Ruger Super Redhawk 480???

[losthelegend]

Ran into a guy that has a Ruger super redhawk 480 in target grey for sale. He is asking $570. I am carrying the weapon when I archery hunt in the WY grizzly country. Does anyone have any information on this particular caliber? Do you think its a good deal? I am not fluent with revolvers and have limited knowledge of them. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time and input.

 

[Randominator]

The 480 Ruger is an excellent cartridge, especially in the Ruger Redhawk. The 480 Ruger is a shortened 475 Linebaugh. Ruger has discontinued production of this revolver because so many people were re-chambering the gun to 475 Linebaugh and they didn't feel it was strong enough with the six shot cylinder. Factory ammo is still available.

A friend of mine has a Ruger Super Redhawk chambered in 480 Ruger and it is an outstanding shooter. He killed a 450 lb. wild boar with one shot from a 325 grain LBT at 50 yards. And yes, the $570 price is a good price. It has been years since I have seen one priced below $600.

 

[Fiftydriver]

I have the 7.5" barreled model and its has a split personality. With lighter jacketed bullets in the 325 gr bullet weight (factory loads), the revolver shoots very poorly, 4-5" groups at 25 yards. Infact I was nearly ready to sell the revolver off because of the poor performance.

Just by chance, I ordered in some 425 gr WFN heat treated hard case bullets from Cast Performance. I cleaned out the first lube groove and use this as a second crimping groove. Loaded them over 20.0 gr Lil-Gun and to my amazement, the handgun turned into an amazing shooter at 25 yards making consistant cloverleafs. In fact this is the most accurate revolver/load combo I own and I have alot of them. At 100 yards, this combo will easily hold under 4" ctc for three shots and at times half that much. Not this handgun is wearing a 1.5-4x Burris handgun scope so with open sights its not as easy to do but it still shoots very well, much better then I can.

I have used it to take several head of big game and have always been impressed with the performance of these bullets on game. They hit MUCH harder then they ever should for only traveling around 1200 fps. I have tested it side by side with a 475 Linebaugh with the same bullet loaded to 1400 fps and penetration was within an inch in same test media and the 480 is MUCH easier to shoot with very comfortable recoil.

In fact, the recoil from this 425 gr load is much easier on the hand then the full tilt 325 gr loads as it slows down recoil velocity dramatically with the reduced muzzle velocity.

SInce they do not make this revolver any more the price your talking is a relative thing. If you want one its a great deal. For the revolver you are getting, its a great deal as well.

For what you want to do, the Ruger SRH is a very large revolver. Why Ruger will not pull their head out and build a 5 shot Blackhawk and SRH in 480 Ruger/475 linebaugh like Magnum Reseach did is beyond me. They would have a hell of a seller if they kept it on the same price as the current price of those two models of revolvers and both platforms are plenty strong for either.

A shorter barrel length would be better for your needs but you could make the 7.5" model work. You could also have the barrel shortened to 5.5" and it would be even better for your use.

 

[Pons]

570 is a good price. They are solid good shooting revolvers.

 

[losthelegend]

The good news is I ended up picking up the 480 Ruger for $550! The bad news is that weather has been horrible so I have not been able to get out and shoot it! Thank you all for your input you guys made the decision alot easier. Thanks again!

 

[Fiftydriver]

One more tip, replace the factory grips with a set of the Hogue "Tamer" grips I think they are called. They make two different grips for the SRH. One is solid rubber, the other has a very soft rear section. The one with the softer section for the web of the hand is the one you want.

The 480 Ruger does not have brutal recoil but its noticable and my personal 480 always cut the web of my hand on the frame just at the top of the grip. In fact this really made me not like this handgun until I got the replacement Hogue grip and that made the 480 a real ***** cat to shoot. Best upgrade you can do for the SRH.

Ruger GP100/Super Redhawk Rubber Tamer Grip [80020] - $29.95 : Hogue Inc., The Best Value In Handgun Grips, Rifle Stocks and Accessories - Bar None!

