Real world opinions on 454 Ruger SRH?

[Axle2010]

Hey guys I'm looking at a SRH in 454, I've wanted a 454 for years in a double action. Are there any years that are better or worse than others? I'm looking at a 9.5" barreled target grey one, not crazy about the grey but 9.5" are hard to find. I understand the target grey only came in the early 2000's is there anything wrong with those? I'm probably getting a smith to get the finish off and lighten the trigger a bit. Thanks for any info

 

[Never Been]

I don't have any experience with one for you, I went the 480 Ruger route but there is a couple on Gunbroker right now in the 9.5".

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have a SRH in .454 with the target gray finish and factory wooden grips with a 9.5" (Magna ported-factory?) barrel. I love that finish and the only reason Ruger stopped manufacturing it was that it was more expensive than stainless steel.

 

[450 Dakota]

Depends on what your plans are. That 9.5 isn’t going to carry well. I had a 7.5 and sold it to get a freedom arms 4 1/2 to carry in Alaska. I sold it when I left Alaska. Didn’t care that you have to carry a freedom arms on an empty chamber, especially since it was a 5 shot. Just picked up a Ruger Toklat with the 5 inch barrel, 6 shot. For my needs it is the best fit of the 3.

 

[Axle2010]

I don't have any experience with one for you, I went the 480 Ruger route but there is a couple on Gunbroker right now in the 9.5".

I like the 480, if they still offered any ammo for it I'd love to have one. I'll be reloading the 454 but at least i can get some factory stuff to have a base line to start from.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Depends on what your plans are. That 9.5 isn’t going to carry well. I had a 7.5 and sold it to get a freedom arms 4 1/2 to carry in Alaska. I sold it when I left Alaska. Didn’t care that you have to carry a freedom arms on an empty chamber, especially since it was a 5 shot. Just picked up a Ruger Toklat with the 5 inch barrel, 6 shot. For my needs it is the best fit of the 3.

I too would like to find a .454 SRH with a 5" barrel. Wonder what it would cost to shorten one with their 7.5" barrel to 5"? Their 2.5" Alaskan would be too much recoil for me.

 

[Axle2010]

I have a SRH in .454 with the target gray finish and factory wooden grips with a 9.5" (Magna ported-factory?) barrel. I love that finish and the only reason Ruger stopped manufacturing it was that it was more expensive than stainless steel.

That is exactly the same gun in looking at but without the porting. The 9.5" barrels are hard to find.
450 Dakota I'll be hunting deer and pigs with it and just shooting on my home range. I have no reason to carry other than when I'm hunting. I'll likely scope it unless I can figure out those square blocky sites i don't really like. I love my SBH 44 mag but I don't like the sites.

 

[Axle2010]

I too would like to find a .454 SRH with a 5" barrel. Wonder what it would cost to shorten one with their 7.5" barrel to 5"? Their 2.5" Alaskan would be too much recoil for me.

There are several Toklat specials on GB list i looked. They are cool just look a bit funny to me with the short barrel on the big frame

 

[CoElkHunter]

I like the 480, if they still offered any ammo for it I'd love to have one. I'll be reloading the 454 but at least i can get some factory stuff to have a base line to start from.

I too have looked at the .480 Ruger. You can almost reload it to .475 Linebaugh ballistics but finding reasonably priced factory ammo/reloading brass is a problem. IMO, Ruger should've chambered their SRH in the Linebaugh which would have revitalized that cartridge similar to the Casull in a 6 shot DA revolver.

 

[Axle2010]

I too have looked at the .480 Ruger. You can almost reload it to .475 Linebaugh ballistics but finding reasonably priced factory ammo/reloading brass is a problem. IMO, Ruger should've chambered their SRH in the Linebaugh which would have revitalized that cartridge similar to the Casull in a 6 shot DA revolver.

Oh a 475 Linebaugh Redhawk! To bad there's no way to affordably convert a 44 to it.

 

[CoElkHunter]

You know, as a side note, Ruger has a history of bringing obscure cartridges back from the dead with affordable firearms that everyone can afford. I had a Ruger 77 .220 Swift back in the mid '70s. I don't believe anybody else manufactured a factory rifle in that cartridge at the time. Bill Ruger brought the .416 Rigby back from obscurity with his 77 RSM rifle. Same with the Casull in '97 in an affordable 6 shot DA revolver. Freedom Arms was first to produce a factory .454 5 shot SA revolver in '83, but just like now, very few shooters can afford one. Long live Ruger!

 

[Never Been]

The brass problem isn't so big of a deal with 475 Linebaugh being so readily available, lots of people just trim. I like my brass to match my gun, so I picked up 500 pieces of 480 from the run Starline did back in March or April.

