ok, fellas... i'm getting close on the 480. hope i can have a load by tomorrow afternoon. might require one more trip to the range after tomorrow, but i am close, at any rate...

i'll be testing from where i left off (25.5 grains h-110) up to 27.5 grains. i have this feeling that i'm going to wish i had loaded some up at 28.0 and 28.5, but i didn't... been in the shop all day and need a break - and tomorrow is range day for sure.

the 480 w/ factory 325 xtp hornady loads produced noticeable recoil, but it wasn't overly harsh or scary. i have surpassed factory ammo recoil levels a while back when i pushed a 355 grain bullet to 1275 f/s (factory gets 1300 f/s w/ a 325). at 25.0 grains h-110 w/ a 355, recoil started getting my attention. at 25.5 grains, recoil blasted on by the 'moderate' category and right into 'stiff'. we'll see what tomorrow brings, but i'm really hoping to find my load tomorrow!

the process is taking forever because there is so little published data for the 480. i have yet to find any for a 355 grain bullet... and what data is available for the weights above and below it conflict so bad it really makes one hesitate to do much w/ it!

anyway... more to come!

the only issue related to recoil i have w/ the 480 on the super redhawk platform is the knuckle on my middle finger gets the tar beat out of it by the triggerguard. not sure that a whole lot can be done to the gun itself to solve this. probably just break down and buy a shooting glove like klallen told me i should many moons ago.

anyway, the recoil of the 480 is certainly tolerable and manageable - at least to me. when/if i find a solid s&w 29 or 629 (44 mag) at a fair price at a time when i have loose change in my pocket, i'll probably buy it... until then, i've never shot a 44 mag, so can't compare it to the 480 at all.