hello!i am searching for loads with lead bullets and bullseye powder can anyone help me?

Berndb, I don't want to dump on you, but why in heavens name would you want to use Bullseye? That is a very fast powder. There are plenty of others that would do you very well with cast bullets.
Peter

I've burned some of the faster powders in my 475 short aka 480 ruger, and it works well, but never something as fast as bullseye. I'd say Unique and similar powders are outstanding for 300-400 gr cast bullets in the 700-1000 fps range, although the 400's need to be kept in the 700 fps range with those powders.

I have been meaning to try bullseye with my 275 gr swc, but haven't had a chance. It would likely be a good powder for very light bullets and round balls, but simply too fast for any other use.

I HAVE to dump on you! Why buy a Linebaugh and shoot pipsqueek loads? Shoot the gun for what it was made for and shoot a .38 for the pipsqueek crap. If the .475 is too much for you, why did you buy it? It is for hunting, not plinking and should be shot heavy and accurately with proper loads.
Don't tell me it is to get used to the gun because as soon as you know it has a full charge in it, you are going to close your eyes and flinch big time.
It never ceases to amaze me how many guys buy a huge gun and then want to shoot tiny loads. There are too many other calibers for that.
BULLSEYE IN A .475, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ALL ABOUT?

Peter and BFR, is it at least a possibility that the guy is loading for someone else and THAT person wants the Bullseye loads? Or just maybe that he has some Bullseye he wants to get rid of, and the .475 is what he has decided to shoot it in?
And if he wants to, what business is it of ours? He didn't ask for opinions on what he wanted to do, just for information.

The man is new to the AR forums. You guys have given him a really nice welcome...

I am willing to bet that there have been numerous instances where someone here gave more advice than was asked for...and it saved the inquiring person A LOT of grief, perhaps even their life. If a person is asking a question that may be raising a flag...why not give some good advice instead of just answering what he asked? Hell, its all free and you can still do what you want. Just don't write back one-handed and inform us you did'nt listen.

Woody

It scares me to have a tiny load of bullseye in that huge case. That seems to be way out of place for the cartridge and boolit weight. I am sorry if I sounded bad but I don't like the idea. Of all the powders that can be used for a lighter load, bullseye would never be any where near what I would choose. For the heavy boolit and amount of airspace, it looks to me like an explosion behind the boolit.
I don't have the experience with bullseye some of you have so I can't argue about it. If I am wrong, I apologize. It just seems way out of place for the case and use of the gun.

Well, Bullseye is NOT the powder to use for reduced loads in the .475. I would suggest Unique, WW231, or HP-38 (all basically the same powder) or the newer Trail Boss for reduced loads.

As far as dumping goes, unless you have the truck for it; best leave it alone. Not every load I fire in my .475 or .500 is a max load. I've yet to find a deer around these parts that was/is able to stop a 400+ grain weight bullet at 1,000 fps. And these loads are accurate. If I need the extra punch, I've got the 35 ksi load data for the .500. Even John will tell you these loads are not fun.

Anyway, I strongly urge you to stay away from the Bullseye in the .475.

If you want a WONDERFUL load in the .475, use the Lee 400 gr boolit and 15 gr's of HS-6. Super accurate, lower recoil, enough power for anything and just plain pleasant to shoot.

very small amounts of fast burning powder in large cases have been known to blow handguns to pieces. The small volume of powder creates fumes inside the case so you get 2 quick explosions (the fumes then the powder charge)which spike the pressures to huge figures, thus making the gun a hand grenade. This is a fact proven by several gun powder manufacturers. This is also the same reason for making sure powders like H110 are loaded near or at their max. in bigger cases. Safe is better than sorry.

dont know but ive been shooting 3-4 grains of bulseye with a round ball for years in the 4570 for a gallery load and its never hurt a thing. Why in the 475? cause you never know when a mouse or squirel may charge you!

quote:

ive been shooting 3-4 grains of bulseye with a round ball for years in the 4570 for a gallery load and its never hurt a thing

There goes the "very small amount of fast powder in a large case" idea. I think there are just no absolutes, but I also realize that a round ball is a comparatively light projectile, and a rifle is stronger than a handgun...

I have used 1/2 a grain of Accurate #2 and a cotton pellet to shoot a 38-grain cast out of my cheap little NEF 22 K-Hornet... One hole groups at 25 yards, and all you hear is a "click". You have to break the action open and blow the cotton out!! Why couldn't you do the same thing with a fiber wad over Bullseye in the .475, assuming there is a "light for caliber" bullet available?

