I had previously posted many of my loads, but when the system went down, they dissapeared, so, in answer to the e-mails that asked about em, here they are:

First the generic stuff. Ruger SRH 7 1/2", topped with a Simmons 2.5-7X gold medal. For powders, I've used two different lots of Alliant Unique, Hercules 2400 (not sure how old, new, ie Alliant 2400 may be faster, so carefully work up loads), and two different lots of Hodgdon 110. Varying the loads by .5 to .25 gr definately has an effect on accuracy, thorough load work can develop some suprisingly accurate loads.

For primers, CCI 300's with Unique and 2400, CCI 350's for the 110. Brass is Hornady, as well as the dies. Cases have been fired between 5 and 20 times each, out of 200 cases, I've lost a dozen to split necks, but after re-adjusting the belling die, the splits seem to have gone away.

I've only shot cast bullets out of the gun, all but one of the bullets have been cast by me, from wheelweights that were dropped from a hot mold into a 5 gallon bucket of water. I've used various lubes, but settled on a homemade batch of 50/50 beeswax and moly lithium greese. I found some lubes had they accuracy degraded by cold temps, but have used the beeswax/greese down to 0 degrees, and it still works fine, well at least as well as I can shoot w/ 1/2 numb hands. Bullets have been shot unsized, run through a lee styly home made .476" sizer, and lately I opened up a Lyman die and have been lubing sizing them .477". The 310 gr LFN is as cast .476", the 400 gr Lee comes out .475"

These are the loads that I've found to be most accurate in my gun: (accurate loads put 5 into 1" at 50 yds, fair loads are 2-3" at 25 yds)

310 gr LFN (custom balisticast mold, their standard LFN but shortened to two lube grooves)

7 gr Unique, 700 fps. A fun mild load, accuracy is fair.

9.7 gr Unique 950 fps. This has been the nee plus ultra accurate load. It will consistantly put 5 into 1" @ 50 yds, no matter what 5 chambers I load up. It may be even more accurate, but I'm just not good enough to tell. I've shot a 3 shot 100 yd group w/ the load that measured 1 1/2", there was less then 1/2" variation in elevation, it was strung horizontally.

18.5 gr 2400 1100 fps. Accurate load.

21.5 gr 2400 1400 fps. Acccuracy is fair with this load, and it is definately a max load. My goal was to get this bullet going 1500 fps, but even w/ H 110, it just wouldn't do it, in fact 2400 was faster then 110 w/ this bullet. I have a feeling my gun is slighly on the slow side, especially w/ the lighter bullets, but not to worry, it does alright with the heavy bullets

320 gr LFN (custom NEI mold, their standard LFN but shortened to two lube grooves)

Load the same as the 310 gr LFN, this was a mold I was loaned, accuracy wasn't quite as good as the 310 gr, but still a good bullet.

335 gr SWC (custom NEI mold, their standard 435 gr SWC but shortened to one lube groove) This is a local commercial hardcast bullet.

9.7 gr Unique 950 fps, noted as accurate.

19.5 gr 2400, I can't find the chrono reading, but as I recall it clocked 1100 fps, and was very accurate.

390 gr LFN. (LBT mold)

17 gr 2400 1000 fps, accurate.

21.0 gr H 110 1170 fps, accurate, my first choice as a general hunting load, but I haven't had a chance to take game with it yet.

400 gr Lee (this has dual crimp grooves, I've tried the rear crimp groove, but the rounds don't always slide smoothly in the chamber, and I didn't see much increase in velocity from the larger powder room, so have used the front crimp groove)

6 gr unique 600 fps. Accuracy is fair, but this is a fun no recoil load.

21 gr H 110 1200 fps, accurate and another fine hunting load.

435 gr SWC (NEI mold)

19.0 gr H110 1100 fps, pulled this one out of John Taffins AH article, no need to change it, accurate and powerful.

460 gr WFN gc (custom balisticast, their 400 gr WFN gc cut extra deep per my specs)

19.0 gr H110 1050 fps, accurate. This is a max load, I tried going higher, but got slightly sticky , and definately sticky extraction, so backed off to 19.0, which was also the most accurate.

Here are pictures of that bullet as tested at the linebaugh semina out of a fellow 480 shooters ruger:



Bullet on the left went through 38" we newsprint before stopping, the one on the right went through 2" newsprint, 2-3" bone, and 9.5" newsprint before stopping. Muzzle velocity was about 1100 fps. Penetration was just slighlty behind the 475's 42-44".

I've found that w/ the 400 gr bullets, 2400 produces a recoil pulse that I find more objectionable then the H110 loads, more of a fast jerky whip then a big push.

