BFR caliber selection

[stormborn]

I'm thinking a BFR will be my next purchase - I'm looking for a range toy that makes a big boom. The tough part is deciding on caliber: from reading here and elsewhere, it sounds like .500 S&W is unpleasant in this gun, so I'm thinking either 45/70, .475 Linebaugh, or .500 JRH. The JRH seems to be really well liked, but I'm also thinking I want a 7.5" barrel, which means the JRH would be a custom order, and therefore higher in price.

Overall, I'm not sure how to decide which caliber, and there's no way I'll be able to demo one of each, so I turn to you - which caliber and barrel length BFR would you choose?

[missionary5155]

Greetings and WELCOME to the place.
Have a 454 so I cannot say much about the listed calibers.
But consider what you will use the new revolver for. A 500 JRH will comsume alot of powder and lead. If that is no issue it will make all the loud boom and recoil you desire. Cannot imagine any critters walking about that would be able to get thumped with a 450 grainer at 1350 fps and still walk away very far. Huge old Buffs were Thwaped with far less (45-60 and 38/55) and simply fell over after a minute. But this much I do know.. If in your mind a 500 JRH is the one you really want then that is the one to get. That way you will never have to wonder.
Mike in Peru

[runfiverun]

i have shot the 45/70 and want one badly.
the brass/boolits are easy to get,and it still has the cool factor.

[saz]

I have a 500 S&W and I can say that the full house loads are a handfull. It is a very accurate pistol- probably more accurate than I am.

From what I have read on here it seems the 45/70 is pretty soft shooting and just as accurate as the rest. I have to agree with Mike though, if the JRH is what you really want, get it.

[Hickory]

I have shot the BFR 45-70 and I feel it
is not bad as far as recoil is concerned.

[dmize]

Do some more research. MRI advertising is HORRIBLE. The 7 1/2 500 JRH's are easy to get,it's the 5.5 that seems non existant.
I have a JRH,full throttle it is a handful but easily the most accurate handgun I have ever pulledthe trigger on.

[Sasquatch-1]

I've not shot the 500, but I have shot the 45-70 and the 454. IMHO, the 45-70 is milder to shoot then my 44's. The 454 is definately an attention getter.

Now if you want a head turner the Desert Eagle always gets attention when I take to the range.

[44man]

I have 3, 45-70, .475 and JRH. All are more accurate then I can see anymore.
Seems I can't suggest any of them because all are great but I always take the .500 JRH when I shoot now.
I feel it twists my wrist less then the .475 from the bench and I can't tell much difference off hand. Yes, it does have recoil but is sure less then the S&W.
I see no use at all for the bigger S&W for any hunting and even in the big BFR, it is a handful so everyone will load it down so I would ask "why?" when the JRH is so much easier and is a smaller gun.
The 45-70 needs a softer nose boolit for deer because of the velocity, the other two work with hard boolits.
Just don't make the mistake I made last season. Never shoot a deer walking towards you with the JRH! MUSH CITY! [smilie=b: Let the deer turn and hit it behind the shoulder. Same with the .475.
If you want to see something, put a jug of water at 100 yards and shoot it with either the .475 or JRH. I thought I had explosive boolits! :bigsmyl2::holysheep

[subsonic]

.475

Easier to get carbide dies for it. Most .500 S&W dies used for the JRH are steel dies.
More .475 molds available without going custom.

In short, the .475 is more "figured out" than the new JRH.

.475 will provide plenty of boom and there is a lot of load data for it, vs the JRH.

I think the .475 is the better choice for most. I have not shot my JRH enough to say that it recoils any different than the .475, but the hole is bigger in the end for sure.

The .500 S&W is shootable, but some will find it unshootable. I sold my 10" .500 S&W to get the JRH. Mine came with a 7.5" barrel (really 8.25") but was listed as a 5.5". Buyer beware if you want a 5.5"

I'm not a big fan of the long cylinder guns simply because they are huge, but the .45-70 definitely looks more impressive than the short cylindered guns, if that's what you're going for and stuff is all over the place for the .45-70.

[DragoonDrake]

I have the 45-70 and I love it. Like 44man said, it shoots better than I do. I have not shot the others, but I will say that mold selection for the 45-70 should not be a problem. You will go through powder pretty quickly with the 45-70.

[dubber123]

.475 Linebaugh. Very accurate, super easy to make accurate ammo for. Regular sized/dimensioned gun. I don't care for the stretched cylinder models aesthetically. My brother has a 6.5" .475 BFR, and even with the hardwood grips I made, it is quite comfortable to shoot for the power output. It still fits in a belt holster.

