Spoke with Jack Huntington today and he informed me that the conversion (5-shot .475 L cylinder) to my SRH .480 is about a month and a half away from completion. Very excited! Just thought I'd share that here as no one at home gives a damn!

WOOOHOOO!!!!

That thing sounds like it is going to be a blast!

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
Just thought I'd share that here as no one at home gives a damn!

What ever do you mean of course we give a dam..........

I stand corrected!! Of course they give a damn at home!

Got to get ready for a Fall hunt with it!

*UPDATE*

Spoke with Jack Huntington this afternoon, and he informed me that my SRH could be finished as early as mid-week next week!! Can't wait!

WooHoo!

Do you have ammo for it?

You make me feel like it is Christmas. I can't wait for shooting results and the piles of game that fall to it.

WOOO-HOOO!! X2

Thanks Boomie, Justin, and Jim! I can't wait either! Ammo is ordered, but who knows when it will get here -- hopefully sooner rather than later! I hope to start reloading again in the near future, but until then, Buffalo Bore is supplying the ammo.

Have some 420 grain WFNs (1350 fps), and some 440 grain WFNs (1325 fps) coming to find out which one the gun prefers.......

I'll post photos as soon as I get it in my hands!

Dude, refresh me old-ass memory. I seem to remember 5-shot cylinder but not barrel length. 5 1/2 or 7 1/2"?

475Guy, it's keeping its 7.5-inch barrel -- I like the length and it balances really well. Jack built me a 5-shot cylinder in .475 Linebaugh. The SRH is originally a .480 that I bought new right about when Ruger introduced them.

Also ordered some Hogue wrap-around grips for it (the same as the ones on the Ruger Alaskan). I put these grips on my SRH in Casull as well.

That's gonna hurt My buddy loaded his 480 up to near 475 levels with a long nosed 400 gr ~1350 fps, and just watching him shoot it I knew I'd stick with a measly 1200 fps. I've shot enough 475's and 500's to learn my lesson. He used to have a 500 linebaugh SRH, it was a handful.

I put a pair of the hogue grips on my 480, but haven't had a chance to shoot it since the swap.

Can you send me a clip to post of you firing it???

Sure, Boomie!

I have a 7.5-inch SRH in Casull, and with the 400 grain loads I use at 1400 fps, it's pretty brutal -- can't imagine the Linebaugh will be much worse if at all.

Dude, I guess you'll find out shortly.



Oh, BTW, I would've done with a 5 1/2" barrel. But then again, all my Ruger's are set up with 5 1/2" barrels because they're easier to pack that way.

I'm so comfortable with the 7.5-inch barrel of the SRHs that I didn't want to change it.

Guess we will find out soon!

Paul, you'll like the Hogue grips. I put a set on my Casull and they made a world of difference. One of the better $16.00 investments out there. I figured the .475 deserved a set as well......

I have a Freedom Arms 475 Linebaugh and 454, and an 480 SRH.

Every time I get comfortable and relax while shooting the 475, it reminds me not to by knocking my ear muffs off. Great fun!!

Have fun. Shooting big bore pistols are a blast - literally.

Double AA -- what's the nastiest load you've shot in the Casull? Just curious! Mine does well with 400 grain cast bullets. Also, what loads do you use in the .475?

Although I've shot several, I've actually never fire my own 454. It's a Freedom Arms Grizzly Express "1 of 500". I've always planned on shooting it, I have hundreds of rounds loaded for it, I just haven't.

I shoot, and have pig hunted with Cast Performance 425's and Hornaday EXP 400's. The truth is I can't tell any difference. They are both accurate and I haven't recovered one yet.

I've tried 296, 110 and Lil Gun. I've settled on Lil Gun. It's fast, accurate and shoots so clean the brass looks like it just came out of the tumbler.

I have some footage of a pig hunt where I shot a pig about 25 yds out and 8" below me running through a stream bed. I'ts kind of funny watching the barrel go from an 8 o’clock to 12 o’clock position. I grew up hunting with a S&W 629 and just can't get the double action technique out of my head.

Double AA, how does the Grizzly Express differ from other Freedom Arms revolvers?

Have you chronographed any of your pet loads?

We'll be getting our 475's about the same time. I just got my BFR 475, but haven't been able to get to the range yet. So all I can do is look at the thing. If you get to the range before I do, let me know how you like the caliber, and your modded SHR.

gohip, do you reload? Or do you have to buy your ammo? Just curious as to what you're going to feed your BFR. The BFR is great handgun, congratulations!

