Getting a new BFR tomorrow!!!!!!

[saz]

After a lot of deliberation, I have been looking for a 500JRH and the only way to get one was straight from Magnum, and it is $1050. Not gonna happen. I took my wife to this little grocery store tonight to get some fresh herbs and such, when we stopped in a fred meyer (like a walmart)on the way back home. Like I always do, I went to look through what they had at the gun counter, and there sat a 7.5" BFR in 500 S&W. I thought what the heck, let me check it out. Had some handling marks on it from being the display model, so I asked the girl if there were any more in the back. She said there was not and brought the box out with her. Well the regular price was $869, but there was a sale tag on the box that said $789- hmmm. Just then the manager appeared behind the counter and we started talking. I asked out of curiosity if he could knock some money off for the marks on the pistol, and he said he could only knock off another 10%. Now we are down to $710; and oh by the way he showed me another $30 coupon. $680 for a new BFR? Hmmmmm....... I went to find the wife and she said she was thinking of buying it for me behind my back anyways- Good girl.... They stopped selling guns at 9, but he said he would hold on to it for me until the morning.

I know I said I wanted a JRH due to the shorter cylinder, but that 7.5" with long cylinder feels really good in the hand. AND I dont have to load full house stuff in it. I figured a 440gr cast about 1200-1400 will do anything i would want to do anyways. So there it is- I'll post a pic when I bring it home. Just wanted to share with yall!

[fivegunner]

thats a great deal. your going to like your new toy . best regards Frank:guntootsmiley:

[subsonic]

Nice find. Good luck with it!

[warf73]

Great find, hope its a shooter for ya.

[Porterhouse]

That is a great deal!
For what you want, I recommend Lee 440gr for tight budget but my favorite is LBT450gr. Try SR4759 and standard primer with those bullets.

[wellfedirishman]

Great deal, you will love it, I have the same one. I shortened mine to 5.5" and love the feel of it.

I use both Lee 440 grain boolits loaded light with the tall front sight, and commercial hardcast 400 grainers with a full power charge with the standard sight. Both shoot very well.

[saz]

Got it this morning. What a beautiful revolver. These things are a work of art! Now to find some brass and a mold. I already have Lil Gun, Unique and I am thinking of trying SR-4759. Any sugguestions?

[Porterhouse]

I would stay away from Lil'gun. You can search on this site a bit but meny reported it burns really HOT! I too have experienced this and no longer use it in my 500s. You may find some unburned powder if you use SR4759 but no high pressure sign with good, if not, great accuracy.

[peter nap]

I got mine for $700.00 after a little haggling and yes, you will love it. It is built like a very large and sturdy...watch.

[saz]

I have heard the same of Lil Gun, but I have been using it a lot in my 44 mag SBH and 454 Casull in a Puma 92 levergun without any issues that others have reported. Maybe the cooler climate up here, but I just have not seen the extreme heat generated that others have reported. I think I am going to start with 4759, as I just dont need the velocity generated by lil gun, 110, 296 etc.....

[HammerMTB]

I have the same gun, and am developing loads for it. Here (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=1407415&postcount=5) are some so far....
I am working on saboted .45 j-words, and some 320 gr Lee REAL muzzlestuffer loads as well.

[DanWalker]

AWESOME!!! You're gonna love it!

[parisite]

Congrats on your BFR purchase! You asked for powder suggestions, My two favorite in the 500 are IMR 4227 and Accurate 4100. Both burn clean and are powerful and accurate and neither need a magnum primer.

[44man]

I have a lot of experience with 4759 in the BFR 45-70. It really is the best for the shorter barrels. It has burned so clean there is hardly no carbon in the bore and cases do not even need cleaned.
Look for loads and try it. Just do not download below a starting load because it can fail to light.

[saz]

44man,
thanks for the info. I didnt realize 4759 was density sensitive- thanks for the heads up. How sensitive is it- like 110/296- do not go below 10% of max? I am looking for a post for the 500 and 4759 I believe was by john ross about where to start with it and a 440 gr boolit. I have not found a whole lot of info so far, but I have been pretty busy these days. I cant wait to get this thing out to the range. I hope it shoots as well as all the others I have been reading about.

[Trey45]

Congrats on the new 6 gun! Those BFR's have long held great interest for me, maybe one day I'll take the BFR plunge too. Let us know how it shoots.

