Can the Ruger Super Redhawk in 480 Ruger be rechambered to a 475 Linebaugh without changing the cylinder if I get an old 6 shot SRH ?

Or would it be better to just get a 5 shot cylinder made for it?

It certainly can be done with the old 6-shot or with the new 5-shot. It just requires a little reaming, and in fact, I almost went this route with mine initially, but decided to get a dedicated cylinder made by Jack Huntington. There's a negligible pressure difference between the two rounds.......

How did I know you would be the first to post...lol

I am glad someone else has gone the route before, it will help in my decision, if I get the Ruger 480.
What kind of price would the new 5 shot cylinder cost from Jack Huntington? I know the reaming would not be as much, but I just want to make sure the cylinder is up for the task if it is only reamed.

I have no idea what it will cost to build a cylinder now, but it is probably in the $1500.00 range I would imagine. I did mine a while back with last year's prices. But, I may be wrong. Give him a call to make sure. To ream it would be considerably cheaper, and it is apparently well up to the task as the steel that was used on the .480 cylinders is apparently super strong -- or so I have read.

Ammendment: Just spoke with Jack about reaming cylinders, and while he has reamed the 6-shooters, he prefers to do the 5-shot and will no longer convert the 6-shot cylinders.

Well I just made the deal for the 480 Ruger, I will shoot it and see how I like it.

Then I will decide if I want to get the 475 Linebaugh cylinder.

I would definitely go the five shot route. I had problems with cases sticking in a .454. Same rounds shot without a hiccup in a Raging Bull. Really turned me off on Ruger double action revolvers.

Keep us posted.

My .454 SRH gets sticky some times.......

Load the .480 heavy with a 400 to 425 grain bullet at around 1200 fps and you will have a penetrating machine. It's a good round.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
My .454 SRH gets sticky some times.......

Load the .480 heavy with a 400 to 425 grain bullet at around 1200 fps and you will have a penetrating machine. It's a good round.

As John Linebaugh said "1200 FPS is about ideal"

Now I have to order some hard cast bullets for the 480. I have the gun, dies and 100 peices of brass coming.

If you look back at Witworth's chrono test, you will see the .480 shot as fast as the Hornady .475 factory loads and that was with a heavier cast boolit.

I have found that hard cast bullets typically have higher velocities than jacketed bullets of equal or similar weights using the same powder charges.

It definitely is worth checking out in your revolver Redhawk. I know I could do a lot of shooting for the price of a conversion; especially if that conversion wasn't going to achieve a great deal for me; but that's just me.

quote:

Originally posted by MS Hitman:
I have found that hard cast bullets typically have higher velocities than jacketed bullets of equal or similar weights using the same powder charges.

It definitely is worth checking out in your revolver Redhawk. I know I could do a lot of shooting for the price of a conversion; especially if that conversion wasn't going to achieve a great deal for me; but that's just me.

I have been thinking the same thing, $1500 for the conversion is a lot of bullets, powder and primers. After all, I do have others guns if I want more power.

I am going to shoot it as it is, and see how I like it and how it performs. I just have to wait a few days tell it gets here.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
If you look back at Witworth's chrono test, you will see the .480 shot as fast as the Hornady .475 factory loads and that was with a heavier cast boolit.

I may just have to hit him up for some of his load data...

I wouldnt do it on a 6 shot unless you plan on only running light load and in that case you might as well stick to a 480. the 480 6 shots had problems with brass sticking with any kind of pressure anyway and your just going to compound the problem with a 475. i would think the 5 shot should be capable of it though.

I get a little infrequent sticky extraction with my .454 SRH, but my .480 never experienced it, nor does my brother-in-law's 6-shot .480. So, what does this all mean?? You might get one that experiences sticky extraction, and you might not.

That said, Redhawk, you more than likely won't find the .480 loaded properly as lacking in power at all. It doesn't push a bullet at high velocities, but it will punch .475 caliber hole through nearly anything, and I don't think you will find it lacking.

