I have a 454, reading now that 475 or 480 Ruger is "better"

[jwp475]

Lloyd is correct the500 Linebaugh is designed to run in the mid 30,000 PSI range of pressure and this is where Hogdon list top end pressure.

[jwp475]

I am not sure that anyone is making 500 Linebaugh cases from hard to find 348 cases any longer since is is much simplier and less expensive to simply purchase 500 Linebaugh cases

[44man]

I found a few boolits that WILL NOT FIT the Linebaugh, they are for the .50 Alaskan.
I sized them to .501" and seated one in a .500 JRH case. IT WILL CHAMBER with a slight rub on the brass, no pressure needed to stick it in the chamber.
These weigh 555 gr.
There IS a difference in brass thickness but overall, the Linebaugh might have more capacity.
I am correct that JRH brass can take longer boolits then the Linebaugh.
A stupid boolit that is too heavy anyway.

[subsonic]

Jim, can you mail me one of those? And/or measure the length from the crimp groove to the base?

Also measure OAL of the boolit?

Is that a Starline brand .500JRH?

[High Desert Hunter]

I'll be sticking with the 45 Colt and 454 Casull, they flat work, and have never let me down. This reminds me of the old 300 vs 338 argument, personally never saw a nickels worth of difference between the 2 when elk hunting. Shot placement is what makes the kill, bullet construction plays a large part as well. I guess I feel that a cartridge that has reliably taken every big game animal there is to hunt multiple times has room in my stable, I doubt I'll ever hunt elephant, but if i do, I know I have a cartridge and gun that will get it done.

[44man]

Nobody will use these huge boolits so it is a mute point. Stay with what is best and there is no difference except cost. I brought it up in case someone wanted to go too large. Stay at around 440 gr.
From what I measured, the Linebaugh brass is stronger then JRH brass. It thickens faster and down at the web it is thicker then .500 S&W or JRH brass. I need more brass to be sure and have to section it. I really need some Linebaugh brass.
Yet, it is still cost differences. Nothing wrong with either caliber.

[44man]

Jim, can you mail me one of those? And/or measure the length from the crimp groove to the base? Is that a Starline brand .500JRH?

Yes, Starline but I don't think you want to fool with this boolit. It is the very edge of stupid. From the groove to base is .700".
I loaded a few for Whitworths Linebaugh and you would need a sledge to get them in the gun. The brass had twice the boolit base bulge.
I made the mold for his Alaskan but wanted to see if it would fit the linebaugh.

[jwp475]

The 500 Linebaugh will easily handle the 525 grain WLFN by Cast Performance. The 500 JRH will not take a bullet laonger than about 440 grains without bulging the case and that is with Starline brass. Jack Huntington explored this completely when Starline made the brass for him

[44man]

The 500 Linebaugh will easily handle the 525 grain WLFN by Cast Performance. The 500 JRH will not take a bullet laonger than about 440 grains without bulging the case and that is with Starline brass. Jack Huntington explored this completely when Starline made the brass for him

Then How do I chamber a 555 gr boolit?

[jwp475]

Then How do I chamber a 555 gr boolit?

I am not there. I know that you are the only one that makes such claims. Jack wanted to comercial load a heavier bullet bullet the cases would not allow it. Subsonic has had the same problem

[subsonic]

If you load to 1.850" for a long cylinder, like BFR or custom Ruger, you can maybe get to around 500gr, probably 490gr. The Hornady 500gr XTP will fit, but it does bulge the case slightly, per another forum member that I can't recall.

Another fellow has told me he loads heavies and then sizes the case! Not what I want to do...

Somebody else told me to turn the outside of the case with a boolit seated.

Jim, send me a 555gr and I'll play with it. If someone has a 525gr CP .510", send it and I will run it through a .501" sizer and see if it fits.

I would like to shoot something like a 525gr. The .500JRH could really excel with a little more weight to increase SD.

Of course, the 440gr aren't going to bounce off of game...

[Lloyd Smale]

thats odd as both my 500 linebaughs will chamber bullets that wont chamber in my 50ak. I even kind of helped on the design of a heavy 512 hear because of problems i had with chambering other heavys in the ak. I will add though that the linebaugh built guns do have tight chambers. both of Mine chambers much better and even shoot better with bullets sized to 511 then they do at 512. Some of your bullet seating problems may be that your just running them to fat. Bottom line like was allready touched on is that this is a silly argument. Why would you possibly need a bullet heavier then 500 grain in any of the 50s anyway. Ive seen 480s out of the AK and linebaugh shoot lengthwize through bison. If im dealing with something any harder to penetrate which leaves cape buff. elephant and dinasours i will just go buy a box of punch bullets and be done with it. I chuckle at guns with those 50 smiths loading 700 grain bullets in them. Only logical need for them would be possibly to brag to the guys at the range. If it cant be killed with a 50 cal 500 grain bullet boys, its time to break out the big long guns.

