hey guys,
I'm looking at a new super redhawk, 3 actually. (I'm only going to buy one:), They are, a .44 mag. and .480 ruger w/ 9.5" barrels and a .454 casull w/ a 7.5" barrel. It's main use will be hunting white tail deer here in the southeast USA. I am not crazy about the .454 round (mainly b/c of recoil),so I would mainly shoot/hunt using a .45 LC. I don't reload.

How's the .45LC for hunting? Is there alot of ammo to chose from that could do the job off the shelf and, can I expect consistant accuracy shooting .45's out of that gun? Also, any other feedback anyone might have on that gun, or any of them in general is welcomed. I already have a .44 SBHH so would probably lean toward one of the other calibers but not sure yet.

thanks guys

I have had a number of SRHs and have been happy with all of them. They tend to shoot well. I personally would recomend the .480. It won't beat you up like the Casull, but it will make a bigger hole.

As far as factory .45 Colt fodder is concerned, most of it leans towards cowboy action shooting and is quite anemic. There are some specialty offerings by Buffalo Bore, Grizzly ammo, and Double Tap that put the old warhorse in a whole new category.

Are you a handloader? If not then I would go with the .44 Magnum. Any of them are a great choice though and more than capable of any whitetail.

I agree with both Whitworth & Gary :-)
For the nonhandloader the 44 mag is hard to beat for a dear gun.
I handload & the 480 SRH is my favorite gun. I am getting arthritus in my hands & sharp recoil really hurts. The 480 with 420s at 1175fps is more comfortable for my hand than my 8&3/8" Magnaported mod 29 with 320s at 1350fps.

factory rounds in the 454 range from 44 mag level to wild, if you don't handload though, i'd go with the 44 mag as bullet availability is better than the 45 colt, is cheaper, and no deer or blackbear or really any game for that matter will notice the diff b/w the 44 mag and the .480. your pocketbook will. only real diff is trajectory and that edge goes to the .454 by far imho and will only come into play if you get good enough to shoot or want to shoot over 100 yards.

It's tough to beat a .44 Magnum for deer and hogs. Nothing is really any better, it's just that many or most of us like to try other things.
Of course, the finish on the SRH's are different. Scratches on the .44 are easily touched up, but that's not the case with the "Anti-Corro Terhune" finish on the .454 and .480.
Using .45 Colts in the .454 should work fine in a good gun. That performance will fall way behind the excellent .480, though. If I wanted to try something different than a .44 Magnum, and I was a reloader, I'd JUMP on the .480. Be aware that they also aren't made any more. I consider that as making them more desireable, but some others will hold different opinions.

the newer 454's have a similiar finish now as to the .44 mags.

Lot's of good advice above. If you even think you may ever travel to far off exotic lands to hunt (like Alaska or Africa), go with the .480. I did.

I own a 45 Colt RH and a 454 Casull SRH. I, personally, don't mind the recoil of the 454 Casull. Companies such as Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, Grizzly Cartridge, and Corbon do manufacture some very impressive 45 Colt "Ruger Only" loads.

You can not beat the 44 Magnum for the availability of factory ammo though.

I hope factory ammo is still abundant in a few year for the 480 Ruger. The 480 Ruger is good cartridge that just never caught on and Ruger is no longer producing it.

The 44.....I have one w/9" barrel and there were no problems making 3" groups at 100yds with a 240gr JHP handload....Good luck

ugh! decisions decisions... One things for sure, I came to the right place with this. Thanks everyone for the feedback. Whitworth I checked out the ammo you mentioned and was impressed with the claims they make on the .45. I'll post a pic of whatever I buy.

Keep us posted!!

A SRH in any caliber is a tough gun and will last a 3 lifetimes.I got a 44 SRH years ago and have put countless rounds through it and killed a few deer with it. It still shoots as good as if new. I got a 480 SRH a couple years ago and hunt almost exclusively with that now,but I do reload all my ammo. I beleive the 480 is hard to beat.I really like it because it blows the bigger hole and shoots just like a 44 to me. To me its the best handling big gun and a fine deer round. You really can't go wrong with any SRH. I agree with everybody else about the 44, if your not a reloader.

Well said, Vern!

I have a SRH in 480 with a 7.5 inch tube and my oldest son has the same with a 9.5 incher....

I like the shorter tube for the balance but I am old. My son likes the longer barrel and makes it sing…

That said I love the 480R BUT I do recommend reloading for it… you get much more variety.

Sure nice to see so many 480 lovers in one place!!!
I think it is the ideal all around handgun hunting caliber.
Ruger absolutely needs to bring it back & Federal needs to make a 420gr Cast Core hunting load running 1150-1200fps from a 7.5" tube for it! In my opinion if that load had been available from the start it would still be a production gun.

