SRH 480 vs SRH 454 or SRH 44 or S&W

[Huntolive]

Hello guys,

I am intrigued by the SRH 480.
I own a SRH 454/45LC w/ 7.5" brl. and have an Ultradot on it.
My plan is to hunt in order of primary use: whitetails, hogs, moose.
I do not currently reload, but have friends that do, and a few basic materials, but do not want to have to depend on reloading my own yet.

Am I all set w/ my 454/45LC? Or do I gain much by adding either a 480 or 44 Mag? I love the SRH, but have also heard good stuff about S&W 44Mags, especially about their triggers and sights being "better".

Thoughts?

What if any S&W should i look at in either 44 mag, or should i even think about the S&W 500?
Also is there any way the a Super Black Hawk could actually be better for hunting than a SRH?

 

[CraigC]

If you understand that velocity in handguns is overrated and that where you see the most gains in capability are with significant increases in diameter and mass, it will be easy to grasp that the .480 is a bigger hammer. Simply put, a 425gr LBT at 1200fps in the .480 is going to be more effective than anything you can cram into the .454.

 

[Huntolive]

454/45lc vs 480 vs 44mag

Thanks, I get that a bigger bullet slower will be an effective hammer. On that logic, should i consider the 500 and call it a day?
What about ammo price and availability in the 480?
Unless, I trade/sell the 454/45 what gives me more range? adding the 480 or the 44mag? Or do I already have all i need in this category w/ the SRH 454/45?


Also, although I have no real problems w/ the recoil of the 454, does the 480 give me BOTH a better hammer and less recoil, for possible better accuracy?
Likewise, what would the 44 mag do better for me that the 454/45 won't?

Should i be considering 357? I saw an interesting S&W Performance Center 8 shot w/ 5" brl that got my heart racing ( I also saw one w/ 2.6" brl that did the same but for CC/ back up trail gun.

 

[22-rimfire]

I am intrigued by the SRH 480.
I own a SRH 454/45LC w/ 7.5" brl. and have an Ultradot on it.
My plan is to hunt in order of primary use: whitetails, hogs, moose.

I own a SRH in 480 Ruger. Ammo is around.

You don't need a 480 to hunt these animals when you have a 454/45 already. But need has little to do with it once you are "intrigued". The 480 Ruger does precisely what it was built to do.... give you 30% more power than a 44 mag.

My suggestion is that you find yourself a BFR in 480/475 and you will have a revolver capable of taking anything that walks this planet.

 

[mavracer]

I like my 480 better than the 454, but I'm also a reloader. Given your situation I would suggest just keeping the 454 it'll do anything you really need to and has a much wider range of avalia le ammo with all the heavy 45 Colt loads at your disposal

 

[Huntolive]

Thanks

I can get a like new SRH 480 from 2014 with about $100 worth of ammo for $800. Clearly I don't need one, but like someone said above, how much of this is about need? Still, I can't afford to waste money, and I am almost in need of another safe as it is. Since I do not have the stuff to reload 480, will I end up spending alot more on ammo than for the 454/45? The 45 is cheap to shoot even w/ store ammo. How much more will it cost to shoot the 480 vis-a-vis any advantage it gives me? The price on the gun seems like a steal, but not if it will just gather dust in my safe instead of his.

Anyone know much about the S&W Performance Center 8 shot 357 w/ 5" brl, as an option for trail/hunting gun? Worth the $?

What about the S&W 500, and what is the BFR 480/475 someone mentioned? Or is going down to the 44Mag better than going up from the 454?

 

[TimSr]

The .454 Casull will do quite a nice job on anything you'll be pointing it at in North America, so I'm trying to understand why you feel you need more?

When you start handloading, you are going to find that .45 cal is a lot less expensive to load, especially target ammo.

 

[mavracer]

I'd spend that $800 on reloading equipment
Smith makes a great product, 357s are plenty good for everything but the really big stuff.

 

[Huntolive]

Thanks

Thanks guys,

Best option seems to be to stick w/ the 454/45 for now.

It never hurts to save a liitle $, but I HATE delayed gratification!
That 480 just looks so sweet, and the price is tempting, but there r things I need more I could put the $ into, such as a good re-loading set up.

Still, part of me just wants it so bad. Why do solid steel revolvers make me so irrational???

 

[jehu]

I just got a S&W Stealth Hunter 44mag 7 1/2" bbl. Performance Center gun and the SA is outstanding with the DA OK. The gun came with porting which in comparison with my S&W 29 Classic 61/2" really makes a differance with muzzel flip and recoil so much so that I sent my Ruger RH Hunter out for mag-na-porting which has the 71/2" bbl. Just some things to consider if you are looking at 44's.

 

[Huntolive]

S&W Stealth Hunter

Jehu or anyone else,

what more do you know about this Stealth Hunter. Sound ideal; do they come in other calibers likle 454?

Price?

