It is also reasonable, and advisable, for a handgun hunter to dispatch their prey with a quick, decisive blow. Smith partnered with Cor-Bon to design the new round. A howdah is the saddle placed atop elephants on tiger hunts. It made the .44 Magnum, once the most powerful production handgun round in existence, pale in comparison. Other small companies offer .480 ammo, as well. 30 carbine single action is one fun shooter, New Model Super Blackhawk w/Brass Grip Frame. by sandog. Generally, the 45-70 is larger, with more muzzle energy than the 45-70. It will fling deer-suitable 275, 300, or 325 grain bullets at 1840 – 1912 fps, with energy from 2067 – 2842 ft-lbs (.308 Winchester territory). Required fields are marked *. This the same energy a 180 grain, .30-06 makes at 250 yards. To this end, the mega-magnums are ideal solutions. In the years since, several gun and ammunition companies brought still more powerful handgun cartridges to the market. The X-Frame brought a new era in powerful handguns to the public. This makes a .480 Ruger a bit less painful to fire than the high pressure mega-magnums. Sturm Ruger has a reputation for independent thinking. In Casull’s opinion, if the .44 Special made a good start point for Keith, the .45 Colt made a better one for him. The recoil is also amplified in direct proportion to the increased power. ), Ruger Brings Back the Classic 6.5x55 Swedish (New Rifle Review), Bear Defense Slugs (Must Know Survival Facts), Crimp Your Cartridges! The larger bore size allowed Ruger to use heavier, wider bullets than the .454 Casull. Rex O; 5 mo ago; 6 559 5 d ago. In large part, the mega-magnums are a marketing exercise designed to extract cash from shooters who wish to boast, “Mine is bigger than yours.” Freudian implications aside, though, these handheld beasts do have a purpose, and used correctly, are appropriate tools for certain, narrow in scope, jobs. This also produces a cartridge with a more progressive recoil impulse. My Next Big Bore: 480 Ruger or 460 S&W. P. Single-Six Cylinder Bore Polishing. The mega-magnums are a logical development in this light. The need to ensure the new round wouldn’t chamber in revolvers too weak to withstand the anticipated forces led the design team to make the cartridge longer than the cylinders on any production revolver then on the market. It fit between the .454 Casull and Smith’s monstrous .500 Magnum. By 1959, Casull had all the kinks worked out and another wildcat cartridge maven, P.O. Everything about this round is enormous: size, power, and recoil. The howdah pistol constituted a tiger hunter’s last resort should a tiger mount the elephant to get at the riders. The .460 is, in reality, an elongated .454 Casull, and at the moment is the ne plus ultra in production .45 caliber handgun rounds. Do they fill an actual need for shooters, or are they just a fashion statement for size fetishists? The recoil is also amplified in direct proportion to the increased power. CONNECT WITH US Facebook Instagram Youtube. Those who carry it accept the extra weight and inconvenience in order to have as much stopping power as possible in a handgun. It might also have fared better in the market place had Smith & Wesson not rolled out the .500 S&W Magnum the same year the Ruger debuted. So, yes, the mega-magnums are worthwhile. This the same energy a 180 grain, .30-06 makes at 250 yards. With a .475 caliber bullet, they had succeeded in their goal. As a bear defense round, the .460 has few peers. The .480 Ruger Ruger Super Redhawk with .480 Ruger cartridges. Famed gun expert, Elmer Keith, had collaborated with Remington and Smith & Wesson to develop it based on a stretched .44 Special case. Single Six convertible - Factory packaging for extra cylinder? Although the .480’s case is based on the Linebaugh, which is itself a shorted, modified .45-70, it is different in many respects from the Linebaugh. Handheld Howitzers (.454 Casull, .460 S&W, .480 Ruger, .500 S&W), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), LocaCarnivore Expert: 10 Reasons Why the .357 Magnum is King, Speer Pumps Up the 10mm with 200 Grain Gold Dot, 10 Life or Death Tips About Bear Defense Handguns [Video], Montana Bow Hunter Puts on Pronghorn Stalking Clinic [Video], Federal Judge Blocks Wyoming and Idaho Grizzly Hunt (Breaking News). Mag. Both cartridge and gun proved true monsters. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .270 Winchester vs .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum ammo rounds. Management decided whatever the company might develop to rectify the situation, it had to do it on such a grand scale no other firearms company would attempt to duplicate, much less surpass, the new cartridge. British hunters a century and half ago carried what they termed, “Howdah,” pistols. For a more in-depth comparison, check out this 45-70 vs. 30-30 Win article at our blog. More food, more land, more mates, more power. However, U.S. government regulations and the need for the new cartridge to fit into a gun which humans could hold and fire drove them to settle on .50 caliber. Ruger 50th anniversary Blackhawk 357-44 mag set, I need bigger grips !! This results in a more comfortable shooting experience with only a minor loss in performance. They chose the .454 Casull as the flagship cartridge for the gun. 300 – 360 gains are common. Anything the Casull can do, the .460 S&W does bigger, better, and faster. Ammunition Recalls The .460 S&W Magnum fires the same bullets as the .454 Casull, but at much higher velocity. The .