Ruger's newest offering in its heavy-duty double-action revolver line is the Alaskan, a 2 1/2-inch version of the Super Redhawk chambered for the powerful .454 Casull cartridge. Also i personally don’t believe in single action pistols for bear protection, trying to cock the hammer one handed under a bear is not my idea of a good time. In a recent article I took a look at the massive and powerful Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan .454 Casull, but I got some response that the big wheel gun wasn’t for everyone.For this article I decided to review another heavy-hitter from Ruger, this time the Redhawk chambered in the more popular and widely available .357 Mag. A beast with full-house loads. The guides I worked for there both carried Model 70’s in .375 H&H… for a reason. If you have a rifle or shotgun near, all the better. Like all Ruger revolvers, the Alaskan features Ruger's Transfer Bar safety. It’s a nice place and all, but the extremes on both sides make it unbearable at times. She finished with a big smile on her face and was looking forward to shooting it again. This also helps with accuracy, which is in no way lacking. It displays what I could call savage recoil and blast. It’s still a very accurate piece, but the brutal recoil of the .454 makes it hard to focus on marksmanship. But, they also make this gun in a.454 Casull.45 Long Colt version and a.480 Ruger version. If you have a 44 bring it for the mosquitos! I lived in MN for a while. If you want to experience the level of recoil you describe, try a .460 S&W. Ruger Super Blackhawk 454 Casull Review Having a serious caliber pistol nearby is a great idea when hiking in bear country; the .454 Casull Ruger Super Blackhawk fits the bill. I was able to produce the best groups of the day with the SIG SAUER ammo, but I believe that gun was capable of better accuracy than I got with the other loads. ... BLACK RIFLE REVIEWS replied Feb 5, 2021 at 7:43 AM. Capacity: 6 rounds I noted that, despite its massive recoil, the gun was still very accurate on paper. Either would do as an ‘only’ gun in the boonies. Yes a bit heavier but hits count. Despite my poor marksmanship, this gun shot very well. Aesthetics * * * * * I toted it in a great Hill People Gear Heavy Recon Kit Bag that I’ve previously reviewed here on TTAG that I’d heartily recommend. Handguns are a last-ditch tool for protection from big bears. The muzzle velocity and energy generated by the .480 Ruger in the snubby Alaskan are considerably less than could be achieved with that cartridge out of longer barrels. All three carried (by different people) in the same environment at the same time. Those were some pretty lame .45 Colt loads. Unlike wheelguns with 6-inch or longer barrels, it doesn't slap against the thigh or dig into the waist when holstered on the hip, and when carried in Ruger's shoulder holster, it is readily accessible in just about any position. I give up to trying to make a rational decision on what is the right ammo to carry in the woods. DEET itself is a plasticizer that will melt most plastics. Ruger RUKRBS-4-454. When you're walking around the camp, fishing for lunch at the river or gathering firewood in the nearby forest, you probably won't have a rifle in your hands. Gun Review: Ruger Super Redhawk in.454 Casull For everything from harvesting deer to eradicating hogs and busting bruins, the Ruger Super Redhawk in.454 Casull has the power and range to … If Ruger came out with a good looking 4" version of the Alaskan and not another ugly Toklat I'd sell mine in a heartbeat, but in the meantime I'll think about how cool Bowen could make it. Or, I could throw rocks at him and save myself the cost of the gun and ammo. The pinned ramp-stule front sight and adjustable rear sight with its white outlined notch are excellent and provide a quick, sight picture. A few articles and studies have shown just about any handgun can work most of the time. I was told all about it at the 1998 SHOT Show by someone who told me they had the straight skinny on the project and it would be a single action Bisley Model with a five-shot cylinder plus an auxiliary cylinder for .45 Colt. The Ruger Alaskan .44 magnum is a serious trail, wilderness and self defense handgun. I’ve got a nice pair of binoculars with my finger prints melted into it because of that. Your odds are long – against you. Q & A . The .45 Colt loads were very pleasant and