480 or 44?

I'm having some trouble deciding of what my next hunting pistol should be. I'm really leaning towards the Super Redhawk in 480 just because of the overwhelming positive reviews I read from the cartridge in general. However, I really like the Blackhawk 44 manum hunter. For either one I'm going to put a Leupold 4x on top, and I'm going to reload no matter what so cost/availability of ammo isn't a huge concern. Besides those two are there any others I should be considering? It's going to be used mainly for deer and maybe some coyote duty, but mainly I just want it.

Help me spend my money!

There isn't much that you can't kill with a 44 Magnum and I think if I was forced to pick one it would be the 44 but I'm also not a big fan of DA guns just because they seem a bit more trouble to tote around. The bullet selection is also a lot better for the 44 if you can find components.

Thats kind of what I'm thinking too. I have a s&w 460 thats big and bulky so I think a SA would be nice. Ideally, Ruger would have made their Blackhawk chambered in 480 but they didn't.

Whats your other pistols now?

Put me down in the anything the 44 will do the 480 will do better with less fuss category. My 7.5" 480 Super Redhawk with 420s at1200fps is more pleasant to shoot than my Magna-ported 8&3/8 mod 29 with 320s at 1340fps. More push but less snap/slap.

BUT, the 44 mag will do all you are asking for...

Te 44 will do anything the 480 will do cheaper. I think the 480 in the
Srh will be immensely more comfortable to shoot

This suggestion is a little outside your original two guns. Since you are scoping your choice get a light, short, Blackhawk 45 Colt. You can use bullets from your 460 S&W. Without the scope, you have an excellent backup gun or dedicated iron sight hunting gun.

If your going to keep the 460 I think Redhawk has a good point. You could still put a fastfire or jpoint on top without adding too much bulk.

Amen!

I love my 480 Ruger SRH:


The 480 Ruger Super Redhawk gets my vote. Have fun deciding!

Once you have brass the 480 really isn't any more expensive to shoot. My hunting loads use less powder than I used in my 44 mag (20. gr of Lil Gum as opposed to (as I recall, no data in front of me!!!) 22.5gr of H-110 in the 44) & since I cast my own bullets much of the time just 80 or so more grains of lead. Probably pretty much an even up trade. If you buy from Cast Performance the difference is about $10. per hundred.

Don't get me wrong, for most lower 48 game animals the 44 mag will do everything you need in spades!

Since you already have the 460 you really don't "need" anything, so "I just want one" is as good a reason as any for your decision.
My gun is identical to Darens.
Daren, if you don't mind PM me your favorite loads. I enjoy experimenting!

I'm really liking the single action look right now, it's a good change up from the bulk of my DA 460. I was also looking at the BFR 480. Does anyone have any advice on one of those?

480 all the way everyone has a 44!

Really the 480 if you reload allow you to customize the load and at the top end the 44 will not come close to the power the 480 is capable of. But you can load the 480 down to light 44 level loads. No brainer in the fact hat the wide meplat of the 480 is devastating on game even at 800 FPS. You need to drive the 44 a little faster for the same results. Super red hawk what more can you say outstanding gun. Cartridge efficiency extraordinaire.

480 all the way.

A stainless Ruger Bisley 5 1/2" convertible in .45 lets you shoot 45 LC as well as 45 acp/ 45 super. That would be a good packin' pistol. I have one and would not trade it. I have a BFR in 500JRH, but it is heavy like your S&W 460. With the convertible you could handload to your hearts content but still be able to get some factory stuff if necessary. Make the 480 your 3rd purchase.....I want one too, but not in place of my 45.

You mentioned looking at the BFR. It comes as 475/480 and can be had in a 6" version. As I read your post this single action would cover everything you mentioned. [just saying]

I've read nothing but good about them. Sounds like most guys replace the front sight (it's plastic?) but quality & accuracy seems to be top notch, especially for the price.
It sounds to me like the best gun Ruger never built!
It's on my someday list!
Also on that someday list is to have Wapitirod convert my favorite trail/camp gun, a 4&5/8 Ruger BHin 45 Colt to a 5 shot 480.

I have and do own single actions from 22 to the 45-70BFR and custom 475's and 500 Linebaughs. I have become a serious fan of the 454 with mid weight bullets in the 240 to 260 range. You can run them fast enough to really make a difference in trajectory and yet they will take anything on the planet with the right bullet. In fact many elephant have been taken cleanly with the mighty 454 and in an SA you don't have the bulk. You could also shoot 45LC out of it and you can shoot both out of your 460 and even use all the same bullets. The 240 and 300gr XTP Mag will take anything in North America and you can't ask for more than that.

With all that said the BFR is an excellent gun and the fact that a few years ago they started drilling and tapping them for a supplied scope base makes it nice. As for the Hunter there is a deep split, some guys love them others like me hate them. To me they don't balance well at all and they put the scope too far forward and I just think they are ugly but then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have owned a hunter and I hated it so it was only in my collection for a couple months. Try and handle one set up similar to what you want before investing the dollars because you may really not like it when you get the weight of that 4x out on the barrel. Like I said some really like them but others don't at all. I personally would either look at the BFR in 44 or a Super Blackhawk and have the gun drilled and tapped for a Weigand or TSOB base but again that is just me and you may have totally different likes. The BFR is definitely a cut above the Ruger though unless you go custom.

Check out this thread in the "Shooter's bench" forum.
http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/137567/page/1/gonew/1#top

If I may be allowed to cut in this dance, can a Bisley grip frame be mounted
on these BFRs?

The BFR is about a half-pond more than a Blackhawk, and still a lot lighter than an X-frame. They're a bit bulky, but that helps quite a bit when you start pushing warm loads through that thing!!

I think Vance's post just above mine indicates Mr. Huntington modifies the grip frames. What does he do? Does he make it look like a Bisley? Does he mount a Ruger one on? Price known for this work?
I hope I'm not going off topic to extreme here. Thanks.

Not without a whole lot of work. The grip frame mods that Huntington does for me is even better than a Bisley, and I consider myself a Bisley man.

Thank you kindly.