.454 hot loads... help!

[blackss01]

new to the forum... I just got a raging bull in .454 for christmas... love it.  I've been running 300 grain winchesters through it and it doesn't have near the "oooomph" I want.  I'm a recoil nut and this gun doesn't satisfy my need for it.  I will try to order some 360 grainers but does anyone know where I can get the biggest loads for this?  I want recoil!!!    please help!  

[jhgtyre]

There are a lot of loads for this round listed at Load Your Own.  

-ld

[EricW]

Well....you could weld the comp closed, or just whack the barrel shorter.  Then you could cut the cushy part off of the back of the grip.  The problem is, you've got a gun *designed* to make 454 more comfortable to shoot, which might require "reverse engineering" to "fix."

For load info, try Hodgdon's site at:

http://www.hodgdon.com

[blackss01]

well ericw, what do you suggest?  I collect guns so what models would you recommend for me?  The grip stays... it makes the bull what it is... what others should i look into... a .444?  a .50?  the redhawk?  obvioulsy something with a smaller grip, less frame, and no porting... help.  thanks guys!

[EricW]

blackss01,

I honestly don't have a recommendation for mega recoil other than maybe a lighter weight 44 mag revolver or a Contender in 45-70 (short on round count, but high cool factor).  The 454 is a whole lot of gun, there is no doubt.  I've only shot one of the originals a while back - no fancy grips or porting - and found the recoil to be more of a solid push than anything.  I was very surprised, I thought it was going to hurt.  My personal opinion here, but a hot 44 out of a smaller revolver bucks harder than the 454.  What I'm getting at is that the weight of a revolver made to take 454 plus the recoil reducers Taurus put on to make it feel better cancel out a lot of the oomph that it ought to have.

Think about a Contender with 10" barrel in 45-70.  That might whet your appetite.  You could probably get a custom barrel for the 454 in the Contender and do some serious wildcatting.  Check out:

http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/customshop/index.html

Maybe you could get these guys to flute the barrel and cut the weight a bit.  It sure wouldn't hurt the gun's balance any, and it might enhance your fun factor a bit.  I like to shoot big recoil guns from time to time too.  They make my regular blasters seem like cap pistols.  

Kinda cool....  

[jdt634]

blackss  

what I have found in shooting the 454 is that the 260g loads tend to generate more felt recoil than do the 300 or 360 g loads.  Beartooth bullets mades a 405 g bullet and lists a 1300fps load for it, on their website.  Freedom Arms lists a load for the 260g at 2000fps, this is however, using Freedom Arms bullets and Freedom Arms guns. 55000 cup. A lot of the 260g bullets out there will not take that  velocity as they were designed for the 45 colt.  

[Duane Thomas]

Ah, the .454 Casull. If you're firing currently available factory ammo, you're just not getting the full .454 Casull experience. Years ago, when Freedom Arms was the only source for factory .454 ammo, they sent me six boxes of "Freedom Arms" brand .454 in those glorious blue and gray boxes. 240, 260 and 300 grain weights. Strangely, the 300s weren't that bad. The 240s were EXHILIRATING. We're talking a VERY heavily constructed .45 caliber jacketed hollowpoint goin' damn near 2,000 feet per second out of a 6" barrel. Oh yeah, baby.