I am getting ready to buy a 480 ruger, which is the better gun, Ruger or Taurus? I know about the Ruger, I had a 454RSH, I really want to know about the Taurus, how well will it hold up under heavy loads? ,will it shoot cast bullets? Raging Bull owners speak up!!!

Josh-I have had no problems at all with my Raging Bull in .454.I have shot a bunch of heavy loads from Cor-Bon and my handloads that match Cor-Bons velocity and had nothing go wrong yet.

I have shook a couple Red Dot sights off it untill I bought a Burris but the gun works just fine.The sights that come on it just don't work for my old eyes.

Good luck on your choice....Jayco

The Taurus revolvers are fine guns. You wanted to know about cast bullets. The Taurus revolvers are ported on the top and I think you may have some fun trying to clean out the leading. I don't know for sure (as I don't own one), but it could be a problem with cast bullets. My 2cents.

I have a Taurus Raging Bull in 454 it is ported and when shooting lead bullets leaves one more trouble area to be cleaned. It will shoot lead bullets accurately enough but if I were going to use a heavy diet of lead I would use a hard cast bullet. I have quit using anything but jacketed bullets in my RB 454.

I also own a Ruger SRH 44mag and have tried lead cast bullets in it. The cylinder hangs up with Wheel-Weight cast bullets from lead buildup on the face of the cylinder and the face of the barrels forcing cone.. I have not tried the hard cast bullets in it yet. I have also gone to shooting jacketed bullets in the Ruger SRH 44mag.

The only revolver that I have good luck shooting cast lead bullets with is My Dan Wesson 357 & 44mag I can adjust the cylinder barrel gap and keep it from hanging up with cast bullets.

I also have a Corbin press and dies for making Swaged bullets with a base guard. They lead the guns terribly leaving streaks of lead in the barrel that can sometimes be removed by hand. The swaged bullets work great in my Thompson Encore with sabots.

Lock up on my Revolvers Starting with the looses, First is the Dan Wesson (I bought used) then the Taurus RB leaving the Ruger SHR being the tightest.

Others may have similar problems or different solutions. I am not trashing Ruger, Taurus, or Corbin only stating what works and doesn’t work for me at this time.

Good luck and have a great time shooting/hunting with your new 480 whatever manufacture you choose.

I've never had a chance to shoot a raging bull, so can't comment on it. I have had a 7 1/2" 480 SRH pretty much right after they came out with them, and have put at least 3000 rounds down the barrel, all cast. It has been the most accurate revolver I have ever had. It holds up to full patch loads just fine, and when I was working up data before there was any, I put the occasionally too hot load through it. Other then the finish coming off from holster wear and around the front of the cylinder, its as good as new.

Scoped, once I find the right load it will put 5 shots into 1" at 50 yds, and has done so with all the bullets I've cast for it, from 310 gr, 320 gr, 335 gr, 390 gr, two different 400 gr, 435 gr and 460 gr. I even printed a 3 shot group of 1 1/2" at 100 yds.

I can simplify your load work though, for a 310-320 gr cast bullet 9.7 gr of Unique will clock ~ 1000 fps, and will shoot as well as you can, for hunting, a 390-400 gr bullet under 21 gr of either H-110 or Lil-gun will clock ~1200 fps, and print just as well.

As you can see, I can highly recomend the SRH 480.

I got the Taurus because it was stronger than the ruger...double lock up and 5 rounds in the cylinder...plus you can seat out to 1.81 and duplicate the 475 Linebaugh.

The ability to seat out is more than just additional power, because you can go with faster powders and duplicate the max loads of the shorter case with a lot less powder. You are also right up on the forcing cone, and with many bullets this is a big accuracy asset.

I don't think lead is a big issue, since there are now quite a few plated bullets in good weights at low prices.

