedom Arms (BTW one is for sale cheap in Classifieds forum). I can shoot an inch and half at 25 yards with little effort. The Ruger, albeit well meaning, designed those grips so that upon recoil with full house loads, it digs into the fat part of your hand instead of "rolling" in your hand like the Freedom. The Taurus is bulky and so-so accuracy. I believe as responsible handgun hunters, we owe it to the game we shoot to be as accurate as possible and to place those shots for a humane quick kill. An accurate handgun that doesn't bite back goes a long way toward that goal.