When it comes to bear-busting power, you have to have at least a .44 Mag to expect to accomplish anything. And, if you can pack it into a relatively compact gun like this 3.75-inch-barreled Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley, then all the better.
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Ruger Blackhawks are known for their rugged strength and simplicity of design.
Whether you’re talking grizzlies, gators or gangs, there’s a good chance you’ve got predators in your neck of the woods. When I’m in the field, I feel uneasy unless I have at least a .44 Magnum close at hand. I know cartridges like the .454 Casull, .480 Ruger Magnum and .500 S&W Magnum are all good choices for putting down big predators, but the ready availability and time-tested performance of Elmer Keith’s ultimate handgun load has a special appeal. It also has a manageable recoil for a large-bore cartridge. When you team that up with the strength and dependability of the Ruger Super Blackhawk platform, you truly have a gun you can trust your life with.
Before you say it, yes, a rifle, the bigger the better, is the preferred firearm for facing down a half ton of brown bear. But if you don’t happen to be carrying a rifle, or you’re on nature’s call in the middle of the night when you bump into an unwelcome visitor, a sidearm is mighty handy.
The original Blackhawk single-action debuted in 1956 in .357 Magnum. It was basically a modernized revolver similar to the old Colt Single Action Army which was no longer in production. A simple and rugged design, the Blackhawk was an overnight hit. However, the Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley is a long way from those original roots. And the one being tested here, the Lipsey’s Distributor Exclusive Model 0818 Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley, is a great example of how far along the design has come over the years.
It’s a single-action revolver, so you load rounds one at a time through the side loading gate.
SPECS
- CHAMBERING: .44 Mag.
- BARREL: 3.75 inches
- OA LENGTH: 9.63 inches
- WEIGHT: 44 ounces
- GRIPS: Bisley black laminate
- SIGHTS: Adjustable
- ACTION: Single-action
- FINISH: Stainless steel
- CAPACITY: 6
- MSRP: $838
“New” Blackhawk
To get to the gun at hand, you need to know what the “New” and “Super” designations mean. The original Blackhawk had the firing pin mounted to the hammer and you had to either carry it in the half cock position or down over an empty chamber. Otherwise, an accidental bump could blow your kneecap off. Not a good thing when you’re out in the boonies!
Recognizing the shortcomings of the old hammer design, Ruger developed the transfer bar mechanism so that the gun couldn’t be discharged unless the trigger was fully depressed. They designated this the “New” Blackhawk to distinguish it from the earlier version and offered free conversions to legacy Blackhawk owners. In fact, they’ll still do that for you for free should you have an unconverted earlier model.
You can tell a Bisley by the sharper bend of the grip and the lowered hammer spur. The trigger guard is also a little more rounded.
“Super” Blackhawk
The next evolutionary step was the substitution of a bigger grip frame in steel for better control, an unfluted cylinder for increased strength, and the replacement of the aluminum ejector rod housing with steel. In other words, they made an already strong gun even stronger.
Other evolutionary changes were incorporated into the design along the way. For example, today’s Blackhawks don’t have side plates. The frame is a one-piece design for (what else) strength.
Recognized for Superior Strength
The Ruger Blackhawk is one of the strongest handguns you can buy, both from the design standpoint as well as from the high strength steels used. You’ll see warnings from heavy ammunition manufacturers or hand loading manuals that their heaviest loads are limited to Ruger Blackhawks. Case in point, The Hornady Handbook, 3rd Edition states at the beginning of their high-pressure load data: “The following data is to be used only in the T/C or the Ruger Blackhawk.” That’s how strong this gun is. It will handle the heaviest loads from today’s ammo manufacturers. Want a 340-grain bullet going out the muzzle at nearly 1,500 feet per second? No problem.
Bisley Controversy
The Bisley grip is most often associated with Ruger these days, although it was inspired by the Colt Bisley introduced in 1894. Colt designed its Bisley for target shooting and named it after a famous English shooting range popular at the time.
The Bisley-pattern grip has a sharp grip angle, and the revolver sports a lowered and widened hammer spur.
You can distinguish the Ruger Bisley from their other single actions by the downturned grip. The sharper grip angle tends to direct recoil straight back and is popular among many target shooters and hunters, although it’s a controversial design. Some like it immediately while other dislike it just as quickly. That’s why it’s been called a love it or hate it feature. Personally, I find it better than the standard grip both from an accuracy perspective as well as for speed of putting rounds on target. Of course, you might find it just the opposite…
Other notable features of the Bisley include a wider, lower hammer spur which makes cocking the action easier, and a rounder trigger guard (good for gloves).