[snowwolfe]

Do some more research. MRI advertising is HORRIBLE. The 7 1/2 500 JRH's are easy to get,it's the 5.5 that seems non existant.
I have a JRH,full throttle it is a handful but easily the most accurate handgun I have ever pulledthe trigger on.

I don't even see the 7 1/2 inch 500 JRH's mentioned on their web site any more. Just the 5.5's. Do you know any online vendors who have the 7 1/2 in stock?

The nice thing about the 500 JRH, the 44 mag, 454 Casull, and the 475 Linebaugh is all are built on the smaller frames with the shorter cylinders. I have yet to own a BFR but everyone I know who owns one speaks very highly of it. They are much stronger than a Ruger.

[subsonic]

Here is a thread I started about the BFRs:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=143289

[dmize]

I admit to not having been to the website in a while but if you read Subsonics thread he pretty much covers it. Barrel lengths not stated correctly and my favorite,advertising a JRH and showing pictures of the long cylinder 500 S&W. The online cataloge was a certified cluster.

[subsonic]

This is a copy/paste of an email I just received from MR in response to the barrel length issue on the 500jrh guns:

"Good afternoon Dennis.
That was a screw up on our end they are supposed to be 5.5 inch. there is only a few out there that are 7.5 inch. If you send your gun in we will cut it to 5.5 inch at no charge to you as well as anyone else that gets one.

Sincerely,

Brett Pikula
BFR Lead"

But I guess that makes my gun "rare" ;)

I cannot fault their responsiveness or willingness to take care of any issue I have had, no matter how many trips it took.

[Frank]

My .475 & 45/70 are doing great, but you have to do your part, whether it is casting, reloading or shooting, and for many here that evidently has been demonstrated to be quite a hurtle. What can I say? :coffeecom

[bfuller14]

I like the 500 S&W and the 45/70 BFR. Look for a mold or boolits for the .500
and then the 45/70.
My 45/70 loads are more than a hand full. I love them. It is my favorite
of the 50 AE, 500 S&W, or 460 S&W.

[44man]

Both my .475 and .500 JRH are 7-1/2" and my 45-70 is 10".
MRI measures from the frame front and I kind of like the idea, no harm if a tad longer and no sense counting the forcing cone.
A lot of auto pistols count the chamber as length.
All of my revolvers are hunting guns so length means nothing and a shoulder holster takes care of them. If I want a carry gun I take my Vaquero.
However I sold all of my rifles except my 6.5 Swede I customized. No need to lug a revolver with a rifle for deer.
I found the best powder for the 45-70 is SR 4759 but I have been working with more powders from 322 to Varget and some AA powders but nothing has proven better for the 10" barrel. All others just equal factory loads. I can tell you the gun hates 4227 and Unique!
In the other two, nothing is as good as 296 or HS-6.
I use a fed 155 LP mag in all three guns.
The thing about the BFR's is the large range of boolit weights they can shoot. I found them the easiest to work loads for. I really do love the faster twist rates and enough cylinder length for anything. There is also enough gun weight to prevent boolit pull from recoil.
I use all kinds of boolit weights but all are optimized for accuracy and deer so the times I shoot light, plinking loads might be once every 5 years! :wink: I see no reason to send such huge boolits for short range shooting and choose a smaller gun for that.
I firmly believe you should shoot the best loads all the time and get used to your gun. Powder puff loads will never prepare you. After you get used to the big guns, the .44 feels like a .22!
A few guys who are expert with a .22 have crumbled after one shot with real revolver! Even some tough guys with big guns that are too light have plowed tater furrows on my range. :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

[stormborn]

Thanks for all the input guys!

[44man]

Thanks for all the input guys!
Sorry I can't help much between the .475 and JRH ---I love both and both are more accurate then sin.
It is going to be your choice. The .475 might be easier to get brass, etc, for. You sure will not go wrong.
I don't shoot mine as much because it gets boring because it needs no work and hits where aimed. Once a gun shoots, it seems we need a new challenge. It is no detraction of the gun at all.
I can only say I will never give up either of them.

[Frank]

What kind of reloading dies do you use with JRH? What is the groove diameter? Distance from the front of the cylinder to the top of a sized case?

[subsonic]

Most .500 S&W dies work, as long as they are newer and the crimp shoulder is low enough for .500 specials. RCBS make the only (I think) carbide dies this big. Hornady dies are NOT carbide in .500 S&W.

