Hunting handgun: 300 vs. 400 grain bullets

[Bishopus]

Agonizing over chambering for my one hunting handgun, when I move back to the states. Here's the question I keep asking:

Is there any hunting problem that a 400 grain bullet (.475) at 1300 fps can solve, that a 300 grain bullet (.451) at 1500 fps can't?

Interested in North America only (including Alaska and territories), so elephants and tigers doesn't count, but big bears, moose, and elk do.

 

[Camp Cook]

The 400's will penetrate better than the 300's but will any animal notice the difference I'm thinking not really both will do the job or you can do what I did.

My favorite ATC handgun is my Ruger SRH shortened to 4.25" by Gunnar @ Armco it is chambered in 454 Casull I load from Hornady 240gr XTP-Mag's @ 1650fps to Beartooth 405gr WLNGC's @ 1330fps these same loads give 1880fps & 1420fps respectively in a 7.5" SRH.

I feel that the 454 Casull is the optimum cartridge for a handgun especially if you are buying a Freedom Arms revolver.

 

[Omega]

Nope nothing at all differece. All of my handgun hunting has been done with much lighter bullets.

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

Check out Gary Reeder Custom Guns website, some of their wildcats are pretty awesome.

 

[Boomer]

You don't say which .475 cartridge your gun is chambered for, but I believe a .475 Linebaugh would benefit from a 400 gr bullet. My big game loads are specifically for protection, and I prefer short barrels and small guns, weighing about 40 oz with 4"-5" barrels, so I try to stay in the 1100-1200 fps range. If your bullet can't make 1100 it's too heavy IMHO.

 

[Bishopus]

OK, so I'll come clean: I'm trying to choose between the .454 and .475 in my next Freedom Arms 83. 6" barrel, standard sights, set up for hunting.

I didn't give caliber names because many people have already formed opinions about the Casull vs. Linebaugh, and honestly I just want to know what I'm giving up by sticking with a gun I already know I can shoot.

So: would you feel undergunned hunting big Alaskan moose with a Casull (300 grain LFN cast at 1500 fps)? Would you feel ridiculous hunting whitetail with a .475 Linebaugh, just on general principles?

 

[Camp Cook]

Why don't you compromise go with the 454 Casull and shoot 355gr Beartooth or 360gr Cast Performance WLNGC's I was getting 1520fps with these in my 7.5" SRH you should be able to push them a bit faster in a FA revolver when your going after big stuff.

Use the lighter 240gr XTP-Mag's to 300gr jacketed or cast gas checked bullets for the lighter game like black bears and deer.

I feel that the 454 Casull is the most versatile handgun cartridge available today that fits in a standard size revolver.

Most people don't or can't shoot the larger calibers often enough or well enough to shoot the heavier bullets they usually stay with 240gr max in a 44mag then brag about how good they are with these little guns.

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

Another suggestion,why not skip to a .50? Say one of those Wyoming Expresses from FA?

 

[Bishopus]

Why don't you compromise go with the 454 Casull and shoot 355gr Beartooth or 360gr Cast Performance WLNGC's I was getting 1520fps with these in my 7.5" SRH you should be able to push them a bit faster in a FA revolver when your going after big stuff.

That's a great idea for a compromise--thanks for the insight. I can shoot 300s from my 7.5" FA with no trouble (after a lot of practice...) and should be able to learn to shoot a 360.

My only concern about these big bullets is COL. I'm pretty sure the FA cylinder is shorter than the SRH. Could you tell me what overall length you've got for these rounds?

 

[Camp Cook]

You can load a FA a lot hotter then the SRH so you should have absolutely no issues with velocities as well as the FA revolver was designed around the 454 Casull.

I have spent a lot of time loading the 454 Casull for revolvers and rifles and have tried almost every conceivable bullet weight as well as I have fired many FA 454's that my buddies have all of my loads worked in their guns.

Just remembered I haven't tried my 405gr Beartooth loads in the FA guns though but my 395gr Cast Performance WLNGC's fit the FA cylinder and this shouldn't be an issue.

edit to add some of my 454 Casull COL and load data these loads were all extremely safe in my SRH's but reduce by at least 10% if you use this data;

240gr XTP-Mag = 1.7580" = 38grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primers
250gr Barnes X = 1.7630" = 31grs H110 Rem 7.5 sr primers (no room for more powder)
300gr Win Factory JFP = 1.7520" COL
300gr XTP-Mag = 17485" = 30grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primers
300gr Gold Dot = 1.7395" = 31grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primer
330 Jae-Bok Joung WFNGC's = 1.6950" = 30grs H110 7.5 Rem primers
355gr Beartooth WLNGC's = 1.7505" COL = 27grs Lil-Gun 7.5 Rem small rifle primers
360gr Cast Performance = 1.7650" COL = 27grs Lil-Gun Rem 7.5 primers
395gr Cast Performance WFNGC's = 1.7715" COL = 24grs Lil-Gun same primers
405gr Beartooth WLNGC's = 1.7655" COL = 22.5grs Lil-Gun powder 7.5 Rem small rifle primers

 

[Levi Garrett]

Shoot both, pick the most accurate, hand cannons are not easy to shoot

 

[Bishopus]

Shoot both, pick the most accurate, hand cannons are not easy to shoot

Oh I already know the .454 is accurate; I just sold my FA 83 and she was more accurate than half of my rifles. Have no reason to think Freedom Arms makes their .475s any different, but I'm pretty sure there's a steep curve from .454 to .475, just like there was from .44 to .454...

 

[Bishopus]

240gr XTP-Mag = 1.7580" = 38grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primers
250gr Barnes X = 1.7630" = 31grs H110 Rem 7.5 sr primers (no room for more powder)
300gr Win Factory JFP = 1.7520" COL
300gr XTP-Mag = 17485" = 30grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primers
300gr Gold Dot = 1.7395" = 31grs H110 Rem 7.5 SR primer
330 Jae-Bok Joung WFNGC's = 1.6950" = 30grs H110 7.5 Rem primers
355gr Beartooth WLNGC's = 1.7505" COL = 27grs Lil-Gun 7.5 Rem small rifle primers
360gr Cast Performance = 1.7650" COL = 27grs Lil-Gun Rem 7.5 primers
395gr Cast Performance WFNGC's = 1.7715" COL = 24grs Lil-Gun same primers
405gr Beartooth WLNGC's = 1.7655" COL = 22.5grs Lil-Gun powder 7.5 Rem small rifle primers

Worth its weight in digital gold--thank you sir! I feel better about sticking with the Casull already

 

[Camp Cook]

Remember these loads are for my SRH's a FA revolver should be able to handle a bit more pressures why you would need more is up to you though, I find these loads can and have done everything I ever needed from a handgun.

I have found the best loads for a SRH are loading up until the cases start to get slightly sticky on extraction then backing off 1/2 gr of powder resulting in a top velocity highly accurate SRH safe load.

 

[220Swifty]

Agonizing over chambering for my one hunting handgun, when I move back to the states. Here's the question I keep asking:

.

Oh how i wish i could have a dilemma like that one.

 

[Camp Cook]

Oh I already know the .454 is accurate; I just sold my FA 83 and she was more accurate than half of my rifles. Have no reason to think Freedom Arms makes their .475s any different, but I'm pretty sure there's a steep curve from .454 to .475, just like there was from .44 to .454...

Not really when you look at the velocities/tragectories/penetration test done on both these rounds there is very little differrence with the .454 bullets penetrating deeper on average.

Basically they are very close in performance due to the heavy bullets now available in the .452...