 

[98Redline]

OP asked a question about range that I didn't see answered yet....

The 480R and 44Mag are pretty much identical with respect to bullet drop vs distance. With that in mind, both are limited to about 120 yards max with heavy or caliber slugs (420ish gr in the 480 and 300ish gr in the 44), not because of lack of energy but due to the fact that you are dropping about 6" for each yard after that.

A fully hopped up 454 will be flatter shooting for sure, and could probably be pressed up to 200 yds if you can make the shot.

All of that said, the 480 is a great caliber. My original 2001 SRH is one of my favorite wheel guns and will turn off the "alive" switch on anything on 4 continents and 90% of what lives on the 5th. When loaded to its potential, it is nipping at the heels of the 475L without the punishing and snappy recoil of the 454. Not being a reloader will limit your choices, however any of the factory fodder will work fine for any of the animals on your list.

 

[SDGlock23]

I'd stick with the 454. The 480 Ruger is a great cartridge and I can't say much bad about it, from a 7.5" SRH it nips at the 475 Linebaugh in terms of ballistics. BUT you've got everything covered with the 454, you can do heavy bullets with it too. I've got a BFR and SRH Toklat in 454 and they're great and capable of taking pretty much anything. M

The .44 is a good choice but it a step backwards from the 454, you can get more carry friendly 454's (SRH Alaskan or Toklat). My main argument with the 480 (or even 475L) is that if you want big, why not just a .500?

 

[jehu]

I think the Stealth Hunter only comes in 44mag 71/2" bbl.. It is the most balanced and softest shooting 44 I have ever shot. It is a stainless steel revolver with some kind of finish on it, maybe Cerakote.

 

[Huntolive]

Stealth Hunter 44

Thanks guys, I am stickin w/ the 454/45 for now, due to its capabilities covering more than my needs, and the availability of cheap hunting and target ammo. I will save my $ for either a Stealth Hunter 44, or a 500, or a S&W 627 5" Performance Center.

I would like to know more about the Stealth Hunter 44, I saw it online for like $1600 (Crazy$)
Can they be had in good shape for less? Are they worth it?

I think the 44mag may compliment the 454 better than the 480, for what I hunt, and the fact I am not a skilled reloader.

 

[joem1945]

I looked at the S&W 500 but bullet selection wasn't great for the reloading, so I went with the .460. I also shoot a .41 mag and .44 mag both of which I reload for. 500 ammo is high unless you reload.

 

[Huntolive]

Good with 454 for now, interested in Stealth 44 or SRH

454/45 gives me all I need, I know I don't need the 500 or 480, the 480 popped up cause it was a tempting deal, and I love the new look of the stainless SRH's with the hogue tamer grips, and wanted to see where it fits in.

I think for a non-re-loader the 44 either Stealth Hunter or SRH (if I decide to get another big bore) make sense. The 500 is more of a dream gun on a distant island, as is the 627 357 8 shot: fun guns to have that would be a BLAST, but very few folks really need.

Again you guys at THR are the Best! Now time to get re-accuainted w/ my 454!

 

[mavracer]

I think the 44mag may compliment the 454 better than the 480

True but with the ability to shoot 45 Colt it only really makes sense to me if the 44 is combined with a more portable package IE 4 or 5" barrel with open sights.

 

[CraigC]

Spend your money on a reloading setup and you won't need a .44.

 

[mavracer]

The 480R and 44Mag are pretty much identical with respect to bullet drop vs distance. With that in mind, both are limited to about 120 yards max with heavy or caliber slugs (420ish gr in the 480 and 300ish gr in the 44), not because of lack of energy but due to the fact that you are dropping about 6" for each yard after that.

A fully hopped up 454 will be flatter shooting for sure, and could probably be pressed up to 200 yds if you can make the shot.

that's a pretty far fetch from the truth. 454 shoots flatter but using a 6" window for point blank range it only adds about 10-15 yards with a 100 yard zero the 480 400gr load is 3.1" low at 120 yards and the 300gr 454 is 3.3" low at 130.

 

[Huntolive]

True, the only gun I Need of any of these is the 454/45 I have;
in the end I have to admit alot is about want and sheer Lust.
Somethin bout that Stealth Hunter just calls me, and I instinctively like all the SRH's and the 627. Just depends on how much debt I feel comy with The most logical thing is for me to more deeply master what I have and maybe learn re-loading.

Just 3 years ago I thought having 1 pistol was enough; 5 pistols later I'm just getting started

 

[22-rimfire]

Lust drives the world.

 

[rswartsell]

The versatility you bought in the .454/.45 has come back to bite you!

Remember that everybody when toy shopping! Versatility will put the wet blanket on your next itch.

 

[CaliCoastie]

Not much thrown in for the 460? And you can run 454 and 45lc in the same piece!

 

[CraigC]

And you can run 454 and 45lc in the same piece!

With dismal accuracy.