Why not go all the way and get a BFR .475? It shoots the .480 just fine. With Linebaugh brass I put 5 400gr. LBT WFN boolits in 5/8" at 50 yds. I put 3 of the Lee 400 gr. boolits in 1/4". It is so accurate it is scary and pop cans at 100 yds are easy from sandbags.
The only SRH I had was in .44 and it was as accurate. In fact I have a coke can with holes in it from 200 yds. I don't think I would like it in .480 because of the six chambers and the too short cylinder. The BFR has a long enough cylinder so any boolit can be loaded. The Freedom arms cylinder is way too short too.

I question the comments about the SRH strentgh and cylinder length. The cylinder does lock up front and rear, it just uses a single release, which is easier to activate. The cylinder is long enough to load to a 1.8" COL, I have a custom extra long nose 400 gr mold that produces a loaded round of that length, and my 460 gr mold requires the bullet to be crimped in the first lube groove, as seating to the canalure bulges the case (its a loooong bullet).

I know of at least one 480 that was re-chambered as a 475 Linebaugh, the cylinder is both long enough and strong enough, though the recoil is too severe in that loading. I would highly recomend against re-chambering though. The gun is more than uncomfortable at those recoil levels, and long loading cast bullets achieves the same thing. My shooting partner was pushing 400 gr to 1350 fps, but I was content to keep to 1200.

bfrshooter, I would like to have a single action 480, but cost of the bfr puts it out, I really wish Ruger would make a superblawk in 480. I will be shooting only hard cast gaschecked bulletsand was concerened about the ports. Just can't make up my mind!!!!!!

josh

I have a RB in 454 and shoot only hard cast bullets in it. Mine shoots plain based bullets as well as gas checked. I do get some buildup around the ports, but it really isn't a problem. The only real problem I have with mine is it tends to unlock with heavy bullet loads and sometimes won't index to the next chamber when cocked. I'm thinking a stronger spring or a trip back to taurus.

Paul, I guess your right, I finally looked at a SRH and the cylinder is long enough. I did hear of problems with rims that were oversize touching each other enough so one would not chamber. Depends on the brass used I guess. I still don't like the thin web between cylinders though, personal preference!
I paid $750 out the door for my .475 BFR as they were on sale from the distributer. My BFR 45-70 was $820.

My friend has the Freedom .475 and the 400 gr. Lee is right at the end of the throat. If we don't crimp all the way at the top of the crimp groove, the cylinder won't turn and if recoil moves one, it locks the gun up. I have other boolits that just won't fit the gun unless brass is turned down. Very poor decision on Freedoms cylinder.

I have to agree with bfrshooter on this one. The BFR has that nice long cylinder, and will shoot anything you can stuff in it. It's also a well made gun. In my opinion it's as well made as anything from Freedom Arms, but without the sky high price tag. I currently have 2, one in .45-70 and the other in .500 S&W Mag. Both have 10" barrels. I think in time I'm going to get another chambered in .30-30. I like pistol rifle combo guns and have a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70 to go with the BFR. Ruger needs to get on the ball and make a 5 shot single action that will shoot these big cartridges. They are missing out on a big market that Magnum Research has grabbed. billt

Billt, don't know how much Ruger is losing. I think Ruger casts all the parts for the BFR and Magnum Research has another company machine and assemble them. There might be some kind of an agreement between Ruger and MR that prevents Ruger from making the large calibers. Look your BFR's over, if those are not Ruger parts, I will eat them. Of course I was happy to see this as there are not many parts as strong.

I'll second that Ruger casts the parts for the BFR. I read it somewhere, I think? In my dreams? Maybe?

Besides making complete rifles, Ruger is in business to make investment casting firearm parts for a lot of firearm companies including it's competitors, so Ruger benefits every gun sold using their cast parts.

quote:

Originally posted by Kahluaman:
I'll second that Ruger casts the parts for the BFR. I read it somewhere, I think? In my dreams? Maybe?

I have a SRH in 480 and am very pleased with it.
Just cant keep ammo for it and I have a reddot
Bushnell Trophy on it and no problems.

Thanks for all the input guys, I think I will go with the raging Bull.I'm really excited with the idea of a new toy, again thanks!!!

I have a 454 raging bull. The porting is beyond the barrel so I can see no problem with lead bullets in this gun. I shoot 340 WFNGC in mine.