just picked up a Taurus 454 8-3/8"

[mrk_86]

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y527/msigsauer/photo-30_zps7899eb09.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/msigsauer/media/photo-30_zps7899eb09.jpg.html)

shoots great so far with hornady bullets i bought.
any tips on boolits or powder recipe? im thinking about adding my burris fastfire3 anyone tried this set up before? thanks for any info

[leftiye]

300 grainers is all I put in mine. 300MP, 1680 mainly. Mine is the most accurate revolver I've ever shot with 300 XTPs. I like Lee 310(?) gr. cast RNFPGCs at about 1300 fps. All you'll ever need.

[mrk_86]

thanks leftiye!! i will have to give that a try

[Groo]

Groo here
Use dies marked 454,,, use magnum jacketed bullets or hard cast [ just watch nose to crimp groove length about o.3in ,,, any mag powder seems to work
Use modern data .. They are the best guns Taurus makes.
PS. If you run across old Freedom arms data be very careful Modern pressures are set at about 65000, some old FA data went close to 80000.

[44man]

Shot one like it in .44 mag and had some unreal 50 yard groups. They are OK.

[lar45]

I have the 6.5" version and I've had great luck with 320-350gn hard cast at 1350fps. I used 26gns WC820 and sm rifle mag primers for cold weather. At 50 yds I would routinly get 3 shots touching and an overall group size of around 1.5"

[mrk_86]

thanks for responses! I have 45 colt dies already and was told by a friend they would work to load the 454? I only ask cause I can't find 454 dies locally

[osteodoc08]

thanks for responses! I have 45 colt dies already and was told by a friend they would work to load the 454? I only ask cause I can't find 454 dies locally

Yes. That's how I loaded mine when I had one.

[shoot-n-lead]

300 grainers is all I put in mine. 300MP, 1680 mainly. Mine is the most accurate revolver I've ever shot with 300 XTPs. I like Lee 310(?) gr. cast RNFPGCs at about 1300 fps. All you'll ever need.

Yeah, and ya don't need that big gun for that load, either.

[leftiye]

So I should mill off the underlug?

[454PB]

Mine is a 6 1/2" too, although it's actually closer to 5 1/2" when you subtract the muzzle brake. Mine is extremely accurate.

[dh2]

thanks for responses! I have 45 colt dies already and was told by a friend they would work to load the 454? I only ask cause I can't find 454 dies locally

Yes it works very well . Just like we have used .38 spl. dies to load .357 Mag. just adjust them for the case length

[DLCTEX]

So I should mill off the underlug?
Why would you do that? The weight helps tame the recoil and makes it more pleasant to shoot full house loads. Mine is in 480 and is surprisingly soft shooting fora 400 gr. bullet at 1250 fps.

[Gunslinger1911]

6 1/2 " here, great fun to shoot ! I'll have to look up my notes, I've used the big Lee and the 270SAA to good result. Snappy little booger isn't it ? BTW, 45 Colt dies.

I really wish a person could get those grips for other guns - very comfortable.

[41mag]

Mine is the 8-3/8" also d tn reason got into casting. i also use the Lee 300 RF in mine as well. I have a couple of post on it which i linked here if your interested.

First-Home-Poured-thru-the-454 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?120339-First-Home-Poured-thru-the-454)

Did-a-little-shootin (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?122541-Did-a-little-shootin)

Lee-C452-300-RF-Water-Test (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?124036-Lee-C452-300-RF-Water-Test)

I will give you a little tip, check it with both air cooled and water cooled alloy, don't simply just go with the harder of the two. With mine, loaded running from 1500 thru 1700fps with the Lee bullet shoot the best with air cooled clip on WW. When I quenched them I did good to keep them all on the paper at 25yds. To be honest, the loads mentioned in those post are what I use 99% of the time, and they shoot like the groups I posted in the middle link, to as far out as I can hold them.

I have used a variety of primer brands, and haven't really found "one" that is tops. As long as they are SR they have worked great. I haven't really found a need for the SR Mag, but then I don't hunt in temps much below 30 degrees either. If I am it is while sitting next to a heater, looking out a window.

I also tried a couple of different lubes out when I started, and found that the 45/45/10 is just as good as I need. I "might" go a little heavier than needed, but it works and I do everything that way. I tumble once before sizing, insert the GC, then size, and store them in a small cardboard box. Then I tumble lube them again before loading.

