475 Linebaugh - Help me get started

[snowwolfe]

Just ordered a Freedom Arms Premier 475 Linebaugh and need suggestions as far as molds go.
Never cast for this caliber before and need some sizing help as well.
Gas checked or not? 380 grain boolit or so would be fine by me.

[dubber123]

Just to get rolling, the LEE 400 gr. is hard to beat. Other than the fact I have never been able to get full velocity without leading, it's just plain hard to beat period. It shoots very well from my F/A at all velocities. When ordering molds, remember the shorter nose length of the F/A guns. I size at .476", and no more. The chambers on mine are tight enough that a fatter boolit won't chamber. I had to get an undersize sizing die, and hone it out, as I found 2 others I bought sized over .476" despite what was stamped on them. Have fun. Oh, make sure to get a 4 die set with a taper crimp. I use Hornady dies, and need the taper to lightly iron out the little bulge the roll crimp leaves, or once again, they won't chamber.

[44man]

The Lee .400 is a good boolit. Just seat to the very top of the crimp groove.
You do not need a GC in the .475. I use water dropped WW metal at 1362 fps.
The Freedom has shown a preference for 400 gr and under because of twist rate. We had some 350 gr boolits punch 5 shots into 1/2" at 50 yards.
You CAN shoot heavier but might need to jack them up some.
15 gr of HS-6 works with the Lee 400 too for a lighter recoil, still shows good accuracy.

[lbaize3]

I shoot the .475's little brother, the 480 Ruger. I can get about 1200fps with a store bought 412 grain lead boolit. Wow, that thing will penetrate.... I would suggest the 400 grain boolit and AA#9 powder. Enjoy....

[Lefty SRH]

I shoot this boolit out of my .480 Ruger but I don't see why it wouldn't work out of the BIGGER brother .475L
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=48-420S-D.png

[Lefty SRH]

I also like this one but need to wait til my .480 comes home before I buy another mold.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=48-400F-D.png

[mellonhead]

I have a 6" FA in 475 also. You will have to trim brass to use the LEE mold. You will need a mold that has a .375 or less nose length. I use HS6 in mine almost exclusively. 14-15 grains of it under a 400 grain bullet will take anything I care to hunt.

Toby

[dubber123]

I have a 6" FA in 475 also. You will have to trim brass to use the LEE mold. You will need a mold that has a .375 or less nose length. I use HS6 in mine almost exclusively. 14-15 grains of it under a 400 grain bullet will take anything I care to hunt.

Toby

Thats odd, I've never trimmed any of my brass, ever. I wonder if you got a long batch of brass?

[snowwolfe]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have a rather large supply of Lyman #2 alloy with no immediate use for it. How would it work with the Lee mold and the Freedom Arms?

Also, would like to try the rubber style girps but they are not listed on Pachmayrs site. Any suggestions on where to buy them?

[Whitworth]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have a rather large supply of Lyman #2 alloy with no immediate use for it. How would it work with the Lee mold and the Freedom Arms?

Also, would like to try the rubber style girps but they are not listed on Pachmayrs site. Any suggestions on where to buy them?

I think FA sells them.

[snowwolfe]

Nope, they have been discontinued. Even the field grades do not come with them now.

[Whitworth]

Nope, they have been discontinued. Even the field grades do not come with them now.

Do you really feel you'll need them? The FA 83 has an outstanding grip frame.

[dubber123]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have a rather large supply of Lyman #2 alloy with no immediate use for it. How would it work with the Lee mold and the Freedom Arms?

Also, would like to try the rubber style girps but they are not listed on Pachmayrs site. Any suggestions on where to buy them?

I have a set if you can't find any... I'd love to swap you for your ugly, stock wood ones that will come on your gun... ;)

[jwp475]

The Freedom has shown a preference for 400 gr and under because of twist rate. We had some 350 gr boolits punch 5 shots into 1/2" at 50 yards.
You CAN shoot heavier but might need to jack them up some.