I found a few boolits that WILL NOT FIT the Linebaugh, they are for the .50 Alaskan.
I sized them to .501" and seated one in a .500 JRH case. IT WILL CHAMBER with a slight rub on the brass, no pressure needed to stick it in the chamber.
These weigh 555 gr.
There IS a difference in brass thickness but overall, the Linebaugh might have more capacity.
I am correct that JRH brass can take longer boolits then the Linebaugh.
A stupid boolit that is too heavy anyway.

[44man]

I made the mold for Whit because he wanted to try a heavy boolit, I will never use it. He has what I cast to try in his AK but I don't know if it will fit either, I never tried to load any.
I know it REALLY bulged the Linebaugh cases, much more then it does my JRH brass. My BFR has tight chambers yet it went in but I would not expect all of them to.
They would only go to the bulge in Whit's Linebaugh. I had to pull the few I loaded.
Subsonic, sizing to .501" messed up the GG's and put a fin on the base.
One day I will mill the top of the mold off so they are a better fit for his Linebaugh.
I would stay with 440 gr for the JRH, it is at the perfect velocity.
I will be making a drop test at 200 yards later this week. I will be very surprised if it drops more then 18" to 20" with a 50 yard setting. Right now I aim dead on at 50 and 100 yards, not more then an inch difference.
The big boolit has a long nose at .385". Chambered in the JRH it has .050" left to the end of the cylinder. I don't think you want to fool with it, I have only one left anyway.

[Groo]

Groo here
I have 357,41,44,45,454,475,and 500.
From what I have seen and read , if you load with a similar bullet style
and SD and to about 1200 fps they will travel the same distance in game ...
Just the holes are different...
On thin skinned game [ American] there will be little difference in effectiveness once you get past about 44 ,But if you are going for bone or heavy skin game the larger
bullets will show more effect. [there is more to act upon]
My big thing is that with a bigger bullet you have a bigger flat on the nose for more
slap and that bullet can be driven at speed with less pressure..
Also the bigger the case the less pressure and that means the kick and blast are less.

[Whitworth]

I made the mold for Whit because he wanted to try a heavy boolit, I will never use it. He has what I cast to try in his AK but I don't know if it will fit either, I never tried to load any.
I know it REALLY bulged the Linebaugh cases, much more then it does my JRH brass. My BFR has tight chambers yet it went in but I would not expect all of them to.

We never used the heavy bullet in the Linebaugh -- only the .50 Alaskan. The 460 grainer (same bullet minus a lube groove) was the one we tried in the .500 Linebaugh and only one shooting session.

[High Desert Hunter]

Hope to let you guys know how the 454 performs on Oryx/Gemsbok this fall, the hide on them is pretty thick and elastic. I have no doubt it will be an in and out.

[Lloyd Smale]

to be fair i should add that the reason my 50ak doesnt work well with the heavys is nose lenght and nose shape not bullet weight. It will run the group buy 500 lfngc real well but its the only heavy ive had work right in it. Some will chamber but are rough feeding and some just wont chamber. My 500 linebaugh does just fine with even the 540 wfn but personaly i think its a silly combination.

[44man]

We never used the heavy bullet in the Linebaugh -- only the .50 Alaskan. The 460 grainer (same bullet minus a lube groove) was the one we tried in the .500 Linebaugh and only one shooting session.

That is true but I did load a few and they did not chamber in the Linebaugh. I pulled them.
I have no idea if they will work in the AK. I do not remember if I loaded any for it. Look in the box.
If it works in you AK, I will leave the mold alone but let me know if you want me to cut it down for the LB.

[Whitworth]

That is true but I did load a few and they did not chamber in the Linebaugh. I pulled them.
I have no idea if they will work in the AK. I do not remember if I loaded any for it. Look in the box.
If it works in you AK, I will leave the mold alone but let me know if you want me to cut it down for the LB.

We never loaded the heavy/long bullet in the .500 and I never left it there. Only the light bullet. I will look to see what I have.

[44man]

We never loaded the heavy/long bullet in the .500 and I never left it there. Only the light bullet. I will look to see what I have.

Good, I will cut the mold for you if you want. I just cut one boolit in the lathe and can make it about 460 gr.