Short Stuff
The 3.75-inch barrel of the Bisley being reviewed here is both fast out of the holster as well as accurate. Is this the optimum barrel length for .44 magnum? That depends. For a hunting gun, no. I prefer a 7.5-inch barrel for hunting both to get more velocity out of the round as well as for the greater sight radius. Even if you’re using a scope, the extra length helps on longer shots.
The unfluted cylinder and short 3.75-inch barrel make this Ruger a real eye-catcher.
How about a 2.5-inch barrel like the Ruger Redhawk Alaskan? No. Too much muzzle blast. The powder doesn’t have enough barrel to complete its burn. If you’re only going to have one revolver and you want it to do everything, a 5.5-inch barrel would probably be best. It’s long enough to burn most of the powder in the barrel while not being too unwieldy. However, for a trail/camp gun, a 3- to 4-inch barrel is long enough that the muzzle blast isn’t distracting, you have enough sight radius for accurate shot placement at the shorter ranges you’ll encounter with this type of service, and it’s short enough that you can get it out of the holster quickly.
Is this the best length for you? That’s something you have to decide for yourself. If you’re a small person, you might want a 3-inch barrel. If you’re a big person, you can probably draw a longer gun. I’m average size and this is what works best for me.
How you carry will also affect your choice of barrels. A strong-side carry high on your hip will dictate a somewhat shorter barrel while a crossdraw holster will let you draw a longer gun. If you need to carry concealed, you might want to look at that 2.5-inch Alaskan. Like so many choices regarding what you carry, there’s a lot of personal decisions to be made.
Single-Action Simplicity
As you can see by the way the grips fit the grip frame, fit and finish is excellent.
Here’s where we’ll probably find the biggest divide on this gun: Single-action versus double-action. I’ll share my reasoning with you and you can make up your own mind as to whether this is for you or not.
In a self-defense gun, I prefer double-action. In a trail/camp gun, I prefer single-action. Generally speaking, I can shoot more accurately with a good single-action gun. And I’m willing to take that few micro seconds it takes to cock the hammer as I draw in order to have the added accuracy.
My reasoning on why I would consider this handy little gun for this role:
- Chances are a bear won’t have a gun, unlike a self-defense scenario with a human adversary.
- That gives me enough time (I hope) to thumb back the hammer.
- I don’t figure on reloading when I’m being charged by a bear, so I want to make every shot count.
- When facing down a brown bear, I want the confidence of knowing it will fire whenever I need it to under whatever conditions I find myself in. Single-action trigger systems are less complicated and under less mechanical stress than double-action trigger systems.
The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.
While revolvers are generally more reliable than a semi-automatic pistol, there’s a lot going on inside the frame. Most people don’t appreciate how complicated a revolver trigger mechanism really is. A single-action revolver has a simpler mechanism, and simpler means more dependable. (If you happened to see the bear attack scene in Leonardo De Caprio’s movie The Revenant, you’ll appreciate just how important dependability is!)
The lower hammer spur on the Lipsey’s Blackhawk Bisley is at the perfect location for me and is easy to cock. The trigger broke at an average of 4 pounds 2.4 ounces. There’s a very slight amount of take-up before it breaks crisply. The great trigger adds to accuracy as well as to your shooting pleasure. More on this when we get to the range report.
Lipsey’s Exclusives
Removing the cylinder is a snap. Simply open the loading gate, depress the button on the side of the frame (base pin lock button), and draw the base pin forward all the way. The cylinder drops out the right side of the frame. Reverse to reassemble.
You can’t get the Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley from just any dealer. It’s only available as an exclusive from the large distributor Lipsey’s network of dealers. And fortunately, Lipsey’s has a lot of dealers. In fact, the entire line of Ruger Super Blackhawk standard Bisleys available now is made up of Lipsey exclusives.
As one of the top two of the nation’s wholesale firearms distributors, Lipsey’s has the leverage with manufacturers to collaborate on special limited runs of firearms which incorporate features not found on the standard offerings. They base these exclusives on, among other things, customization activity which reveals the features buyers most want for their guns.
