BSTNFREEK

Either gun is more than capible of harvesting any game in North America........with the proper shot placement, but the 454 would certainly have the potential of ruining more meat than the 44mag would.

James B

With the Garret ammo, the 44 mag has taken Polar and Grizzly bears many times. Deer are a piece of cake as are elk and moose.

James B

With the Garret loads, the 44 Mag has takes 1500 lb Polar and Grizzzly bears. Elk and moose are easy prey so deer are a piece of cake. HOWEVER the most powerful of the Garret loads are approved only for the Dan Wesson, Ruger Redhawk and Taurus Raging Bulls. The Blackhawk and S&W 29's are not built for those pressures and some of the others have cylinders to short for this load.

bigcountry

Wow, James, if you want all that power, it sounds likeyou might like a 454.

James B

With all that power, who needs a 454?. I have looked at them several times butI don't see muchthat the 44 Mag won't do.

bigcountry

But if you had a 454, you wouldn't have to search high and low that pushes to the jagged edge of performance and pay a fortune for it. You could safely shoot a 454 or 460 round without worrying yourself to death that you are shooting a certain name.

James B

Thats ok I would only own one of those three anyway for big game hunting. In Garrets testing the 330 grain 44 Mag out penetrates the 300 grain 375 H&H. On frontal shots on grizzlys it normally penetrates to the rear hips even if the skull is encountered. It shoots through elk even if both front shoulders are hit. They recommend shoulder shots on all big game with that bullet. Recoil in heavy duty revlovers is not bad at all. I have shot the load in a friends Redhalk. Todays bullet technology allows the use of smaller calibers but supplies great stopping power.

I may still try a 454 to add a little range though I feel that its seldom needed.

bigcountry

There it goes again. That word you love to use "need"

Dnk

And if you had that gun you would not worry about its longevity. I can shoot 45 ACP and 45 Long Colt with good high density loads for better accuracy rather than whimpy 454 loads yeilding better accuracy and beat it with full tilt loads. I can have my cake and eat it too.
On the other hand my Freedom Arms 44 mag can do the same thing so I guess with the right gun. I would never question the longevity of those Garrett loads in my FA but I wouldn't shoot them all day in any double action gun. I've loosened enough DA revolvers in my past, I know better now. If I were lucky enough to own a nice revolver like a triple lock or an old flat top there is no way I would even put full factory loads through it.

RedAllison

If I'm buying a handgun to carry for backup in bear country then I would "steal" a used 44 and fill it with quality bullets like those from Barnes. If I were searching for a revolver that I had full intentions of outright hunting with (meaning I wasn't going to also carry a rifle at the same time) then yes I would look too the 454 or 460 for their added horsepower and considerable range increase.

Someday I plan on actually getting into handgun hunting (I have killed deer with my 45s and 357s but that was while rifle hunting and they happend to get within bowrange) and from what I have seen the big 460 from the S&W Performance Center gets the bill. The extra barrel length and built in scope rail makes it a dandy revolver for scoping up and popping deer at long range with! I also like the option of cheap ammo and plinkin around with 45s. I also realize that the 454 ammo from Freedom Arms comes awfully close too 460 performance, so if I had a strong 454 I wouldn't "upgrade" too the 460.

BLAZE AWAY!!!
RA