[Mr.454]

How much power is enough???? What size slug is enough .50, .75, or should we push for 1"? Look at the trend Raging Judge 454, Raging Judge 28 gauge, 4" .500 magnums, and .454's showing up in movies. I just don't think gun companies will be happy till they make a gun they can call the "Mangler". I envision such a gun having such a warning stamped on it's side "Warning firing this weapon may cause: Bleeding ears, ruptured corneas, and possible laxative effects." You will have to sign a waiver stating that you understand that pulling the trigger will cause your hands to be maimed, and that you understand that the pressures were so great that they had to use beryllium slugs....so sorry. Please ignore current laws for this discussion...dream big.:D

[ArchAngelCD]

I just don't think gun companies will be happy till they make a gun they can call the "Mangler".
It's not the gun company's fault, it's the shooters. If there wasn't a market for the gun they wouldn't make it. (like a 12oz .357 Magnum Airlite J frame revolver)

It's not the company, it's the nut behind the trigger who is at fault. Just say NO...

[forindooruseonly]

I believe if someone wants a giant gun, power to them.

On a personal level, I love my .44s with hot loads, and when the .500 came out, I just had to have one because more is ALWAYS better, right? Well, I learned pretty quickly what my capacity for recoil was, and I sold the .500 after the novelty wore off.

It hurt my hand and gave me a flinch that I couldn't get over with that gun, I was ok with it at short ranges, out to 25 yards or so, but beyond that I was unreliable with the gun. Made it a bit worthless as a hunting gun for me.

[FenderTK421]

I originally wanted a big cannon for the obnoxious factor more than anything else, but I am also a bit of a recoil junkie. I picked up an Alaskan Redhawk .454 a few years ago after the .44 no longer gave me my fix at the range. My first impressions were that this gun was an uncontrollable beast and 12 shots is all I would ever be able to fire through it at one time. Fast forward 2 years... I started reloading to be able to afford feeding this thing. Last trip I fired 36 rounds, the trip before that i fired 84 rounds (ok, that still left me a little punch drunk) at various targets under 50 ft. The point is: I am now comfortable w/ the weapon and shoot it fairly well. In fact it has become my favorite pistol. Perhaps the reloading aspect has helped my enjoyment of the round. Whatever the reason, I love shooting this thing and am very confident that it is a good choice for bear/moose/other protection when doing anything from fishing/small game hunting/walking the dogs in the more remote places I go. I could even load some .45 colt into it when I am in town, but honestly I have gotten lazy and tend to leave some 360gr flat points in it at all times. As to the firearms industry pushing bigger and bigger weapons - well yeah, they are typically spendy, and that is the point of capitalism after all-make some money. The reverse side of this will be people picking up a .454 or .460 etc, shooting it once and assuming they are good to go. These people may find themselves in a bad spot if the day comes when the weapon HAS to be used and they have very little trigger time. These cannons take practice; but with practice and conditioning anyone can shoot them reasonably well. I purchased my Alaskan used, advertised as having 6 shots through it and I got the other 14 rounds with the gun. This doesn't mean the seller couldn't shoot the gun; it meant he wasn't willing to dedicate the time and effort to be able to shoot the gun. Long story short, if you're willing to put the time in to shoot these big guns well, more power to ya (literally). If it is something you are just going to own for bragging rights, well that's ok too - I just hope you never need to use it.

[bcp280z]

While I do enjoy recoils from my .410 pistols and my 45-70, honestly, 45 is enough for SD,HD, anything else is just overkill. Sure they could make a .75 or a 1.00 and have it 3 or 4 bucks a round and I would not be able to use that arm for a few days after but unless its just fun,(which indeed I do see guns' main purpose) it's really unnecessary.

[Mr.454]

I have seen .75 black powder rifles before, so the molds must exist for the bullets. I never meant that gun companies should stop this wonderful palm punishing progress. More like where do YOU believe this will end, or should it?

[skoro]

How much power is enough????

A man should carry what he's comfortable with. :cool:

[CraigC]

I believe in practical big bores. Those X-frame monstrosities along with the stretch frame guns that shoot rifle cartridges do not interest me and IMHO, they are an answer to a question no one asked. The average hunter can make zero use of all the velocity the .460 and .500 S&W's produce. For all it does is flatten trajectory and most handgun hunters should limit themselves to 100yds anyway, at the most. The .41Mag, .44Mag and heavy .45Colt cover that. The .454 can be used effectively out to 150yds but by only the most skilled sixgunners.