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .480 Ruger, and .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum, have overthrown the king. 180 Grain Power Point, Find More Elk, Faster [Great How-To Video], How to Hunt Pronghorn (Guns, Gear, Tactics), Top 5 Ranger Secrets for Hunters (Be Silent-Be Invisible), .45 ACP vs. Bear (Lifesaver or Get You Killed? Although their power begs the question why a hunter doesn’t just use a rifle and be done with it. At the moment, few major ammunition manufacturers make .480 Ruger ammunition. Philmo11; 6 d ago; 5 252 6 d ago. Both are popular lever action calibers. Handgun hunting is a challenge. Besides, who doesn’t have a secret desire to possess the biggest, baddest toy around? Given the revolver’s cost and the limited ammunition supply, both it and the round found little market traction. The .460 is also billed as the fastest handgun cartridge. The .44 Remington Magnum debuted in late 1955. In 1997, the company offered the powerhouse round in its Super Redhawk revolver. Late last year, Ruger started offering a factory mounted Viridian EON 3-9×40 scope on their 10/22 Carbine with a black synthetic stock. L. Base for Burris Fastfire III. Initial concepts toyed with .60 and even .75 caliber bullets. by Phish. Throughout the 1970s, anyone who fancied themselves a true handgun aficionado, had to have one. The 30-30 is typically cheaper though with a flatter trjaectory and less recoil. Philmo11; 5 d ago; 11 305 5 d ago. Sturm Ruger has a reputation for independent thinking. In the mega-magnum world, bragging rights are based on numbers, not real world performance, and the .480’s numbers are on the low side compared to the competition. The world will never lack for someone who desires more than is available, no matter the category. The King of the Hill, .500 S&W Magnum, offers astounding power which equals some center-fire rifle cartridges. Ruger Single Action Revolver Forum: All Calibers. Its major drawback is the huge S&W Model 500 which houses it. Anything the Casull can do, the .460 S&W does bigger, better, and faster. He set about to design a cartridge which would put the .44 in second place among handgun cartridges. In 2003, Smith brought the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum to an awestruck world along with their brand new X-Frame, Model 500 revolver to house it. There are several different configurations available from Ruger. Two years later, the company released a new cartridge for this massive gun, the .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum. At last, the .454 Casull had stepped into the light. This produces 1870 ft-lbs., more than twice the .44’s energy–close to the .30-30 Winchester. Used as directed, they provide options no other handguns can. In 2003, Ruger brought forth the .480 Ruger. The typical Casull load is a 260 grain, .452 caliber projectile launched at 1800 fps. These hard-hitting, hard-kicking rounds have also brought us back to where we started when it comes to protection from dangerous animals. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet we Smith and Wesson went almost a full century before they introduced an all-new revolver in 2003. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, b For its brief history, it has always meant close contact with one’s potential dinner, much like bow hunting. The Casull’s extra case capacity lends itself to even heavier bullets and loads. Boutique ammo brand, Buffalo Bore, sells a .480 Ruger load with a 425 grain bullet at 1200 fps/1311 ft-lbs. by Philmo11. If there is one consistent theme in human history it is the search for more. What year did Ruger start with the warning lables? It launches 300 grain slugs, for example, at a nominal 1750 fps., which translates into 2040 ft-lbs. Red dot sights on my Wrangler - bad idea? Like the old, big-bore Nitro Express rifles, the .480 relies on bullet mass and sectional density, rather than raw velocity to drive deep, wide wounds into large animals. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .44 Remington Magnum vs .44 S&W Special ammo rounds. Large enough to use in many capacities for hunting, the caliber is primarily used in handguns but you can find carbines chambered for 357 mag as well. Soon, other companies chambered guns for it, too. Without a doubt, these rounds are far more powerful than anyone in the 1970s could have imagined, but are they worthwhile? The .454 Casull offers power far beyond the .44 Magnum’s standard load: a 240 grain, .429 caliber bullet fired at around 1270 fps which generates 860 ft-lbs. Hornady’s 325 grain, XTP hollow-point load, for example, yields 1350 fps and 1315 ft-lbs. In the 21st century’s earliest years, Ruger decided the world needed a revolver cartridge with a bore larger than .45 caliber. Smith couldn’t keep up with demand. One must lug around a handgun whose weight approaches some carbines and shotguns. Some specialized, ultra-hot .44 Magnum loads now produce similar numbers, so many shooters don’t see a need for the Ruger. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The .454 Casull might have faded into obscurity, but Ruger recognized its potential. Longrange1971; 5 d ago; 5 164 5 d ago. Their almost uncontrollable recoil is immaterial because it is unlikely a person will get off more than one round in a nose to nose encounter with a large, violent predator. JavaScript is disabled. The firm hadn’t introduced a new magnum to its lineup since the .41 Remington Magnum in 1964. However, its large-bore allowed Ruger’s engineers to reduce the .480’s working pressures by a wide margin and still proved terminal performance equal to, or greater than, its two main rivals. They saw the interest the .475 Linebaugh generated in the handgun hunting fraternity and decided to market the world’s biggest bore, production handgun. New Single Six Barrel and Sights question. No shooter who touches one-off ever forgets the experience. at the muzzle. Given the .500’s proportions and performance, there is little chance another production handgun cartridge will surpass it for years to come—if ever. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Find the lowest price for top brand pre-owned pistols, revolvers, handguns, rifles, and more. On paper, the .480 appears under-powered compared to either the Linebaugh or Casull. R. 38-40 cylinder. Almost five decades ago, Clint Eastwood uttered the immortal lines, “…being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky? In 1983, a boutique gun company, named Freedom Arms, brought forth a limited production, single action revolver they dubbed the Model 83—for all intents, a stainless steel Ruger Super Blackhawk on steroids. Your email address will not be published. Heckler & Koch Pistol Shootout P30 vs. HK45 Sometimes you are browsing in a gun shop and two pistols look very much the same, yet you really wish you knew the … Model 29s sold for three, even four, times their normal retail price. The short-barreled mega-magnums on today’s market pitched as bear-defense guns reflect this heritage. The downside is it is not available in a reasonable sized revolver, unlike the .41 or .44 Magnums. After all, are you really handgun hunting if your revolver looks more like a crew served weapon when it sprouts bi-pods, scopes, and muzzle brakes? Its primary mission is long-range handgun hunting, as it has a much flatter trajectory than the Casull, or any other magnum. '” The 1971 hit film, Dirty Harry, ignited a frenzy among gun owners. The Casull is fit for any game animal in North America, and it is considered superior to the .44 Magnum for bear defense. No other handgun specific cartridge could match the .500 Magnum. As the year 2000 approached, Smith & Wesson felt the company had taken a backseat when it came to handgun hunting cartridges. ), .45 Colt, .44 Special, .38 Super (Old-School Hunters and Gunfighters), Ammunition Review: Winchester Super-X .300 Win. CONNECT WITH US Facebook Instagram Youtube. In 2003, Ruger introduced a new cartridge called the .480 Ruger, which is essentially a shortened .475 Linebaugh that operates at 4% lower pressure, 48,000 vs. 50,000 for the Linebaugh. This got firearms experimenter, Dick Casull’s, undivided attention. 460 Magnum 480 Ruger 50 AE 500 Magnum: 223 Remington 243 Winchester 270 Winchester 300 Winchester Magnum 300 AAC Blackout 30-30 Winchester 30-06 Springfield 308 Winchester 50 Beowulf 5.45x39 7mm Remington Magnum 7mm-08 Remington 7.62x39 7.62x54R. The Ruger 10/22 has been in production for over 50 years and is regarded as America’s favorite rimfire rifle. 357 magnum ammunition is a popular range and self-defense round among American recreational shooters. Ackley, wrote an article about Dick’s new hand-cannon, the .454 Casull, for Guns and Ammo Magazine. Now, Harry Callahan would have to admit his big, bad .44 Magnum placed a mere fourth or fifth on the most powerful list. Typical numbers for these are 1425 – 1600 fps, and 2254 – 2297 ft-lbs. LocaCarnivore Expert: .41 Remington Magnum (The Perfect Revolver Cartridge? The .480 is in decline these days. Browse used guns for sale collection and find the best deal. Like the old howdah pistol, a mega-magnum can provide one crucial, powerful shot which may save a person’s life under such circumstances. Second Media Corp., 111 Peter Street, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. (The Factory Secret For Better Loads), 7mm Remington Magnum: The Velvet Hammer (LocaCarnivore Expert), Bear Loads Tested (12 Gauge, .45-70, .500 S&W Magnum), LocaCarnivore Test and Review: PPU .300 Winchester Magnum 180 Grain Soft-Point. Perfect for heavy bodied, dangerous critters such as bears. Your email address will not be published. by TBUCK59. Since no gun maker chose to chamber a production revolver for Casull’s brainchild, it languished on the market, known to just a few atavistic power-junkies who could afford a custom-made gun and put up with all the challenges involved with any wildcat cartridge. Overnight, it catapulted Eastwood’s co-star, the Smith and Wesson Model 29, chambered in .44 Remington Magnum, into cult status. 460 Magnum 480 Ruger 50 AE 500 Magnum: 223 Remington 243 Winchester 270 Winchester 300 Winchester Magnum 300 AAC Blackout 30-30 Winchester 30-06 Springfield 308 Winchester 50 Beowulf 5.45x39 7mm Remington Magnum 7mm-08 Remington 7.62x39 7.62x54R. If the Casull’s power is off the chart, so is its recoil. These single, or double, barreled black powder pistols fired a large-caliber ball with a maximum powder charge behind it. It excels, however, with heavy bullets in the 400 to 500 grain range meant for large or dangerous game.