Groove is .501" Cylinder length is 1.850" and case heads are recessed. Cases are 1.4". Subtraction gives you .450" max nose length, give or take a few thou. I'd stay at .445" just because.

[Frank]

subsonic:

Most .500 S&W dies work, as long as they are newer and the crimp shoulder is low enough for .500 specials. RCBS make the only (I think) carbide dies this big. Hornady dies are NOT carbide in .500 S&W.

Groove is .501" Cylinder length is 1.850" and case heads are recessed. Cases are 1.4". Subtraction gives you .450" max nose length, give or take a few thou. I'd stay at .445" just because.
I like the bullet in the throats. In the 45/70 I seat the bullet out extra and it's more accurate and likes the higher powder charge. Sometimes it is hard to push in if they grow, but that is the right length, seated out. So with a long front drive band it will be sized to .501. I can lubesize with a .502.

[Bullet Caster]

Excuse my ignorance here, but *** is a BFR (big friggin' rifle?) and a JRH? Inquiring minds want to know. BC

[AK Caster]

http://www.magnumresearch.com/ Big Framed Revolver.

http://www.jrhgunmaker.com/main.html He invented the 500 JRH cartridge.

[44man]

Most .500 S&W dies work, as long as they are newer and the crimp shoulder is low enough for .500 specials. RCBS make the only (I think) carbide dies this big. Hornady dies are NOT carbide in .500 S&W.

Groove is .501" Cylinder length is 1.850" and case heads are recessed. Cases are 1.4". Subtraction gives you .450" max nose length, give or take a few thou. I'd stay at .445" just because.
They are a pain too. It seems the JRH is very hard to size and regular case lube is not too good. I have to use Lanolin. A little harder to clean off the brass but not much different then RCBS.
All in all I can't complain, Hornady makes extremely accurate loads for me. I seen what the gun can do when I hit 5 shotgun shells in a row at 50 yards. I laid them down and shot into the bases. That is a 3/4" target. Little bitty targets at 100 are easy if you can see them.
The gun is as accurate as my 45-70 BFR.

[subsonic]

I've only loaded 50 so far, but I used the Dillon spray lube and don't remember having problems. It is just lanolin suspended in rubbing alcohol. Get a pump sprayer and you're in business.

[Bullet Caster]

AK Caster,

Thank you for the reply. I guess I'm just not up to date on the new revolvers. BC

[44man]

AK Caster,

Thank you for the reply. I guess I'm just not up to date on the new revolvers. BC
They have been around for a while. Gun writers do not write about them and I have seen no ads for them. All MR ads I have seen are for the Desert Eagle.
Less ads might keep the prices down.
I still think the reason is that MR does not give so easy to writers as other outfits do. I do not believe I have ever seen a gun rag with an article about the BFR.
Once you get one and start to shoot it, you will never want anything else. Look at my avitar, those are BFR's and I have shot much smaller groups since at 50 yards, down to 5 shots in almost one hole. I have more 1" or less groups at 100 then I can count.
Ruger's Pine Tree makes the castings and all internal parts so it is an over grown Ruger but they are assembled with Badger match grade barrels to tighter specs then Ruger.
Here are my shotgun shells at 50 yards. I could not find 2 of them in the weeds. You will have a hard time finding any .500 caliber that will do this.

[Whitworth]

They have been around for a while. Gun writers do not write about them and I have seen no ads for them. All MR ads I have seen are for the Desert Eagle.
Less ads might keep the prices down.
I still think the reason is that MR does not give so easy to writers as other outfits do. I do not believe I have ever seen a gun rag with an article about the BFR.



What are talking about? I wrote a review for American Hunter in 2011 on the BFR in .500 JRH. Granted, there haven't been many reviews written, but how many have you seen for Freedom Arms? The bottom line is that big-bore revolvers aren't a huge seller for any of the companies that produce them (unfortunately). They do give them to writers easily. You just have call and ask -- and yes, you have to pay for it you decide you want to keep the gun.

Oh, and BFR has been around since 1998 when they introduced the .45/70 (on a D-Max frame).

[subsonic]

I have seen Jim's pal Taffin pen some articles on the BFRs...

[44man]

What are talking about? I wrote a review for American Hunter in 2011 on the BFR in .500 JRH. Granted, there haven't been many reviews written, but how many have you seen for Freedom Arms? The bottom line is that big-bore revolvers aren't a huge seller for any of the companies that produce them (unfortunately). They do give them to writers easily. You just have call and ask -- and yes, you have to pay for it you decide you want to keep the gun.

