I'm thinking about trying to put a few pennies aside for a new revolver.
Purpose will be hunting moose & black bear & a brown bear protection gun here in Alaska.
I've always felt confident with my model 29 for these tasks untill I had 2 brown bear encounters this year, one culminating in a very large boar & I reaching an agreement as to who owned my black bear bait that lasted over a minute & varied in distance between 12 & 30 yds. I kept all my ammo & he kept the bait & let me leave. The 2nd was when we suprised another brownie on a fresh moose kill at less than 20 yds in heavy brush. Thankfully he went the other way.
The model 29 felt a little small those moments.
Back to my question, I know the .460 & 500 S&Ws are alot more gun, & here's no such thing as too much gun on brownies, but I also don't enjoy recoil & have really been intrigued by the .480 since it came out.
What can you guys tell me about it?
Opinions on how well it would serve my needs?
I'm not one that can buy both & play.
Thanks.

Jeez, that's enough excitement to last a lifetime. Well, maybe not but still! Glad you're still with us.

I don't have personal experience yet with the .480 but will soon. It WILL be my next wheeler. From all the research I've done I am convinced it will do anything most would ever need. Big slug, big hole, big punch without the big recoil or bang of those ported S&W's.

I'll read the other replies with interest as well, Rod.

I really like my SRH in 480. I have a 4X Leupold on top. The recoil of the 480 is more of a push than the sharp snap of the 454 or hot loaded 44's with heavy bullets. Three deer and ten pasture grizzlies have fallen to 325gr bullets. With all three deer the bullet passed thru and left a good sized hole. One good sized doe was hit quartering away from me. The bullet broke a rib going in, crossed the lungs, broke 2 ribs and the far shoulder going out.



I have tried the 275gr bullets but accuracy was so-so. The 325's are good and the 400gr bullets shoot very well. H 110 seems to be the powder of choice right now. I have not done a huge amount of testing with the 480. I have a couple different cast performance bullets to try some time too. Sure wish I had more time to shoot.

I've not owned a .480, though I've shot a few loaners. Strong shove rather than the sharp snap of the .44 or .454. Hard, but not punishing. Can't wait for my dream .480 to hit the market, a 5-shot stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter with a Bisley grip and a 6" heavy ribbed barrel still grooved for scope rings!

D'Keyman (Non Sibi Sed Patriae, not self but country)

i have shot my 12" encore bbl a lot .it is the only pistol cal that i have seen blow up a bowling pin. the round has recoil but it comes mor like a shove than a snap of the 454 i shot my 480 more than my 454. the only thing to fall to my 480 was a 350 lbs russian boar at 20 yards ,the bullet whent through both shoulders and he was DRT....the exit hole was abuot 3" was using hornsdsy factory 325 exp ...

What the heck are a pasture grizzlies? We have many pastures here in Nebraska but no grizzlies.

I to wish Ruger would make a 5 shot Ruger Super Black Hawk hunter in a 480 Ruger.

At one time in the western part of Nebraska, we had a large population of sod poodles. Sadly enough the cattle ranchers poisened most of them out. As a young lad I got my start hunting in a prairie dog towns with my trusty 22 rimfire.

Guess I'll just have to find some of these pasture grizzlies now that I have seen one in a picture. Woodchucks are fairly common in the eastern part of the state. I shot one that had been chased up a tree by the inlaws bird dog.

I love the .480 Ruger. Out of my custom five shot Blackhawk I shoot the Cast Preformance .375 LFNGC. My loads do an average of 1250fps. It does wonders on deer and hogs.

Will a 357 Maximum work on pasture grizzlies? I would hate to make one mad. It might attack. Otherwise, I will have to shoot them with my 30-30 Winchester Improved barrel.

The max works fine. I have taken quite a few pasture grizzlies with my DW in 357 Max. The 158gr SJHP does a number on them.

Gundawg;

Who did your custom 480 Ruger Blackhawk for you? Were they able to use your existing frame and just rebarrel along with a new 5 shot cylinder?

Leverman,
It is a Gary Reeder Ultimate .480
New barrel, cylinder, trigger work,......shoots like a dream. I am a big fan of his work. I have a few of his encore/contender barrels as well.

Thanks for all the help guys.
I think the .480 will be the gun for me, but that will probably be end of the summer at the soonest. I know where there's an excellent SRH with a 7.5" barrel right now for $500, but I don't have it right now.

As far as the pasture grizzlies, add about 1000-1200#+ & you've got the ones I ran into this year.
Just found some digital photos I took this fall that I forgot were on the camera & showed them to my wife.
Her 1st question was "How close was that to where you took Chloe (our 13 yr old daughter) moose hunting this year?"
Had to admit it was the same area. I have pics of tracks from two different brown bears (costal grizzlies).
In the best one I have my .444 Marlin Contender laying accross the track & the Simmons Gold Medal 2.x7 scope is almost exactly as long as the pad is wide. That should make him a 10'+ bear.
Have to see if I can figure out how to post pics.
I love bow hunting, but usually hunt alone & I have to admit these guys are spooking the bowhunter out of me.
The big track is on an old powerline road that is now off limits to driving in a no motor vehicles area. I had walked it at nightfall the night before & the track wasn't there. Walked out it the next morning when it was just barely light enough to see & it wasn't there. Came back two hrs later & it was. Since he was headed toward where I was parked I have to assume I walked past him in the thick brush & semi darkness.
Kinda makes them hairs on the back of your neck not only tingle, but stand up & dance when you look down & see a track like that.

If I email someone some pics can they post them for me?