The objective of these exclusives is basically to help Lipsey’s dealers sell more guns. By identifying and filling a demand for custom guns, they’re reacting to what the marketplace wants. It’s a great example of capitalism in action. The Lipsey’s Exclusives carry a slight premium over standard guns ($9 in this case), but cost considerably less than having a standard gun customized. That makes it a win-win for buyers and sellers alike.
Range Report
The range review was carried out with popular and readily available brands of ammo in both .44 special as well as .44 Remington Magnum.
This is a comfortable gun to shoot. With an empty weight of 44 ounces, when shooting .44 special ammo the recoil is mild. Stepping up to .44 Magnum, the recoil is sharper but still quite controllable. I had expected the solid grips to be slippery and to let the gun move around more than it actually did. My last .44 had big molded Pachmayr grips, but they aren’t needed here.
I guess the best way to characterize the full snot .44 mag recoil is that it is stout but not punishing. Even with the more potent Hornady 225-grain Lever Revolution ammo, the gun bucked more but it didn’t hurt. After 200 rounds, I could have kept going.
As in most single-action revolvers, you load rounds one at a time through the loading gate on the right-hand side of the gun. This is an area where a double-action gun is faster because you can swing the entire cylinder out and use a speed loader. However, for a trail gun, this is fine in my opinion. Rest assured, if you get attacked by a bear, you won’t be doing any reloading.
All my shooting was done from a standing position at 10 yards with the sights as they were set at the factory. As you can see, they were pretty close. Typical groups were in the 1.5- to 2.5-inch range whether with .44 Special or .44 Magnum. That attests to the accuracy and controllability of the gun. The lighter 165-grain Hornady .44 Special self-defense load was especially fun to shoot.
As far as the single-action trigger goes, it’s great. If you press it very slowly, you’ll detect a slight amount of take-up before it breaks. And the break is crisp and clean. If you’re a little more intent with the trigger, you probably won’t even notice the take-up. It’s hard to describe, but the trigger just feels good. That makes it more fun to shoot than a gun with a gritty or heavy trigger. I guess to me, it’s the way a trigger should feel. Another reason I like Ruger single-action revolvers.
Perfect Fit
If you prefer crossdraw carry, Rob Leahy makes a nice holster (simplyrugged.com).
I found the Ruger New Super Blackhawk Bisley when I was looking for a bear country sidearm. I prefer a three- to four-inch barrel in a field gun and have a love of Ruger single-action revolvers. None of the major manufacturers had what I was looking for so I thought, “Why not check Lipsey’s.” When I saw this gun, it was a no-brainer. It’s just what I wanted. Especially with the Bisley grip.
So if you have your eye on a particular gun, revolver, pistol or rifle, and there’s something you’re going to have to customize to make it perfect, check out Lipsey’s Exclusives. If it’s a popular custom gun feature, they just might have it.
And if the Ruger Blackhawk appeals to you but you want a different caliber, grip, or barrel length than the gun we looked at today, check out the other Blackhawk models. They are terrific guns.
To learn more, visit https://ruger.com/.
To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=ruger%20super%20blackhawk%20bisley
who makes that holster in the photo?
Solid and useful article. Thanks. Possibly only question I’d have: What is the diminished effect, if any, of the shorter barrel on the .44 Magnum cartridge, when one’s touting the .44 Magnum specifically for its energy and stopping power? Otherwise, why not choose a different gun/caliber combination that might be more compact and lightweight, even with a longer barrel? Just asking, I don’t know the answer.
I have a Ruger convertible .22/.22Mag in stainless, and am pleased to read the bigger Rugers have the same quality and great trigger as their little brother, which I consider a family heirloom-quality piece. Mine is the 6.5 in. barrel with target sights, and that’s why I mentioned the barrel length as I consider it minimum for getting .22Mag performance. Otherwise, as the rationale goes, why not just shoot .22s ….
I found that the Bisley grip suits me better than the standard grip. It is all a matter of what suits you. Gotta love a Blackhawk in any shape form or fashion.
It is captioned for my company. That is NOT one of my holsters. It
Looks like a Hunter Brand holster belt.
There was just a story in the internet news regarding a professional guide on Kodiak Island. He guides bear hunts and fishing trips. He had two clients on a fishing trip, man and wife. He normally carries a 44 mag. revolver going in the woods but this day he picked up his 9mm pistol that was full of 147 grain hard cast semi wadcutters loaded I think by Buffalo Bore. At a distance of 8 feet a brown bear attacked from the brush and got within 2 feet of his clients wife. The large dead bear was laying in the pictures attached to the article and nobody was touched by the bear. This clearly illustrates that it is not caliber that counts but bullet performance and shot placement. The bear had not been shot in the head.