 

[1dirthawker]

i had a 454 srh, did not like it. spent so much time and energy hanging onto it, that i shot it poorly. sold it and bought a 45 long colt, hit everything i shot at.

 

[RR 314]

They are adequate for rattlebugs.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’ve got a SRH 454, it is a great revolver! I love my Redhawks, BlackhawksOM and NMs, GP100s, Sp101s and single six’s! The beauty of SBH though is if you lose your jack handle, no problem, use your SBH! Rope broke on your boat anchor, no problemo, tie that SBH on and keep fishin! Cylinder run dry during a griz attack? No sweat, beat that bastard to death with the empty gun! The best part, if you ever get lost in the bush, you can always read all the warning labels on your Ruger to pass time waiting on search and rescue!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

My brother in law had SRH 454 at one time. I can’t remember the barrel length but I really liked the revolver.

 

[Axle2010]

CoElkHunter what kind of accuracy do you get? I know the 454 is a 150 maybe 200 yard cartridge on deer and pigs, is the srh capable too? I've got a blind set up in gonna put a bench in for my daughter to use so I can put a bag in there to shoot off of.

 

[CoElkHunter]

CoElkHunter what kind of accuracy do you get? I know the 454 is a 150 maybe 200 yard cartridge on deer and pigs, is the srh capable too? I've got a blind set up in gonna put a bench in for my daughter to use so I can put a bag in there to shoot off of.

I don't have a scope yet for mine. I've only ever shot it on the range at 25yds and a few at 50yds. 50 is pushing it for me with open sights. I mostly shoot standing and am using Mag Tech 260gr. SP, but have recently bought some 300gr. Hornady XTPs that I'm anxious to try. 2-3" groups standing at 25yds is about where I'm at. I bought mine mainly for a defensive woods gun but the barrel is a little long for that purpose although in the leather Ruger holster it's not bad as long as I'm not wearing a backpack. A frontal style holster would be the ticket when wearing a pack but I don't have one yet.

 

[Hunter4752001]

I've had two. Both lemons. Neither gun would have left the factory if there had been any sort of commitment to quality assurance.

The first was one of the early grey series. The factory had assembled it with the front sight at a 7 degree angle to the vertical. The reason why the grey finish was discontinued was that they couldn't be worked on without damaging the finish. After 18 months the Ruger agent replaced the gun.

The replacement looked ok to the untrained eye. However I found it wouldn't shoot cast accurately. Further examination by a qualified smith showed numerous manufacturing faults including cylinder throats measuring between .4535 to .4555, cylinder chambers oversized, barrel groove diamater approx .453 but inconsistent, machining chatter marks in the bore near muzzle, flah gap around 9 thou, cylinder not square to either frame or barrel etc, cylinder throats out of alignment with barrel forcing cone.

From discussions on the internet, the issue of the oversized cylinder throats is fairly common with the Ruger SRH. So much so that there is speculation that Ruger have done it deliberatly to reduce pressures. Not sure if I believe that but certainly possible.

I've since bought a BFR. The build quality is in an entirely diferent universe to the Ruger, as is accuracy. With the tight BFR tolerences, I found I'm getting approx an extra 200 fps for the same loads as against the SRH despite the BFR having a shorter barrel

 

[Axle2010]

I've had two. Both lemons. Neither gun would have left the factory if there had been any sort of commitment to quality assurance.

The first was one of the early grey series. The factory had assembled it with the front sight at a 7 degree angle to the vertical. The reason why the grey finish was discontinued was that they couldn't be worked on without damaging the finish. After 18 months the Ruger agent replaced the gun.

The replacement looked ok to the untrained eye. However I found it wouldn't shoot cast accurately. Further examination by a qualified smith showed numerous manufacturing faults including cylinder throats measuring between .4535 to .4555, cylinder chambers oversized, barrel groove diamater approx .453 but inconsistent, machining chatter marks in the bore near muzzle, flah gap around 9 thou, cylinder not square to either frame or barrel etc, cylinder throats out of alignment with barrel forcing cone.

From discussions on the internet, the issue of the oversized cylinder throats is fairly common with the Ruger SRH. So much so that there is speculation that Ruger have done it deliberatly to reduce pressures. Not sure if I believe that but certainly possible.

I've since bought a BFR. The build quality is in an entirely diferent universe to the Ruger, as is accuracy. With the tight BFR tolerences, I found I'm getting approx an extra 200 fps for the same loads as against the SRH despite the BFR having a shorter barrel

I know the srh isn't a top shelf gun but I didn't know it had that many problems. I guess by the time you put enough gunsmithing in to it to make it right you could just buy a bfr or FA