454 Casull Redhawk question

[CraigC]

It doesn't matter. You can't get enough H110 in the .454 case to exceed its pressure ceiling.

 

[Targa]

Your absolutely right, my mistake. I went off the top of my head and confused my loads. 37.5 grains of H110 was for the Bushmaster with 250 grain FTX bullets and 36.5 grains for the .454Casull and the 240 grain XTP.

 

[someguy2800]

H110 is a neat powder in that regard. In my 357 maximum TC Contender you could just fill up the case to the bottom of the bullet with any bullet you like. With a 180 XTP seated in the 2nd groove that was 24 grains, which would give 2200 fps from a 13" barrel. Cases fell out of the gun. Of course this is in a gun that can safely handle 223 pressure at this case head diameter, not a revolver.

 

[someguy2800]

I really enjoy the .454Casull but I doubt that I will ever know the top end that it is capable of. 37.5 grains of H110 with a 240 grain Hornady XTP is about as hot as I ever care to take one which is well under what the cartridge is rated at but also seems to be where sticky extraction starts rearing it’s head a bit.

I don't think I would want to load it to full 454 power potential anyway. The 50k psi colt loads are about where I would want to be power wise, but just doing it in 454 brass for the reasons eluded to on the last page.

 

[LaneP]

On the subject of the .454 SRH, I was never a fan of the OEM Ruger scope rings, and part of the problem is the small purchase area the screw side of the mounts make on the frame cuts. I know some folks have reported no problems (may be they are using the .44 Mag version?).

In my experience the recoil of heavy bullet (325+ gr) full power loads tears up the OEM scope mount rings. I tried the Weigand mount and recoil started flattening the roll pins that sit in the frame grooves and peened steel on the frame itself, even with the additional assistance of support from the rear sight groove (and mounting screw) in the frame.



So now I've bought a Warne mount and it looks like it might to do a better job of holding up to the G-forces this pistol unleashes. The Warne mount assembles in halves and provides equal surface area contact with the frame cuts on both sides. Mount screws are torqued to 25 in lbs and seem solid as a rock.

 

[Gordon]

I've always considered Maxima Steel Rings the heaviest duty rings you can get.

 

[someguy2800]

Speaking of my 357 maximum, that 180 grain 2200 fps load was 1935 ft lbs of muzzle energy, which beats the advertised spec for hornady’s factory 240gr 454 Casull load by 12 ft lbs, which I always thought was interesting. That little round was quite a firecracker in a contender.