This is simply not true. Freedom uses a 1 in 18 twist which is the same twist that Linebaugh, Bowen, Clements, Huntington, Horton, Stroh, RUGER, etc uses

In fact Whitworht had a SRH in 480 Ruger that he sent to Huntington and had a 5 shot 475 Linebaugh cylinder fitted, but kept the 1 in 18 factory barrel and that gun shot 1" groups at 100 yards with bullets heavier than 400 grains

I have Fa-83's in 475 Linebaugh and have no problems with bullet heavier than 400 grains


Snowwolfe, personal I do not care for the rubber grips on a FA-83 in fact I prefer the wooden or Micarta grips

[white eagle]

there is a fine mold for sale rite now in the swap section :Fire::drinks:

[snowwolfe]

Guys,
Owned a 454 Casull before with the smooth wood grips and it was ok, beat me up a little after 20-25rounds. You are probably correct the smooth grips are better than the rubber. But we end up hunting in the rain a good deal. For the price (am guessing 20-40 bucks) just wanted to give the rubber ones a try.

[freedom475]

I am ashamed to say that I can shoot my 6"FA 475 better with the Pacs on it, especially when it is cold and snowy out (but I can't stand to look at them so I don't use them very often, and the "feel" is nothing like the fitted woody's that they come with)
I got my Pacs from FA. They have a much larger hole to accept the FA grip pin (The pin has to be moved to the other grip frame hole to change from wood to Pacs.) Sorry to hear that they no longer make them.

Wonder if you could call them and talk them out of a pair anyway...I am sure that they have a set or two laying around.

[dubber123]

You guys aren't helping out my case for swapping grips any... I'd even happily throw in some cash.. :)

[Lloyd Smale]

The 400 lee will fit but barely. It sure leaves nothing for error if theres any bullet crimp jumping. I think some of the reason theres a bit of dissagreement on whether they fit or not is that ive had lee 400 molds that were cut years ago that seem to have a bit shorter nose. It seems like when i got a couple new molds a few years ago that i had an even tighter fit. Bottom line is id never go out hunting for anything dangerous or on any hunt that cost major money with that bullet in a 475 and risk it jumping crimp and tying a gun up. theres just better choises out there. ballistic cast makes a shorter nosed 475 bullet, Ive got it as a 420 lfngc and it shoot great out of my gun. Its metplat is about half way between a lfn and wfn but it does still fly well. veral at lbt will also cut you a mold for a proper bullet for your FA. Watch the group buy section too. Maybe theyll do a rerun of the 380lfngc bullet that one shoots real well too.

[44man]

This is simply not true. Freedom uses a 1 in 18 twist which is the same twist that Linebaugh, Bowen, Clements, Huntington, Horton, Stroh, RUGER, etc uses

In fact Whitworht had a SRH in 480 Ruger that he sent to Huntington and had a 5 shot 475 Linebaugh cylinder fitted, but kept the 1 in 18 factory barrel and that gun shot 1" groups at 100 yards with bullets heavier than 400 grains

I have Fa-83's in 475 Linebaugh and have no problems with bullet heavier than 400 grains


Snowwolfe, personal I do not care for the rubber grips on a FA-83 in fact I prefer the wooden or Micarta grips
I said "preference" John. It just shoots smaller groups with 400 and under.
No, the converted SRH never shot 1" at 100. I don't remember it doing that at 50 either.
It was my boolit, my load and I shot the gun too many times. It weighs 420 gr and I call that the limit. Any heavier and they have to be seated deeper and deeper and can even reach a bulged case point where they won't chamber.
Reducing case capacity raises pressures so a boolit of 440 to 460 gr can not be shot fast enough for stability, just a mechanical fact you can't get around.
The .475 with deep seated boolits gets like the .500 Linebaugh where you can not use a longer boolit because of case thickness taper and they won't chamber.
It is MY revolver that has done 1" or less at 100.
Since some .475 cylinders are so short, there is no need for a faster twist and is why 1 in 18" is stuck with.

[jwp475]

Your blanket statement is the problem . There is nothing wrong with the twist


FA 83's cylinder is the same length as a RH and SRH, as well as the twist is the same as with every other 475L made with an 18 twist, the lone exception being the BFR. There is no preference to lighter bullets. After all John Linebaugh designed the 475 around a 420 grain bullet and he uses a 1 in 18 twist.