Full report will follow as soon as I get it in my hands -- hopefully the ammo will get here before the SRH!

If you want to reload a little and save space,


The Lee hand press might work. Some cast bullets, dippers for the powder. You could pack it all away in a shoe box, or take it to the range.

I just went down stairs and tried full length sizeing a fired 475L case. I thought that step would probably require the most force. The case sized easily. I have Lee carbide dies and they come with a shell holder, powder dipper and load info for the 480, but you could come up with your own load info for the 475.
2400 would probably be a very versitle powder, you could do light 800fps plinkers and up to 1300fps+ all with the same powder.
100% load density with the Hornady 325 and 400 XTPs should both be below 50,000 psi. Just don't compress a load and you should never get in trouble. And don't load 500+ gn bullets.

Thanks for the info, Lar45, it's appreciated. I think I might actually have a Lee handloader somewhere in storage! It just hasn't seen the light of day since '91 or '92! I used to use 2400 a lot when I was reloading for my .44 mags way back when..... I'm going to buy myself a chronograph as well.

LAR, how much is that setup? looks handy!

Justin -- Cabelas has them for $25.99 -- not a bad deal!

Here's a picture of my Bowen 500 Linebaugh on a Redhawk.

Again, that's just gorgeous! How does it shoot and what is your hunting load if you don't mind sharing this info with us. Thanks!

DPhillips- That's an excellent looking piece of Bowen artwork. Wow, Covet is about the only word that comes to mind.

Is that the factory barrel that was bored and rifled or one that he made?
I remember years ago he was haveing Ruger factory barrels bored, but they ran into problems going to 50 cal as the steel got much harder towards the outside. So he was only going to 475.

Again, very nice and thanks for the pic. It stirs the imagination.

Thanks guys.

Whitworth, I'll PM the load to you this weekend. The revolver shoots fantastic. It is a handful, but very accurate and recoil is straight back for the most part. The flip isn't bad at all.

Lar,
The barrel was replaced, as was the cylinder. Bowen does impressive work, even for just a "working gun".

Artwork indeed! Wow! It really looks great. I appreciate the load info (it's more out of curiousity). I really like double actions even though I rarely actually shoot them double action.

quote:

Originally posted by DPhillips:
Here's a picture of my Bowen 500 Linebaugh on a Redhawk.

What does a piece of beautiful hip candy like that cost???

Again I feel the need to comment about DPhillips' Redhawk. That is one sweet handgun! I too have to ask what something like that costs -- if you don't mind sharing that info with us of course.

From Bowen's website For Sale page. This might not be everything that's on his pistol, but a starting point:
http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/forsale.html
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.500 Linebaugh Kodiak Ruger Redhawk: Built on a standard, stainless steel Redhawk, this is, perhaps, the finest back-up big-bore revolver available. The handy 4-in. barrel sports a Weigand Combat DX front sight base to accommodate interchangeable blades, available in an enormous variety. The purchaser may chose between a tritium-dot front with V-notch/white-post rear blades or a white-line front with white-outline/square-notch rear blades. The gun is tuned, sighted, fitted with our own Rough Country rear sight and lanyard ring. The custom 5-shot cylinder is fluted and the black powder cylinder chamfer applied. For further information on this conversion, please see the Ruger Double-Action section of our on-line catalog. Price is $2595; estimated delivery date, late 2007.
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It should definatly hold it's value. 10 years ago you could get the Bisley Nimrod in 475 or 500 for $1300 on your gun, now the price starts at $2800ish.

quote:

Price is $2595

looks like its worth every penny...

Thanks again fellas. I appreciate the kind words. This one was actually built for someone else and had a longer barrel with a compensator. It was sent back to Bowen and bobbed. What I paid and what Bowen charges now are two different animals. But do check with him. I did not pay the price listed above...

To me, the recoil from a double action revolver is easier to handle, because there isn't as much muzzle flip and the recoil comes straight back a little more. Also, the purpose of this handgun meant it would be carried mostly along the coast here in AK and using the stainless Redhawk just made sense.

I figure the preference of the shootability for the DA over the SA will draw howls, but I like shooting the DA's better for wheelguns generating a lot of recoil. That's just me... I don't know too many others that agree, for some reason.

They definitely don't flip straight up like single actions. I too prefer DA revolvers over SAs. I also figure that there is a price to pay for large caliber revolvers and that price is recoil. I've just learned to live with it. We'll see how the .475 recoils soon enough!

Again, that is a stunning revolver, DPhillips! How heavy do you load it? What type/weight bullets do you use?

My modem was down this weekend. I'll send a PM this evening for loads.