In the NRA handloading manual, there are directions for developing a gallery load in a .38, using a wadcutter and fast powder. The entire idea is to continue to cut the powder charge in half until you lodge a bullet in the barrel. Then you ease back up until the bullet just clears. Why couldn't you do the same thing with the .475? I know nothing about the caliber, but have to believe the cast bullets available cover a fairly wide spectrum...

bfr, you are correct about the HS-6 load. I forgot to mention that powder with the other ones.

Gallery loads are nothing new, but I personally do not shoot them often. Yes there are cases of detenation in larger handgun rounds while using small charges of fast burning powders.

Personally, I'll just stick with the more bulky powders to reduce the chance of me throwing a double charge.

I would like to hear from berndb to see what his intentions were when he requested the load data. We are all over the map here, from gallery loads to light accuracy loads.If he wants acuracy loads there are people here who could help him with that.
Peter.

I feel it has a lot to do with the size and weight of the .475 boolits. Maybe a light, round ball or a very light boolit might be OK with a fast powder and filler. I know it works for some rifle gallery loads. I don't know of anyone shooting 540 gr boolits out of a 45-70 with bullseye and I would not shoot 400 to 440 gr boolits out of a .475 with bullseye. The .475 is a serious hunting gun, not a plinker. A lighter load is OK but I would not get carried away. I still say a .38 is better for that use. Much cheaper too.
Next will be someone asking about bullseye in the 500 S&W and I will again ask WHY? What was the gun bought for? Does it scare the hell out of you? I have seen many little .44 mags for sale with two or three shots fired, too much for the guy, scared him and hurt him.
Buy a big gun, shoot it as a big gun. Afraid of it, hang it on the wall to show off! You will never get used to a big gun by making it recoil like a .22.
I have over 5000 heavy loads through my .475 now and the .44 has not been out of the safe in a year. I LOVE that big BFR because it is so accurate and powerful I don't want to shoot anything else. My friend has a Freedom and he will not bring it out anymore. He has shot it twice but won't sell it to me. I have shot it more then he has because he is afraid of it. I will never know why he bought it, he doesn't hunt.

bfrshooter,

Since you've shot them both, how do you think the BFR compares to the Freedom Arms 83 ? I realize that you may be comparing your .475 L to your friends .454 C, but what are your impressions based on quality ? Thanks...Tom

I've run some full-house 420 gr. loads through my 6 1/2" BFR but don't find them particularly pleasant to shoot. My pet deer load is a 375 gr. Montana Bullet Works LFNGC over 17 gr. of Blue Dot for 1220 fps.

berndb .... You're probably sorry you posted the question by now but I'd agree with the others on the use of Bullseye. I have, however, done very well with 9 to 10 gr. of Win 231 under 370 and 400 gr. cast bullets for 900 to 1000 fps. Just be carefull not to double charge.

I have the BFR .475 Linebaugh and my friend has the Freedom .475 Linebaugh. The Freedom is beautiful, tight as a drum but has the wrong twist for heavy boolits. The cylinder is too short for any long boolit and the Lee 400 gr just barely fits. Most of my other boolits stick out the front and tie up the gun. The Freedom is not accurate past 325 to 350 gr boolits. The twist is 1 in 18, the BFR is 1 in 15. The BFR loves boolits from 400 to 440 gr's.
It is not as pretty as the Freedom but will outshoot it every time. From sandbags, I recently put five of my 411 gr WFN boolits in 5/8" at 50 yd's. I have no problem centering a pop can at 100 yd's. I hit an 8" steel swinger 4 out of 5 shots at 400 yd's. I use a red dot because I hunt with it and it will shoot circles around my friends Freedom with a high quality scope.
I also have the BFR 45-70 and just shot a 9/16" group at 50 yd's. I have kept it on steel at 500 meters.
My friend also has the Freedom .357 and another friend has the .454, both are scoped and I was very disappointed in both as far as accuracy. The .357 REALLY shoots bad.
When I talk accuracy, I want at least 1" and maybe much less at 50 yd's. I have Ruger's that will do it (I shot 5 in 1-1/4" at 100 yd's with my old SBH and a boolit from my home made mold.) and I was expecting one hole with the Freedoms but I have not seen one yet that will shoot tight.
I hunted less then three hours this season and dropped a deer in it's tracks at 40 yd's with the .475 and centered the shoulder on another with the 45-70. That is what is important to me! My boolits go where aimed. There is no excuse to make as beautiful a gun as the Freedom and it won't shoot to my standards.

