454 kick

[mray]

I go to gunbroker.com and there are tons of FA 454s listed.  Is that because people buy them, can't handle the kick and want to get rid of them?  I've never shot one, but hear that the recoil is pretty punishing.  I have a 44 mag super blackhawlk hunter and find the kick to be "no big deal".  Does the 454 really kick that much more?  I know it's hard to put into words how much a gun kicks, but does anyone care to try?

Thanks

[EdK]

I think your answer is yes but...

I think many folks buy and are not used to hard kicking handguns - for example maybe not even much 44 mag experience beforehand.

Most get the hottest factory loads to start with (also commonly loaded light bullets (240-250gr) which can make the recoil sharper, snappier).

You don't have to load to the max to learn the gun - work up slowly (actually you never have to load to the max...).

Loading with med-heavy for caliber bullets doesn't lessen recoil but can reduce that sharpness (actually recoil increases but for many it seems of a more manageable nature). I like 300gr cast @ 1200-1350fps

Oh, and don't think for a minute or believe anyone that tells you that a 475 or larger has less recoil. Somehow that story makes its' way around.

[Lloyd Smale]

the recoil of a 454 is in a differnt league then a 44. If you have to ask your no doubt better off with a 44. The biggest reason there are more 454s and they are available cheaper is the fact that FA probably sells 10 454s to one of every other caliber combined.

[Graybeard]

Depends. On what? Glad you asked.

If you load it to the absolute max and use heavy bullets with the factory irons it's gonna kick like crazy. When I was doing the review on the FA83 and RB454 I had COR-BON and Buffalo Bore send me a full compliment of their offerings to use in them WOW did some of those suckers kick like crazy. In fact in the FA83 without the scope I was not able to take it at all. The heaviest of them brought blood every time I pulled the trigger. Needless to say I didn't get much testing done on them with iron sights. With the scope mounted and gloves on I was able to shoot enough for groups but sure didn't want anymore than I had to with it. In the RB454 they seemed fine. I finished shooting them up in it using iron sights.

[jphendren]

I have owned several S&W .44 Magnums over the years, including an early 5-screw pre-29.  I also own a Freedom Arms M83 in 454 Casull.  It is hard to describe recoil in words, but I can say that the 454's recoil is much faster/sharper than any .44 Magnum I have ever fired.  Over the past four years I have given up on heavy factory 454 loads and now only fire reloads that are several hundred ft/sec. slower.  Hornady has/had a 454 loading that pushed a 240gr XTP 2,000 ft/sec, and generates 2,000 ft/lbs of energy.  I have never seen a factory .475 Linebaugh load that generates that much energy.

Jared

[xphunter]

I owned a scoped Field grade 7.5" 454 back in the late 80's through the late 90's All I ever shot was 300 grain XTP's and 31.5 grains of H-110 (1775 fps).  It had pach grips and magnaport.  never drew blood but 40-45 rounds is about all I could shoot at one time.
Now I am using a Model 83 Premier grade 7.5", black Micarta grips, NO porting, scoped, with my same old load.  Percieved recoil is less because of the grip design and the hard grips.
If my hand is to high on the grip my middle knuckle of my middle finger will get banged around some-Other than that it is easy to shoot.
Shot a doe muley and a doe antelope with this set-up on Saturday.

[SM]

I'm in agreement with the majority. The recoil of the .454 is sharp, especially with the lighter, say 250 grain bullets.  I have shot many rounds with a FA 83 in .44 and that is very easy going compared to the casull. I know that the 83 is a heavy .44, but still.

I've been shooting the casull for a year now and I must say that it takes some practise. I've had a couple of .44's before and they took some concentration to hit well too. I think, that as long as the gun won't make cuts on your hands etc. while shooting you'll be ok. The feeling of heavy recoil and the sound of that big round can be actually fun AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T PHYSICALLY HURT. The grip, of course, must fit your hand well.

When I was getting ready to order my FA I was on the fence whether to get a .44 or .454; I was thinking I might not be able to handle it. I took the plunge and ordered it in the original caliber and I'm quite happy with my decision. If you're fine with the recoil of a .44, you'll learn to shoot the .454 just as well if you use it often.

[Ken ONeill]

.44 Mag. SBH = pussycat.
.454 Mdl. 83 = kicks like Hell.
I love 'em both.
I can't say it in fewer words.

[hogwire]

454 full house loads kick like hell, man they're fun! Until you get arthritis in your wrist that is! Maybe that's why there's so many for sale.    sold mine and bought a Kimber Target II SS 10 mm, I'm still havin fun!       lp

[Lloyd Smale]

I just took my fa 454 to camp last weekend and shot about 300 rounds out of it in one sitting. Now guys here will tell you im no rookie when it comes to heavy kicking handguns. Granted ive been out of touch with them for about 2 years. Ive got a middle nuckle on my shooting hand that has been operated on twice for bone spurs from hard kicking handguns beating on it. I got about 3/4s of the way through this old ammo i wanted to burn up and my nuckle really started hurting. About 50 round from finishing i noticed blood on my glove but kept going. When i was done i pulled the glove off and the whole top of my nuckle which WAS scar tissure was gone. In its place was a hole! about an hour later it hurt so bad i about had tears in my eyes. It wasnt till yesterday i could straighten that finger. My point here is that shooting heavy kicking handguns is like riding a bike. Anyone can shoot a handgun just like anyone can ride a bike. But if your going to ride in a marathon you should have yourself conditioned to it. No doubt the lack of my shooting lately made muscles that I need to master hard kicking handguns go soft and my technique was no doubt rusty to boot. Its a good lesson even for me or any other experienced handgunner. No your limit and when it starts hurting stop! spent the day today loading some nice light loads for it. a 300 rcbs swc and 27 grains of 4227. they feel like powder puff loads compared to a 350 with 29 grains of 110.

[TommyD]

What these folks say about the kick is very true. The first time I shot the .454 it felt like somebody took a pool cue and whapped me across the palm of my hand as hard as they could. Not fun, and I don't want to develop premature arthritis in the small bones of my hand and wrist.

Since then, most of the loads I shoot are in the medium to heavier end of the .45 Colt range. More than adequate for whitetail deer and we don't have any real big or dangerous game in the Western New York area where I live. For plinking I swap in the 45 ACP cylinder. The FA83 I own has 3 cylinders: .454, .45 Colt, and .45 ACP. I do love that gun!

When I bought my first .45 auto almost 30 years ago, I thought that it was hard kicking. Now they seem like powder puffs with a 230 grain bullet only going 850 fps.

But it is also good to know that this gun as the capability in reserve to put the power of the .454 to use. Just in case I visit places where the wildlife is a lot bigger and more dangerous.

And there is also the safety factor when reloading in the upper end end of the 45 colt pressure range. I do stay within the limits of published reloading data for 45 colt, but it is comforting to know that the gun can safely handle twice that of the 45 colt.

Tom

[Tuckerp229]

I am in agreement with most of the above postings and own a comped Ruger Redhawk in 44. magnum.  My added two cents is that I think what you are seeing is the down turn in the economy in action.  Having a 2G gun in the safe is hard is to ignore if you have bills to pay.