I have owned a since the very first year they were available and all of mine have 1 in 18 twist barrels I have taken a lot of game in that time period and never, ever has there been an indication that a 1 in 18 twist is lacking in any way shape or form


440 grain bullets shoot perfectly from a 475 1 in 128 twist barrel. I have never shot a 460 and see absolutely no reason to, but expect them to shoot well even with reduced loads

AGAIN THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TWIST

[Whitworth]

I said "preference" John. It just shoots smaller groups with 400 and under.
No, the converted SRH never shot 1" at 100. I don't remember it doing that at 50 either.
It was my boolit, my load and I shot the gun too many times. It weighs 420 gr and I call that the limit. Any heavier and they have to be seated deeper and deeper and can even reach a bulged case point where they won't chamber.
Reducing case capacity raises pressures so a boolit of 440 to 460 gr can not be shot fast enough for stability, just a mechanical fact you can't get around.
The .475 with deep seated boolits gets like the .500 Linebaugh where you can not use a longer boolit because of case thickness taper and they won't chamber.
It is MY revolver that has done 1" or less at 100.
Since some .475 cylinders are so short, there is no need for a faster twist and is why 1 in 18" is stuck with.

Actually, it did 1-inch at 50 on a number of occasions. Is it capable of 1-inch groups at 100 yards, probably with the right person on the trigger. I never shot groups at paper at 100 yards with it, but shot plenty of other targets at those ranges. I'm not a group shooter, and never claimed that as my strength (it's not!) -- I get lucky sometimes, but..... The cylinder is the same length as the FA. It was a load we developed with your bullet after burning a lot of powder. We tried your 430 grain bullet as well, if you don't recall. The fact of the matter is that the FA is the "normal" cylinder length, while the BFR is long.......:kidding:

But, it's irrelevant.

Oh, and the twist rate is the norm for a .475 -- long before Magnum Research decided to build one with a faster rate (that was what their supplier had for them).

[jwp475]

Cottonstalk now owns Whitworth's SRH in 475L and he is shooting a 420 grain hard cast downloaded to about 1100 FPS and the gun is lights out accurate. That blows (44man) your theory out of the water for sure and certain

[Groo]

Groo here
For a light load use a full case of Trail Boss...
That will get you up to the 800's or so and makes an easy load to start..
Of course a 475cal bullet of 325 gr at over 800fps will kick the snot out of most
things East of the Mississippi.

[44man]

Actually, it did 1-inch at 50 on a number of occasions. Is it capable of 1-inch groups at 100 yards, probably with the right person on the trigger. I never shot groups at paper at 100 yards with it, but shot plenty of other targets at those ranges. I'm not a group shooter, and never claimed that as my strength (it's not!) -- I get lucky sometimes, but..... The cylinder is the same length as the FA. It was a load we developed with your bullet after burning a lot of powder. We tried your 430 grain bullet as well, if you don't recall. The fact of the matter is that the FA is the "normal" cylinder length, while the BFR is long.......:kidding:

But, it's irrelevant.

Oh, and the twist rate is the norm for a .475 -- long before Magnum Research decided to build one with a faster rate (that was what their supplier had for them).
No, my 430 gr will not fit with a nose that is .010" longer then the Lee boolit.
We used almost no powder testing your gun either as it was my load, already worked up and I found the .475 load in less then 20 shots with my gun. Seems to me it also only took around 12 shots for your .500 JRH before I made one hole at 50 yards.
Ignoring twist rates, boolit length and velocity is just too common with revolver shooters.
The definition of accuracy is also up in the air.
Yes, the SRH was accurate but to really see it perform at 100 would mean a boolit a shade less then 400 gr, sorry it is a mechanical thing. I do have a large pipe wrench to wind up barrels here! :veryconfu
According to the twist premise posted for revolvers, anyone could take a .223 with a 1 in 14" twist and shoot 70 to 80 gr bullets. Now we all know it is not possible but someone will ALWAYS say it is.

[Whitworth]

No, my 430 gr will not fit with a nose that is .010" longer then the Lee boolit.
We used almost no powder testing your gun either as it was my load, already worked up and I found the .475 load in less then 20 shots with my gun. Seems to me it also only took around 12 shots for your .500 JRH before I made one hole at 50 yards.
Ignoring twist rates, boolit length and velocity is just too common with revolver shooters.
The definition of accuracy is also up in the air.
Yes, the SRH was accurate but to really see it perform at 100 would mean a boolit a shade less then 400 gr, sorry it is a mechanical thing. I do have a large pipe wrench to wind up barrels here! :veryconfu
According to the twist premise posted for revolvers, anyone could take a .223 with a 1 in 14" twist and shoot 70 to 80 gr bullets. Now we all know it is not possible but someone will ALWAYS say it is.

