Well, I may have lucked out and picked up the above firearm. So, now I need: dies, brass and bullets, and once I have those, some load information.
Any advice or suggestions as to where I can find the above?
Thanks, Peter.

brass from Starline directly
I use the Hornady dies
You can pick up some Speer Gold Dots, they cost about half of what the XTPS do and have performed well for me in the past. You can try Midway for the dies and bullets.

without going into specific loads be a little careful. Most fa guns including mine need about a grain less powder then a ruger built gun to show pressure signs. It is because bullets have to be seated a tad deaper in them.

Well Lloyd, good loading practices require one start at or around the minimum loading charge and work their way up to what is accurate or max whichever comes first. But you do make a good point.

Thanks gentlemen. What about lead bullets? Don't folks use them in the 475?
Peter.

Hard cast bullets from Montana bullet works, they are the one's I get all my hard cast bulles from. 45 Colts up to my 500 Mag and 510 GNR.

http://www.montanabulletworks.com/default.php

Montana Bullet Works does make good bullets. Hunter Supply is another source. I sometimes cast my own.

A Couple more choices

Bear Tooth Bullets

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/


Cast Performance bullets

http://www.castperformance.com/StoreFront.bok

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Thanks gentlemen. What about lead bullets? Don't folks use them in the 475?
Peter.

All I use is hardcast bullets...... I like Cast Performance's and Beartooth's offerings......

... For the toughest bullet available the Belt Mt "PUNCH BULLET" ...... They make it in 380 grains and it will really penetrate ......

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:
... For the toughest bullet available the Belt Mt "PUNCH BULLET" ...... They make it in 380 grains and it will really penetrate ......

And they are only $2.50 a pop........

Thanks! I see at Montana a wide range of weights from 325 to 400, and some seem to be gas checked and some not. Any suggestions as to where to start? What weight are you guys shooting and are you shooting gas checked? I am assuming that over about 1300 fps I would need a gas checked bullet?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Thanks! I see at Montana a wide range of weights from 325 to 400, and some seem to be gas checked and some not. Any suggestions as to where to start? What weight are you guys shooting and are you shooting gas checked? I am assuming that over about 1300 fps I would need a gas checked bullet?
Peter.

I am shooting the 400 gr. Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked (HT). I use them both in my 480 Ruger and 475 Linebaugh. I just prefer gas checked bullets.

You do not need a gas check in the .475! In fact you don't need them in most any revolver.
Buying boolits with them already on is fine but I quit casing boolits that take them. Cost is a big reason but they don't shoot any different then a PB.
With the alloys we use today and the importance of boolit fit to the throats along with proper case tension, I feel gas checks are obsolete.
Just pick the boolit you like and one that fits the gun and don't worry what is on the bottom.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
You do not need a gas check in the .475! In fact you don't need them in most any revolver.
Buying boolits with them already on is fine but I quit casing boolits that take them. Cost is a big reason but they don't shoot any different then a PB.
With the alloys we use today and the importance of boolit fit to the throats along with proper case tension, I feel gas checks are obsolete.
Just pick the boolit you like and one that fits the gun and don't worry what is on the bottom.

Then why do they make them? There has got to be a reason so may people that are selling hard cast bullet use them.

I thought so for years myself and questioned Lee why their .475 boolit was PB. Until I started shooting it.
Gas checks were made for the soft, under size boolits in favor long ago that leaded barrels like mad.
Since then I have made many molds PB and they shoot just super in all calibers.
Now in a rifle for high velocity and pressure I would still use them.
One reason they keep using them on store bought boolits is they can't fit the diameter of the boolit to every gun. Gas checks aid the seal.
Then you have the other side of the coin, bevel base boolits. What crap to pass on to a shooter. Designed for speed loaders so they can be crunched in brass like lightning.

Interesting comments on gas check bullets! Thanks BFR. MS, any reason why you prefer Hornady dies? I notice that they are a 4 die set. That is unusual to me. What gives?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
I thought so for years myself and questioned Lee why their .475 boolit was PB. Until I started shooting it.
Gas checks were made for the soft, under size boolits in favor long ago that leaded barrels like mad.
Since then I have made many molds PB and they shoot just super in all calibers.
Now in a rifle for high velocity and pressure I would still use them.
One reason they keep using them on store bought boolits is they can't fit the diameter of the boolit to every gun. Gas checks aid the seal.
Then you have the other side of the coin, bevel base boolits. What crap to pass on to a shooter. Designed for speed loaders so they can be crunched in brass like lightning.

Montana Bullet Works will size the bullet to what you need.

Veral Smith (LBT) told me years ago to size the bullet as large as would chammber and that i would never ever have problem with accuracy and guess what he was/is correct.

Separate bullet seating and crimping dies.

Redhawk, you have seen my groups and the pictures of the long range cans I shot. Those were shot with PB boolits.
The PB boolit I made for the 45-70 will hold under 1/2" at 50 yards.
Why do you think a gas check is needed?

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
Redhawk, you have seen my groups and the pictures of the long range cans I shot. Those were shot with PB boolits.
The PB boolit I made for the 45-70 will hold under 1/2" at 50 yards.
Why do you think a gas check is needed?

They're not needed. They will lower the pressure somewhat, but to claim that a gas check is needed for that reason is like picking fly shit out of pepper

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:

With the alloys we use today and the importance of boolit fit to the throats along with proper case tension, I feel gas checks are obsolete.
Just pick the boolit you like and one that fits the gun and don't worry what is on the bottom.

.

Do you feel that case neck tension along with a crimp is more important than just a strong crimp by it self with some neck tension maybe ??