A friend tried Lil Gun and was pushing the Lee 400 gr 1350 fps and when I watched him shooting it, it looked like he was shooting a 475. I've theorized that if Lil Gun is as good as folks say it is, then I have the potential to push the 460 gr bullet 1200 fps, though I don't know that I need to. I know from experience that there is a noteable increase in recoil when pushing the 460 gr 1150 fps vs 1050 fps.

What else? Work up loads and shoot, shoot, shoot, it has suprised me about what type of accuracy a revolver is capable of when one puts the effort into load work.

Oh yeah, stuff I've tried that didn't work out as well as I would have liked:

Red Dot, I thought it would be good for mild plinker loads, but accuracy has been notably worse then Unique.

Round balls, I have a .490" mold, and have tried several combos. What I really need to do is cut down some brass To allow rounds with the oversize balls to chamber. When they are sized .477" they just don't shoot that well. Certainly a potential for a fun no recoil load, but I've been spoiled by the 480's accuracy, so haven't found a load up to what I expect from the gun.

I'll post follow up loads as I test them, but I've pretty well worked out the loads I need from the gun, and am working on other projects, so it hasn't been as much of a priority to try other stuff. I'm down to the 310 gr LFN, 400 gr Lee, and the 460 gr WFN. If one were to get just one mold, the 400 gr Lee is very versitile, and I definately recomend it as the first mold to try. For ~$16 you just can't go wrong with it.

[ 03-04-2003, 21:16: Message edited by: Paul H ]

Thanks for posting all your info. You are a great person to share all this info with us.

PaulH,

Now I've got to get one. You're the man for sharing all that.

Best,
QD

I think you're going to like it I had so much fun working up loads, I couldn't imagine not sharing them. I'm very, very fond of the cartridge, and think that the more folks that shoot it, the better.

The neatest thing so far is another 480 shooter that took some of my 460 gr bullets to the Linebaugh seminar this summer, and suprised quite a few folks as to what the 480 can do. No, it isn't a 475 linebaugh, but it provides 80-90% of the penetration, with much less recoil, and in guns that are available for $500-600, not $1500-2000.

Mini update,

I finally got a chance to shoot the 480 after a several month abscense. I happened to have the chrono setup to clock the 357 max, and decided to run a cylinder full of the 310 gr LFN's over 9.7 gr unique. Temps were in the 20's, and suprisingly, my loads were clocking 1050 fps, compared to 950 for previous readings.

Not sure if this is due to different lot of Unique, stiffer crimp, or the loads sitting for ~6 months and the neck tension, or bullet hardness possible increasing? Wished I'd clocked the 460 gr 19 gr H 110 to see how fast they were running.

I do plan on getting some Lil Gun and seeing what it'll do for the 310 gr LFN and the 400 gr Lee.

I finally got a chance to try Lil gun and the Lee 400 gr cast together. I seated the bullets to the rear canalure, and used CCI 350 primers. I was shooting at 25 yds, iron sights. I tried six different charge weights, charges under 21 gr weren't accurate, and velocties were inconsistant.

The best load looks like 21 gr for 1200 fps. Three shots in one hole, and the other two opened up the group to 2+". I don't think I was shooting that consistantly, but figure the 3 in one big hole show the loads potential.

I also loaded 22 gr which produced 1235 fps mildly sticky extraction, and 22.5 gr which produced 1270 fps and sticky extraction, though also 3 shots in one hole, and others opening up the group.

I think 21 gr is a prudent maximum, plenty accurate, and I don't think an extra 50-70 fps is going to kill things any deader. Then again, 21 gr H110 will produce the same velocity and accuracy. The recoil pulses between the two powders are also noteably different.

I did recieve some 350 gr cast bullets that I'm anxious to try with Lil gun, seems like a better bullet weight for the powder. I should also try some of my 310 gr's as well.

I compared the 350 gr I recieved to the Lee bullet, and one could easily shorten the Lee mold to drop a 350 gr two lube groove bullet. One could also cut down the mold to make a single lube groove 300 gr bullets.

Thanks for sharing your reloading data. I am also getting to like the 480 Ruger. Thanks.

I tried some of the 350 gr bullets over some stiff charges of Lil gun. Velocities were very inconsistant, 1200-1300 fps, and extraction was sticky. Accuracy was also poor.

I know each gun is a rule unto itself, but mine just won't produce any great speed increase with bullets lighter then 400 gr. The 310's are great plinkers at 950 fps, but for hunting loads, I'll stick with 400's @ 1200 fps, and 460's @ 1050.

My shooting buddy had Mountain Molds make a custom 400 gr mold, it is an LFN gas check style, but the distance from the meplat to the canalure is .510", which provides the 480 with the same case capacity as the 475 Linebaugh. He worked up to 25 H-110, and was clocking 1400 fps from the 7 1/2" SRH.

