From the experiences I had, I'd use a .480Ruger in a handgun with a scope almost as far as I'd use a .44mag RIFLE with a scope. I had a Ruger .480R Super Redhawk-first year production run, thing was a THUMPER, a LOT nicer recoil than the .454cassul in the same gun, and a little more power.

As for using one in a rifle, really, on deer, to get any more range than the .44mag, you've really got to up your speed, the .480's much much more powerful but not a lot faster, maybe tacks on another 50yrds, but it depends on how well you shoot it-if you're getting terrible groups, it doesn't matter how much power you've got, but if you can throw the .480's big ol' bullets out there accurately to 300yrds, have at it, I took a deer two years ago with a .44mag Marlin 1894 with a scope at 247yrds (laser), two shots, first would have been fatal, but it didn't go down right away, so I shot another really quickly (God bless leveractions).

Really, compared to the .44mag for deer, the .480R doesn't offer a WHOLE lot more, like I said, maybe another 50yrds at most (unless you're REALLY good at playing the rainbow-then you should get maybe another 100yrds), BUT, the .44mag isn't good for black bear/small browns, elk, moose, etc, even at close ranges, while the increased power of the .480R makes it fairly suitable for these.

So-accuracy is the range limiter of both, making them pretty well equally effective on deer in the field, whereas the power within their range is VERY different, .44mag's max game should be small elk or large deer out to a maximum of 200yrds for even the best shooters, whereas the .480R is good for basically the same range (moreso if you're familiar with your trajectory) but tops out at the great bears, game at about 1000#, as opposed to 350#.

The above is just my opinion on this subject relative to my experience and applying it to "most shooters", like I said, I took a buck at 247yrds with a .44mag rifle, and I've taken three doe beyond 100yrds with a .44mag handgun with no scope, I've taken buffalo with either of these guns at ranges from 5ft-200yrds. I took 2 doe under 100yrds with my .480R, based on the trajectory I got out of it, I make these statements, your mileage may vary.