I like the 44mag but looking for something with a little more oomph! But I also want to stay in a pistol cartridge. I have been looking at the 445SM, 454 casull and 460 S&W. The 445SM brass is high and dies are ridiculous! The 460 S&W brass is high, uses about 1/3rd more powder, has considerable more recoil and only shoots about 150fps fast than the 454. So the 454 casull looks like the best choice to me. What do you guys think of the 454 casull? What barrel length are you useing with it and are you useing a muzzel brake?

I have a TC encore with 10inch barrel in 44 mag. I don't reload, but with quality factory ammo I find it to be incredibly flat shooting and accurate out to about 120 yards so far. It is defiantly one of my favorite handguns to shoot.

I think the 454 would be awesome in the Encore !!

I think it would be great in the encore also. It should be the cheapest to load, hardest shooting, least recoiling big pistol cartridge. Just curious how people are ordering their barrels, length and brake or no brake.

I have a 10" Contender barrel in .445 Super Mag that I absolutely love! That cartridge is incredible. It launches 240gr XTP bullets at just shy of 2,000 fps and 325gr WFN-GC bullets at almost 1,700 fps. That ain't bad for a gun about the size of a 6" revolver! Brass is available from Midway and I use .44 Mag dies from RCBS to handload. I love the cartridge.

I also have several .454 Casulls, though all of them revolvers from 5" to 6.5", to 7.5" and the longest barrel pushes a 350gr RFN-GC at 1,650 fps. So, it too is a great cartridge.

You need to weigh your intended game or purpose against cost and desire. Either is a great chambering. The Casull is readily available and a great hunting round. But, it's common. Not a bad thing. But, it is.

The .445 Super Mag is not common at all and I think that adds to its appeal. People have heard of the Casull. You mention the Super Mag at the range and you'll likely get blank stares. Which........is cool to me.

Either will work well. Just gotta make your decision and go with it. You'll be happy either way, I think.

And, I also have a .460 S&W Mag in an 14" Encore Pistol. That's a monster too.

Starline brass for the .445 Super Mag and Casull are currently available at Midway for $50 and $40 per hundred, respectively.

.44 Mag dies work for the Super Mag so you don't need anything special.

I have a factory 12 inch barrel with a 2x7 TC scope. It is a deer and hog hammer.

I agree with GG.
Underwood 340gr Hardcast 44 Magnum, will do anything you need it to.
You may want to consider the 480 Ruger also. Big bore fun with less recoil than the 454. Underwood is coming out with a 420 Hardcast 480 Ruger this summer too.

Here's mine with a 10" 44 Magnum full bull barrel,



and a 10" factory contour barrel,



I like 10" barrels, for how well they balance and carry.

I had a Raging Bull in 454 Casull. I did not like it. Traded it for a Ruger Super Blackhawk. My first 44 mag. I now have a Ruger Redhawk with 5.5 inch barrel. That gun has killed everything I have used it on without all of the recoil of the 454.

I have the .460 barrel. It's a beast and recoil is an adrenaline rush with the first two shots declining rapidly into the "meet with the ex" range of enjoyability. I literally wanted to tackle Michael Strahan after firing it the first time. Now I want to check zero and pick up the SRH.

I've not shot the Casull through the .460 barrel but time allowing, I will soon.

I am with Zee on the 445SM. Good shooting round. I have a MGM 15 inch Encore barrel with a brake and I reload 240 grain XTP's and it shoots over 2,000 fps and I am not at maximum powder charge. You can use 44 mag dies which are much cheaper than the 445 SM dies and buy 100 Starline brass at Midway for $50.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/data/732/thumbs/6-1-14_0071.JPG

Link to my 445 SM

I have a 20 inch .460 barrel Encore for my grandson's deer rifle. We have both killed deer with it and it works well.

Here's my Encore with MGM 414 SuperMag barrel, brass is available from Starline or Midway USA and it is reloaded using regular 41 Mag dies.
It is flat shooting and no brake needed. Thought I would throw out another option.

Sweet. I have a Encore MGM 41 mag barrel and since I have the dies have been thinking about a 414 SuperMag as my next purchase.

I have a 12" 454 Casull that's ported. Its an accurate barrel, I just don't use it very often. I've only shot one deer with it using a 300 gr Sierra JSP which acted more like a hardcast. I preferred the performace of 300 gr XTP/Mags on deer that I've shot with 454 Casull revolvers. Nothing to do with the barrel, the Sierra is just a tough bullet.

I also have the 460 Encore barrel. Once I got accustomed to the recoil, it has become by far the best long range handgun that I have. To date I have not shot anything but targets at long range. I would be comfortable under the right conditions and with a solid rest to take a shot up to 200 yards at a game animal. I shoot targets out to 300 meters but by then the drop becomes a significant factor and would not risk taking a shot at an animal at that range.