I want to deer hunt this year with my 480 ruger. If I sight in at 50 yards, do you think My trajectory should be good for a shot up to 100 yards? Or should I sight in for a different distance? I will not shoot past 100 Yrds and it will most likely be less than 75 yards because I will be hunting in the woods. I've been shooting 325 gr copper plated HP bullets between 1000-1200 fps. Would you stick with this weight or go to a 400 gr bullet for deer hunting with a .475?

How far can you accurately shoot? That's the distance you sight in for.

Agree with 475Guy1 -- I will rarely take a shot past 50 yards because I just don't see that well. Obviously, if you have a scope that's a different story, but all of my handguns have open sights. I know I sound like a broken record, but to take advantage of the .480's diameter, I would load it with heavier bullets in the 400 grain range. Now, some here will say that for deer it's not necessary, but I find the load that works the best and I use it pretty much for everything.......Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox now.

If you reload try the Cast performance 375 grain copper gas checked bullets in your 480 Ruger. Back it up with the maximum safe load of H110 and you will have a great load. Here is the web site www.castperformance.com. You can get some of their bullets through Midway.

I have my 480 zeroed at 50 yards. I shoot open sights. I have not gotten used to scopes on handguns yet. It will shoot 100 yards all day with that bullet and load.

I found shooting heavy bullets in the 480 to be more comfortable. The recoil is not as snappy as it is with the 325 grain loads.

You're correct; 400 grain bullets are not necessary for deer. However, there is a lot to be said for shooting one load and knowing it well.

With a red dot or scope I sight about an inch high at 50 yd's. The best way is to just go to 75 yd's and you are covered at any distance to a little over 100. I used to do the same with open sights when my vision was better. I have taken quite a few deer to 100 yd's with open sights and red dots but I am used to shooting long range, shooting revolvers to 500 meters.
This season my distance will be reduced because I have so many heavy weight boolits I am testing that I don't know the trajectory of all of them yet. Find an accurate load and shoot it everywhere, not just close range, so you learn what it does. It will be up to you how far you are able to hit as to how far you can hunt.
All of my shots are off hand. If you use sticks or a rest you can extend your distance. More important is practice, practice, practice!

well, now I can keep my shots on a paper plate at 50 yards resting my arms on something. I will definately practice way more, and off hand. I'm using open sites and hav no plans to put a scopr on this pistol

You are good to go. I have to use the red dot because I can't see the durned sights or scope crosshairs in the morning or evening anymore. They are hard to shoot groups with but my last group from my BFR 45-70 was 3/8" at 50 yd's, from bags. Just need to get used to them. I wish I could still use the open sights but I will be 70 in December.
Your eyes are connected to your Johnson and both go at the same rate!!!!

I have only hunted with my .357 mag GP100. Still, I think the principal bears talking about.

My GP100 has a Bushnell Holosight on it. 2" above bore axis.

When I sighed at 50 yards I found that my zero was pretty much +/- 1" from 25-75 yards, and -2" from 0-25 yards. To me this meant that I was basically operating on a 75 yard point blank range.

With a .357 it's rather silly to think it's got much effective killing power beyond 75 yards (and really closer to 50 yards). Still, the trajectory was the telling note: that bullet fell like a stone from 75 yards on. Bullet drop limited the effectiveness of the round more than anything else.

IMO, without checking balistics, I'd bet that a 50 yard zero will give you similar 75 yard +/- balistics I had with my .357.

Final note: with the red-dot I was pulling 6-shot 1" rested groups with a 180 gr. Cast Performance gas checked bullet at 1350 fps using a whole lot of 2400 powder. (I tried H110 and simply got better results with 2400 in my GP100).

1" 50yard accuracy.

With that exact load and accuracy I'd have been willing to drop a deer or hog at 50 yards.

A .480 is gonna do some damage - I want one!

2400 is the powder for the .357 mag, seems you just can't enough H-110 in a 357 to make it do it's thing.

If you use a .511 422 grain Lyman SWC at 1300 fps, used in the 500 Linebaugh, you get your best zero at 57 yards with a maximum PBR of 125 yards. This is with no more than 3" +/- and a sight height of 0.8". As has been mentioned, the distance you can keep the bullet on a six inch circle is your maximum, from what ever position you can use in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
You are good to go. I have to use the red dot because I can't see the durned sights or scope crosshairs in the morning or evening anymore. They are hard to shoot groups with but my last group from my BFR 45-70 was 3/8" at 50 yd's, from bags. Just need to get used to them. I wish I could still use the open sights but I will be 70 in December.
Your eyes are connected to your Johnson and both go at the same rate!!!!

Have you tried going to a good eye Doctor? I'm going on 68 with no problems just need glasses and a dose of Viagra once in awhile.

I sighted my SRH 454 at 25 yards off of a bench, and have no problems with gongs at 50 yards with this sight in


I figure I picked up the pistol for hunting because it gives me another reason to get closer to game, just like my bow and muzzleloader. I have a Nikon pistol scope for the SRH but I think I like it open sight