enjoyable, while the only ‘easy’ to shoot .454 generated just about three times the recoil of the former. They don’t die easily. I would trust a Glock or Sig in 9mm, if it’s good enough for special forces it’s good enough for a hiker, hunter, fisherman in Alaska. I’m a pretty fit guy, but I have no confidence that I can do that with this wrist breaker. But certainly its better to check out in Alaska linger than a hospital bed in a stinky city regretting you never breathed Alaskan air. The Alaskan is identical to the standard Super Redhawk (January 1988, p. 56), with the exception of the shorter barrel and the absence of frame cuts for scope mounts. Having lived in Alaska for 28 years when I was younger I can say I have seen a couple of big bears shot. I seem to recall that Buffalo Bore makes some that clock 1000’/sec or more, and you can overload them somewhat when shooting out of a Casull. In fact, the ballistics of the .480 Ruger Alaskan are equaled or exceeded by many .44 Mag. load. The Super Redhawk's rubber, wood-insert stocks were replaced by a Hogue Monogrip having finger grooves and a Sorbothane cushion along the backstrap. I’m not always a fan of stainless guns, but the corrosion resistance is there and that scores it points in my book. Actually, it is a reasonable solution to a problem faced by those who live or play in America's Western wilderness: the threat of an unexpected attack by a bear or other dangerous animal. I’ve purchased three revolvers, a pistol, and a Hawkeye rifle from S,R&Co in that time frame with zero complaints, although I also bought a Mini-14 that had problems with failures to eject. https://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/survival/animal-attacks/2009/08/charging-grizzly-killed-alaska#page-6 If you are going to carry a shotgun than I would recommend the D-Dupleks slugs for bear. 20+1 $ 739.00 ... Payment Options/Cancellation Fees Shipping & Returns State Restrictions Warranty Team Buds Recent Reviews. It’s a revolver. If your 45-70 doesnt put it down before it gets to you (likely) you are to draw the Ruger from your chest (as you will be on your back) put your fist into the bears mouth and pull the trigger until it goes click. Picaridin works just as well as DEET on mosquitoes and even better on black flies but doesn’t melt plastic or stink. Warp forward to 1997, and the world was rocked by Ruger’s release of an expanded line. It’s been reliable as an anvil. You also can never have to much gun, these pistols are not for hunting but for stopping. I live in Alaska. Bears are not jerks. The mosquito population is nothing to laugh at. Out of stock. Ruger Super Blackhawk 454 Casull Review Having a serious caliber pistol nearby is a great idea when hiking in bear country; the.454 Casull Ruger Super Blackhawk fits the bill. Here are the choices with numbers: I sling a 12 gauge with slugs for bears….when you see the bears up close, a handgun seems like a toy for the job….YMMV. -40 to -60 AND mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds? I use to carry .44 in 4″ (S & W 29) for AK and MT bear and they are agreat choice no doubt probably as effective as the Cassul considering the longer bbl makes a BIG difference in Velocity. I love ruger and I know their customer service is excellent, so I contacted them, I sent them this gun, with 2 fired hulls, and within a week I was shooting my 454 again with out a single flaw. It took me four years of being a licensed Assistant Guide to come to my senses. I quickly found that this isn’t a gun you’ll want to carry on your belt. Have only gotten a few bites this summer. "Ruger 454" For Sale ... Ruger 47198 Hawkeye Long-Range 6.5 CRD 6.5 CRD 22" Speckled Bla $ 1,091.00 (25) Ruger-57 Pistol 16401 Black 5.7 x 28mm 4.94in. As others pointed out there are a lot of other things that can bring you harm out there. It's designed to be an authoritative companion arm for hunters of dangerous game and outdoorsmen who hike or fish in … Granny, the kids, uncle Joe with arthritis…. They’re all $879 on up, and I can buy a new one for $59 less online. The variance in the power generated between the .454 Casull and .45 Colt should give you an idea of just how versatile this gun and its cartridges are. loads out of standard-length tubes.Those wanting more power out of the Alaskan could opt for the .454 Casull chambering, which would also allow the use of .45 Colt ammunition for reduced-power