Whitworth, do you have any data you would like to share? I am going to place an order with Montana Bullet works, but I wanted to see what you use. I was looking at some 420 and 400 gr.
Wide Flat Nose -Gas Checked hard cast bullets.

You know, my brother-in-law has been using Buffalo Bore's 410 grain WFN load, but we will be developing a load for him using the same homemade (bfrshooter's design) 420 grain WFN that we are using in our .475s. So, we haven't done any load development yet -- maybe bfrshooter has (he probably has). The BB ammo ran right where they claimed it would at 1,200 fps and has proven very accurate in his 7.5-inch SRH. I suspect that as soon as we finish developing the ultimate load for my M29, we will be moving on to the .480 but that is at least a month away.

That's OK I will work on a load for it.

Thanks

With 400 to 420 grainers work up to 20 grains of H-110 or W-296 with the 420 grain hards cast gas check bullet the 400 grainer may be able to work up to 22 grains, work up with caution. Starting load for the 420 grainer 19 grains.

Thanks JWP, I will keep the information.

Redhawk, when do you think you will start testing loads? Post up when you do and I will do the same when I get to the .480. Now I need to re-sight my .475.......

I have the reloading dies coming and the brass, as well as the gun, should be here by Monday or Tuesday. I still have to order some bullets from Montana Bullet Works.
So as soon as I get it all, I will be working on it. Just what I need, another toy to reload for.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1: Just what I need, another toy to reload for.

I know what you mean.......

Couple thoughts. The 480 opperates at lower pressure than the 475, so it really isn't a good idea to re-chamber the 6 shooter 480 to 475. It IS physically possible as the cylinder is long enough, just not a good idea. You don't have to have it re-chambered if you get a custom mold made with long meplat bullets. Get the same case capacity as the linebaugh, and it's still a 480. Second from right



You don't have to hot load the 480 to get decent performance, 21 gr of H-110 or Lil-gun will drive most 400 gr cast bullets ~1200 fps from the 7 1/2" barrel.

And lastly, the srh will hurt like hell if you load it up to linebaugh levels. I watched my shooting partner let off 400's @ 1350 fps from his srh, I had no desire to load mine up to that level.

Welcome back, Paul! I was hoping you would weigh in on this post. I agree that the .480 pushing a 400 + grain cast bullet at 1,200 fps is lacking nothing in the killing department. And you are correct that a converted SRH offers rather spirited recoil -- for lack of a better term! Fortunately, I am getting numb and it doesn't bother me much, but if you don't give it your undivided attention every time you light it off, you can easily get smacked in the forehead!

I am no stranger to heavy recoiling handguns. I don't think there is a lot of handguns that have more felt recoil then my 4 inch 500 Mag with 700 gr. bullets going 1200 fps.

Redhawk 1

I've got one . My 2 3/4" ES S&W 500 has more felt recoil I know because I foolishly put 5 rounds through it. Don't ask why, all I'll say is "just because I could" .

The recoil was horrendous to say the least. On the first shot all of my fingers felt like they were clamped in a vise. On the second shot I think I busted a blood vessel in my trigger finger. I could barely make it through a full cyninder but I did. One thing's for certain, I'll NEVER do it again.

I am sure it is a little more, but I bet we would not be able to tell the difference...lol

Yeah, kinda like hitting your thumb with a 4 lb and an 8lb sledge hammer.

redhawk and dec all i can say is OUCH! i shoot alot of big guns but have no want to ever shoot loads like that out of a wheelgun!!

Yea Lloyd, it is not something I like to do on a regular bases either..lol

Hang on to the rest of those 700 grainers. Might need them after they clone T-Rex!
Hey, what an idea for population control. They won't let you shoot T-Rex because they would be on the endangered species list.

How do those 700 grain loads feel out of the BFR?

Whitworth, the BFR is a handful as well. Once you get to a certain point extremely heavy recoil hunts not matter what handgun you shot them out of.

BFRshooter, I don't have to worry about the T-Rex, ever since I got the 700 gr. bullets I have not seen one.lol