So give me a .480, .475 or .500 built on a standard Ruger Bisley. They can take every head of game on planet earth, pack nicely on the hip and are extremely effective at normal sixgun ranges.

[Scipio Africanus]

.50 is enough. The .500 S&W equates to a .50/70,90,110 depending on the loading. Certainly, this is "enough gun".

If you like it and it is fun for you, more power to you!

[Lucky Derby]

Honestly the only most powerful handgun cartridge that interests me is .44 Mag, and that really only as a round for a small lever action carbine. I much prefer .44 Special and/or .45 Colt.
Although if the price were to ever become reasonable, I could see one myself getting one of those 1911's in .50 GI.

[Lost Sheep]

When the chips are down and an Alaskan Brown is bearing down, .577 N.E. is not big enough.

Also, the Zeliska-Pfeifer 600 Nitro Express revolver is a little too heavy.

Lost Sheep

[StrawHat]

...Mr.454 ... How much power is enough????...

For me, a 45 long Colt loaded with a 260 grain cast bullet over a full case of black powder is enough to shot through a deer so that is enough for me. It was originally intended to ventilate a horse and the rider hiding on the off side. I find the ballistics are pretty good and not punishing.

[Smith357]

How much power is enough?

For me... .357 has all the power I need, if I have to have more than a .357 can provide then I get a rifle.

[22-rimfire]

I can't see much of a need for anything with a larger bore from a practical perspective. If something larger was needed, certainly a rifle would be more appropriate (excluding shotguns).

[Cosmoline]

Handguns are a question of tradeoffs. The bigger the caliber, the bigger the bullet has to be and the more the recoil will be. It also will take more energy to get it up to speed. Which again increases recoil. When you get up to the .500 S&W you're getting to a point where the firearm is so bulky and recoils so much it starts to become impractical.

[highlander 5]

I was thinking of the 600 NE pistol when I saw the thread. the 454 is my limit in the recoil dept.

[benderx4]

Personally, I think a 44 magnum can take care of any threat, 2 or 4 legged, known to mankind. Any bigger caliber than that, and I think most folks can't consistently, accurately and reliably handle the weapon.

It worked for Dirty Harry, it works for me.

[parisite]

I have an enormous amount of fun with the 500 Mag out of my single shot Handi Rifle and my cast lead gas check reloads.

In handgunning, the 44 Mag rules in shooting fun and reloading experimentation.

[Panzercat]

I'm convinced .454s are myth spawned super calibers since you never see them in anything but fantasy guns and fat revolvers. It can't be that hard to throw them in a NON LEVER CARBINE like an AR format or something... le sigh.

[harvester]

Does anyone chamber a BMG 50 in a handgun? That would be enough.

[NMGonzo]

If you need something bigger than a .50, you are in need of a solid bronze 12 gauge slug or a catapult flinging t-rexes

[DammitBoy]

My Ruger .454 is the biggest thing I ever want to shoot in a pistol.

[oldfool]

if you can't get it done with a 4-something handgun.. you can't get it done, just buy a rifle
(me, I settle mostly for 3-somethings, but I do own rifles too)

I can empathize with those who enjoy the "big bore boost" out of a nice six gun, but even so, you can really only have just so much fun, you know

[harmon rabb]

j-frame that shoots 12ga slugs or go home :D

[Lost Sheep]

Personally, I think a 44 magnum can take care of any threat, 2 or 4 legged, known to mankind. Any bigger caliber than that, and I think most folks can't consistently, accurately and reliably handle the weapon.

It worked for Dirty Harry, it works for me.
After the "Hogan's Alley" competition in one of the Dirty Harry movies, Harry answered the question of "What do you shoot in that thing?". "Light Specials..."

He did not say if he used 44 Special just for the competition or for duty carry as well (presumably, the competition rules would require duty ammunition, but the movie script did not say).

It makes sense to me that 44 Specials out of his Model 29 would be more controllable. In another Dirty Harry movie, Tyne Daly's character asked why he carried such a big gun. The answer was that he could hit was he aimed at.

So, I guess "Dirty" Harry Callahan found 44 Special to be where he sits in the Big Bore Wars. At least until the last sequel when he came up with the Wildey.

