Close on the heels of the .475 Linebaugh is the very useful .480 Ruger cartridge. The .480 Ruger uses the same-diameter bullet as the .475 Linebaugh but in a slightly shorter case. You might call it a .475 Special. But the .480 Ruger is certainly no wimp load. With a 325-grain bullet, it builds a muzzle energy of over 1300 ft-lbs and a muzzle velocity of more than 1300 fps.

The Most Powerful Magnums--So Far
Today, Smith & Wesson is the current power champ with the advent of the .500 S&W Magnum and the .460 S&W Magnum. According to Winchester's ballistics tables, the .460 S&W drives a 260-grain bullet at about 2000 fps with a muzzle energy of 2300 ft-lbs. The .500 S&W sends a 400-grain slug downrange at 1800 fps with more than 2800 ft-lbs of energy.

At one time or another, I have fired handguns chambered for all these factory magnum cartridges. I have found them to be quite accurate, relatively manageable, and very suitable for taking just about any game animal at which a fellow would want to point a handgun. What I find amazing is that the .44 Magnum, once thought to be the most powerful handgun cartridge manageable, is now just the beginning of the story on powerful big-bore handguns.

Managing The Magnums
I can't help but wonder what has happened to cause us to be able to manage this great increase in handgun power. Is it possible that we modern handgunners are just tougher than the old-time shooters? I don't for a minute think that is true. For my money, here's what I think has happened to cause this evolution of big-bore handgun cartridges:

Prior to the advent of the .44 Magnum, we thought that handgun stocks were just something you slapped on to make the gun look pretty. The .44 Magnum, especially in double-action revolvers, taught us that we had better pay attention to grip design, with some thought to managing the recoil. Walter Roper, Hogue, Herrett's, and Bear Hug led the way in designing wooden stocks that fit the shooter's hand and gave him more control.

Synthetic stocks also began to really come into their own. Hogue and Pachmayr were the leaders in this endeavor, designing soft synthetic grips that helped absorb some of the recoil. In my view, some of today's best synthetic stocks are the ones that Taurus puts on its Raging Bull series of big-bore revolvers. The Taurus synthetic stocks have an extra padded insert that runs down the gun's backstrap. It's called the Cushion Insert Grip, and it really helps tame the recoil of .454 and .500 Magnum revolvers. Take a good look at the gun company catalogs; most all of the current magnum revolvers come with synthetic stocks.

Another innovation that has really helped us manage big-bore handgun recoil is the muzzle brake. Various designs have emerged, and Larry Kelly led the way with his Mag-

Na-Port Company. By diverting the revolver's muzzle blast, the gun's felt recoil is dampened somewhat. Today, thanks to Kelly's leadership, many of the gun companies offer their big-bore guns with factory muzzle brakes. The big .500 S&W XVR revolvers and the Taurus Raging Bulls are good examples.

So, truly, the .44 Magnum was just the beginning in the world of handgun power. It's still a wonderful cartridge, and it taught us all about grip design and recoil management. Those lessons learned with the .44 Magnum have paved the way for the current crop of massive, magnum handguns. And while I really can't imagine wanting to shoot a revolver that is more powerful than the big .460 and .500, I'm not about to say that this is where it all ends. Somebody would undoubtedly come along and make a liar out of me.