 

[losthelegend]

@ fifty driver;

The pistol actually already came with a set! Thanks for all your help and advice. I really appreciate you taking the time.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Even better deal for you then!!!

You will really like this revolver, hopefully you have one that is less finicky then mine was. If you do find that your 480 does not like conventional weight bullets, be sure to test some heavies and see what it will do.

A 425 gr hard case from Cast Performance will work just as well on whitetail as it will on game 10 times heavier. Those large diameter, sharp edged heat treated flat nose bullets slap the hell out of lighter game and penetrate VERY deep on heavy game.

Plus, while the recoil may be heavier, they take all the sting out of the recoil as its just a heavy roll which I prefer.

Another thing to remember, while this is a high performance round, its not a 475 Linebaugh. There is no need to load it anywhere near this level even though in a 5 shot revolver the 480 Ruger can be loaded to run toe to toe with the 475. I have a Taurus 480 Ruger Raging Bull five shot that will drive the 425 gr to nearly 1400 fps, its not all that fun to shoot so I still load that one down to around 1200 fps.

Penetration wise, there is no measurable difference between 1400 and 1200 fps with the 425 gr CP bullet. Maybe an inch at most. Higher velocity with these big bore does not always add up to increased penetration. If you can get over 1100 fps, you have enough power to do anything you would need in North America, EASILY!!!

These are close range weapons, sub 125 yard range is best, simply because of trajectory. I have shot mine at 300 yards and it shoots very well off a rest and a 3-12 burris scope but the trajectory is severely steep a this range. I settled on a 1.5-4 burris and limit shots to less then 125 yards and have been very happy.

Best powder I have used has been H-Lilgun with a CCI-350 primer. This powder is much more forgiving then H-110 or W-296 as it works great at top end pressures but also works great at mid level pressures. This is where the to standard powders have problems is at mid pressure loads. For all around use, Lil Gun is my favorite in most magnum handguns.

 

[jakes10mm]

I won a 9.5" barreled Ruger Super Redhawk on GunBroker, rather unexpectedly. It is a great shooter, but the long barrel does make it a bit bulky carrying around. Had to go to a cross-chest holster for hunting. It is wearing a Millet SP1 Red Dot. Holding up well so far. May eventually go to a regular scope. I missed an opportunity on a doe last year while I was trying to find the dot in the scope. My fault, spent my range time testing accuracy from the bench rather than practicing off-hand and acquiring targets.

I'm reloading Penn Bullet 420gr Lead Thunderheads. Nice close range bullets with huge meplats. They bullets push rather than slap when they go off.

Good luck with your Super Redhawk!

 

[VIPBODYGUARD]

Hello, I'm really surprised that I have not come across this COOL site before now. I tried to find some information on my 7.5 inch Ruger Super Redhawk in .480; This is my first Ruger double action revolver and boy do love it. I have always been a Smith & Wesson fanatic. My wife and I no longer hunt due to our age and conditions but we both belong to the Lost Dutchmands and GPAA. Not to long ago in the Angeles Forest while prospecting I was approached by a Black Bear who appeared to be more curious than hungry. I was carring my 3 inch Smith 629 loaded with 250 gr. Cor-bons, not wanting to harm him I used a "Canned Air Horn" which sent him scurring into the bushes. about ten minutes later he was back skirting my claim area. The second blast did not send him as far away as the first one did, so I packed up my gear and left. I later checked into a Smith .500 but was more interested in the Ruger .480 because the idea of that 6th round impressed me to the point that it may make the difference between the Bear eating me, or me eating the Bear. Plus I traded a weapon that was no longer legal in the left wing state of (K)alifonia. it came scoped, accurized to 100 yrds. 100 rds. loaded, 100 not loaded and reloading equipment. I carry in in a chest holster with 12 extra rounds in Speed strips, I can't seem to find any speed loaders for it yet. Rally.

 

[B-ridge]

I was able to shoot a .44 mag last week and really enjoyed it, was thinking about getting one. Well, today i just learned about the 480 caliber and now i'm not sure about what to do.
Any recommendation on which one to get? Any thoughts and advice will be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Fiftydriver]

There are a few things to consider when choosing between the 44 mag and 480 ruger.

