The .454 Casull is an extremely powerful cartridge which can deliver a 250 grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of over 1850 feet per second developing more than 2000 foot-pounds of energy. For a large bore round it has a flat trajectory. Until the introduction of the .500 S&W; Magnum the .454 Casull was the most powerful commercially produced handgun round on the market. To put this in perspective the .454 generates almost 4 times more recoil energy than the vaunted .44 Magnum, and the result of all this is wrist-wrenching recoil. But there are ways to help tame this formidable cartridge
You can use a few techniques and some tools to help tame the heavy recoil of the .454 these include handgun grips that are engineered to reduce recoil shock and vibration. Pachmayr is a manufacturer of quality handgun grips that many shooters are familiar with.
The technology these grips incorporate use strategically placed impact areas and material designed to disperse recoil over a wide area thus reducing the recoil effect by up to 45%. These are much better than wood grips because under heavy recoil the hands tend to slip off while with rubber the grip adheres to flesh better with less chance of slippage
There is a way of reducing recoil by cutting holes in the barrel. This is known as”porting”. This procedure is done by gunsmiths or by companies that specialize in this. Usually the ports are cut into the barrel
approximately 1/2 to 1 inch from the muzzle. This modification helps the shooter’s comfort and ability to return the gun to a firing position more quickly because of reduced recoil. This is a popular modification for law enforcement personnel and competitive target shooters. Porting does not affect velocities to any measurable extent. The downside of this technique is flashes of sparks spewing from the vents which can be distracting if not disconcerting
A proper grip can help reduce recoil. As stated above if the grip slips in your hand the recoil can be punishing. A novice might think a tight one handed grip will suffice but a two handed grip is better. This means holding lower on the grip, assume a strong stance and firm grasp holding the pistol with your dominant hand with the weak hand overlapping it and crossing the thumbs in back , your index finger barely touching the trigger. This helps control muzzle flip and keeps the gun on target. This is an improvement from the old tea-cup-saucer hold. This grip is where you wrap your dominant hand around the grip and then place the butt of the gun into the palm of your weak hand kind of like a cup fitting into a saucer. This grip does not work with hard recoiling handguns because the force of recoil separates your hands, requiring you to re-grip after every shot. This slows after-shot recovery time and hence affects accuracy.
You can purchase shooting gloves that are designed to help reduce recoil. Ideally the clove you choose allows for maximum dexterity, forms well to your hands, and has a rubberized palm grip that helps keep your gun securely in your hands. Shooting with gloves can take some getting used to but after a while you may become accustomed to using them to good effect. Some of these specialty gloves can be quite expensive so leather work gloves or even weight-lifting gloves will work almost as good and they are better than nothing.
