454 Casull Ammunition

History of 454 Casull Ammunition

In 1957, Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer lengthened and strengthened a .45 Colt case, created a triplex powder load and topped it with a 300 grain bullet moving along at 1600 feet per second! What they created was the .454 Casull, a great large game cartridge, easily taking even the largest game on the planet. Some authorities claim the .454 Casull is accurate enough and retains the energy needed to quickly take medium sized game up to 200 yards.

The first production handgun for the .454 Casull was a revolver made by Freedom Arms. The cartridge owes some of its’ performance and popularity to the excellent fit and finish. The cylinder gap on certain grades of pistols is measured at less than 0.003 of an inch! This precsion is carried on throughout the pistol and allows for the cartridge to achieve its’ maximum efficiency, as well as perform to its full potential. Other companies have since built revolvers chambered for the .454, most notably Taurus and Ruger. But none have come close to the precision manufacturing found in the Freedom Arms pistols.

The ammunition variety for the .454 Casull is broad and can be found through many manufacturers. Bullets also come in a wide selection, hollow points, FMJ and soft points are common and well suited for practice and certain game. For those hunting dangerous game or using the .454 in defensive applications, there are several excellent choices available. Winchester offers their partition and dual bond bullets in .454 cartridges. Federal also offers its Fusion and Vital-Shok bullets in high quality hunting loads. Currently, ammunition can be most commonly found in weights from 240 to 300 grains with velocities approaching 1900 feet per second and muzzle energies in excess of 2000 foot pounds of energy.

An interesting option for .454 Casull shooters is that they can use .45 Long Colt, or .45 Schofield ammunition in pistols chambered for the .454. This is a popular option for economic and comfort options. With recoil almost five times more than that of the .45 Long Colt, and about 75% more recoil than a .44 magnum, the option for practice with a lighter load is appealing to many shooters.

If hunting large and dangerous game with a handgun is your passion, the .454 Casull will serve you well.