.454 Casull is not a cartridge for the faint-of-heart, and will require a shooter to put in a considerable amount of time at the practice range in order to become a proficient hunter. However, once that happens, you’ll have a very effective hunting tool in your hands.
What is it about the veteran cartridge that still appeals to shooters to this day, when there are so many more powerful cartridges available, including the Elmer Keith-upgraded .357 Magnum? Philip Massaro has the answer.
Old is not dead, and though the 8x57 has had to endure vast improvements in cartridge design, powder development and bullet performance, it remains a perfectly viable hunting cartridge.
There have been many visionaries in the firearms industry—the John Brownings and the Peter Paul Mausers—but we firmly believe that if for nothing other than the .357 Mag. and .44 Mag., Elmer Keith deserves inclusion into that group. The .357 Magnum is a sound and useful design, one that will continue to be enjoyed by shooters and hunters alike for decades to come.
The Hodgdon Powder Company—long-famous for its deep roots as well as its innovative measures in powder development—has continued to deliver the goods for the reloading community. IMR Red is just one of a series of five new powders introduced in 2017.