Someone else's opinion below. (Notice HE has no trouble getting the heavy bullets to fit...)

Link: http://www.gunblast.com/Freedom_83-475.htm


Freedom Arms Premier Grade .475 Linebaugh


by Jeff Quinn

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

July 16th, 2004





It has been almost twenty years since John Linebaugh developed the .475 Linebaugh cartridge. His experimentation has led shooters to levels of revolver power that, until that time, had been limited to pushing smaller and lighter bullets of .44 and .45 caliber to faster velocities. Linebaugh understood that greater power meant deeper penetration with heavier bullets, and that the best way to get bullets heavier was to increase diameter. The .475 was never intended to be a ".475 Swift", pushing lightweight bullets to rifle-like velocities. With properly constructed bullets weighing between 350 and 425 grains pushed to muzzle velocities of between 1000 and 1400 feet per second, the .475 Linebaugh will penetrate deeply enough to take any game animal on Earth. The .475 is not the best platform to push light hollowpoint bullets for varmint hunting. A .357, .41, or .44 magnum is a better choice for that type of hunting. The .475 is a whole different ball game. Its forte lies in its ability to pack a heavy punch in an easily packable sidearm; a sidearm that is light enough to have on your side anytime that you might need maximum stopping power. Whether you need a handy firearm while hunting or fishing in big bear country, or for working large cattle, the .475 is ideal to fit in a compact package.

When first introduced, and for several years thereafter, the .475 was a wildcat cartridge. Cases were easily made from .45/70 rifle cases, cut off to about 1.41 inches, and loaded as normal. Today, quality factory ammunition is readily available from Buffalo Bore, Grizzly Cartridge Co., and Hornady. New empty cases are available from Buffalo Bore and Hornady, and are of the finest quality. I used Buffalo Bore cases exclusively for all handloads tested. These cases are made for Buffalo Bore by Starline, but are available only through Buffalo Bore. The best powders for heavy loads in the .475 are H110, WW296, H4227, and Lil’Gun.

Perhaps the best handgun made to harness the .475’s power in a compact package is the Freedom Arms Model 83, which is the subject of this article. As our readers know, we have tested several Freedom Arms revolvers, and published the evaluations here on Gunblast. There is nothing significantly different about this particular Freedom gun, except the caliber. As I have found with the other several Freedom revolvers that I have fired, this one is strong, reliable, and very accurate. It is the best fitted and finished production revolver on the planet. Its performance is exceptional. About the only difference between this Freedom and the others that I have tested, aside from the chambering, is the express style sights. They are very quick to pick up on target, and are great for hunting, but I prefer a Patridge style for target work. For a handgun chambered for such a powerful cartridge, the Model 83 is relatively light and compact, weighing only 47.8 ounces unloaded. However, even though the .475 has substantial recoil, the shape of the Freedom grip handles it well, and it is not painful to shoot. As can be seen in the photo, the .475 Freedom 83 is very accurate, placing five shots into three-eighths of an inch at twenty-five yards from a steady rest. The crisp trigger pull helped in shooting good groups, measuring three pounds and two ounces. Most of the accuracy testing was done using my handloads of a Cast Performance 370 grain flat point bullet at a speed of just over 1050 feet per second. Heavily loaded factory ammo from Buffalo Bore and Grizzly was also very accurate, but harder to shoot comfortably from a bench rest. With the heaviest loads, it is best to fire them offhand, and just ride with the recoil.

You can tell from the pictures better than I can explain, that this Freedom .475 is a beautiful, compact, and handy revolver. This is one of the most tightly fitted revolvers that I have ever seen, even from Freedom Arms. My .001" feeler gauge would not fit between the barrel and cylinder, yet no binding at all was experienced during the extensive testing. All ammunition tested functioned perfectly in the Model 83. Fired cases, even from the heaviest loads, extracted easily from the chambers. Factory ammo from Grizzly, Hornady, and Buffalo Bore performed as advertised. Velocities listed on their respective boxes were within a few feet per second of those recorded from the four and three-quarter inch barrel of the Model 83, and all loads tested were, as expected, very accurate as well. With these three different sources, new factory ammo can be had using premium quality hard cast bullets with velocities from about 950 feet per second (fps), all the way up to 425 grain bullets loaded to over 1300 fps, along with a couple of jacketed hollowpoint loadings. The selection is great, especially for such a specialized, high performance handgun cartridge.

