Nice! What are you loading the 525s with?

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How long was the barrel on yours?

It was also a 5" with the identical crown. Those flutes sure make your gun look cool! I was considering an octagon barrel, but being impatient about getting the new project done, went without it. Jack did build me a short barrel octagon barrel 500 JRH later, on the single action, but I let that one go. Actually, what got me hooked on the octagon barrel, was a FA 4 3/4" Octagon barrel 454 Casull that I had many years ago. A friend sold it to me when he moved. Someone had done 3 of these octagon 454's, with AK prefix, in 7 1/2", 6" and 4 3/4". I got the 4 3/4", and of the 26 FA I've gone through, this little guy shot 1" 5 shot 100 yard groups 3 times for me. I had a 2X Leupold on it then, just for load testing, and it did look odd, but them rifle shooters who were spotting next to me stop teasing me about shooting at the rifle side of the range. I did have one of a couple Alaska Master Guide Series 5 1/2" green laminate grip FA 454's, that shot 1" 5 shot group, and only one 7 1/2" that shot a 1" 5 shot group. Eyes were better back then, and lucked out shooting them groups. I think the worse grouping FA was one of them 3" 454's, but I think it was more operator error(flinching).

From what you've felt, what is worse in recoil? Your 525 grainers going slow, or a lighter bullet going fast? Still can see myself flinching before shooting a 525 load! I guess one of the reasons I sold my 2 3/8" 500 S&W, was getting thumped too much with them 700 grain bullets. Also what hurt, was some Hornady spire points, that I kind of overloaded to see what the little barrel could do? Lets just say the gun took it, but not this shooter! Both heavy and light hurt!