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Old February 5, 2024, 03:32 PM   #1
oldbear1950
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rossi 92 454

am going to start reloading these bullets, as I already load for 45 colt.

Does anyone load for this caliber, and will be shooting them out of a
Rossi R 92, and I already have a factory crimp die for all the calibers I load for. 38/357 mag, 45 colt, and 45 acp, 9 mm, and 32 H & R mag,
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Old February 5, 2024, 04:02 PM   #2
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While I don't load .454 myself, you should be able to use the same dies that you load .45 Long Colt with as, dimensionally, .454 Casull is a lengthened .45 LC. While I like the factory crimp die for bottlenecked rifles and semi-auto pistols, I've never felt the need for one for straight-walled, rimmed cartridges as the roll crimp I get from my seating/crimping dies has always been more than sufficient.
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Old February 6, 2024, 10:42 PM   #3
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rossi 454

I received my new 454 Rossi on friday, and took it out today and fired only 45 colt loads, both factory loads, and my reloads, and both worked great
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Old February 7, 2024, 12:42 AM   #4
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Use your 45 colt dies. I have used a Redding set to load 454. Any 45 colt carbide set should work fine. Small rifle primers are a must.
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Old February 7, 2024, 12:08 PM   #5
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I had a Rossi .454 '92. Nice light-weight rifle! BUT: stay away from full-house loads!

Although the gun can take a full .454 Casull load, your shoulder and face probably can't! Because of its light weight, it kicks like a mule! You will not want to shoot those!

For deer, the 250 g Hornady XTP worked well for me. Start at 20.0 grains of 2400 as a .454 Casull load. Minimum load. Shoot some of those first, then ask your shoulder if it wants more!

That load will wallop a 200 pound whitetail deer.

Mine was a joy to carry. It sure could be used for moose or elk or bear but... once you're topping the ballistics of a .44 Magnum, I don't think it's needed

I put a couple of stout .454 Casull loads through mine. It jammed my hand forward in the lever, knocked my shoulder, slapped my face. I smelled blood in my sinuses and saw a few stars. It was sort of fun, but 4 of those were enough!
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Old February 8, 2024, 02:52 PM   #6
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454 Rossi

I actually traded a new HENRY ALL WEATHER WITH THE LOADING GATE, 45-70 FOR THIS ONE, and before yall say I should not have, I am 73, and my hunting days are probably over now. and I have had Ruger both # 1 and # 3, Marlin 1895s, and now Henry all in 45-70, so am not bothered by a lot of recoil. That Ruger # 3 was probably the worse kicking gun I ever shot.
But then I was in Kodiak, Alaska, and loading em hot. for use against brown bear.
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Old February 8, 2024, 02:57 PM   #7
oldbear1950
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Rossi 454

I got this one in stainless steel, 20 inch barrel , with the idea of shooting mostly 45 loads, and being a 454, I figure if I want stout loads, using the Ruger/Thompson Contender loads in a 45 colt.
I do not even have 454 brass yet so will see
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Old February 8, 2024, 10:38 PM   #8
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Congratulations on finding your .454! I really am glad you found what you were looking for!

I’m sorry we were just geographically too separated to discuss a deal.
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Old February 9, 2024, 02:46 AM   #9
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well let us know how it does for you. here have the same in 44 mag but snow have not got to shoot it yet.
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Old February 9, 2024, 09:20 AM   #10
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I'm wondering if Henry will come up with a .45/.454 rifle. Obviously it can be done.

Could a lever rifle handle .45/.454/.460? That would really be versatile but maybe not very practical.

I know very little about lever action guns. I've handled a Henry and they look well made but the $1,000 price tag is a real sticking point for me. Maybe I should just try chanting 'Buy once, cry once' over and over.
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Old February 9, 2024, 10:59 AM   #11
AlaskaMike
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I've had my .454 Casull Rossi 92 for a couple of years now and I've been very happy with it.
Generally I load either 11 grains of Unique or 30 grains of IMR4227, both using my own cast RCBS 45-270-SAA bullets in Casull brass. I've got a few test loads using some commercial 325 grain gas checked bullets.

While I do use my RCBS .45 Colt dies to reload .454, there is a very slight difference in the sizer die for .454. It sizes down just a little tighter than the .45 Colt die for better neck tension. That said, I get great results from my .45 Colt sizer die, so I haven't bothered trying to get a dedicated .454 sizer die.
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Old February 9, 2024, 11:27 PM   #12
oldbear1950
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I only have the 45 colt dies, and I also have a Lee factory crimp die, and have heard that in the rifle need a good crimp to keep the bullets from seating down into the case from recoil. Have you had that problem. I use factory crimp dies on all my reloads
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Old February 10, 2024, 12:16 AM   #13
rc
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I like a heavy Unique or Blue Dot load for my revolver. That's enough kick for me! I think as long as you get a firm crimp into the crimp groove you won't have a problem from set back.
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Old February 10, 2024, 11:54 PM   #14
AlaskaMike
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I agree--your factory crimp die will do just fine to prevent bullet setback.