practice. That said it really just too heavy to drag along if backpacking – I prefer to go very light. True, but those longer barrels have a round tube sticking out of the frame extension. Many Ruger fans were also happy to see that the Super Redhawk is equipped with grip panels and a trigger design that is found on the popular GP100 .357 Magnum. revolver (4 inch barrel) .44 Magnum — 305 grain hardcast bullets 1,225 fps. Note: even with heavy revolvers, you do need excellent grip and shooting technique to shoot .44 Magnum and want to shoot it again. It’s an insanely powerful cartridge that can be loaded far beyond most other handgun cartridges. . Accuracy * * * * * Ruger managed to harness a truly powerful cartridge in this gun and it was a literal blast to shoot it as much as I did. I will tell you about a hunter who we put within 30 yards of a nine footer on a mountain top where there were no trees or brush – just snow. The .454 Casull was designed as a wildcat round in the late 1950’s and didn’t see widespread acceptance until the late 1990’s. It’s is beautiful and awesome vacation but living there seems like it could get rough. I’d have gone with no stars (if you’re comparing it to conventional EDC guns) or more stars (if you’re comparing it to guns with a reasonable likelihood of stopping a grizzly bear). Ahhh, the high school years…. Spraying a bear works even in a false charge or close handed aggressive behavior where is would not be permissible or acceptable to shoot. Not a single issue with any of them. Many Ruger fans were also happy to see that the Super Redhawk is equipped with grip panels and a trigger design that is found on the popular GP100 .357 Magnum. So, this might become a “need to have”! A cylinder full of well-placed heavy cast bullets will kill a grizzzly bear. I’ve wanted to see the state ever since I can remember. Maybe for next year. Oh, and bear mace does actually work is most cases too. Reviews . The only reason that people reject hardcast bullets is because they lose velocity FAST with those large, flat meplats which greatly limits range even in a rifle. Ruger 5301 Super Redhawk Alaskan DA/SA .454 Casull 2.5" 6 Hogue Tamer Monogrip Black Stainless Revolver Out of stock View Details » View Details » Out of stock I suggest you pay www.ruger.com a visit while I go ice my palm for a while. Just because she did it once doesn’t mean everyone can all the sudden now pack .22s for best defense. Let's see just how well I can shoot this awesome revolver!Email me: thecalibercorner@gmail.comThe Greatest FFL Gun Dealer in the Great Plains! Personally I’d go hunting with a .50BMG..or the .458 SOCOM with 500 grain HCFN rounds. The Ruger Alaskan .454 is a hunting gun, not a CC gun. This gun was designed as a last resort to be worn on a chest harness, in the (unlikely but possible) event you are attacked by a bear. Because of the shape and size, a special means of carry (a chest rig) is probably necessary and will take some planning. I preferred the Ruger with 7.5 barrel over the S&W 29 with 6 inch barrel. I wonder if all of those bullets that you guys pumped into that huge brown bear were fragmenting which required many more shots than normal??? Sure, you have to thumb back the hammer for every shot, but that kind of just happens naturally when you get a SAA in your hand. Temps depend too. However this Ruger would be a good choice for first time shooters. I was looking are Buffalo Bore to get some ammo for an upcoming trip, and they have a testimonial from a guide who took down a Grizzly with their 9mm Outdoorsman. I love Ruger Revolvers but I am jaded and won’t buy them anymore unless they’re older than about 2005 or so….which is too bad because I’d love an SRH 10. This gun needs to be carried in some sort of chest harness. This is why the SRH is carried by guides in a chest mounter holster. This time they made it available in a .454 Casull. The Alaskan is just the designation for the 2.5” barrel model of the Super Redhawk, which is available in other barrel lengths. revolver (4 inch barrel) .357 Magnum — 180 grain hardcast bullets 1,375 fps A slightly longer barrel seems like a great option, considering the added weight is negligble, but the velocity gain may be significant in most 45 Colt or 454 Casull loads. By the way, in Alaska it’s more likely a moose will get you than a bear. Thank you. 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