[44man]

44man,
thanks for the info. I didnt realize 4759 was density sensitive- thanks for the heads up. How sensitive is it- like 110/296- do not go below 10% of max? I am looking for a post for the 500 and 4759 I believe was by john ross about where to start with it and a 440 gr boolit. I have not found a whole lot of info so far, but I have been pretty busy these days. I cant wait to get this thing out to the range. I hope it shoots as well as all the others I have been reading about.
Not as bad as H110 or 296 but yes, it can fail to light and I think most powders are the same. I went to 28 gr with a 420 gr boolit in the 45-70 that stuck several boolits in the bore. 28.5 was fine. To find the whole powder charge behind a boolit in the bore is funny.

[saz]

I am usually very cautious about going with a light charge of anything. I have had a couple of stuck boolits and they are no fun to get unstuck at the range. I will pay attention- always do. Thanks again!

[Whiterabbit]

Dunno if 500 loads like 460, but my favorite lower velocity powders are trail boss and #9. I've had really good luck with #9 running very very reduced loads. Lee 2nd says I can go to 50% of max using #9, I've only tried around 60% or so. They shot very light still, very tame, and very accurate. A buddy with the S&W revolver and a better shooter than me claims all these loads were 1 hole groups, from 60-90% max, give or take. That's pretty amazing to me (I'm not nearly that good a shot).

We've only run load development so far, so about 120 rounds total, and we used magnum primers as insurance against ignition issues. But NO issues, ignition or accuracy.

[ole 5 hole group]

Also be aware that AA1680 must be a compressed load. If you go below minimum in the 500 SW case you better have a wood dowel rod and leather mallet handy, as that powder needs pressure to perform.

The minimum in the 500SW with a 440 grain cast bullet is 38.7 grains of AA1680 but 40.0 grains is better yet.

[Whiterabbit]

Oh, right, pressure, forgot about that. That was our second insurance policy against squibs, a heavy crimp as a feeble attempt to raise internal pressure during ignition.

It all might work as well as my elephant repellent I keep handy in the garage at all times. Just in case. But it's what we decided to do. After all, the internet told us to.

[Frank]

Oh, right, pressure, forgot about that. That was our second insurance policy against squibs, a heavy crimp as a feeble attempt to raise internal pressure during ignition.
I need to go to a faster powder in the BFR. There is a small margin of window with W296 and sticky cases. But which one? It does good, but maybe can do better. Another project. :popcorn:

[saz]

The pictures I said I would post. Finally got a few minutes and cleaned it up. These revolvers are a real thing of beauty.


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_82574e9aaa0d4c4b9.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2423)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_82574e9aaa2ae17c4.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2424)

I rounded up 100 pieces of starline brass, a set of lee dies and a lee 440gr mold. So far no sizing die, gas checks or IMR 4759 but I am DYING to shoot this thing. I cast up a bunch of boolits today and lubed them with rec-lox, and I am going to see how they fare with trail boss, and unique. I have had good luck with GC boolits with no GC. We shall see how this works.

I would love to find a plain base mold to try, as I am not planning on running over 1400fps with this thing. Maybe removing the GC shank on the Lee mold?

[HammerMTB]

These revolvers are a real thing of beauty.


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_82574e9aaa0d4c4b9.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2423)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_82574e9aaa2ae17c4.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2424)


I would love to find a plain base mold to try, as I am not planning on running over 1400fps with this thing. Maybe removing the GC shank on the Lee mold?

I've been shooting the Lee w/o GC. So far so good. I did manage to scare up a couple hunnert GCs so I can shoot warmer loads. At $20 a mold, I may remove the GC shank, or maybe start with the shank of 1 in the mold I have.
15 of Unique was ~1250, to give ya a starting place. 10 of Unique was sub 1000FPS, and had wild ES, so I quit it, as I don't think there is enough pressure to light the powder well.
I'm also casting 50 cal 320 REAL boolits, and running them thru the sizer. They show promise, and recoil is very light.
I had originally thought I'd keep the open sights so it'd look more like a sixgun. My eyes said no you won't. So the scope will be here next week. Lobbing 1 oz slugs a few hunnert yards with a SA pistol sounds like fun!

[HammerMTB]

I need to go to a faster powder in the BFR. There is a small margin of window with W296 and sticky cases. But which one? It does good, but maybe can do better. Another project. :popcorn:

I used AA#9 with good results. Faster than WW296/H10, and can be reduced significantly without poor results.

[Frank]

HammerMTB:

I used AA#9 with good results. Faster than WW296/H10, and can be reduced significantly without poor results.
Thanks. :Fire:

[saz]

Anyone used SR-4759 in the 500? I have read a little on it and 44man has had very good luck with it in the 45/70 BFR. John Ross also holds it in high regard also. Just looking for a little more first hand info.