Colt Single Action Army 5.5″ bbl.
Cor-Bon .4545 Colt +P 335gr HC Product Code: HT45C335HC-20
Galco Crossdraw
Good for anything.
That’s called a grenade shaped like a cool old (design ) cowboy gun.
Colt saa is the last gun I’d stick cor-bombs in
No problems after ten years and 80 rounds. In the 1970s I was told to never feed a constant diet of +P ammunition in any handgun. This particular Cor-Bon Round is strictly a defensive Round used to stop a large predator or a vehicle. I only fire a few at the range at 50′ for target shot placement vs the regular round that I use.
It only takes pulling the pin on a grenade once. I’d highly recommend you do more research before firing that stuff in your Colt again. They weren’t designed for that kind of pressure at all. The fact that you’ve fired more than one round and survived unscathed is awful lucky. Chances are you’ve already weakened the gun significantly making even more likely to grenade on you. I LOVE the .45 Colt but a round like that simply isn’t safe in a Colt SAA and should only be used in large frame Ruger’s, Freedom Arms or other revolvers designed to withstand that much pressure. You’re an adult and get to make your own decisions but I highly recommend never doing that again and having your gun looked at for damage before shooting anything out of it.
My idea of bear sidearm would be a glock 20 in 10mm loaded with 230gr Hardcast from doubletap ammo modify the stock 15rd mag to have a total of 20 ready to go.
That and luck and a fast trigger finger
I hope you’re not serious! That load is NOT safe for the Colt SAA. I don’t care if you’ve shot them in it already, it is a ticking time-bomb.
Have sold a couple of them-kinda hard to get sometimes as they are on allocation at Lipseys.
Good sellers and I think a bit easier to control then the regular grips.
Nice gun. I have a .454 Alaskan that I favor because I can carry it fishing in bear county. However, longer barrels eliminate some of the problems from very short barrels. Nice gun indeed.
A bit short — more barrel means more of the powder being burned goes toward accelerating the bullet, rather than flash and bang. This is a big, heavy revolver to begin with at 44 ounces — I’d go with a 5 1/2″ barrel (at 48 ounces) which is still comfortable to carry while giving a little more velocity, a little less blast, and being a little easier to shoot accurately.
Exactly
Of note, just a few years ago, the number of persons documented defending “themselves” with a handgun against a bear attack in Canada and the continental U.S., could be counted on with the fingers of two hands, may be a few more now. Anyhow, my agency, and others, had to qualify on the range with 12 ga. shotguns, slugs, timed (rapid) fire, 5 rds., with one reload, under 10 seconds, 50 ft. No it was not a perfect, but we at least had a standard. A handgun (.44 mag. or .45 colt) was something one carried out with the entrenching tool or shovel at night to take a “dump”. A little more convenient than squatting in the wet tundra with a shotgun. It basically made you feel “kinda safe”. Few of my friends in Alaska carried sidearms while fishing, we all slung shotguns over our shoulder and/or had a “bear guard”. More than one of them used one of Jim Wests’ .45-70 guide guns though. Brings to mind what an old guide said about hunting bears- at 300 yds, 06 seems adequate, 200 yds., 300WM. would be more comfortable, 100 yds., and coming (30+ mph), .375 H&H time, at 50 yds., a 155 Howitzer would be desirable. Of all the years living and hunting/fishing in Alaska, and being around grizzly and coastal browns, I only saw one bear taken that was a threat.
I want. Reminds me of a Shopkeeper’s revolver.
I bought one of these about 3 years ago. The edges of the metal where the frame meets the wooden grips on the backstrap were so sharp that they cut your hand when shooting full power loads. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, so I let my buddy who is left handed (I’m right handed) shoot it. It cut him as well. Serious lack of quality control and very disappointing for me.
Did you take the grips off and lightly sand down the “sharp edges” with a piece of emery paper? Probably would take about 10 minutes. Other than that, how did you feel about the pistol?