Your 430 fit just fine and we tested it -- I still have all of the notes and targets. There seems to be a hole in your memory. That twist rate is fine, maybe you should call Hamilton Bowen, John Linebaugh, Dustin Linebaugh, Jack Huntington, Dave Clements, Alan Harton, Jime Stroh, and any other top-shelf gun builder and tell them they have been wrong all along. Oh, and call Freedom Arms while you are at it, as I am sure they would also love to know. Do you really think these guys derived at the twist rate they used based on a roll of the dice? Come on, Jim, you need to concede on this one.

[jwp475]

No, my 430 gr will not fit with a nose that is .010" longer then the Lee boolit.
We used almost no powder testing your gun either as it was my load, already worked up and I found the .475 load in less then 20 shots with my gun. Seems to me it also only took around 12 shots for your .500 JRH before I made one hole at 50 yards.
Ignoring twist rates, boolit length and velocity is just too common with revolver shooters.
The definition of accuracy is also up in the air.
Yes, the SRH was accurate but to really see it perform at 100 would mean a boolit a shade less then 400 gr, sorry it is a mechanical thing. I do have a large pipe wrench to wind up barrels here! :veryconfu
According to the twist premise posted for revolvers, anyone could take a .223 with a 1 in 14" twist and shoot 70 to 80 gr bullets. Now we all know it is not possible but someone will ALWAYS say it is.



Revisionist history there 44man. I remember you posting how accurate Whit's SRH was and I remember the pictures of groups shot at 100 yards on steel target, but alas that was before you realized the SRH had a 1 in 18 twist

[Lloyd Smale]

I know my 420 is within your limits but ill say this. that ballistic cast 420lfngc is the most accurate bullet in both my Fa 475 and my linebaugh built 475. It is also in the top two for accuracy out of my marlin carbine that Rob Applegate made me. Personaly i think its pretty tough to make a blanket statement here. Id bet it varys as much gun to gun as it does between brands of guns. Ive also noticed no problem with chambering heavy bullets in either one of my 500 linebaughs. Now im not talking stupid heavy like some guys like. My guns have no problem with bullets as heavy as the 520 wfn that ballistic cast makes. they all work fine in my buddy Als three 500s too and personaly a 500 grain bullet is all i will ever need in a 500 and most of my loading is with 430-480 grain in it and in the 475 i tend to stick to 380-430 and see no need for anything heavier in it. By the way. If John and FA are using the wrong twist id sure love to see what these two guns would do with the right twist as right now there the two most accurate revolvers ive ever owned!

[jwp475]

I know my 420 is within your limits but ill say this. that ballistic cast 420lfngc is the most accurate bullet in both my Fa 475 and my linebaugh built 475. It is also in the top two for accuracy out of my marlin carbine that Rob Applegate made me. Personaly i think its pretty tough to make a blanket statement here. Id bet it varys as much gun to gun as it does between brands of guns. Ive also noticed no problem with chambering heavy bullets in either one of my 500 linebaughs. Now im not talking stupid heavy like some guys like. My guns have no problem with bullets as heavy as the 520 wfn that ballistic cast makes. they all work fine in my buddy Als three 500s too and personaly a 500 grain bullet is all i will ever need in a 500 and most of my loading is with 430-480 grain in it and in the 475 i tend to stick to 380-430 and see no need for anything heavier in it. By the way. If John and FA are using the wrong twist id sure love to see what these two guns would do with the right twist as right now there the two most accurate revolvers ive ever owned!


+1......................http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d62/jwp475/thumb.gif But they aren't using the wrong twist as you and most everyone else knows

[44man]

