There has been much interest in recent
years regarding big bore revolvers. Up until the last few years, big
bore meant .41 Magnum and larger. Lately, however, the big bore sixguns of
years past are seeming smaller in comparison to today's new crop of bigger and more
powerful cartridges.
Gun makers such as Freedom Arms, along with custom gun builders like John
Linebaugh and Hamilton Bowen, have been producing some five-shot revolvers
delivering more power than ever believed possible a few years back.
Dick Casull started the ball rolling with
his awesome .454 Casull many years ago, using loads developed with a combination of different powders, to
achieve velocities with .45 caliber bullets never seen from a revolver.
The firm of Sturm, Ruger, &
Company, has for many years been making strong, affordable sixguns in both single
and double action designs. Ruger is credited with bringing back the single
action revolver from the brink of extinction, and continues to produce some of the finest
single action revolvers available, at a price that is under that of the Italian
imports.
Ruger's double action revolvers are built
like the proverbial tank, using state-of-the-art production techniques and materials. From their very first
double action design, the Security Six, Ruger dispensed with the traditional
sideplate, going for a much stronger solid-frame design. This same basic frame design is still used in their double
action revolvers, along with improved lockwork, to build some of the strongest
sixguns available. The largest of Ruger's revolvers is the Super Redhawk, and this
is the gun chosen to introduce the first cartridge to bear the company's
name - the .480 Ruger.
As most shooters are familiar with the
Super Redhawk, I won't go into detail here on the finer points of the sixgun,
and just give a general description. The revolver that I received for testing wears
a seven and one-half inch barrel, but the Super Redhawk is also available with a
two inch longer tube. The sixgun has an ingenious cylinder lockup that is strong
and durable, giving extremely solid lockup front and rear, while maintaining
a simple, one-button latch. The Super is a large sixgun. You won't be carrying this
gun in your hip pocket, but with a good holster, it rides pretty comfortably on the
hip or across the chest. The weight of the Super Redhawk with the 7 1/2" tube
is 53 ounces, only five more than the single action Super Blackhawk.
For handgun hunters who wish to mount a
scope sight on their revolver, this Ruger comes with built-in scope mounts and
matching rings, which are quickly detachable by two large knurled nuts, in
the event that access to the open sights is needed. Most hunting sixguns require
that the rear sight be removed to mount a scope, but the Super Redhawk's mount is made into the frame and in no
way alters the adjustable sights. Personally, I prefer not to use a scope sight while hunting with a handgun, but
for testing this gun I mounted a Charles Daly two power handgun scope. For
hunters who want a scope on their sixgun, while still retaining the ability to
access the open sights, this system is the best that I have ever seen. It is both
simple and strong. The stainless steel construction of the Super Redhawk is
finished in a dull but smooth finish that Ruger calls Target Gray. It is both
non-reflective and attractive, giving the impression of a serious hunting gun
with a durable finish. The action of the Super Redhawk was smooth, and in both
single and double action, surprisingly light for a revolver produced these days.
The single action pull was very crisp and broke at about 3.75 pounds.
As for the .480 Ruger cartridge, Hornady
is producing the ammunition with a 325 grain XTP/ Mag jacketed hollow point,
with other bullets to be added later. I would like to see this cartridge loaded
with a stout cast bullet of about 400 grains.
The muzzle velocity listed by Hornady is
1350 feet per second with the 325 XTP/Mag bullet, and my testing over my
Pact chronograph bears this to be accurate. The .480 achieved an average of
1332 fps twelve feet from the muzzle of the 7 1/2" Ruger. The ammunition also
proved to be very consistent, with a mean average deviation of only 8.2, which must have contributed to the
excellent accuracy achieved with this sixgun.
I fired the .480 at a steel swinging plate
target to get the feel of it, and while there was no doubt that I was firing
a powerful sixgun, the recoil was not at all painful, thanks to the great cushioned rubber
grips that are standard equipment on the Super Redhawk. Accuracy testing proved to be a pleasant surprise, with
five shots going into a 1.25 inch group at 25 yards. The vertical dispersion of the
group was due to my inconsistency of hold during firing, as I was searching for
the best way to hold the gun over the bags, when I should have held it the
same for each shot. I was very surprised to find such an accurate group under
such conditions. Any handgun that will shoot this good is worthy of being
called accurate, but especially a big bore revolver using factory ammunition.
The Hornady ammo was also very clean burning, leaving almost no trace of residue in the bore or chambers of
the gun.
In an effort to check the XTP/Mag bullet
for expansion, I fired bullets into a bag of cottonseed meal and also into
water. The cottonseed meal has the consistency of heavy sawdust, and the bullets fired into it showed no
expansion at all, behaving as a solid. The bullet fired into water went entirely to pieces,
the largest of which are pictured here. What is proved by these tests as related
to performance on real flesh, is nothing. It was merely an attempt by me to
capture a fired bullet. I will, at a later date, try to test these bullets on live
game. The reports of others that I have received have been positive regarding
the performance of this bullet.
I have heard the question entertained as
to why Ruger chose to invent the .480 instead of bringing out the .475 Linebaugh. Not being one that Ruger
calls for advice on these matters, I can only speculate. I do see an advantage to
the .480 as a cartridge capable of being chambered in Ruger's fine lever-action
and autoloading rifles. I would also love to have a .480 in a Ruger Bisley with a 5-1/2 inch barrel. By going with
the .480, which has a smaller diameter case rim, Ruger was able to get six chambers in
their Super Redhawk, instead of only five.
In developing and offering this sixgun to
the shooting public, Ruger has produced a true big bore revolver that is strong,
reliable, and within the means of most shooters. It isn't the biggest or most
powerful round available, nor was it meant to be. The .480 gives considerably more power than most
commonly used revolver cartridges, without the expense and recoil of some of the custom and semi-custom sixgun
rounds available. It also is a cartridge that is just at the beginning of
its development. I am anxious to try some of the excellent Cast Performance gas
check hard-cast bullets in this cartridge. Kelly is sending me some of them for
testing, but they didn't arrive in time for this article. I will do a report later on
reloading the .480, as I develop more data and gain experience with the sixgun.
If you would like more information on this
newest big bore sixgun or any of Ruger's products, check out their website
at: www.ruger-firearms.com You can view
the entire line of Hornady products at: www.hornady.com
If, like me, you would like to see the .480
in the excellent Ruger Bisley, give Ruger a call at 520-778-6555 and tell them
what you want. They don't know unless you tell them. As usual, Ruger has
again produced a fine handgun for the hunters of this world, that should also prove
popular with metallic silhouette shooters.
If you need a sixgun with more power than
the average magnum, and that has target-grade accuracy to boot, check out the
Ruger .480 Super Redhawk.
Jeff Quinn
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