You know the Ruger .44 mag bolt s/s rifles, they look kind of like there .22 mag varients, how would that action/rifle go chambered in some of these new hot handgun offerings such as .454 Casaull, .480 Ruger or .500 Linebaugh ??

I reckon if it could be done you would have a very hardhitting rifle in a compact package.

PC - I've got such a Ruger rifle in .44 Mag. and frankly am not terribly impressed with it from an accuracy standpoint. 50 yds off bench with scope, it will shoot about 1.5 inch with jacketed ammo. With cast bullets this spreads out to twice that group size.

But these considerations aside, I'm not sure how the clip would modify and perform. It's rather a cranky clip mechanism to start with. You might jolly well end up with a poor shooting single shot.

Probably your time and money might be spent on something else. JMHO. Regards

I was just thinking if Ruger would do it and make the appropriate clip how do you think it would go/sell??

I reckon people would jump on it, would the action handle it.

If Ruger would build the Deerfield seimauto carbine in 480 Ruger I would buy one. With a folding stock that would be a nice truck gun-sort of like Jeff Cooper's "thumper"

Bob Mehaffey,

I have read quite a bit of Col. Cooper's but have only seen reference to "Thumper", but no description. Please, elaborate.

I would agree with you suggestion of the .480 Ruger and add the .445 Supermag as a candidate. The Linebaughs are too narrow market for a major manufacturer to consider, and the .454 Cassull is loaded to higher pressures than I would trust in this action.

A little bolt powerhouse like this would be very handy.

Fireplug

Yeah I would be happy with the .480 Ruger, what about the .50 AE would that be low enough pressure wise to work??

PC,
Yeah I would be happy with the .480 Ruger, what about the .50 AE would that be low enough pressure wise to work??[/QUOTE]

The .480 as higher woking pressure than the .50 AE. In the Hodgdon manual a 405gr in .480 Ruger reach 45000 PSI with 21.7 H4227. A .500 Linebaugh reach 32400 PSI with 400 gr bullet and with 33 gr H4227. A .50 AE works with about 30-33000 PSI with a 325 gr bullet with powder like H110.

IMHO the .50 AE will be the best Big Bore cartridge to put in a Lever. But it is a rimless cartridge so lot of people doesn't care about it.

i'm hoping and praying mr. ruger chambers that 480 in the deerlayer auto. i have a .44 deerslayer for 35 yrs. and it make's the best dog'n gun made, and have a few moose and deer to show for it.

I know your talking Rugers but if an auto is what you are looking for I shoot a 50ae upper on an AR that was quite accurate,distibuted by hesse arms=CJ

Fireplug, In Cooper's book "To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth" there is a chapter dedicated to the "thumper." He is discribing the ideal Infantry individual weapon. He states the caliber should be 44 automag or similiar, short bbl, semiauto, folding stock, ghost ring and post sights. Seems reasonable to me. I think it would make a good truck gun.

The 480 shares the same rim dia as the 45 colt, so it seems like a fairly straightforward job.

The bugger will be the magazene, I'm not sure that the rotary magazene can handle the increased dia of the 454 and 480 cases.

I would certainly like a rifle variant to go with my 480 revolver. I'd even be happy if they brought out the #1 rifle in 480, with the same barrel contour as the 45-70.

Could a good gun smith just make a whole new magazine to suit ??

Bob Mehaffey,

Thanks for the information, and a new reason to read more Cooper. He is a crusty character, but is nearly always right on where anything that shoots is concerned.

His thumper sounds like the M1 carbine paratrooper's big brother. and would be great for the intended purpose. I think that this thread is on the mark though for game or truck gun status in looking to the newer super handgun rounds.

Fireplug

Find yourself a Winchester 94 Big Bore that was chambered in either 375 Win, 307 Win or 356 Win. These rifles were made to function in the 52,000 CUP range. Have it rebarreled to either 454 or 480 Ruger. Might have to change the tube magazine if you went with the 480. The rim size of the 375, 307 and 356 Winchester is .506, so the bolt face would have to be opened a little for the 454.

That is not a bad idea Allen, you see them here for not to much doe in Oz sometimes.