The .475 Linebaugh is, for now at least, probably the best chambering available for the most power in such a compact package. It is an excellent compromise between the velocity of the .454 Casull and the bullet weight and diameter of the .500 Linebaugh. The .475 is also shorter than the .500 S&W and .50 Beowulf, allowing it to be chambered in the superb Freedom Arms revolver. The .475 Linebaugh also seems to be an inherently accurate cartridge. The .Freedom Arms Model 83 chambered for the .475 Linebaugh is arguably the perfect combination for serious handgun hunters who pursue the largest and most dangerous game on Earth, or for those who simply have a desire to own the very best.

Check out the Freedom Arms revolvers online at: www.freedomarms.com.

Nor do I, but some cast bullets are better suited for the shorter cylinders of the FAs than others. I can and do load the 400 grain Lee bullet in my FA, but I have to watch the OAL more closely than I do with other cast bullets.

Hitman, I have the 654 Silhouette, and there is one projectile that require me to trim .015" off the case in order to use the crimp groove. It happens to be a mould that I had custom cut, so it is kind of my own fault.

But I would hasten to add that I can load and shoot the NEI 411 275 out of my 654 w/o any case "shaving". It shoots very well with the 1 in 14" twist, and gives me 1800 fps @ the muzzle...

Doubless, you surely have noticed he stated properly made bullets! Also most of his work was done with a light boolit.
Did you also notice the group size he got---AT 25 YD'S? My worst load in any handgun can do that. Why does he shy away from 50 to 400 yd's?
I have no fault with Freedom's workmanship or the beauty of their guns and I would love to have several. I have a fault with their idea of what a big bore should be. Wrong twist and gun size for the calibers. Sorry but you can't convince me they know what they are doing. They are stuck on themselves and charge outrages prices for looks instead of versatile performance.
To fit 80% of .475 boolits, you either have to shorten brass or seat the boolits deeper, Might just as well buy a .480!
You are welcome to come and shoot against me and my cheap, ugly BFR's and Ruger's. Bring some 420 to 440 gr loads for your Freedom.

Yeah, I saw it... I understand that to mean the bullet should be properly designed, nothing more...

Read Freedom Arms' instruction manual, and you will see they specifically direct you to shoot factory ammunition only. Having said that, is it safe to assume their cylinders are cut to fit factory offerings only? I suspect so, and the chambers are cut to precisely the length they need to be, and not any longer, because the oversized cylinder is heavy. Making it longer adds weight...

And I suspect that some of your own designs are long because they are heavy... So they wouldn't fit the FA. Am I right?

Now; having said all that, go to the Freedom Arms website, get their phone number and call Bob Baker and company. Tell them they are all fouled up in their design, their cylinders are too short and their barrel twists are all wrong. End it by saying the wonderful BFR will outshoot them all day long, and you are there to correct all their troubles. I am sure they will welcome you with open arms...

First, there is no gun maker anywhere that recommends ANY handloads in their guns. That is a big NO-NO with any factory gun of any kind. Due to the liberal legal system and the threat of lawsuits because some dummy blows up his gun with the wrong load, gunmakers have to protect themselves. I don't blame them with the lawyers and judges we have in this country.
For the Freedom .475, we have tried a bunch of factory made cast boolits and most will not fit. I designed mine to fit the BFR and several will fit the Freedom but will not group because the gun just doesn't like any heavy boolit.
Most factory jacketed bullets fit because the crimp groove is high putting a lot of bullet in the case.
I have never said that I didn't like the Freedom guns. I love the workmanship and feel of them. But they are not versatile at all. Only one bullet, boolit seems to be they only way they will shoot.
I could just hear what Baker would say when I said that to him. The first thing he would tell me is that ONLY factory loads must be shot. Shoot ONE handload and the warranty is void! Yeah, you made a FUNNY there.
None of my guns have seen a factory load of any kind since I don't remember when. Do you think I would buy a Freedom to shoot factory loads? The BFR is a handloaders delight but the Freedom is a pain in the you know what!
Do you think Freedom would change their gun because I want to shoot 440 gr LBT WLNGC boolits? Get real.

I will say this, and then we can agree to disagree (again).

My .41 Mag 654 Silhouette will take any bullet design out there (including the SSK 275) with the exception of one custom mould I had cut for IHMSA. It is a 250-grain "spitzer" and I have to cut .015" off the case. If you look at trim length for a standard magnum, it is 1.280" IIRC. I have to cut mine another .005". Pretty darned close, wouldn't you say?

