I dont ever see 480 stuff available when i go to the lgs.
I don't know if that is true or not. I've never in my entire life bought any bullets or brass at an "LGS." I'm only 51 though and been reloading since 1982 so that might change.... I sometimes buy powder or primers locally if I'm suddenly short and don't want to make a big order and pay the hazmat fee but that's it.
but when you want to punch through walls you go for the big boy loads? right?
No, then I pick up a .308.
A lot can be said for shootability.
Exactly. But that's where the .480 comes out ahead. A lot of this reminds me of the whole .44 Magnum vs .44 Special debate. Yeah, I can load a .44 Magnum super hot (especially in my 9.5" SRH) and "blow things up." But the .44 Special loaded with reloads that push around 950-1100 fps will do 90% of what I want done. With a lot less blast and general drama.
Just think of it strictly in a muzzle velocity way. The bigger and heavier the bullet, the less important velocity. The .454 is what it is because it can be loaded to very high pressure and therefore get really high velocities. (Like the .460 S&W.) But if you are going to shoot one of these guns 90% of the time with reloads and cast bullets and you want to stay subsonic... then .480 Ruger makes a lot of sense. You can load those big bullets to 900 fps and it is very effective on just about everything and yet very mild to shoot.
The whole "also shoots .45 Colt" is irrelevant to me. I don't shoot .38 Special in my .357 Magnums. I sometimes shoot .38 Special level reloads out of them but I load it into the longer .357 Magnum cases. I'm sure I would be the same way if I had a .454 revolver. I would just load my milder loads in the longer case. I'm fairly certain I would get better range accuracy that way and that's where such loads are mainly used. So the .454 has no advantage there over .480. I'm loading them all in the same case either way.
Also important to note... my opinions on this are formed by the standard Alaskan. Where super high velocities with .454 aren't really possible. And blast would be tremendous if you tried. So I've always believed .480 Ruger made a lot more sense in the short barreled Alaskan. Now 5" .... I guess that helps the hotter cartridge quite a bit. As the barrel length heads out to 7.5" or even 9.5" ... the higher pressure cartridge really starts to shine. If you want or need that much power in your handgun. (The Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle is just leaning there in the corner... pick it up!)
Gregg