The 454 Casull

[Freyr_255]

If you are incorporated for doing geological consulting then your boss who has to sign off on your ATC application is YOU.

Don't underestimate the penetrating power of a heavy slow bullet like the .45 Colt. Skeeter Skelton reported seeing pass throughs on horses in some of the gun fights that happened around him in his youth.

This was just with a lowly .357 magnum......


https://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2008/01/grizzly-attack-caught-camera/

Ya, at the time I wasn't self employed. Nowadays I have a little placer operation in the Omenica. I probably should put in for it again though as I would like it for prospecting activities...having one's head down in a creek with gun and pack on the bank isn't really the best move lol!

I do understand that a lot of people used the 357 for bear and that it's generally enough. My logic with the 454 was I could load it to anything up to full house loadings as well as most people who've had encounters say they get one shot off. The SRH because double action. That said, I really do like that link you shared. Very telling how things can progress.

 

[caramel]

Check if your H&R is an SB1(cast iron) or SB2 (steel) frame.
SB1 frames were rated up to .44 Magnum which runs around 35,000PSI pressure. 460 S&W/454 Casull pressures run around 65,000PSI.
An SB1 frame might 'grenade' at 65,000PSI.

SB2 same as the 500S&W.

 

[870P]

It's a point of total frustration that in the time I was going hard buying black guns that Rossi did another run of stainless .454s and sold them all before I bought one... I guess there just isn't enough demand which I find odd considering how quickly they seem to move even at a premium.

I rather enjoy my SRH Toklat. While it's not something I shoot all day I really don't understand the reputation .454s have for brutal recoil. When I bought it it was by far my most powerful handgun and I caught on quickly. 240grns at nearly 1900fps or a 325 at 1500+. Significant but far from brutal.

The current factory offerings for the .454 are downloaded significantly compared to the original wildcat loadings intended for the Freedom Arms revolvers, which is what I shot, and was enough to scare me off shooting another handgun in the caliber.

 

[B]

The current factory offerings for the .454 are downloaded significantly compared to the original wildcat loadings intended for the Freedom Arms revolvers, which is what I shot, and was enough to scare me off shooting another handgun in the caliber.

I do understand that there is consensus that the .454 is very punishing. I simply don't see the big deal myself is all. I am no recoil junkie by any means and as I said the .454 is tiring. I recall shortly before my Toklat arrived I watched Hickock45 shooting one and his constant comments on the recoil had me planning very watered down handloads.

After I fired a few boxes of Hornady Custom (excellent factory .454 ammo btw) I went the other way and began seeing how much H-110 I could get under my bullets... Another thing I love about the .454 is there is not enough capacity to produce loads that are over max pressure using suitable magnum powders.

 

[BigUglyMan]

The 454 Casull exists to make handguns more powerful, same reason that the 22 Mag exists. Chambering it in a rifle doesn't make any sense as there are options that do more jobs better. Buy a 45-70 and run 400gr bullets nice and gently at 1400 fps generating almost no pressure or run it all the way up to 2000 fps with no ill results. The Casull can match the entry-level 45-70 velocities running wide open and bouncing off the redline. It can, in no way, compete. Picture a little kid "racing" their father across the front lawn and you'll understand the differences.

 

[B]

The 454 Casull exists to make handguns more powerful, same reason that the 22 Mag exists. Chambering it in a rifle doesn't make any sense as there are options that do more jobs better. Buy a 45-70 and run 400gr bullets nice and gently at 1400 fps generating almost no pressure or run it all the way up to 2000 fps with no ill results. The Casull can match the entry-level 45-70 velocities running wide open and bouncing off the redline. It can, in no way, compete. Picture a little kid "racing" their father across the front lawn and you'll understand the differences.

.454 rifles are much lighter and handier, as is the ammunition which can be a concern for some. I think it is an excellent short range cartridge from a rifle and the ballistic gain from a rifle barrel is very significant. A .454 rife would make great sense for a lot of guides and outdoorsmen who are packing .454 revolvers. The .45-70 is certainly ballistically superior but so are a lot of things. To just say why a .454 because .45-70 isn't showing much thought towards a lot of scenarios.

 

[Steyr101]

The 454 Casull exists to make handguns more powerful, same reason that the 22 Mag exists. Chambering it in a rifle doesn't make any sense as there are options that do more jobs better. Buy a 45-70 and run 400gr bullets nice and gently at 1400 fps generating almost no pressure or run it all the way up to 2000 fps with no ill results. The Casull can match the entry-level 45-70 velocities running wide open and bouncing off the redline. It can, in no way, compete. Picture a little kid "racing" their father across the front lawn and you'll understand the differences.

I'd have to agree with all of this.

A compact .45-70 rifle will weigh virtually the same as one in .454.

Load light and essentially have a full power Casull. Pack a few heavy loads and you'll have them if you think you need them. Cost of dies and brass will be cheaper as well.

That being said.. I have complete setups for both .45-70 and the Casull. I would just never try and argue the Casull has any significant advantage whatsoever in a rifle.

 

[Camp Cook]

So many have such a poor understanding of the 454 Casull cartridge.

I no longer have my ATC but when I still did my favorite handgun for remote area defense was my shortened to 4.25" Ruger Super Redhawk installed a Crimson Trace laser grips on it.

