The 454 Casull is a hard hitting, big bore revolver cartridge that serves double duty as an excellent hunting cartridge that is the preferred round for dangerous animal encounters as well.
It got its start all the way back in 1958 as a wildcat produced by Dick Casull and was known as the first, really-capable big game handgun cartridge.
It’s parent case is the 45 Colt, which is also quite a capable cartridge — albeit with some limitations. The 454 saw a strengthened case with thicker walls that was also lengthened.
The primer would also be different in that the Casull uses a small rifle primer while the Colt uses a large pistol primer.
The most common grain weight bullets available in 454 Casull are between 240 and 260 grains, but it’s not uncommon to see both 200 and 300 grain weights, as well.
Can I shoot 45 Colt in the 454 Casull?
Yes, you can. The 454 Casull is just a lengthened and strengthened 45 Colt case. The 45 Colt will fit in the chamber of the 454 Casull much in the same way that 38 Special will fit in a 357 Magnum chamber.
This gives you the chance to learn the gun and how to shoot it with a “moderately” recoiling 45 Colt.
454 Casull Recoil:
The 454 Casull recoils about five times harder than the 45 Colt.
The recoil associated with this cartridge is hard and heavy. The heavier the gun the better recoil management it’ll have. Heavier guns often come at a disadvantage, however, and are less maneuverable for dangerous animal encounters.
454 Casull Guns:
The Casull was standardized in 1998, and afterwards a plethora of different firearms would be introduced over the years. One of my personal favorites is the Magnum Research BFR.
For dangerous game in brown bear territory, I like the maneuverability of the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan chambered in this hard hitter.
Before that time, the Freedom Arms Model 83 was the first revolver released in this big bore cartridge in, you guessed it, 1983.
There are several others, including a few rifles.
454 Casull Ballistics Charts:
This 454 Casull Ballistics chart shows 200 grain Hornady MonoFlex:
| Muzzle | 50 YDS | 100 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1950 | 1731 | 1533 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1689 | 1331 | 1044 |
| Drop (Inches) | -0.9 | +0.2 | -1.5 |
This 454 Casull ballistics table shows 300 grain Federal Premium Swift A-Frame:
| Muzzle | 50 YDS | 100 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1520 | 1311 | 1149 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1539 | 1145 | 879 |
| Drop (Inches) | / | -0.2 | -4.6 |
This 454 Casull ballistics chart shows 240 grain Hornady XTP Mag:
| Muzzle | 50 YDS | 100 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1900 | 1678 | 1478 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1924 | 1500 | 1164 |
| Drop (Inches) | / | +0.8 | 0 |
Conclusion:
The 454 Casull is a great revolver cartridge for those looking for a dual purpose revolver that’ll shoot big bore projectiles with tremendous energy. It’s great for hunting and dangerous animal defense, and whenever you can shoot two different cartridges from the same gun it’s a win-win.
Next, check out our massive handgun ballistics chart that lists all of the calibers in an easy to read format.
