The Power of the .454 Casull

[Walt]

Years ago after my new 7 1/2" FA model 83 arrived I did a comparison between my 7 1/2" Ruger SBH with full power (1375 fps) 250 gr cast bullets and my .454 with nearly full power (1470 fps) loads using 300 gr cast bullets. My target was a 6 x 6" piece of 1/4" diamond plate that I stood up against an embankment. I have since misplaced the .454 bullet that I dug out of the dirt but it weighed roughly half its original weight. The entire plate was bowed by the impact.

[JimT]

The 454 will do it! In 1986 Dick Casull demonstrated what he said was "the most" that you could run a 260 gr. cast bullet from the 454. He was punching them through 3/8" plate steel.

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[Walt]

I imagine that his 260 gr loads were exceeding 2100 fps with that barrel length.

[JimT]

I imagine that his 260 gr loads were exceeding 2100 fps with that barrel length.

Yessir. He said you could not get any more. He oiled the cartridges before he loaded them into the chambers. Otherwise they almost welded to the chamber walls. He maintained the gun still had a 40% margin of safety .. pressure-wise .. with those loads.

[Walt]

I remember that early ads listed maximum loads for the 260 gr bullet, Lyman 454628 at 2000 fps and the 300 gr bullet 454629 at 1700 fps. I always preferred the 300 gr bullet. Dick Casull used triplex loads prior to the development of 296/H110 and I read several years ago that Freedom Arms could not blow up their .454 even with a full case of Bullseye. Truly remarkable guns and certainly not enough can be said for pioneers like Mr Casull.

[Bill in Oregon]

I need aspirin, horse liniment and heat for my wrists -- and whiskey for my spirits -- just thinking about that level of recoil. Boy I have gone old and soft.

[Bearskinner]

My favorite hunting revolver FA83 in .454. It just kills better that it looks like it should on paper too. I’ve had the confidence to hunt everything on earth with it. So accurate it makes me look like I can shoot well.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’ve always been impressed by the guys who could handle the .454.

I hate to admit that I’m not one of them.

[Walt]

Scott, a short barreled .454 like yours has got to be a whole lot more unpleasant to shoot than the long ones.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Maybe Walt but I don’t enjoy carrying the longer barreled revolvers.

The main thing I like about a revolver is that you wear it instead of carrying it.

[Walt]

You're right, of course, Scott. By far most of my shooting these days is at steel gongs so I have no need to carry while doing that. I was pointing out that it's certainly understandable why you prefer shooting .45 Colts out of your short FA because the short barreled ones kick harder than the longer barreled guns. The longer ones still kick hard but they're not as unpleasant as the 4 3/4" guns.

I agree with Ross Seyfried's definition of a carry gun.

[Bill in Oregon]

I miss reading Ross Seyfried.

[Walt]

Ross Seyfried is certainly an amazing gun handler and talented writer. He too has moved from the heavy hitters with which he accomplished his storied hunting feats to shooting mostly guns at moderate power levels like .44 spl and .45 Colt.

[Turdyturdy]

I have an early Ruger SRH 454. For years I shot it loaded with 250 grain XTPs on top of 34 grains of H110. When I turned age 70 I realized I could not shoot those full power loads any longer. I now load the same bullet over 16 grains of W540 or HS6. I call it my “still more than enough” load. I still have 400 of those stiff loads loaded up. I need to pull the bullets and change the powder load. But I have a Rossi 92 454. Maybe it would be more fun just shoot them in that. Whoops, as I recall that gun kicks like a mule with that load.

[Scott Tschirhart]

[/bI now load the same bullet over 16 grains of W540 or HS6. I call it my “still more than enough” load.

That sounds like exactly what I should do. Thank you.

[ollogger]

A few years ago i traded into a Ruger Alaskan 454 & a box of Freedom Arms 300 gr. ammo came with it
had alot of 45 colt loaded so shot some if it, some were Ruger only loads & the recoil was pleasant in it
not like the BlackHawk or Vaquero, so i got the box of FA & it said on the box for FA guns only
well heck the big Ruger ought to handle that load, i was wrong !! first time ever i had trouble getting 3 cases
out of a revolver , the recoil was not as wild as i thought it would be but i pulled the bullets and dumped
the powder in the garden & put in a sane load of 4227, yep i like a 300 gr.cast bullet at around 900 fps


Brad

[Walt]

I like 4227 for several calibers. I use 19.0 gr in .41 mag with a 210 gr cast load for velocity on the low end of hot. It shoots well.

BTW, I have a letter from Hodgdon stating that IMR and H4227 are completely interchangeable, that differences in lot numbers are greater than differences between the two powders.

[Scott Tschirhart]

BTW, I have a letter from Hodgdon stating that IMR and H4227 are completely interchangeable, that differences in lot numbers are greater than differences between the two powders.

Good to know.