Your 430 fit just fine and we tested it -- I still have all of the notes and targets. There seems to be a hole in your memory. That twist rate is fine, maybe you should call Hamilton Bowen, John Linebaugh, Dustin Linebaugh, Jack Huntington, Dave Clements, Alan Harton, Jime Stroh, and any other top-shelf gun builder and tell them they have been wrong all along. Oh, and call Freedom Arms while you are at it, as I am sure they would also love to know. Do you really think these guys derived at the twist rate they used based on a roll of the dice? Come on, Jim, you need to concede on this one.
If we used my 430 gr out of your gun, excuse my memory, but your cylinder had to be longer then a Freedom because it will NOT go in a Freedom. I do not remember if your cylinder was recessed for the rim either. Makes a difference.
My 420 gr has an overall length of 1.750" and my 430 gr is 1.795".
A Lee will be 1.780" and reaches the very end of the cylinder only if seated to the very top of the crimp groove. A few thousandths movement will lock the Freedom. ( Case trimmed to 1.390".) The Lee will not go in a Freedom if the cases are not at that measurement or below.
You claim the SRH was the same length as a Freedom but I think you are wrong, seems to me it was 1.815". The BFR is 1.850".
No, I will not concede on twist, there are inches difference in long range groups.
You did concede once that you are not a group shooter! [smilie=1:
I will concede that if anyone shoots 2" groups at 50 yards, they have plenty of accuracy.
But a simple twist change can do this, sighter shots at 50.
Yes, that one hole is 3 shots. Actual group size is 1.250" shot with the 4" Ultra Dot. Sorry for the first group, it was a miserable 1/2"!

[Whitworth]

What are you defining as long range?

I'll give you the numbers to those gunsmiths so that you can tell them how wrong they are.

[44man]

Well, you know I don't shoot 20 yards and I don't count just the closest shots.
This is a silly argument like the one I had with Marlin over the .44.
They sent me all kinds of paperwork explaining why the 1 in 38" twist was chosen. [smilie=l:
They are wrong but who am I to argue with those with more knowledge? :holysheep

[44man]

What are you defining as long range?

I'll give you the numbers to those gunsmiths so that you can tell them how wrong they are.
Talk to Pete when he watched me keep 4 out 5 on a 6" rifle swinger at 400 yards with that gun. Missed the first sighter shot, sad to say. Creedmore too, no bags. About 20 rifle shooters were there and a few packed up and went home, the rest came to see what the heck I was shooting. I had asked if I could shoot at it but they did not know I was using a revolver.
I am not going to turn this into a show me session because it has lost all value.
By the way, Pete also hit it 2 times.

[Whitworth]

Talk to Pete when he watched me keep 4 out 5 on a 6" rifle swinger at 400 yards with that gun. Missed the first sighter shot, sad to say. Creedmore too, no bags. About 20 rifle shooters were there and a few packed up and went home, the rest came to see what the heck I was shooting. I had asked if I could shoot at it but they did not know I was using a revolver.
I am not going to turn this into a show me session because it has lost all value.
By the way, Pete also hit it 2 times.


Cool your jets, hot rod. Nobody is calling your prowess on the trigger into question, but I give a rat's backside what my revolver will do at 400 - 600 yards. Why? I'm not a paper puncher, I am a hunter, plain and simple and I will always strive to get closer. I suspect most folks here also care less about those raanges, because they are irrelevant, and most folks, myself included, don't readily have access to places they can shoot that far.

You know very well that I NEVER test at 20 yards either.

Why the bait and switch? Who said anything about Marlin's 1:38 rate?

[44man]

Same argument about twist and too many that say it shoots great at 100 with heavy boolits or reduced loads.

[subsonic]

I don't have enough experience to share here, but I think this thread has drifted pretty far from what the OP wanted to know.

While talking to Jack Huntington the other day about the .500JRH I brought up twist. The jist of what he said was that when you are getting really crazy, twist needs to slow down. His take was that there is a wide range of twist and bullet weight that works until you start pushing the limits with pressure and velocity.

I think that the definition of "good enough" needs to be discussed. A lot of folks are happy to hit a beer box at 7yds. Most people I have met will do backflips if they hit a paperplate every shot at 100yds with a handgun.

Like Bill says "Depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is."

It would be hard to say that the setup in Jim's (44man's) BFR is not at least close to ideal, when considering all the variables.

[subsonic]

"If" twist is based mostly on bullet length and shape stays pretty much the same, how much does LENGTH change in a big bore revolver boolit when weight goes up 50gr? Now consider the length change in a .30-06 when going from 125 to 200gr. Those will also be spitzers that tend to not be as stable as something like a LFN or SWC.

[44man]

I don't have enough experience to share here, but I think this thread has drifted pretty far from what the OP wanted to know.