I use a Redding profile crimp die, but I think the crimp it provides is pretty similar to the Lee die.
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Old February 11, 2024, 11:36 AM   #15
5whiskey
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Quote:
I know very little about lever action guns. I've handled a Henry and they look well made but the $1,000 price tag is a real sticking point for me. Maybe I should just try chanting 'Buy once, cry once' over and over.
Dale big $$$ for wood and steel is the nature of things these days. What I really lament is not picking up every 60s and 70s models Marlin 336 i saw when they could be had for $300 or less. That wasnt even terribly long ago. OK maybe it's been 10 year or so since it was common to find them UNDER $300, but the fact remains that was a good price
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Old February 14, 2024, 08:17 AM   #16
Buckeye!
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I wish Rossi put out a 454 R92 with a 16 inch barrel
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Old February 21, 2024, 01:23 AM   #17
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oldbear, I've had a Freedom arms .454 revolver for about 25 years and used to load for it. I don't recall what dies I used, but never had any issues, even with the FA revolvers precisely reamed chambers. I used AA-9 and 300 grain jacketed bullets. I routinely loaded to about 150 FPS under what the factory 300 grain ammo chronographed. Recoil was still considerably more than .44 Magnum I'd shot and loaded for years.

I just looked up the weight on the Rossi .454. The Rossi .454 with 20" barrel is about a pound lighter than my Henry .357 with 16.5" barrel. If you get around to approaching factory equivalent .454 loads with your Rossi, I wish you well sir: you're a better man than I
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Old February 22, 2024, 06:10 PM   #18
oldbear1950
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over the years, I have had a thing about 45-70 govt.
I have had Ruger # 1s, Ruger #3, Marlin from 22 inch barrel to guide guns, Henry 45-70s, including the new 18.5 inch barrel all weather, and was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, twice, the only one that bothered me was the Ruger # 3, with really hot loads.
They were not bad out of the #1, but that #3 kicked like a mule.
The truth is I will probably shoot 45 colts out of my rifle most of the time, as I do not own a 454 revolver, and own two 45 colts.
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Old February 28, 2024, 06:57 PM   #19
Blue1
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I have an R92 in .454 Casull with a 16" Barrel, stainless, do they not make them anymore?
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Old February 28, 2024, 09:36 PM   #20
44caliberkid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue1 View Post
I have an R92 in .454 Casull with a 16" Barrel, stainless, do they not make them anymore?
They are still in the catalog.
https://rossiusa.com/rifles/lever-ac...tainless-20-in
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Old February 28, 2024, 11:48 PM   #21
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surprised

I know the Rossi .454 has been in production and afield now for some time but I am surprised that the M92 action can handle the cartridge's operating pressures. Previously I believed the M92 action reached it's limit with pressures in the .44 mag range, but full house .454 loads go way beyond. The fact that the action can handle those pressures is a real tribute to Browning's design.

Would it be safe to say that the M92 in .454, particularly the 16" model is the most powerful repeating carbine there is, in terms of platform weight/size v. cartridge energy? If I lived in an area where bad bears and big cats frequented, the M92 in .454 might be a welcome companion.
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Old February 29, 2024, 06:13 AM   #22
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Rossi 92s are fun little levers and I have used them on non-dangerous game hunts. Never in a million years would I choose to rely on one in a dangerous situation unless there was no other choice. Just me--I'm sure somewhere out there someone will claim to have dropped all of the big 5 using one--more power to them.
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Old February 29, 2024, 09:46 AM   #23
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sidetrack

Hey Stag, I don't mean to sidetrack the thread, and I have zero experience with western bears and cougars and God knows we beat that topic to death.

I was just thinking that the tiny carbines offer a lot of punch (exceeding .44 mag energies) for all the bigger they are.
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Old February 29, 2024, 11:08 AM   #24
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Quote:
Hey Stag, I don't mean to sidetrack the thread, and I have zero experience with western bears and cougars and God knows we beat that topic to death.

I was just thinking that the tiny carbines offer a lot of punch (exceeding .44 mag energies) for all the bigger they are.
I've never had any experience with them either--other than seeing their fresh tracks and deciding--I think I'll go back from where I came from. But I have taken my rossis apart and they do not instill a whole lot of "if the stuff hit the fan" confidence in me. Purely my personal bias. I did take a look at the 454 once--I may be wrong but I seem to recall the bolt and receiver were perhaps a bit beefier than those of my 2 44 mags--but I can't say for sure.

A grand for one? Not a chance I'd pay that.
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