500 S&W Ruger #1

[rockrat]

Just got this back from Goodsteel. Nabbed the wood from my 416rem, as this was origionally a 375 H&H gun and it has a "C" weight barrel on it , where the gun has a "D" weight barrel on it now, and the origional wood didn't fit.

Anybody have good rifle loads they might wish to share?

[scaevola]

Cool looking rifle. I've been thinking about a rifle in .500.

I'm looking forward to reading about your experiences.

[dk17hmr]

I had a H&R 500 S&W for a while....I'm not sure why more companies don't put out 500 S&W rifles. I shot mostly h110 with a lee 440gr gas check bullet....if I recall correctly it was in the 1900fps range. I also had a 700gr load.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?48194-700gr-in-the-500-S-amp-W

Would love to have a lever action in that caliber.

[John in WYO]

John Linebaugh has a made a couple of #1s in .500 Linebaugh. They both still live in Nebraska as far as I know. They both started off as .375 H&H Rugers as I recall.
I was at his seminar in Cody two years ago and shot the first one. I have some pics I'll post when I get back to my camera.
Rockrat, yours look great.

[pkie44]

I have a 26" Encore, makes lots of horsepower in a rifle.

[rockrat]

I have a Handi also (but not for long maybe) that I remember shooting Lil Gun and the Lee 440 at teeth rattlin' levels (2300fps IIRC)

[Nobade]

I am very impressed with Tim's ability to stamp that many characters in a straight line!

As for loads, I used to shoot compressed charges of IMR4227 under the Lee boolit in my rifle. I would size it to .492" and paper patch it back up to .501". Cast from pure lead and fired at a little under 2000 fps it does amazing things to whatever it hits.

-Nobade

[No_1]

Goodsteel did a GREAT job! I did not know he was capable of rebarreling the single shot Rugers.

[rockrat]

Think this might have been his first #1 to rebarrel. I even have a round ball mould coming in for this thing!!

[MBTcustom]

This was not the first #1 Ive rebarreled.
However, it was the first one I had to profile the barrel on (from a blank to match the Ruger D profile), first one I have ever converted to 500S&W (perhaps the first one ever done?), and it was the first time i have had to recontour an existing rib for one, without removing any material from the front pad, and while maintaining proper level and relationship with the front sight, so that it will still work with hardly an adjustment to the sights (at least that's what the laser told me).
Yeah this was the first time I've had to do all that. LOL!
Matter of fact, I did one for 375Ruger last year only it was in .22 hornet.

This was a challenge as it is very difficult to get parts for Ruger rifles (like a D rib), but I have a few tricks that can give me a path to success.
Thanks for your patience Rockrat! Nobody ever accused me of being fast, but I hope the end result was worth it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Excellent looker.
Excellent job Goodsteel.
I love the idea of a 500 in a Ruger #1 or #3 (especially a #3)
I'm gonna have to start looking for a rifle with a donor receiver

[Dutch4122]

I have a .500 S&W Handi-Rifle and shoot it as a "poor man's 50-70." No rompin' stompin' loads for this kid!

My booilt of choice is the Accurate Molds 50-440N (plain based), which Tom designed for me. It was intended to be a bore riding .502" version of the Lyman 515141, and performs wonderfully in that role out of my rifle. Cast of an alloy very close to 60% clip on wheelweight and 40% pure lead with 2% tin added air cooled it weighs in at 463 grains sized and lubed.

My favorite load is 25 grains of IMR SR-4759 with the AM 50-440N. Velocity is 1269 fps (avg. 5 shots) over the chronograph. Cloverleaf accuracy at 100 yards if I do my part.

Another good load is 15-15.5 grains of Unique. Similar velocity and good accuracy; just not as good as the SR-4759 load in my rifle.

10 grains of Trail Boss under a 440 grain WFN is a fun plinking load and very accurate out to 100-125 yards from my rifle. Accuracy falls apart beyond that. Velocity was chronographed at 863 fps.

I switched to the Hornady Taper Crimp Die for the .500 S&W this year and saw a substantial improvement in accuracy. Boolits are seated so that when the action is closed the bore riding nose section lightly contacts the rifling. One lube groove is exposed above the case mouth. The taper crimp die was adjusted to lightly take the bell out of the case mouth and crimp very gently. Money well spent.


Hope this helps,

[timspawn]

That is beautiful. Great job Tim!

[bigted]

so Tim ... is the standard 45-70 barreled Ruger #1 not enough barrel to simply have it bored and rechambered to the 500 S&W ? i have always thought my Ruger #1 45-70 would be the shis nit in the 500 bore. would make a dandy BP rig i believe. cheap 50-70 and reliable if more beans were wanted in a safe rifle.

[DeanWinchester]

It being a Ruger #1, I wonder just how hard you can safely push that thing? Harder than you'd probably wanna shoot it!

[bigted]

i agree completely ... the 45-70 has full capibility of the ouch factor. just wonder if the barrel being punched out to 50 would have enough barrel steel left under the rib holes already there?

no doubt that a rechambered to 500 S&W would be in the safe factor for me as i am not a fan of very heavy recoil ... moderate is fine but i have shot some Ruger only loads thru it just to see and they are way over the top for this pilgrim.

[MBTcustom]

so Tim ... is the standard 45-70 barreled Ruger #1 not enough barrel to simply have it bored and rechambered to the 500 S&W ? i have always thought my Ruger #1 45-70 would be the shis nit in the 500 bore. would make a dandy BP rig i believe. cheap 50-70 and reliable if more beans were wanted in a safe rifle.

I wouldn't think there would be any reason not to. You would have to get an extractor for a belted magnum, and then find somebody to do the reboring (can't remember if JES goes that big) but other than that, I can't think of an issue.

Oh and I would think you could load that puppy up pretty hot, but I would not go any higher than 60,000 PSI. If you need more boom than that, get a larger case like the 50 Razorback. But honestly, if whatever you are after needs that much killin, then why not just get a double in 458 Lott, or be smarter about not getting yourself into tense situations with rampaging zombie mastodons?

[MBTcustom]

In case anybody needs a reason for converting your #1 to bigbore:
"Ruger #1 in 500 Smith and Wesson......because shooting twice is just silly"

[Gunslinger1911]

In case anybody needs a reason for converting your #1 to bigbore:
"Ruger #1 in 500 Smith and Wesson......because shooting twice is just silly"

And shooting twice hurts !

[bigted]

thanks Tim ... i agree with the bigger is better thing myself but cant see a reason to go with much over BP preassures and speed. i have always been a fan of 50 in anything since i built and shot my first frontstuffer in a CVA hawkin package.

shouldnt be that hard to get a 375 H&H or 458 winmag extractor but is that needed with a existing 45-70 extractor? also Jes reboring lists the 50-70 as well as other 50's as an option so guess he would be as good a choice as i can think of. also i am now living in his back yard so a visit would be called for.

hope i didnt hijack this thread !!! ...