I've shot a few of them over a paltry 21 gr H-110 and Lil gun for 1200 fps, and one hole 25 yd groups ~1/2". I've been meaning to work up loads with these, but need to cast some more first!

I tried the 400 gr long nose bullet over 7 gr unique for load to clean out some leading I'd gotten from plainbase bullets. The load ended up shooting pretty good, about 1 1/2" at 25 yds with iron sights, which is about as good as I can shoot. I'll take a SEWAG that it was doing 700 fps. Recoil was quite mild.

I thought I'd do an update. Here are some pics of the bullets I've been using The bullet line up is 275 SWC, 310 LFN ballisticast, 400 rf Lee, 400 XLFN gc mm and 460 WFN gc ballisticast.

Loaded 275 swc, 310 LFN, 400 XLFN, 460 WFN.

I've been doing load work on the 275 swc lately, and am starting to dial in an accurate load. The goal of this bullets design was to produce good accuracy at lower velocities. So far I'm getting it to shoot pretty well at 800-850 fps. The 275 is a pretty faithful scaled up version of the classic Elmer Keith swc design. Once I get a good load for it I'll post it.

Also a note, Lee now makes a 325 gr gc mold, and if the base of the mold is milled to remove the gas check shank, it produces a 275 gr bullet. I was given samples of both, but haven't had a chance to test them yet. The 325 gr gc should be easy to drive to 1500 fps.

Edit, got back from the range with some more tests of the 275 swc. It looks like ~11 gr of blue dot is a good load, tad over 1" at 25 yds for 5 shots and based on previous chronoing I'd estimated they're running right around 1000 fps.

Just a quick update, I tried some more loads with the 275 gr, and it looks like 13 gr of blue dot is a good load ~1000 fps and clusters them right in there.

With the recent request for 480 loads, I thought I'd bumpt this.

Hey, Paul. I've been looking for a light bullet for lighter loads for quite a while. I like that light SWC as it may be the bullet I've been looking for. I was looking for a light "wadcutter load" for my 475 for small critters that was fun to shoot. Also, this would be an easier way to introduce some to the world of big bore revolvers w/o turning them off for life. I'll have a base line to come up with something later on. Meanwhile, I'll save this data.

I'm going to try bullseye with the swc bullet to see if I can find an accurate ~700 fps load. The blue dot load @ 1000 fps is plenty accurate, and honestly powerful enough for deer, but I'd like something milder for day in day out practice and small game.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
I'm going to try bullseye with the swc bullet to see if I can find an accurate ~700 fps load. The blue dot load @ 1000 fps is plenty accurate, and honestly powerful enough for deer, but I'd like something milder for day in day out practice and small game.

Hi Paul;

Do you have any more plinking load info you can share? I'm particularly looking for real light 330 gr loads using ball powders, AA5 and AA7 in particular. I posted elsewhere about this.

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA

An old thread I'm bringing back due to a question in the handgun hunting forum about the 480.

The powders I've tried for plinking loads were red dot, unique, WAAP and blue dot. red dot and WAAP did not work well, unique and blue dot have worked well. I need to look up my notes as I don't recall the exact charge that worked best with the 275 keith, it was either 13 or 14 gr of blue dot, for 1000 fps.

I'm also thinking about trying bullseye with the 275 gr bullet.

For 330's, I think unique would be best.

Just traded for a Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger 7-1/2" barrel, pretty much the same gun as you have. I bought a few boxes of ammo for it and a set of dies so now i'm going to have to find a mold or molds and work up some loads. I was surprised that the recoil was not as nasty as I was told it was. The 325gr xtp factory load was about the same as my 335gr 45 colt load in my Bisley. It is going to be something I am going to have to ease into with the heavy 400gr stout loads. For now I will just try to get things ordered and cast up some bullets for it. Thanks for the data

I came across a deal for a whole bunch of 400gr 475 lead bullets.
I load them with 8.5-9.0 gr of Unique in my 7.5" SHR.
The recoil is easy to control, but enough to remind you that you're shooting a big gun.
I had problems with some flinching and grip issues when I first got my 480.
A few of those 8.5gr loads really make it easy to shoot.

I've never been a fan of Blue Dot. Maybe it's just the can I got, but it's always been dirty, had lots of unburned powder regardless or charge/primer/crimp, and it always feels erratic.
It scares the junk out of me so I don't use it.

My full blown loads are stuffed with Lil'gun.

well I loaded up a few different Lee 400gr loads this week and shot them today. I tried 7grs of Unique and these pretty accurate. I was shooting high and to the right though. I also loaded up some stout loads to test out.
I tried the Lil Gun load but started up from 20grs. Worked up to 21grs. The Lil gun loads were extremely dirty for some reason. The recoil was about the same as the 335gr factory Hornady ammo. Even after trying to adjust my rear sights the rounds were still hitting high and to the right.