.454 Casull

I have spent the past five years trying to figure out my 454 and what the both of us like.

The two powders that I settled on for hunting were N110 and H110. N110 was more temp consistent and cleaner. Nothing worse than working up a load at 75' and having all be fine, then actually pulling the trigger on an antelope and damn near busting a primer. One reload from brass just sucks.

I like CCI and Federal magnum primers.

I started out using FA 240's and while fast, but the recoil was abusive. The 300's and 305's were better for recoil, but still painful.

I am now using 378 gas-checked linotype. I can still get good velocity and trajectory inside of 125 yards, which is my cutoff for iron sights and game. Yet I don’t develop a horrible flinch and stress fractures in my wrist.

Two years ago I put a round from stem to stern clean through a doe antelope at about 105-110 yards. I have yet to recover any 378's from Antelope, Elk or Bear. The stops were clean and instant.

For plinking I like to use my 45 ACP cylinder. For plinking with 454 ammo, I like 300's around 1000 fps and green dot or 700X.

Always use a hell for stout crimp, in the crimping grove, for 454 ammo. The recoil will pull bullets. And crimp in a separate step.

Use 454 dies and not 45 Colt Dies.

Squaring primer pockets and uniforming flash holes really helps accuracy and velocity consistency.

Throw the rubber grips away. You don’t want the gun to be locked in your hand.

Have a gunsmith radius the sharp edges in the rear of the trigger guard and the trigger shoe. Avoid, if you can, the overtravel screw. On a hunting gun, you want a little overtravel.

Shoot with Uncle Mikes gloves that protect your middle finger knuckles during recoil.

The 454 and 470 can do serious damage to your wrist and hands. A steady diet of elephant hunting ammo is a bad thing. If it hurts, stop.

Don’t push 45ACP type bullets to 454 velocities. Your throat will erode in a hurry.

Enjoy your 454. They are great firearms.

Tom
AF Shooting Team

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Tom Freeman on 2001-12-12 14:02 ]</font>

I have worked up loads incrementally to fing the real limit in 22 different calibers. I have never been tempted to hot rod the 44 mag. 240 gr JHP and 24 gr H110 seems like a load that cannot be improved with more power.

The 9mm with 60% extra Power Pistol really puts some zing in my 14 ounce Kel-Tec pistol. The recoil is worse that any 454 I have shot.

I have shot 454 loads with Win 45C brass that would blow up a Ruger or Taurus. 2.1", 405 gr .458 lead and 40 gr H110, CCI200 large rifle primer has incredible recoil in my .410.

The take home message there is that 45LC brass would work for 454Casull loads, but it is best to keep those loads labelled on the base, "454 Casull".

Some people will tell you that the 454 recoil is horrific. The momentum of bullet and gas divided by the pistol mass, is not a larger number than many pistols with extra load book loads. The shock of the recoil is spread out over the time the bullet is accelerating. In a semi auto matic with a recoil spring sized for book loads, a 60% extra powder load can send the slide into the frame in a way that delivers very high acceleration. This translates to force on the hand. This shock is then greater than what is available from revolvers.