Ruger 44 VS 480 for hunting in NA - opinions wanted

[Guest outmama]

I am going to start pistol hunting and am a bit torn between the Ruger 44 and 480. I see the velocity and energy gains with the 480 but wonder if the recoil and ammo costs and availibility will outweigh those gains. I am looking for opinions.

[1gewehr]

What are you planning to hunt? The .44Mag is easily good enough for deer, black bear, and pretty much anything else in North America except grizzlies, elk, and moose. And while there have certainly been .44Mags used to successfully hunt those, it wouldn't be my choice.

[roverboy]

The .480 ammo would be expensive and even to reload it would be high. Like 1gewehr said the .44 is pretty good. A lot of people don't use it but the .45 colt loaded heavy in a strong gun like a Ruger Blackhawk or Bisley is awesome.

[Guest BEARMAN]

I'd vote for the .44 magnum. If your going to hunt dangerous game, then check out www.buffalobore.com

I use their heavy .44 magnum +p+ 340 grain hardcast gas checked L.F.N.G.C. (1478 fps/ME-1649 ft.lbs) for black bear.

Personally, If I were to hunt Grizzlies...it would not be with a handgun. I would only use a handgun as a back-up weapon for Grizzly, and then only in .500 S&W magnum.IMHO

Unless you handload for the .480 Ruger, you'll find ammo expensive and hard to find as well.

[guyandarifle]

I always found the .480 to be really interesting. It's basically a .475 Linebaugh "short". In fact, if you bought a .475 Linebaugh you could shoot .480's in it and .475's if you really wanted to unleash the beast. Problem of course is ammo availability. If you handload though that's not nearly as big a deal as it sounds.

If you still want to be a bit more off the beaten path but more practical you could consider the .454 Casull. This still offers a good bit more than .44 magnum energy yet allows the use of the old tried and true .45 Long Colt. This is pretty cool as the .45 is itself available from powderpuff "cowboy" loadings up to loads that will do anything a .44 will do.

If you wanted to up the .454 ante a bit you could look into the .460 S&W. This is a real screamer and top loads are nipping at .500 energy levels albeit with smaller bullets. It has the added bonus of being able to fire both the .454 and .45LC listed above.

For pure practicality though a good .44 is tough to beat. Ammo and components are readily available and reasonably priced unless you get into the specialty ammo like Buffalo Bore & Garretts. Plus finding a good .44 at a good price shouldn't be much trouble at all in most areas.

[nightrunner]

I would pick either the .44mag on bottom end and .500mag on top end, in between I'd choose the .454casull, .460S&W, .45colt, or even the .475 or .500 Linebaugh

practicality goes to the .44mag, with the right platform, It can do EVERYTHING from concealed carry with proper holster with .44spl all the way to all out hunting any game animal in north america aside from the aforementioned elk, grizzly, moose. everything else is game for the .44mag and I wouldnt hesitate to take a elk or moose if I were close enough with a .44

depending on what you are hunting I'd probably go with either a .44mag or a .45colt loaded really hot in a redhawk or similar

[gregintenn]

I'm kind of a weenie, but anything more than a 44 Magnum needs a shoulder stock in my opinion. I have a couple of 44s, and I can load everything from light plinking loads to some pretty stout full power loads in which a cylinder or two full is all you'd want to fire at any one trip to the range. It is actually a pretty versatile cartridge and ammo as well as reloading components are very common for it.

[gregintenn]

I'm kinda in the mood to try a 41 Magnum.

[Guest BEARMAN]

I'm kinda in the mood to try a 41 Magnum.

That's a very good round, for Hawgs and black bear...probably be awesome for whitetail too, Greg.

Ammo is still fairly easy to find, if you scour the catalogs, or reload for it.