My "Beast Load" - .454 Casull

Finally got around to loading some heavy bullets for my Ruger SRH .454 Casull.

I've had a box of Matt's Bullets in 350gr RFN-GC for almost 2 years. I originally got them for my .460 S&W Encore pistol. But, that gun decidedly did NOT like them. So, they sat dormant until yesterday when I made some test loads for my Casull. Going off Hodgdon data for a 360gr gas checked bullet, I crammed in as much H110 as I could. Made 3 different loads to try out and ALL of them are quite compressed!

The book max for the 360gr bullet is 34.0gr H110 and I could barely seat a bullet on top of that much powder. Guess the bullet I'm using is a bit longer than the one they used. Who knows?

33.0gr
33.5gr
34.0gr

Hit the range this afternoon and immediately realized...........I forgot to bring my pistol rest. CRAP!!!!

Well, necessity is the mother of invention. So, I used my target stand and two of my rear bags to make a pistol rest.



It would have to do. Then, I clipped the target to the 50 yard backer and lined up the chronograph.



Pulled the trigger on the first round of 33.0gr H110 and...........WOW! That was a hand full! Not painful, due to the absorbing Hogue grip, but incredibly vigorous. However, the first load didn't produce the group I was interested in. So, I went for the 33.5gr load next.



.6" for three shots at 50 yards?!? With a muzzle velocity of 1,640 fps from a 7.5" barrel? That'll work!!!!

I was hesitant to try the 34.0gr load, but went for it anyway.



1.194" @ 1,653 fps wasn't enough increase in velocity to justify the decrease in accuracy and increase in smoke (very dirty load). So, the 33.5gr load won the coin toss.

I am now ready for................just about anything.

I'll transition my 300gr WFN-GC loads to usage in my .454 Casull Bisley and use these 350gr loads in the Super Redhawk. No, I am NOT going to try these loads in my Bisley. It's enough of a handful with the 300gr loads.

There is absolutely no need for this load with anything I regularly hunt. But, that's not the point........is it? It's just stupid fun to have a load I could hunt any game animal on the planet with.

Why must you use such a foul word?

Which remains to be tested. A loaded round is almost flush with the front of the cylinder. If a bullet creeps forward in recoil, it won't take much to lock up the cylinder.

I put an extra heavy crimp on the rounds. Using a Lee FCD, I went 1.5 turns on the crimp ring. 1/2 turn is considered a light crimp. 1 full turn is considered a heavy crimp. So, I went a full turn and a half for good measure.

When I go zero the gun for this load on Monday, I will load the cylinder and see if there is any creep.

Loaded up 72 rounds Saturday night (all the bullets I had left) and hit the range on Sunday to zero the gun. Doing some ballistic programming showed that if I zeroed for 2" high at 50 yards, I should only be 1.5" low at 100 yards and about 4" low at 150 yards. So, that was the plan.

And it worked out.



Zeroed it at 50 yards, then adjusted the reticle to strike 2" high. Sweet!

Put the steel target at 100 yards and held center.



And that'll do what I need doing.

Part of the testing I was conducting was to see if the recoil caused any creep in the bullets.

Before:



After:



Looks like I'm good to go. At least after 3 rounds, which should cover most of my hunting.

Here is a slow-motion video of the 100 yard steel shot.

http://vid26.photobucket.com/albums/c106...zpsan7kry8l.mp4

This is quite a dirty load.



And energetic.



I'm a VERY happy camper with this load! The Casull has finally come into its own!

Just...damn.

Looks like the SRH is a shooter.

NICE!
Both the gun and the owner make a for a good combo.
Fun to hear that clang in the video.

I have 200 hundred or so of those loads (almost exactly) that I worked up for my FA 4 3/4 many many moons ago. They rest nicely at the bottom of my 454 ammo tub, never to see the light of day again, barring some type of alien invasion by very large creatures.....

Glad you are enjoying them, and you are better man than me.....

Craig

that will work! they could have had that load and gun in the last Jurassic Park movie

glutton for punishment are we?

Ironically, it does and it's not one of my favorite guns. Just can't warm up to the grip design. I prefer the Redhawk and SBH Bisley grip frame.

Just point and flinch. Point and flinch. Repeat as necessary.

Take them out and dust them off. Fire one on occasion. Just as a reminder.

:-)

I have my moments.

Thats a heckuva load. Good job and thats some great shooting!

Thank you. It seems like it'll do whatever I need doing with a .454 Casull.

Whatever you need and then some.