Just a follow up on my experience with these cartridges.
I have owned all of these and they are all powerful packages in a pistol or a rifle.
I started with the 45/70 back In the 80s in a TC contender with a 14" barrel, It was brutal in the light weight pistols and didn't have much use beyond 250 yards. Later I bought a trap door Springfield for the cartridge and then a browning 1885 high wall. the trapdoor was only able to handle the low velocity factory ammo and proved to be range limited hunting.
Next, I tried a Marlin 444 rifle based on recommendations by guides That used them for saddle guns and said how powerful they were and they were right. This led me to getting a 444 contender made by JD Jones. This one will test your metal. Most friends
have/will shot it once. recoil in the light pistol is 67 ft/lbs. I hunted with this combination for many years and it never disappointed me. (I still have it).
Then wanting some of equal power in a AR 15 platform I bough the 450 bushmaster
chambering and found factory ammo available at the time (I reload but this makes a cartridge more desirable) I also found out that In a brass crunch it could be made by using a 284 Winchester case. This AR 15 Has become one of my favorite Hog rifles.
I was planning on building a pistol in 450 Bushmaster but then along came the 460 S&W.
After shooting the big Smith XLR I was hooked and even sold my 454 Casull. The next step was to build a bolt action rifle in 460 to see how it performed. It was off the charts in velocity gains. In my rifle the 200 grain Hornady shot over 2900 ft/sec. I don't know why their increase was less, But my chronograph is very accurate or I wouldn't use it. It has now become my favorite handgun for velocity, accuracy and manageability. (Easy to shoot and less brutal in a pistol)
All of the pistols can use a muzzle brake if you want to enjoy range sessions. The rifles recoils are marginal for some.
Just My experience with these 4 cartridges.
J E CUSTOM
