quote:

Originally posted by PWS:
I'm a firm believer that the way the reacts to the gun is a large determinant of the shooter's impressions of it's killing power. There's much more to the equation than a handfull thousandths of an inch in diameter, +/-200 fps velocity, or grains of bullet and game is much more impressed with placement than power.

As far as a .357 being an equal replacement for a .50? It certain is when reduced to the absurd .

PWS, I am also a person that likes good shot placement, but I can do it as well with my 500 mag as I can with my 44 Mag. So more power is something I want, maybe not need, but who cares about needs.

PWS -- how are you loading your .454 and .475 respectively?

Redhawk1, you got it. Need and want are both four letter words aren't they!

Roger on placement too. I shoot my .454 better than anything so I really like it.

Whitworth, In the .454 after a lot of playing around with 250 to 425 grainers and paper patched, soft nosed, and hard nosed cast bullets, I settled on a 360grain LFN at 1550 out of my 7 1/2" FA. In the 6" .475FA, I cranked it hard and shot 455grainers just under 1400fps and 400grainers just under 1500 (and, yes, frequently had extraction difficulties).

I'm thinking the same bullet weights and velocities in a 50 cal might prove to be more telling than the .475 but I was more astounded by the recoil and poor shootablility of the setup than the effect on game.

Naturally, that hasn't stopped me from wanting more, More, MORE!!!

As an aside, I spent three years over on Afognak working and living at a salmon hatchery where brown bears are a continual presence from July to December. After getting bumrushed by sows with cubs about seven times the first fall, I bought a stainless MRC in .450 Ackley for a nerve tonic. Despite the relative power for a pistol, that .475 didn't seem very big. I do appreciate the guys toting their S&W mags (and more power to 'em) but I'd rather have a 8-9lb big bore rifle for day in day out exposure to the fuzzywuzzys.

PWS -- you have a .450 Ackley?? I do too! You don't see many around, but it is a nice alternative to a Lott.

What types of bullets are shooting in the .475? And yes, the full-house loads are unpleasant! But then again, the Casull is no walk in the park either.......

Mike,
The best reason to have any .50 is because you want one. So....

Thanks Ken, that's just what I needed . If the recoil of the pistol doesn't wreck my arm, the twisting on my elbow will!


Whitworth, I had the Ackley for a while but it was one of the ones that had the lighter firing pin spring installed. It misfired on Hornady brass so it went bye-bye. Had I known about the replacement spring MRC offers for free, I might still have it. You know how it is as a guncrank though, always wanting something different. I'm leaning toward a .500A2 on a MRC PH to replace it.

My Ackley is still being built -- on a Mark X .458 win mag action -- it's doing time in gunsmith prison.......

Yup, Ken is right, need hasn't got a damn thing to do with it and you have all of the motive you need to get one -- cuz you want one.......

What is a 500 JRH? Is this something for which Freedom Arms Model 83s can be chambered? Can an H&H magnum basis case be used to create a .50-caliber cartridge?

quote:

Originally posted by Naphtali:
What is a 500 JRH? Is this something for which Freedom Arms Model 83s can be chambered? Can an H&H magnum basis case be used to create a .50-caliber cartridge?

The 500 JRH was designed by Jack Huntington specicaly for the Model 83 Freedom Arms revolver. It is a shortened 500 S&W case with a smaller rim diameter.. Magnum Research chambers their BFR revolvers from the custom shop in 500 JRH and it is a fairly popular option I am told...

From what I understand, the custom shop guns are really nice and not that outrageously priced........

jwp, what is your .500 JRH built on?

My 500 JRH is the orignal protype Model 83 Freedom Arms revolver and is the same revolver that Buffalo Bore used to devlope and test the factory loads with.