Thanks again for all the help guys. I went with the .44. (I kind of surprised myself too)lol. After looking into some of the ammo produced by Buffalo Bore and others Whitworth suggested, I realized the .44 had more potential, and a larger framed gun would help me get it!
Since there are so many .480 lovers here, I thought you may like to know there is a brand new .480 SRH 9.5" barrel in target grey available at Cabela's Gonzales, La. store for $649 (I think).
thanks again

Congratulations on the purchase! You won't be disappointed. When do you get it in your hands and when will you get the chance to shoot it?

BTW, $649.00 for the .480 is a really good price.

Whit. I picked it up yesterday. Should get to shoot it soon, but not soon enough! lol
BTW, if the .480 didn't have that grey finish, it would be mine! Just don't like that finish. lol

The reason you are being advised to go with a 44 instead of a 480 Ruger as a non-hand loader is that ammo is nuts high for it.

From Midway Catalog #32
Buffalo Bore 370 $52.99/20
Buffalo Bore 410 $49.49/20
Corbon 275 $64.99/20
Grizzly 350 Hawk $56.99/20
Grizzly 370 Punch $99.99/20
Grizzly 375 Cast Per. $56.99/20
Grizzly 400 Hawk $58.99/20
Grizzly 425 Cast Per $54.99/20
Hornady 325 $26.49/20
Hornady 400 $26.49/20
Speer 275 $39.99/20

In my opinion the thing that hurt the 480 Ruger the most was expensive ammunition for it.

I have 2 SRH 480's and I really like them. I also handload for them, so my ammunition cost is very reasonable.

My advice to you would be to look into a entry level reloading set up if possible. Then you can shoot what ever you wish without being independently wealthy. A Lee Cast Iron Classic press and a cheap set of scales would get you started.

I had a 7.5 454. It was just to much gun for me and my old bones.
It was a great gun but I prefer a single action.
So I sold the srh and got a Bisley 44 and like it a lot better.
But you cant go wrong with any ruger!

I think that all of the cartridges are adequate. In my humble opinion, the SRH's size and weight are not fully utilized in a 44 magnum. The regular Redhawk can handle any and all .44 magnum rounds available. It was designed to handle the .454 Casull. When I owned a SRH in .454, the recoil was stronger than my 6" 500 magnum from BFR, that is my current hunting pistol for tough stuff. I think that the .480 is great, would love to have one at a bargain, but, only because I hand load. It is going the way of the dodo bird, much like my pet .41 magnum, only quicker. I would hope that reloading brass will be around for many more years, and besides, I do like for my stuff to be a little different from what everyone else is carrying. For the same price, of the three, I'd go for the .454. Even Buffalo Bore does not load full power .454 loads, because of crimp jump, and extraction problems. It does not need to be full power to have all the killing ability that you need. (in my humble opinion.) For what you describe that you want to do, I think that Heavy 45 Colts are much more than adequate, almost perfect, for white tail. Best -

I don't disagree. I was leaning to the 454 and shooting heavy .45 loads but really liked the extra barrel length in the .44. After looking into the buffalo bore ammo and some other's, the decision to go with the .44 was easy.
By the way, has anyone used or heard anything about buffalo bore's deer grenade ammo?

Hi wizard, no I have not even shot anything from Buffalo Bore. The premium ammo that I have ever bought, has always been Corbon. Corbon just knocks you down on both ends of the gun.

I like to use Buffalo Bore as a baseline to compare my hand loads to. However, I find that shooting standard loads out of any caliber that I shoot, always gives me enough killing power. I even shoot reduced loads from my 500 mag. I got 3 boxes of Corbons with it, and will never hunt with them. One thing I can assure you of, in a pinch, you can walk into just about any gun shop, and pick up a box of Corbon DPS hunting rounds. Best -

Alright, I picked up some Buffalo Bore ammo today. Heavy .44, 300g J.F.N., 1325fps. Hope I can hold on. lol I know, I know, I move slowly but hunting comes first right now and the weather hadn't been forcing me out side if you know what I mean. Beside's I am not crazy about shooting at paper. I'll keep you posted...

Looking forward to seeing how she does.
As a side note, you might check Federal Castcore 300gr ammo. About the same fps & I believe a Cast Performance bullet. Might be considerably cheaper...

Will do Vance! Thanks

have them all , super red hawks , redhwaks and a superblackhawk all in 44 mags....seems theyre all tough as can be , and last forever withall kinds of loads !!