When I was in black bear country I loaded it with my top velocity 45 Colt loads when I was in grizzly country I switched over to 454 Casull loads from 240gr/300gr XTP-Mags 355gr - 405gr WLNGC's imagine a 405gr WLNGC @ 1280fps out of a little hand cannon.

I also carried a Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 loads from 350gr Swift A-Frames to 550gr Crater's then I started reading up on the LSI Puma M92 in 454 Casull bought one in stainless 20" barrel I call it my 45-70 light it will handle any 45 Colt - 454 Casull load I load for it I had Peter at Rusty Wood Trading Company do an action job on both the 1895 and M92 both rifles are crazy smooth and feed everything I put thru them.

One barrel I am looking to add is a stainless 15" T/C Pohnter barrel in 454 CAsull O do not shoot 460 so not interested in that barrel.

I'd shoot my M92 a lot more but my eyes are getting old seeing iron/ghost ring sights is a pain now so I do not grab it as often as I would like to anymore but I have two son's that love scooping it from me...

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

A compact .45-70 rifle will weigh virtually the same as one in .454.

Sorry,but this statement is 100% incorrect.
The Rossi R92 chambered in .454 with a 16 inch barrel is lighter in weight than any 45.70 lever action currently produced by a significant margin.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

the power of the 454 Casull is impressive. a 230g bullet @ 1900fps...good 450fps on the .44RM.

that enough velocity to make it a 150 yard bullet?

 

[Boomer686]

Love my.454Casul's in their various revolver and carbine configurations. Not punishing in either as far as I'm concerned and given enough range time easy enough to master even one handed / off-hand. Nowhere near as bad as my .460S&W.

As a brush gun my .454 has dropped several bruins... bang flops at that.

I find flavourful marketing trumps ballistics when it comes to lever guns more so than actual data. Never seen anything shrug off a round from a .454 and walk away.
Personal taste is also a factor like in my case I enjoy the .454 and have no love what-so-ever for the .45-70 which I consider to be grossly overrated.

To each their own I guess.....

 

[Mr. Friendly]

what rifles are available in the .454 Casull? or how about the .460 S&W Magnum, for that matter?

 

[Suther]

what rifles are available in the .454 Casull? or how about the .460 S&W Magnum, for that matter?

Not much. The only guns I've seen in 460 have both been mentioned already, the Big Horn Armory lever guns and the T/C encore single shot. 454 you've got the Rossi 92 in a bunch of different configurations, and again, Big Horn Armory makes one too. I'm sure someone makes barrels for the T/C encore too, if T/C doesn't.

 

[Scrumbag]

Bighorn Armoury make interesting things.

Also see Rossi

 

[BigUglyMan]

Sorry,but this statement is 100% incorrect.
The Rossi R92 chambered in .454 with a 16 inch barrel is lighter in weight than any 45.70 lever action currently produced by a significant margin.

I can't find any specs on a 454 Casull lever rifle other than a Big Horn, which is more than 3x the price and a pound heavier than the Marlin.

Bighorn Armoury make interesting things.

Also see Rossi

Bighorn is almost $3100 USD. Can't find a Rossi anywhere.

 

[B]

the power of the 454 Casull is impressive. a 230g bullet @ 1900fps...good 450fps on the .44RM.

that enough velocity to make it a 150 yard bullet?

240 @1900fps is easy from a 5" barrel. Speed goes up significantly with additional barrel length.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

240 @1900fps is easy from a 5" barrel. Speed goes up significantly with additional barrel length.

I bet! alas, the Ballistics By The Inch website doesn't have data for the .454 Casull...or the .460 S&W Magnum for that matter.

I may be having a brain fart, but I can't find Rossi's website. can someone provide the link? many thanks!

 

[B]

I bet! alas, the Ballistics By The Inch website doesn't have data for the .454 Casull...or the .460 S&W Magnum for that matter.

I may be having a brain fart, but I can't find Rossi's website. can someone provide the link? many thanks!

Unfortunately Rossi is only producing .357 and .45 Colt M92s lately. No word I can find on if that is supposed to change. The M92 is extremely handy, the 20" full size rifle is only 4.8lbs. That is 2.2lbs lighter than the Trapper model of the Guide Gun.

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

Unfortunately Rossi is only producing .357 and .45 Colt M92s lately. No word I can find on if that is supposed to change. The M92 is extremely handy, the 20" full size rifle is only 4.8lbs. That is 2.2lbs lighter than the Trapper model of the Guide Gun.

Whoever listed the 20inch R92 at 4.8lbs is high on bath salts.
I had two R92s in .454 in the past both 16 inch barrels and IIRC they were closer to the 6lb mark...still significantly lighter than any Marlin 1895 produced.
I sent them both down the road in favor of a Ranch Hand that I modified with synthetic stocks and using Ruger only .45colt loads gets very respectable speeds over the Chrony.
Wish I had never sold my .454 in the first picture especially now that Billy Boy has me sweating waiting to see if the Ranch Hand makes his no-fly list.

 

[Suther]

Unfortunately Rossi is only producing .357 and .45 Colt M92s lately. No word I can find on if that is supposed to change. The M92 is extremely handy, the 20" full size rifle is only 4.8lbs. That is 2.2lbs lighter than the Trapper model of the Guide Gun.

I think they only get done in limited runs. Wanstalls seems to have them once and a while, although I can't say when they last had any.

They seem to be pretty widely available down south. Maybe IRG can get you one?