Lost Sheep

[oldfool]

there was supposedly a real Inspector Callahan, and he loaded 44sp
which IMO is a better "service" round than 44 mag, hands down
unless you are serving lunch to Big Brown, of course

[ldhulk]

The great advantage of the super magnum blasters is for personal defense. Even if you miss your antagonist, the muzzle blast should leave him half blind, deaf, and shell shocked like a victim of carpet bombing. The Ruger Alaskan in 454 should be perfect, especially in a small enclosed space like a car or an elevator.

[Rexster]

.45 Colt is enough for me, thanks.

[StrawHat]

The great advantage of the super magnum blasters is for personal defense. Even if you miss your antagonist, the muzzle blast should leave him half blind, deaf, and shell shocked like a victim of carpet bombing. The Ruger Alaskan in 454 should be perfect, especially in a small enclosed space like a car or an elevator.

Just make sure you wear your eye and ear protection or both of you will suffer the same effects.

[Prosser]

I'm kind of obsessed with big bores. I like to load them to lower pressure then most, and, with bullets lighter then most. 525 grain LFN's for instance.:evil:

However, one of the guys I know now has a no cure nerve damage/flinch that is really bad. Just think your brain telling your body, at anytime, for no reason, that you are touching off max loads .475 Linebaugh.:what:

When you start bringing this up with hunters, you get responses like:
"It's already a .475, why do you need an expanding bullet?"
Or,
"The .500JRH kills like a .375 H&H rifle on Bison, or better, with cast LFN
bullets. WHY do you need a expanding bullet?"

There appears to be something about .475 to .510 bullets in handguns that they just HAMMER stuff, really hard, and kill it, with non-expanding bullets.

If that's the case, why would one want a larger caliber, unless one has a .577 Rifle, and wants a pistol you can use the same rounds in....

Hmmmm, I guess I need a .510 Wells...

[Prosser]

DTap

[Snowbandit]

I don't need these fire breathing dragons myself as a .44 Magnum will handle any flesh and blood thing that lives in my world. Where I take exception however is to have the government place limits on what we can buy. If you happen to want a J-frame based 20 MM, who am I to say you don't need it?

[Prosser]

I've often thought that the bigger calibers were somewhat of an agreement
by the gunmakers to create a cash cow. For a really long time, ammunition for bigger calibers was absurdly expensive. I remember Remington charging 25 dollars, in 1980, for a box of .44 SPecial, with lead 246 bullets, soft lead that leaded your barrel, no gas check, and bullets so slow you could see them go down range. The powder they used may have been about as close to black powder as you could get, recoiled like crazy, and was less accurate then most shotguns. Horrible ammo, at absurd prices. .45 Colt, .454 on up all seemed to follow that trend, with .475 and the .500 and .510's being even worse. Ammo makers had figured out how to turn lead to gold: Charge 3 dollars a round for a .475 or .500 Linebaugh round, with a hard cast LFN bullet that cost pennies to make.

The reason I would like to see more people shoot big bores is to drive the price down. For awhile Hornady was selling .475 ammo for less then .44 magnum, but, Obama changed that.

Also, the bigger cases give you more of a push, rather then a snap, when loaded right, yet, they are far more effective then a .44 on game.

[Oic0]

I own a .500 rifle. You guys can punish your hands all you want. My wrists hurt bad enough from RSI. These really hot revolver cartridges make excellent straight wall rifle cartridges though.

Also, I am pretty sure 12 gauge slugs would be a downgrade compared to the .500.

[mnhntr]

I can do all I want with a .44 mag.

[Mr.454]

I'm of the view as well that the the government does not need to baby sit me. If I want a gun that will cripple me and I can afford it then let me have it.

[ForumSurfer]

I'm of the view as well that the the government does not need to baby sit me. If I want a gun that will cripple me and I can afford it then let me have it.

Yep, I could care less if the guy next to me is shooting a 454 alaskan. Good for him. If I could afford those, I'd be shooting them for kicks and giggles.

The way things are with the economy; 9mm, 22LR and 223 (all in large quantities) is difficult to manage for me. Sometimes there's the 12 and 20 gauge stuff, also. Let alone the fact that I'm about to toss 30-30 or 45-70 (plus reloading equipment for sure) into the mix since I've got the fever for a lever.