I own both in the Ruger Super Redhawk and will never sell either revolver. BUT, they are two totally different critters in several ways. Things you need to consider to help make the decision that is best for you are:

1. Will you be handloading for your new revolver?

If your a handloader, the difference between the 44 Mag and 480 Ruger are pretty impressive. The 44 is a great chambering, kind of like the 30-06 of the handgun world, will do pretty much anything you could want, do it well and do it for a LONG TIME. The 480 is a BIT more specialized even though you can get bullet weights from 275 clear up to 425 that work well in the 480. You can also get the super bullets for the 44 mag as well if you handload but the larger diameter 480 just handles the heavy weight bullets better and will drive the lighter weight bullets faster then the 44.

2. Will you be hunting with your new revolver? If so, what game will you be hunting?

This may be the most important question in deciding what will be best for you. If you will not be hunting or only hunting big game up to the size of deer, the 44 Mag will do everything you could ever ask for and do it in a wildly common package for ammo choices. If you will be wanting to hunt larger game, the 480 has the advantage with heavier bullets. Not that the 480 Ruger will not work fine on deer size game, it works amazingly well but not needed. If your just wanting a revolver to shoot and not hunt with, the 44 would be the better choice simply from an ammo, component cost point of view.

3. If you will not be handloading, do you want a large selection of factory loads available?

Again, if you will not be handloading for your revolver, the 44 Mag wins hands down with the selection of ammo available for it.

4. Are you recoil sensitive?

The 480 Ruger is touted as offering significantly more energy then the 44 Mag but with the same level of recoil....... Well, I will admit that the 480 Ruger is much easier to shoot then say a 454 but with top handloads in both the 44 Mag and 480 Ruger, you will feel a difference for sure. My favorite load uses the 425 gr Cast Performance bullet loaded right to 1200 fps in the 480 Ruger. My favorite 44 Mag load shoots the 270 gr Deep Curl speer bullet to right at 1500 fps. The 44 mag load inspite of its much higher velocity is really a puff load compared to the 480 load in felt recoil terms.

While the recoil is heavier with the 480, it rolls in the hand much slower then the lighter but quicker slap of the 44 mag load because of the velocity difference.

In reality, it comes down to what you want to do with the revolver and if you handload. IF you DO NOT handload, the 44 Mag is the best choice by far, if you do handload, both can be loaded into extremely flexible options.

 

[B-ridge]

Thank You. These are all great tips to consider and I do not plan on hunting much with it. I do love camping to go out and spend time in the woods just because I love the great outdoors. I have considered though, if some situation came up where i needed to defend myself, what would i do or use? I do not have any reload equipment with me right now, but i do plan on it. There is a place here in town that sells 480 factory loads, and i did not think to check about reloads, which i might have to buy online. I do want to get a .44 but the 480 looks like it might be fun just to go shoot once in while and keep it for protection. I live in Northern Utah.

 

[Fiftydriver]

The SRH is a great revolver but its not a protection handgun by any means. They are WAY to big and heavy to be considered a good choice for defensive work.

The key to a good defensive handgun is that you have to have it with you all the time in case you need it. Now, At first you may not mind packing the big SRH around but in time, and this comes from personal experience many years ago, it will become easy to leave it behind because of its size and weight.

A MUCH better choice if you want a double action revolver for carrying is the ruger Redhawk model with 4.2" barrel length and Hogue Monogrip. These are big revolvers but MUCH smaller then their SRH siblings. They can be had in 44 Mag or 45 Colt. This is a similar comparision as the 44 to 480 if your a handloader. The old 45 colt will beat the 44 mag by a sizable amount and run hard on the heals of the 480 Ruger.

Again, if you seriously think you need protection, look at the shorter barreled ruger Redhawks. MUCH better choice then the SRH for protection purposes.

Ruger® Redhawk® Double-Action Revolver Models