Best shooting big bore revolver

[TimSr]

Depends on what you mean by "shoots best".

Shoots accurately. Is manageable. Is enjoyable to shoot. Also, I would like something that will be reliably accurate to 75-100 yds from a rest, as I would like to try hunting with whatever I decide on.

Pretty much any of them will meet this requirement. Some states have hunting laws pertaining to barrel length.

Aside from that, it's merely a matter of preference unless you have other considerations to factor in such as cost and ammo availability.

"Manageable" is in the eyes of the individual. One man's "mild recoil" is another man's "get that thing away from me".

 

[murf]

.452,

i have to take exception to your information in post #23:

barrel twist rate is not dependent on max velocity. twist rates are in the tens of thousands of rpms, not hundreds of thousands.

the .454 casull cartridge, nor any other cartridge, is expected to stay above the speed of sound.

define "slow bullet" and "fast gun".

the xtp bullet min/max rpm limits are the lower and upper limits of the hollow point expansion performance (the "p" in xtp). below the limit, the hollow point doesn't expand. above the limit, the hollow point petals shear off and the jacket separates from the core. the limit has nothing to do with time-of-flight instability.

your exploding ported barrel is just fearmongering and has no basis in reality.

some references here would be helpful to substantiate your claims.

murf

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, too many try to make too much of twist rate in handguns. If a 1-24" twist .454 can stabilize a 405gr at 1250fps, with outstanding accuracy, nothing else will ever be an issue.

 

[.452]

".452,

i have to take exception to your information in post #23:

barrel twist rate is not dependent on max velocity. twist rates are in the tens of thousands of rpms, not hundreds of thousands."

Hi Murf.

Here's the math I used. It is the simplified formula, there are other factors like bullet length and some others that are used when deciding which twist in a rifled barrel:

(720 * Velocity in f.p.s.) / Twist Rate in Inches = RPM
where
* means multiplied by
/ means divide by

These are Big Bore reloads per Hodgdon's reloading site- for same cartridges in a longer barrel, the RPM would be higher since the velocity would likely be higher. These all use the 1 in 16" twist. The 1 in 24 inch twist would proportionately yield less RPM.


.460 (720 * 2238) / 16 = 100,710 RPM

.454 (720 * 2050) / 16 = 92,250 RPM


.45Colt Lite Load (720 * 800) / 16 = 36, 000 RPM


.45 Colt Ruger Only Load (720 * 1600) / 16 = 72,000 RPM


Not that we're talking rifles here but a light, fast .30-06 in a 1 in 10 twist M770 can exceed
200,000 RPM, even 250,000. It takes a very well balanced bullet not to wobble at those speeds.

 

[ZWCoffindaffer]

.452 you are correct in your math. For a general reference.. A bullet going 3000 fps from a barrel with a 1/12 twist is spinning at 3000 revolutions per SECOND. at that point you just multiply by 60 for rpm. 180,000 rpm. It's a hard number to fathom but it's true none the less.

 

[.452]

".452,

i have to take exception to your information in post #23:

your exploding ported barrel is just fearmongering and has no basis in reality.

some references here would be helpful to substantiate your claims. "


I must have read that somewhere. I guess...................


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[41 Mag]

Well with regard to best shooting, I have to say that all of mine shoot VERY well. I have from the 41 thru the 45 Colt in Redhawks, that all shoot better than I can hold them standing with a two hand hold. From a rest they are simply tearing the edges out of the bull with most loads.

My 454 is of the 8.375" Raging Bull and was a gift form a close friend. He mentioned "I know it isn't a Casull, but it is a 454" when he presented it to me. Since then I have come to really like the revolver. I'm not overly sensitive to recoil but I noted that I didn't need to run my home cast Lee 300gr RFN's over around 1550fps to get anything I needed taken care of done.

I shot these two groups while load testing. Everything was identical on two different loads except for the lube used. The top load used 296 and the bottom used AA-9. As you can see either one works equally well. The groups were shot standing with a two hand hold open sights at 25yds.
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this is the AA-9 load hitting a 6 gallon bucket at 50yds,

From hunting I can also say that it does a similar thing to feral hogs at my longest of 87yds. I have also taken then up close and personal at around 15yds and when hit right above the snout the bullet exited the left rear ham.

 

[gspn]

Pretty much any of them will meet this requirement. Some states have hunting laws pertaining to barrel length.

Aside from that, it's merely a matter of preference unless you have other considerations to factor in such as cost and ammo availability.

"Manageable" is in the eyes of the individual. One man's "mild recoil" is another man's "get that thing away from me".

I agree with that post. I've got revolvers in .45 colt, .357 mag, 41 mag, 44 spcl, a bunch of 44 mags, and a .460 XVR that'll shoot 45 colts, 454 casull, and .460 S&W.

I find that the more i practice, the more accurate they get.

I reload, so I can put the performance anywhere on the spectrum I'd like. They are all fun to shoot.

For hunting, consider the following data on Maximum Point Blank Range:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_trajectory_table.htm

You might be able to use some of that data to help guide your choice...because you've got lots of options...and they are all good.

 

[WiTom]

I have a Magnum Research BFR in a 30-30, that I load with 32.2 grains of IMR3031, with a 130 grain 308 SP, that the weight of the revolver takes most of the recoil. At a velocity avg. of 1900 FPS, it has less recoil than my Super Redhawk 44 mag, and very accurate, and a blast to shoot.