Your worst nightmare is a sudden short range attack by a large angry black or brown bear or even a large mountain lion. My choice is a Marlin 45-70, but a handgun is faster to respond with by not near as accurate or powerful as a rifle with the same round. If you are lucky enough to draw and fire your .44 Ruger revolver in self defense you better make sure that it is loaded with the right ammo. May I suggest the Garrett .44 +P 330 Grain Hardnose Hammerhead which is rated at 1400 FPS. You can’t find a more effective bear round unless you are an expert and make it yourself.
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/44hammerheadplusp.html
Good Luck with it,
Ringo
I’ve been hunting with the Blackhawk since ’77, and have several versions all in .45 colt.
Loaded with the modified Keith 325 gr LSWC hardcast and gaschecked bullet and 21 grains H-110, it will take any N.American game. I’ve taken several Elk and Deer with this load, it’s a great stopper!
The Hunter version offers great flexibility for both scoped and iron sight use, it’s my favorite for big game.
But the standard grip will soon bruise your hand, so I much prefer the Bisley, and even converted my oldest one to that grip.
Frankly, I think ANY Ruger Blackhawk must be immediately honed and respringed (Trapper was the best) if you want any real
good ‘feel’ in the trigger, the factory are way to harsh.
I love the Blackhawk, it’s my ‘go to’ huntin gun.
S&W AT ONE TIME WERE REALLY SOUGHT AFTER FIREARMS COUPLE YEARS AGO I TRIED A CONCEALED CARRY THE METAL IS AN ALLOY BUT SPRAYED WITH AN AUTOMOTIVE FINISH TYPE PAINT FINISH CAME OFF FROM BODY SWEAT BARREL END WAS EGG SHAPED SENT IT BACK GOT ANOTHER ONE BARREL IN BAD SHAPE SENT IT BACK DON’T EVEN REMEMBER THE NEXT MODEL I TRIED LONGER BARREL WITH EXPOSED HAMMER TYPE LANDS & GROOVES MISSHAPED DEALER DIDN’T WANT ME TO LOOK AT IT SAID I WOULD BE REALLY UPSET FINALLY I GOT TO LOOK AT IT HE’S RIGHT NEVER HAVE SEEN A FIREARM LIKE THIS SO I KNOW I’LL GET BLASTED OVER THIS BUT THEIR QUALITY CONTROL IS MISSING WHAT HAPPENED S & W ? DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE PUNCTUATION I KNOW HOW I WROTE THIS SO PLEASE DON’T START A BERATING CONTEST JUST TELLING WHAT HAPPENED
And you felt compelled to post this comment about S&W here because …?
I have the 3.75″ Talo plow handle version and it rides on my hip when wild boar hunting It is one of my favorite single actions. I also have the SRH “Kodiak Back Packer” 2.75″ 44 Mag. It is the ULTIMATE in a defense revolver as I can reload quickly with speed loaders and have the double action capability.
I don’t think the Blackhawk line has ever featured a side plate, either.
My go to field gun is a custom Super Blackhawk Bisley.. Alex Hamilton of San Antonio put a heavy 5 3/4 inch barrel with a full length ejector housing on it before sending it to MagnaPort to do their thing. It’s accurate, comfortable to shoot, and ejects spent rounds with some authority.
with out getting into the Ruger vs Smith farce, I’d just make note if a Grizz is charging me I WANT a DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER. Just saying , makes more sense
So you can blast away?
One well-aimed shot is all it takes. If you don’t make that first shot, you are in a world of hurt. I’ll concede a double action might be easier to fire when the bear is munching on you.
I own both Ruger and SW 44 mag the both do equally well, you have to buy the gun that fits your hand and needs.
I bought my Ruger 11_1/2 in barrel for Pennsylvania deer and bear. The Smith is for home protection and concealed protection with the 2-1/2 barrel both are fantastic firearms and for protection REMEMBER dead men don’t testify.
Just saying, the Ruger Blackhawk never had the firing pin mounted on the hammer!
The featured revolver is another great use for the very versatile Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk platforms. Good work. Ruger!
In 1979 i bought a Ruger Blackhawk 45 long colt with the 7.5″ barrel and a box of winchester 50 to the box 250 grain bullets . i have not put 200 rounds through it yet.. I shoot the shit out of my others but this one is in a John Wayne style Holster and it is just like Virgin when i pull the trigger. I bought a box of hollow points. 20 shells cost me more by twice than my original box. My mother in law took out six rounds when she stored it for me. So 44 rounds have went through my pistol since i’ve owned it. She couldn’t find the bullets after she unloaded it and a single action is startjng to come back for me.