Oh, and BFR has been around since 1998 when they introduced the .45/70 (on a D-Max frame).
True, because you know them.
Might I say you are the only writer to admit BFR's exist! You do good.
Remember, you told me about paying for it and I said I would pay for the crazy, crazy gun? I wanted that thing big time but you bought it. I am glad it did not slip away, it is just stupid accurate. I offered to buy it until you had the money to pay for it because you are my friend. It would hurt to part with it but I would have.
Now I have my own and nobody will pry it away from me! [smilie=s:
I still believe the gun would cost more if it was advertized more. Not what a writer says but actual ads. Those cost big time.
I contacted Handloader long ago about the .475 and asked why they never worked loads, etc. I got a nasty response saying they did write about it. I went back and found one article (I have all of the rags) it was a Freedom with no information at all, just a factory load. I just got my last issue and it is my last. It has nothing in it and it has been years and years since useful information has been printed. It is a hand loading rag, not a factory load rag. Something about the Colt comeback. It would be a long time before I pay over $1500 for a .44 special. Again, factory load shooting.
I miss Ken Waters.
It took me 5 minutes to go through the American Rifleman before tossing it on the table. I get other gun rags that I never paid for????
I just got Shooting times for some reason, don't ask, I have no idea. What a waste.
There is 10 times more info about shotguns then anything else. Then $4500 scopes and military stuff that the normal man can't afford or even need.
The best lately has been the new Ruger rifle. Cheap and good.
Newspapers! Do you know I get the Washington Post----Large funny paper that reads better then the rest of the junk.

[starmac]

When I first started coming to alaska, the bfr's were in stock at pretty much all fred meyers and most other gun shops, they were pretty much phased out by the 500 smiths. I suspect advertizing and marketing was/ is the cause of this.

44 man, have you had the opportunity to shoot the 45/70 in both barrel lengths, if so which would say is better for the caliber.

[44man]

When I first started coming to alaska, the bfr's were in stock at pretty much all fred meyers and most other gun shops, they were pretty much phased out by the 500 smiths. I suspect advertizing and marketing was/ is the cause of this.

44 man, have you had the opportunity to shoot the 45/70 in both barrel lengths, if so which would say is better for the caliber.
No, only the 10" and that is a stretch for powder choices. The case is just too large for short barrels.
It gets real hard to make large cases work where powder does not burn all the way. I even had a tough time with a 30-30 in a 10" barrel.
However I think 4579 would work in the shorter barrel too and I wish I could try.
I never seen a powder burn so clean, my brass looks like new when they fall out and even primer pockets are clean.
We just did a test of all kinds of powders and so far nothing has done better then 4759 but we did equal a lot of factory loads. Some powders left unburned powder in the brass and barrel.
Varget was actually better then 3031 but still left some. A few powders were fireballs.
The gun is so forgiving of boolit weight though, I have gone from 300 to 478 gr and all were accurate however all loads used 4759 and the Fed 155 primer. I tried rifle primers with some slower powders but nothing changed enough.
With every gun I own, I can get along fine with 3 powders, 296, 4759 and Varget.

[subsonic]

How did the Varget fare in the .45-70?

[Frank]

He gets along with H110 too. :violin:

[44man]

How did the Varget fare in the .45-70?
I didn't keep any targets, ran short so we used tape to cover holes but if I remember, Varget was 1-1/2" at 50. Felt good but each case had some discolored powder inside.
We did not chronograph any, just accuracy testing with other powders.
Seems when powder is too slow, the boolit leaves the short barrel and pressure drops, stopping the burn.
You need to chose a powder that is consumed before boolit exit.
In most cases a rifle primer actually opened groups but helped with a few powders.
I don't record anything that does not work either. My little notebook only has the best load for each boolit.
Varget is a strange powder. I needed 120 gr SSP loads for deer in my fast twist 7BR and 7R, 10" barrels. I tried everything and had shotguns. The last powder to try was Varget but I had no starting point so I called Hodgdon, they said it won't work. I went ahead and worked with it, got down to 1/2" at 50 (open sights) with good velocity. I got 2175 fps in the MOA. The 7R takes 2 more gr so it must be about the same, didn't check. I have yet to shoot a deer with them though using this bullet.
Why the stuff works in those little things is beyond me. Mice that roar![smilie=l:
I use it in my Swede now too and it is deadly.

