I'm in the market for a .44 mag or .454 casull redhawk but each has pros/cons for me. The pros for the .454 are that I already reload for .45 colt and I have a .45 colt lever action, so I can share ammo with a revolver if I buy the .454. At over a dollar a round it will take a while to build up a supply of brass for reloading for .454, and honestly I would probably shoot .45 colt in it most of the time... which would kind of defeat the purpose of buying an overbuilt revolver like the redhawk (unless I'm loading really hot .45 colt loads).
Another factor is that I have shot .44 magnum revolvers before, but have never tried .454 and don't know anybody who owns one to try. I loved shooting .44 mag and the recoil didn't bother me at all. I've heard people say .454 kicks twice as hard and others say it feels about the same as .44 mag... If I do get a .44 mag my dad may trade his .44 mag lever action for my .45 colt lever action, so I could still end up with a shared caliber but would need to buy new reloading equipment for .44.
My primary use will be target shooting with hunting being a possibility in the future. For this reason I'm leaning more towards the .44 mag and it's readily available and cheaper ammo (which won't be as much of a factor after I accumulate enough brass to reload).
Are there any factors I'm not considering in comparing these two? Thanks in advance for any constructive input.
Another factor is that I have shot .44 magnum revolvers before, but have never tried .454 and don't know anybody who owns one to try. I loved shooting .44 mag and the recoil didn't bother me at all. I've heard people say .454 kicks twice as hard and others say it feels about the same as .44 mag... If I do get a .44 mag my dad may trade his .44 mag lever action for my .45 colt lever action, so I could still end up with a shared caliber but would need to buy new reloading equipment for .44.
My primary use will be target shooting with hunting being a possibility in the future. For this reason I'm leaning more towards the .44 mag and it's readily available and cheaper ammo (which won't be as much of a factor after I accumulate enough brass to reload).
Are there any factors I'm not considering in comparing these two? Thanks in advance for any constructive input.