When I use my Lee factory crimp die I can get a powerful crimp , but I don,t know how much I need to crimp them ..But with not alot of extra room there @ the front of the cylinder on my 454 Casull FA ,I,m nervous about taking the revolve out of this revolver ....????????????

JWP, not always. I have two boolits almost the same shape and weight. The one with the check needs 1/2 gr LESS powder or brass will stick.
First time I seen that and I didn't expect it.
The bad thing is that it is super accurate with the heavier load and groups open a little when I reduce the charge. But reduce the charge I must!

quote:

Do you feel that case neck tension along with a crimp is more important than just a strong crimp by it self with some neck tension maybe ??

When I use my Lee factory crimp die I can get a powerful crimp , but I don,t know how much I need to crimp them ..But with not alot of extra room there @ the front of the cylinder on my 454 Casull FA ,I,m nervous about taking the revolve out of this revolver ....????????????

I use a moderate crimp that just holds in all the boolits under recoil. Case tension aids the hold in too. My loads held just fine in my friends FA.
I test by shooting 8 shots while leaving one in a chamber unfired. If it doesn't move, I am good to go.
I spent years testing crimps for it's effect on burn and accuracy. Doesn't do much except when too hard, it reduces case life. I have brass loaded over 40 times without a loss. Did I tell you I'm cheap?

thats a great idea shooting 8 rounds..Thanks ...

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
Redhawk, you have seen my groups and the pictures of the long range cans I shot. Those were shot with PB boolits.
The PB boolit I made for the 45-70 will hold under 1/2" at 50 yards.
Why do you think a gas check is needed?

I don't see where I said they are needed, I said and I quote " I am shooting the 400 gr. Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked (HT). I use them both in my 480 Ruger and 475 Linebaugh.I Just prefer gas checked bullets"

Damn, you all have to argue about every thing.

If we all agreed about everything all the time, these threads would be short and quite frankly not tha interesting. So, I welcome the arguing as long as it doesn't regress and result in the application of urine.......

Come on Redhawk, this is like the pot calling the kettle black. You've been in more than your fair share of arguments. We've got to "argue" about something or this site wouldn't be interesting........

well ill go this route. Are they needed probably not. Are they benificial probably yes. I can look through my loading data ive accumulated on probably near a 100 handguns through the years and just about to the one they all do there best work with a gas checked bullet. In some instances it may not be enough differnt to warant the price but id bet a dime to a dollar that if a guy bought a lfn a swc and god forbid a wfn in plain base and gas check at the same weight level and tried them all with the same powder and primer variations he normaly does that out of the 6 bullets it will be one of the gas checked designs that gives the most accurate load. My theroy for why and it might not be correct but its as good as anyone elses theroy because no one really knows is that we all know that when a bullet deforms (or bumps up for you guys that believe in that) it never will do it the same each time and this effects accuarcy. A gas check being harder gives the bullets base some support and consistancy. Thats why softer alloys will about allways shoot better gas checked and even our hardest leads do deform to a point. My thoughts there is a gas check is harder then the hardest alloys and probaly does some good in that aspect with a hard alloy too. That along with the fact that they scrape some of the leading and fouling out of your barrel and do engrave the rifling all add to why i think they make for a more accurate bullet. Obsolete? i dont think so. If anything with all the new fangled ball powders introduced to burn cleaner (hotter) then the old ones, there more nessisary then ever.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
If we all agreed about everything all the time, these threads would be short and quite frankly not tha interesting. So, I welcome the arguing as long as it doesn't regress and result in the application of urine.......

Come on Redhawk, this is like the pot calling the kettle black. You've been in more than your fair share of arguments. We've got to "argue" about something or this site wouldn't be interesting........

I agree, but not about everything...

Redhawk, I don't see where I have argued at all! I have only stated my opinion.
Lloyd, thank you once again---I ran out of breath reading your post.
As you know I do NOT believe in bump up at all.
All I can say is I am unable to prove a GC boolit out shoots a PB. And there is a reason for that. All boolits shot with heavy loads will skid the rifling at the front of the boolit. As long as the rifling marks on the base of the boolit are land and groove size, accuracy is there. If you exceed that, gas will leak. In other words, if the boolit keeps skidding and widens the marks at the base, then you NEED a check.
Why not cast a check near the front so it grabs the rifling better? It works, have you ever tried it?

Here it is Lloyd. I call it my half jacket. It also works fine with a PB boolit.

Now that is something I have never seen. Kind of looks cool to me.

What about the risk of the gas check coming off in the barrel. Anyone ever heard of this?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
What about the risk of the gas check coming off in the barrel. Anyone ever heard of this?
Peter.

Never heard of it or seen it, and that's with tens of thousands of rounds fired in numerous handguns using gas checked bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
What about the risk of the gas check coming off in the barrel. Anyone ever heard of this?
Peter.

No, but I have found them on the ground at the range where I shoot.

Gas checks will not come off in the barrel but you also do NOT want them to come off in front of the gun either. They must be a tight fit to the boolit and stay on to the target.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
What about the risk of the gas check coming off in the barrel. Anyone ever heard of this?
Peter.

With the gas checked seated on the base of the bullet on top of the powder charge. when the cartridge is fired the gases push on the the gas check and pushes the bullet at high presure down and through the barrel.. No way for the gas check to come off in the barrel

thats cool. What do you use for the check?

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:

Here it is Lloyd. I call it my half jacket. It also works fine with a PB boolit.

I made a plate with a depression the gas check fits into. There is a hole through the plate and a punch that fits perfectly will punch the center of the check out.
Then I put the check in the mold and cast a boolit through it.
I will take a picture later.