[ebner glocken]

I bought a BFR in .500 Smith a few years ago. Found it cheap, nobody in the store knew what it was for the most part. After reading much of 44man's posts about them. The revolver is stupid accurate, added a 2x leupold and a set of warren rings for weight. With full house loads it kicks right smartly. Single loading it will cut ragged holes at 25 and 50 yards. Loading the cylinder up full I can never seem to get rid of vertical stringing, yes I have gotten aggressive with the crimp.

I also own a BFR in 50 AE with the full intentions of getting a JRH cylinder fit to it. Balence is WAY better than that of the 500 smith and comfortable recoil. Shooting AEs through it I get the same result with single loading verses full loading. That taper crimp just doesn't seem to hold them. Being as the AE headspaces on the mouth I don't care to roll crimp them.

All in all I'm very impressed with the accuracy of both revolvers as other magnum research guns. WW296 performs great in both as also in my desert eagle 50AE, and 41 mag. BTW I'm a great fan of the 6.5 sweede, 40.5 grains of RL22 works great with a 160 and 45.0 grains of RL22 works great with 140s in mine. Varget worked well (just not as well as the RL22). I've never tried 4759.

Ebner

[subsonic]

I didn't keep any targets, ran short so we used tape to cover holes but if I remember, Varget was 1-1/2" at 50. Felt good but each case had some discolored powder inside.
We did not chronograph any, just accuracy testing with other powders.
Seems when powder is too slow, the boolit leaves the short barrel and pressure drops, stopping the burn.
You need to chose a powder that is consumed before boolit exit.
In most cases a rifle primer actually opened groups but helped with a few powders.
I don't record anything that does not work either. My little notebook only has the best load for each boolit.
Varget is a strange powder. I needed 120 gr SSP loads for deer in my fast twist 7BR and 7R, 10" barrels. I tried everything and had shotguns. The last powder to try was Varget but I had no starting point so I called Hodgdon, they said it won't work. I went ahead and worked with it, got down to 1/2" at 50 (open sights) with good velocity. I got 2175 fps in the MOA. The 7R takes 2 more gr so it must be about the same, didn't check. I have yet to shoot a deer with them though using this bullet.
Why the stuff works in those little things is beyond me. Mice that roar![smilie=l:
I use it in my Swede now too and it is deadly.

Interesting. Do you have any AA1680?

[44man]

Interesting. Do you have any AA1680?
Yes, I tried it and it was decent too. Most everything equaled or bettered factory cast.
The problem for me with AA powders is that the stores here do not carry it. They don't have Vihtavuori either.
What I have can't be replaced unless I buy large amounts from Powder Valley.
Ebner makes some good observations about boolit pull and the .500 S&W might be worse with it. The AE and taper crimp makes me stay away.
I have had no problems with the JRH and a 440 gr boolit.
We had some problems with the .500 Linebaugh and too heavy a boolit. Even the .454 with factory cast shed boolits enough to tie up the gun but my loads did not move.

[Whitworth]

We had some problems with the .500 Linebaugh and too heavy a boolit.


No we didn't. The only one that pulled crimp was the .50 Alaskan -- which is no shocker given the weight of the gun and the amount of recoil.

[AK Caster]

Question,
Lee makes crimp dies for the heavies and they work great. I use them with the 44 mag and 45 Colt. Would it be a good idea to use a Lee crimping die with the 500 JRH?

[ebner glocken]

I bet you wouln't stray away from the 50 AE if you already had dies, bullets, another gun chambered for it, and got it brand new for just over 6 bills. I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't for those things and also one big thing.

It was cheaper than buying an already made .50 JRH! Other projects have kept me from getting a cylinder made as of date. There will be one in my future.

In the AE I have shot factory loads and some rainer plated that I had loaded for my desert eagle with both giving similar results.

[Whitworth]

Ebner, the .500 JRH is so much more than the .50 AE that they simply cannot be compared.