Shoot it!!!
The Mother-In-Law?
love the ruger blackhawk i don’t like the sw it has to big a grip for my hand
You want to check your facts? I dont think the Ruger Blackhawk ever had a hammer mounted firing pin version. I have a 4-digit serial number .357 Blackhawk made in 1956 and the firing pin is frame-mounted.
Yeah, that was the first thing that jumped out at me too!
The author must have been thinkin’ about his old Colt SSA.
SAA?
In the lower 48 bear >500 pounds are exceedingly rare. Most of the bear that I’ve seen here in the Rockies weigh around 200-300 pounds. It is true that bear never stop growing and that their weight is limited by the food supply, but 1000 pound bear in the lower 48 are like the monster fish that got away.
A 357 is plenty of gun for bear in the lower 48 if you can shoot and have the brass to make the shot. If you lack the brass, even a cannon won’t save your butt. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t comforted by carrying more gun and that comfort might enhance confidence.
Ruger makes good firearms in any caliber, so if you feel the need for a 44 mag, go for it. I’d recommend buy a caliber that you shoot well.
” Most of the bear that I’ve seen here in the Rockies weigh around 200-300 pounds. ” in Pa that’s an average Black bear.
Encountered a 2000+ lb moose once. Those guys can attack and kill you too. I wouldn’t feel comfortable shooting at a charging moose or 300lb bear with a 357 mag when I have a choice to bring something bigger to the fight. Now if you don’t have a choice and are limited by budget or something a 357 is a good choice. I prefer my raging judge 454.
200-300LBS??????Come to the Catskills we’re over run with BIG Bears , B-I-L killed a 400# three yrs ago,
I’ve seen 14 that went over 300 two that were 500+ easily ,one was so big & old his belly almost dragged the ground, other one was prime huge,
I watched one years ago almost as big , come out of the woods walk up to a huge dumpster heave himself up on two legs , lean into it & the other end came up off the ground a good foot, you could’ve put my F150 inside that dumpster
Turkey huntin’ one spring my bud & I were in heavy laurel patch,
All of a sudden two “Black things” scampered by about 25yds away
1st thought “TURKEYS”
Two BlackBear cubs ,cubs of the year UH OH,
we froze mAMA had to be CLOSE
Sure enough, about 30yds or less there was MAMA all 400lbs of her swingin’ her head from side to side,
She must’ve made some kind of sound those cubs heard cuz they ran right to her
She threw herself up on two legs & leaned on this blowdown& stretched her head back & tried to pick up the scent,
Thank GOD there was NO wind going to her ,
She swayed her head back& forth, dropped back down on all4s & the 3 of them went over the hill away
We did likewise in the other direction RAPIDLY & QUIETLY ,
Nice choice. Love the Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk. I like the original, modeled after the Colt Single Action Army, better than the Bisley. It has less felt recoil, and after recoil it settles back in your hand to your original line of sight better than any handgun I know of. I installed a Bisley hammer on mine for easier, faster cocking. My most accurate handgun I own.
STILL CAN’T BEAT THE SW 500 MAG , IT WILL KNOCK ANYTHING DOWN.
I call your 500 Mag and raise you a S&W 460. I can practice all day long using 45LC and not feel any wear and tear. At the same time have enough practice in so I can actually hit the bear should he be dumb enough to charge. When I’m in the woods, I’m loaded with 395gr 460 rounds. I love my 5″ 460 revolver!
I have owned both the 500 Mags and 460 Mags. I have shot thousands of each round through both guns. The 500 can also shoot the 500 light rounds. I can load it to a very comfortable round to shoot to one that hurts. I have loaded a lot of 275 gr. Bullets and killed a lot of deer and hogs with it. I can shoot past 100 yards with no problem also. The 460 magnum might be able to shoot the 45 colt, and the 454 Casull. But if your going to own a gun such as the 460 or 500 magnums, why not shoot the full house loads, and practice with what you are actually going to use in a hunting or carry situation. I sold all 5 of the 460’s and 3 of my 500 magnums. But I still own 2 500 magnums. It is a great gun. I still own a lot of other revolvers in double and single action, from 22 to 475 linebough. I love my 44 mags and 357’s. I own both Smith And Wesson and Rugers, they are the top guns for me in Revolvers.