I use AA-9 as well as some of the surplus WC-297, which I have found to be about 2grs slower than my old lot of WW-296. So I end up with around 28.5grs of it. These are in the 1550-1650'ish FPS range from my revolver. Basically what I did was to measure from the bottom of the bullet to the crimp groove, then mark that distance on the side of a 3/8" dowel, and pour in powder until it was right at the mark on the lip of the case. I have worked it up a bit more, but 28.5-around 30grs is about the happy spot for me and it groups VERY well. The AA-9 also shoots wonderful with these and either one is petty much interchangeable. I got the AA data from a 300gr XTP data and so far have had no issues what so ever.

For jacketed as mentioned above, be sure you use bullets marked MAG and not simply whatever you come across. This will keep you out of any issues with them due to the pressures you get with this over what you might with a standard 45 cal revolver.

Good luck and hope this helps.

[mrk_86]

thanks for all the useful info guys! I love this site more and more

[Cornbread]

I shoot 250gr hard cast RN FP in mine over a load of 34.5gr of H110 for my 454s, they do just over 1700fps out of a 6.5" barrel, not sure what they are out of my 454 with a 2" barrel but they are a handful in the 2" barrel. Brass wise I have always used full length 454 brass and full length 454 dies. I have Hornady, Starline, and Winchester brass and all take a small rifle primer. I haven't noticed much difference between the three at all. I just use straight CCI small rifle primers. I put a heavy crimp on this load so the bullets don't come loose from recoil. Very accurate load for me and I shoot open sights on all my pistols.

[Groo]

Groo here
The Taurus RB 454 is listed as 454/45 colt like the Rugers.
The chambers are a "little" looser than an FA454.
I find that the gun makes a great 45colt +p and +p+ revolver, but full house 454 are just a little too much fun.
Mine is an original 6in all shined up and is the one Taurus I trust in total.

[brasshog]

I had one exactly like that one of yours but it was blued. I thought it was what I wanted but I was settling for less because I really wanted a Freedom Arms Casull in 454 (4" barrel) but couldn't turn down the Taurus for only $300 LNIB. It shot great with no issues. I liked it because I hunt in thick brush in a swampy kinda place where the hogs tend to be on you real fast at close distance. It was a lot of comfort in my hand. Point is....I liked it UNTIL I fired it without hearing protection while hunting. I was honestly surprised that my ears weren't bleeding. Great gun..Sold it the next day. That magna-porting is great at the range but not when hunting. I have thought about buying another one and having it cut down to 4" so that the magna-porting sissy attachment wouldn't render me deaf lol but I haven't made the leap yet. For that much money I might as well get a FA. Good luck and enjoy that fine pistol. They sure are fun.

[DLCTEX]

You are absolutely correct about hearing protection. I stupidly fired my 480 one time with bare ears. Never again.[smilie=b:

[mrk_86]

yea the 454 is LOUD havnt tried it without hearing protection but I can bet it woul b aweful

[hornady308]

I only have two guns left in my collection that are ported: 454 Raging Bull and a sweet Contender barrel in 7TCU. I'd rather deal with recoil than noise any day. And I now wear electronic muffs when hunting, regardless of the gun I carry.

[mrk_86]

never tried the electronic muffs.. which ones u do u have and how do u like them?

[hornady308]

I have Champion electronic ear muffs. They are currently $26 with free shipping on Amazon. 131 out of 144 users have given a four or five star rating (out of 5 stars).

[unclebill]

i have that same gun and it is a GREAT shooter.
i have played with it off the bags a few times with both .454 and .45colt and the quality and accuracy is all there.
i know taurus has it's detractors
but this gun is nice.
i love porting on powerful firearms.
i dont shoot at a public range so i cant bother anyone
and i always wear hearing protection so it is a moot point.

[wrench man]

My brother has that same revolver, the gun it's self is ok?, for a Taurus!, it'll group 45 Colt good all day, but about two or three shots of heavy 454 into the second cylinder full the OEM Taurus scope mount comes loose!

[mrk_86]

yea i tried the scope mount and don't care for the look or way it mounts

[unclebill]

i used a torque wrench and loc-tite on the mount and it never did come loose
but i removed it because i wanted the scope for something else.
i would like to put a red dot on it though