It is nothing personal, but you continue to say the BFR is a finer revolver than the FA. That is one man's opinion, not shared by many...

You have even said that any Smith or Ruger out of the box will outshoot an FA. That statement is irresponsible, and thousands of IHMSA shooters prove prove it every year.

I shot IHMSA for years and won Ohio state with my Ruger with 79 out of 80. I also won the state .22 with 57 out of 60 with a Ruger and no sight settings.
There has never been a S&W in the winners circle. I was able to shoot 1/2" groups with all of my S&W's at 50 meters but they are so darn grip sensitive there is no way to keep the groups in the same place.
If you read back to all of my posts you will see that I like the Freedoms and wish I had a bunch. What I have been saying all along is that they only shoot good with one or two bullets and are a nightmare if you want to shoot anything else. They do not give the freedom of using all the bullets, boolits available. They seem to take the same frame size and make all of their calibers on the one blueprint. Yes there are slight variations but they stop short of making a gun for all purposes. Their .475 has slower rifling because the gun can't fit a heavy boolit. That leaves a very small choice to pick from. The caliber does not come into it's own until 400 gr's and up. Why buy one when the .454 can handle the same weight boolits?
I won't argue about them being fine guns, they are, but I will still outshoot them with my BFR's and Rugers. The only thing I have done with out of box guns is too lighten the trigger pulls. Beauty is only skin deep!

Now, from the other side of the aisle; I have yet to encounter the very problems you are having bfr. My 10" .454 will shoot 1"to 1.5" groups at 100 yards on demand. I, apparently, am the limiting factor with this revolver. It is scoped and this is off bags, but it is also with a bullet range from 260 to 320 grains. My open-sighted 7.5" seems to be just as accurate.

My 6" .475 Linebaugh Model 83 shoots bullets ranging from 325 to 420 grains equally well. I have a measured fifty-five yard offhand head shot on a WV groundhog on film. The revolver is simply that accurate.

This revolver shoots both cast and jacketed bullets equally well. Cast bullets range from Cast Performances offerings to Lee's 400 grainer.

The only change I make is the heighth of the front sight blade. I use a .430" for the lighter weight bullets and a .480" for the heavier ones. No change to the rear sight is necessary.

Each firearm is a law unto itself. I simply have never had the problems with mine or any other FA for that matter that bfr states he has with them. Does this mean that other of us is wrong, absolutley not. We just have a different experience base. Yes, I've shot silhouettes as well; even whipped a few boys who were shooting Rugers when I was shooting a Model 29 S&W.

One must shoot properly made bullets in a FA, especially regarding the .454 Casull. Thin jacketed bullets can and do experience jacket-core seperation in the forcing cone/barrel. This does nothing for accuracy and nothing good for the firearm. Must bullet makers will state the upper velocity limit on their handgun bullets is around 1600 fps. I use only the FA brand jacketed bullets for the hottest loads as the jackets are thicker than most others.

FA has a long history of having "short" cylinders in their revolvers. Seyfried states this in some of his writings of the early 80s. The Rugers do have a longer cylinder and frame window, but revolvers, as is life, is a series of trade-offs. Want to shoot the FA, deal with having to use bullets with a shorter OAL or higher crimp groove. Can't deal with this, shoot a Ruger.

BFRs have not caught on in this part of the country. I have seen a few and handled some. Personally, I do not care for the very long cylinders used in the .45-70 chamberings. This is a personal preference and not a slur on the BFR. I have settled on FAs and Rugers and this is what I intend to shoot.

So, having said all this; let's agree to disagree and not get into a pissong contest; or else I'll have to ask DRG to set the background color of this forum to yellow.

Well said, it was never mean't to be a p%#*&^% match. I only express how I feel about the versatility. I would love to have a bunch of them but they would be special purpose guns, not everyday, load anything types.
The big problem is money being retired on a fixed income. I have to rely on friends bringing out their guns so I can handle and shoot them.
Many of you construe that I don't like Freedom guns and nothing can be farther from the truth. I only state their limitations as regards loading for them.

.475 Linebaugh light loads?
Jim Taylor over at sixgunner.com did some ultralights way back when using empty .45acp brass as bullets....no kidding!

No kidding. I've shot many of these loads. but they are not for the sqemish. Most folks cringe when I pull them out of the ammo box.