[44man]

No we didn't. The only one that pulled crimp was the .50 Alaskan -- which is no shocker given the weight of the gun and the amount of recoil.
That's correct, I now remember I could not use the heavy boolits with handloads, they would not chamber.
It still seems we had some factory loads with a problem, think back and let me know. There was something in a .500 other then the Alaskan.
As I said, I write no failures down, I just toss them. If I kept everything I would need another basement! :mrgreen:

[Frank]

Whitworth:

Ebner, the .500 JRH is so much more than the .50 AE that they simply cannot be compared.
You're right. That's why Ebner went with the AE. He can order another cylinder. By the time you guy the .500 JRH with 5.5" barrel and pay the extra $100 so you can have a 7.5" barrel, the BFR gets expensive. :violin:

[44man]

Question,
Lee makes crimp dies for the heavies and they work great. I use them with the 44 mag and 45 Colt. Would it be a good idea to use a Lee crimping die with the 500 JRH?
No, in fact my roll crimp just folds to the bottom of the groove.
I depend on case tension.
That alone might cure the AE, Ebner. Maybe the expander is too large.
I just don't like to head space a revolver on the case mouth where brass must be just so. Not so much the taper crimp itself. I never liked the idea of any auto round in a revolver.

[AK Caster]

I am betting the short cylinder model BFR in 500 JRH would be a huge hit if gun shops started to stock them.
A lot of shooters, me included, find the long cylinder versions to be sort of out landish and simply to big to carry and hunt with. Mind you, not making fun of anyone's choice to buy one, just saying they are not for everyone.

The shorter models can be bought for less than a S&W 500 and far less than a Freedom Arms. They more closely resemble what a single action looks and feels like. I bet in the last 4 months I visited at least 30 different gun stores in different states and never seen one BFR in the case. Heck, can't even find a 500 JRH for sale online.

[subsonic]

If you want the 5.5" .500JRH, search for "magnum 79625". That is the stock number and will find them. If it shows up with the 7.5" barrel and you don't want it, MR will pay to ship it and cut it for free.

[AK Caster]

If you want the 5.5" .500JRH, search for "magnum 79625". That is the stock number and will find them. If it shows up with the 7.5" barrel and you don't want it, MR will pay to ship it and cut it for free.

You must have a different search engine than I do:)
All that popped up was an ad for Buds Guns with a nice picture of a BFR and the item description saying it was a 500 S&W.

Edited: Called Buds and asked if they could open the box to see whats inside. They told me the guns are in a separate building from where the people answer the phones and they don't have time to do this. Asked if they would reimburse me shipping both ways if it wasnt the 5.5 inch model and they said no. So, they obviously lost at least one sale.

[subsonic]

And this just goes to show that marketing is more important than quality.

[ebner glocken]

Ebner, the .500 JRH is so much more than the .50 AE that they simply cannot be compared.

I am well aware of the differences bewteen the AE and JRH. No offence taken. I simply found a BFR chambered in AE for cheap with intentions of getting a JRH cylinder made at a later date. Last I spoke to MR they said that the JRH wasn't a custom shop only chambering anymore thus the cylinder was $190 plus shipping. I'm assuming shipping is in the $40 range. This makes my two cylinder conversion revolver cost me a total of 840 bucks. I ship my gun to them, they time the new cylinder to my gun and ship back. Will I actually shoot my AE cylinder after this time, probably never, got a desert eagle for that.

BTW I say I know the differences....on paper. Never owned a JRH, most of what I know about them has been learned by sitting in front of this monitor, so far very impressed. Some has been learned here on this site form you guys, some elsewhere. Yes, there is a huge ballistic gap bewteen the two. This cartrige has my interest to say the least. Another thing that has my interest is the 800+ new 500 smith brass in the back of my cabinet that is begging to have something done with them.

Ebner

[AK Caster]

The 500 JRH seems to fill a nice niche. As far as power doubt it will ever replace any of my S&W 500's or my other heavies. But variety is the spice of life so they say.

Would like to pick up a BFR 500 JRH and see how accurate it is compared to my Freedom Arms 475 Linebaugh. Some day soon to come I hope.

[44man]

The 500 JRH seems to fill a nice niche. As far as power doubt it will ever replace any of my S&W 500's or my other heavies. But variety is the spice of life so they say.

Would like to pick up a BFR 500 JRH and see how accurate it is compared to my Freedom Arms 475 Linebaugh. Some day soon to come I hope.
I think the .500 S&W is too much and the JRH fills all spots for any hunting.
I feel the same with the .460 when the .454 is enough. The .460 was made for a light, fast bullet for ultra long range hunting but really, how many can hit animals that far with a revolver.
The .500 Linebaugh and the AE are in the same class as the JRH and you do not need more.
The .475 is superb for anything on earth.
I know, we just like the biggest and baddest but where do we stop?
OK, OK, we have toys now that was unthinkable just a few years ago. I remember when the .357 was CRAZY powerful, then the .44 mag.
I am with all of for the love of the big calibers but once it works, no more is needed. The 30-30 is still the best deer gun ever.