454 Casull bullet question

[tcman]

I'm getting my gear together for a June 21st run to the Russian River. Since I'll be fishing alone I thought I'd bring my 454 Casull for protection. Any suggestions for bullets? Thanks.

 

[Amigo Will]

If you don't handload most any factory will do OK. I prefer lead bullets like Buffalo Bore or Double Taps offers but I believe Hornady XTP ammo does fine for you needs.I trust MagTech for plinking and black bear only areas. The 454 is much more cartrige than those that killed bear forty years ago carring what you have should not let you down.JMOFO

 

[Whitworth]

Buffalo Bore's 360 grain load is very effective. Tim Sundles loads it down a bit to prevent the possibility of crimp pull and it's a freight train as far as penetration is concerned.

 

[bfrshooter]

Test fire before you go. I have seen factory cast loads pull boolits and tie up the gun. Real heavy crimps too. So heavy case tension was broken.

 

[jwp500]

Buffalo Bore's 360 grain load is very effective. Tim Sundles loads it down a bit to prevent the possibility of crimp pull and it's a freight train as far as penetration is concerned.

+1, This load hammers game decisively. I have used this load for years and have seen it use and I highly recommend it. The wide me plat plows a huge wound channel and penetrates to next week

 

[AK375HH]

ive seen double tap with a 400 grain cast bullet....just get a .500....it'll do it better more margine for error and can shoot some seriously heavy bullets!... love mine.

 

[MarineHawk]

Buffalo Bore's 360 grain load is very effective. Tim Sundles loads it down a bit to prevent the possibility of crimp pull and it's a freight train as far as penetration is concerned.

I agree Whitworth, except remember back in Oct. 2010 when we chronoed it and it produced, from my 7-1/2" bbl, velocities of 1503 fps, 1491 fps, and 1488 fps, which is higher than actually claimed, but it has never jumped crimp on mine, and remarkably consistent IMO. I chronoed one round from a new box a couple of months ago, and it came out at 1,497fps, and I stopped wasting my time and used my chrono on more curious things for the rest of the afternoon.

I started buying that loading a few years back at Whitworth's recommendation when a 335-gr loading from another mfr, jumped crimp and locked my cylinder. Never had any problem with the BB 360gr load. Although the 1,500 fps velocity possibly is higher than necessary for defense, at 100 yds, it would be about 1,200 fps, which is about perfect if you want both a defense loading and a hunting load with decent range. Of course, it will go slower out of a shorter barrel.

Obviously, you can go bigger, wider, and heavier with great results, but if a 360gr flat-nosed .45-cal. slug moving at about 1,500 fps won't stop/kill something, it probably wasn't meant to die in the first place.

 

[Murphy]

I agree with the crimp jumping nature of the 454. I've used a few different heavy hard cast loads, the BB 360 grain load is my favorite. I shoot a five inch gun and the BB load has never loosed a bullet in cylinder. These chrono about 1400 fps from my 5" gun. That is more than enough to penetrate end to end. The 454 is truly a hammer and more than enough to get the job done. It can be intimidating with its modest recoil but is very accurate and dependable.

 

[alaska bush man]

Factory Winchester FP 300gr should fill the bill nicely

I carry a 454 FA model 83 6" I use handloads using the Speer Gold Dot 300 gr just above 45 Colt vel.

 

[houndsnmules]

Barnes Buster Bullets

Barnes Buster Bullets

I like the barnes Buster Bullets

I'm getting my gear together for a June 21st run to the Russian River. Since I'll be fishing alone I thought I'd bring my 454 Casull for protection. Any suggestions for bullets? Thanks.