While talking to Jack Huntington the other day about the .500JRH I brought up twist. The jist of what he said was that when you are getting really crazy, twist needs to slow down. His take was that there is a wide range of twist and bullet weight that works until you start pushing the limits with pressure and velocity.

I think that the definition of "good enough" needs to be discussed. A lot of folks are happy to hit a beer box at 7yds. Most people I have met will do backflips if they hit a paperplate every shot at 100yds with a handgun.

Like Bill says "Depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is."

It would be hard to say that the setup in Jim's (44man's) BFR is not at least close to ideal, when considering all the variables.
Jack is correct. Slow the twist and you need to push limits and pressures to gain a little more velocity.
My load with 296 is right at 100% load density with my boolit. The boolit base touches the powder. To increase velocity you need to start compressing the load.
Most twist rates are in between ideal so a variety of bullets can be shot. Rifles are the same with a choice of the length of bullet you want to use for best accuracy, lighter bullets always need a slower rate then the big long ones so the gun maker has to juggle it so you can shoot more bullets of different sizes.
That is why the .243 was better for deer and the .244 failed because it used a slower twist for lighter varmint bullets.
It still comes down to testing to find a bullet and even a bunch the same weight will shoot different and even a boat tail needs other twists then a flat base.
That is why the 1 in 18" was chosen because the range of boolits can be lighter to mid range. The BFR rate hates lighter boolits and just comes on with 400 gr. It is 1 in 15" so super, duper, compressed charges are not needed.
Many twist rates for revolvers are based on the copy cat system.
Now look at the Ruger .45 Colt with 1 in 16". It LOVES heavy boolits and I have achieved 1" groups with open sights at 75 yards without high pressure using 335 to 347 gr boolits. Velocity is also reduced because it is not needed. Go to a 1 in 20" and you need to reduce boolit weight to do it or push the heavies to the sky.
ANYTHING can be shot, but just how do they really shoot.
I have spent many years with the revolver to make them shoot like a rifle so I expect criticism. It's OK, I just shrug and take a sip of home brew! [smilie=l:

[jwp475]

I don't have enough experience to share here, but I think this thread has drifted pretty far from what the OP wanted to know.

While talking to Jack Huntington the other day about the .500JRH I brought up twist. The jist of what he said was that when you are getting really crazy, twist needs to slow down. His take was that there is a wide range of twist and bullet weight that works until you start pushing the limits with pressure and velocity.

I think that the definition of "good enough" needs to be discussed. A lot of folks are happy to hit a beer box at 7yds. Most people I have met will do backflips if they hit a paperplate every shot at 100yds with a handgun.

Like Bill says "Depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is."

It would be hard to say that the setup in Jim's (44man's) BFR is not at least close to ideal, when considering all the variables.




I have no trouble hitting a phone book at 150 yards with my 475 shooting 420 grain bullets and the 1 in 18 twist

I also have hit an Antelope sillywet at 495 lasered yards with the same combo, that is more than adequate for me and lot lot farther than I will shoo a game animal for sure and certain

[Lloyd Smale]

bottom line is if you dont believe that john, dustin, bowen, clements, huntington, forkin ect use the right twists that give good accuracy at long range, you really owe it to yourself to show up at a linebaugh seminar and see what long range sixgunning really is and what a good gun will do in the hands of someone that knows how to shoot long range. I know you have long range experience yourself and it surpises me that you would even question it. Just so you know too not many of them are shooting light bullets at high velocitys. Id say most are shooting there 475s at about 1200 with a 400. Surely nothing radical either way. Ive seen some scary long range shooting out there with 500s shooting 450s at 1100 fps. Im not talking 200 yards here either. The shooting was at 800 on a steal buffalo cutout.

To be honest and this will come as no surprise to you i too am a hunter. I could give a rats *** if my gun shoots one hole groups at a 100 yards. Its a bloody sixgun and if i can shoot 4 inch at a 100 yards it will take care of any deer out there and even groups 3 times that size will take care of buffalo ect. I used to spend hours and hours on the bench with my big bores. To the point were my hands show it to this day. What i finally realized is that my time is better spent practicing field shooting at the ranges im actually hunting then punching paper all day trying to knock a 1/4 of an inch off a 100 yard group.

[snowwolfe]

Amazing how far a thread can drift off course when I was asking for advice on what molds to buy:)

[Lloyd Smale]

as to molds i prefer square ones ;)