I did get my Ruger .45 Colt used, so someone might have "set it up", but all I know is I can shoot either my 300 grain Hornady XTP handload at near 1200 fps or my 255 grain Lee flat point cast load at 900 fps out of it and it'll shoot 1" groups at 25 yards. I don't understand how it could get any better'n that out of a revolver.
I LOVE that thing for outdoor carry. It's about 40 ounces on the hip, slightly lighter if it were blued due to the aluminum grip frame on the blued guns, but I like stainless. It's powerful as a .44 mag for stopping a toothy critter or hunting, and it's one of the most accurate handguns I own. I even went to the expense of engraving it and putting stag grips on it because I wanted to personalize it and knew I'd never sell it. Even got my initials engraved on the bottom of the grip.
I don't understand the appeal of the Ruger Alaskan, frankly, a snub nosed gun in a bigger frame than a S&W N frame????? I don't know how you're going to get much out of a 2.5 inch or whatever they have barrel. Seems to me, with a magnum revolver round, life begins at 4" and goes up from there if you're going to take advantage of that slow powder and that's to say nothing of the sight radius issues with a short barrel.
Personally, my 4 5/8" Blackhawk does it for me. I don't need no stinkin' .454. I might want one if I lived in Alaska, but I think I'd get it in the Freedom Arms, not a DA. I prefer single actions and the FA revolvers are works of art as well as superbly built revolvers and strong to the max. They're also built a little less porky than a big frame DA.
Anyway, they invented the .357 magnum. Did the .38 special die???? They invented the .44 magnum, did the .44 special die???? Nope.