I finally got my new mold for my 480 ruger, its a balisticast WFN, that drops a ~450 gr gas checked bullet. I just shot a few at lunch, clocked 1040 fps and went into 1 hole at 25 yds. Recoil was suprisingly mild. I'll have to see if I can hit 1100 fps with them. What I really need now is a lever gun in .475 to take full advantage of the bullets. Either that or maybe a Ruger #1 45-70 with a re-barrel to a 475/70, would be a neat carbine.

I have a 454 casull Ruger and was thinking of trying some 400 grain Hawk jacketed soft points, and I was hoping for 1100 fps.

1. What do you think?

2. Should I use .452 or .454 diameter bullets?

500 gr,

I talked to my buddy Dennis who's owned nearly 2 dozen 454's, mostly freedoms. He said he'd tried some 400's way back when, but he stuck the cases in the cylinder, and this was a FA, not a Ruger. FA used to offer 400 gr bullets for awhile, but discontinued them, the velocity justs falls on its face past 360 gr in the 454.

I would be very, very leary of shooting 400 gr jacketed bullets in a 454, especially with Hawks reputation of causing high pressures in rifles. You could get some 400 gr 45-70 cast bullets and run them through a lee .451" push through sizer.

I've heard you can't fit enough H110 in the 454 to hurt it, but thats in an FA.

Thanks for the info. Maybe I will stick to some 350 grain flat nosed bullets from Hawk instead.

The velocity doesn't fall on its face in the 454. A 415 gr bullet I have will get 1300 easy from my 43/4 inch FA. You can get more but the pressure does cause case sticking. Now if a person really needs it is another question. I have come to the conclusion after long and hard deliberation if one is going "just for power" he need to bite the bullet and get an Encore in a monster masher caliber. Sure they are a singleshot but even a 12 inch Encore in 454 will beat a revolver easily because the bullet can be seated out for slightly improved performance with probably slightly less pressure. Also there is no flash gap too. A custom 480 barrel would also be good if it had a long throat. A 475 JDJ would be even better. I love revolvers better than singleshots but the truth hurt as I have been told many times.

The SRH in .480 is definitely on my want list, but for sheer fun factor, it's hard to beat 520 grain slugs at 1100+ out of my 12" .45-70 Contender

My brother has a 15" .454 Encore barrel, but we haven't had a chance to put many rounds through it yet.

Correction, my buddy weighed the sample bullet I gave him, came out 459 grs, so I guess they are 460 gr bullets. I'll see if I can push them 1100 fps today. Temps are pretty chilly, so I won't post powder charges, as I'm sure they'd be too high at reasonable temperatures.

Here is copy of reloading data for .454 casull collected by Big Bore from beartoothbullets forum . . .

I have been saving all the data I have found for 454 on the net. I am not shire that all charges are safe and many of them are FA loads only. You got allot of crazy people out there that are bragging about their max loads but it is interesting to have as a guideline. I am using 24grs of N110 behind a 350grs cast and 27,5grs N110 with a 300grs XTP/MAG in my RB.

Bullet Powder Charge Speed
250 W296 35
260 H110 36
300 H110 30 1470
300 H110 31 1650
300 h110 33,5
300 H110 33,5
300 H110 34
300 H110 35 1700max
300 lil-gun 31 1740
300 N110 21 1115
300 N110 26,5 1630
300 N110 28 1585XTP
300 N110 29max fra vihtavouri
300 N120 31 1490
300 W296 29 1470
300 W296 31,5 1750
300 W296 32 1660
310 H110 35
310 N110 25 1550
310 N110 27 1630
315 H110 25,2 1360
320 H110 29
320 H110 32
325 H110 27
325 H110 32
325 N110 20 1350
325 N110 25 1570
325 N110 30
325 N120 31 1400
330 H110 23
330 H110 30 1525
335 H110 28
340 H110 27 1370
340 H110 28 1380
340 H110 28,5 1500
340 H110 32 max FA
340 lil-gun 30 1565
345 H110 26,5
345 H110 28,5
345 N110 24
350 H110 20,5
350 H110 26
350 H110 30
350 W296 27 1350
355 H110 29 1450
355 H110 31 max
355 H110 31,5 1793max FA
360 H110 25
360 H110 27
370 H110 24 1350
370 H110 27 1500
400 H110 18,5
400 H110 29 1500max
405 H110 25
405 H110 27
405 N110 21

BigBore
Norway

I just got back from the range, managed to push the 460's 1110 fps, and shot into 1" at 50 yds. No, the 480 isn't an equal or contender to what the 454 can do, but it is a serious sixgun in its own right.