Need advice on my .475 Linebaugh

[Doggonekid]

I have done research on my gun on this form and can't find the info I need. I have a Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh mod 83 with a 7.5" bbl. I have shot 350 boolits from Dave at Montana Bullet Works. I have shot his 400 gr WFN GC and they work well in my gun. I bought a Lee 2 cavity mold and a RCBS sizer die at .476. The cartridge is too wide to fit in my gun. I would have to full length size them back through my press to make them fit. I don't know what that would do to my pressure in my gun. I decided to order a mold from LBT as far I can tell the same boolit mold Dave uses at MBW. I have slugged my bbl and it checks out at .475 just like I expected it to do from FA. Dave told me he has a FA mod 83 same caliber and he sizes to .475 to fit his gun. I have called RCBS about a custom .475 die and they want a arm and a leg for it. They make .474 & .476 std. If you want the .475 it is a custom order. I am sold on getting the LBT mold but confused on the sizer die. Could someone give me some advice.

I hear people honing out .474 to .475. I would like to get one all ready made.

[truckboss]

You have a 2500 dollar gun and one die is gonna break the bank?:veryconfuJust kidding,email buckshot he has what you want.

[Tatume]

Buckshot makes my dies and I've been pleased with every one. They are better quality than RCBS, and RCBS is good. They are inexpensive. I'll forward his PM to me so you can see for yourself.

[Tatume]

PM Sent.

[Lloyd Smale]

Mine was real tight too. I even sent it back and they supposedly opened up the chamber a bit but it still was very tightly chambered. Mine would take 476 bullets after the work but you had to really push them in. A cheaper route for you might be to have lee cut a 475 sizer die and lube size your bullets in your 476 die and then run them through the lee die afterward. I wouldn't be beyond trying that 474 either. My 500 linebaugh that normally would take a 512 bullet dose its best with 511 and does real well with 510 too.
I have done research on my gun on this form and can't find the info I need. I have a Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh mod 83 with a 7.5" bbl. I have shot 350 boolits from Dave at Montana Bullet Works. I have shot his 400 gr WFN GC and they work well in my gun. I bought a Lee 2 cavity mold and a RCBS sizer die at .476. The cartridge is too wide to fit in my gun. I would have to full length size them back through my press to make them fit. I don't know what that would do to my pressure in my gun. I decided to order a mold from LBT as far I can tell the same boolit mold Dave uses at MBW. I have slugged my bbl and it checks out at .475 just like I expected it to do from FA. Dave told me he has a FA mod 83 same caliber and he sizes to .475 to fit his gun. I have called RCBS about a custom .475 die and they want a arm and a leg for it. They make .474 & .476 std. If you want the .475 it is a custom order. I am sold on getting the LBT mold but confused on the sizer die. Could someone give me some advice.

I hear people honing out .474 to .475. I would like to get one all ready made.

[white eagle]

as the others have said Buckshot is the Man for you

[44man]

Buckshot is the man! But it is strange about the chambers, two Freedom .475's I had here both took my .476" boolits in stride.
Make sure you are not over crimping and bulging brass.

[dubber123]

Are you taper crimping after roll crimping? It requires a 4 die set. My F/A won't chamber until I lightly taper after seating and roll crimping.

[Doggonekid]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am going to figure out how to get ahold of Buckshot. Thanks for the PM. My Die set is a 3 die set from RCBS. I don't have a 4 die set. I took my deprimer out of my full length sizer die and ran the dummy round back through and that fit well. I use Lee factory crimp dies on all of my autos. Not tried it on any of my revolvers. I'm sure Buckshot can build me a sizer die that will work for me. I think I might look into the 4th die and compare the two. After all half the fun of looking for the most accurate load is doing the research and of corse the shooting.

[Lloyd Smale]

one thing Ill add about the Fa 475s I owned. Both preferred lighter bullets. 400 was the heaviest that shot well and 350s did much better. If you don't have it think about picking up the ballistic cast 350 lfnpb mold. that bullet shot hands down the best in my Fa guns and my marlin 94 conversion. My linebaugh built guns did better with 410-430 grain bullets.

[doghawg]

I use an RCBS .476" die for my BFR and have a new one in .475" also which I never use. PM if interested. Lee also makes a .476" push through and mine sizes to .4755.

[Doggonekid]

This thread died almost a month ago. Just to let you know I ordered my die from Buckshot. I put my check in the mail today.

[Doggonekid]

I just wanted to update my thread. I just got in the mail today my new custom sizer die from RCBS, it is a .474. I loaded my first dummy round to see if it would fit in my cylinder. It fits. It took me three sizer dies and 8 months. (Two custom sizer dies.) By the way, Buckshot sizer die I ordered from him looks to be exceptional quality. I liked his die. He custom made it to my specs. I don't blame him at all for it not working. I would still recommend his work very highly. Now I can get my boolits to fit my gun now I need to work up loads. That will be fun. Anyone can PM me any time if my experience could help.

[dubber123]

I did the .474 die thing too, but got nothing but leading and rotten accuracy until I figured out the need for a taper crimp. Just a slight bump through after crimping and all my .476" boolits work fine. Mine averaged 1.5" at 50 yds. with iron sights when I shot it every day. If your .474" loads aren't satisfactory, try the taper crimp. My Hornady set came with one and have been great dies. Good luck.

[cainttype]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am going to figure out how to get ahold of Buckshot. Thanks for the PM. My Die set is a 3 die set from RCBS. I don't have a 4 die set. I took my deprimer out of my full length sizer die and ran the dummy round back through and that fit well. I use Lee factory crimp dies on all of my autos. Not tried it on any of my revolvers. I'm sure Buckshot can build me a sizer die that will work for me. I think I might look into the 4th die and compare the two. After all half the fun of looking for the most accurate load is doing the research and of corse the shooting.


Running a loaded round through your sizing die can very easily size your cast down from your intended diameter. Pulling a sample and remeasuring the projectile might (probably will) prove to be useful info.
Making sure all case lengths are identical to insure consistant roll-crimps might help, but any bulge there will cause problems in a tight chamber. The suggested slight run into a good taper crimp die after roll-crimping could be a very viable solution if your problems continue.

[44man]

Watch the extra crimp dies. Make sure the boolits go through them at the top. If not, it will try to seat the boolits more as you crimp. You can lap if tight. I seat and roll crimp in the seat die at the same time for all of my guns.
I use Hornady dies and all my .475 boolits are .476". Mine have fit Freedoms with well under 1" at 50.
Watch throats on Freedoms, they should be .4765" with a .475" groove. If you try to stuff a .476" boolit in a smaller throat, it will not go in. You could have .475" throats. Time to slug everything.