.480 Ruger subsonic load for whitetail?

[St. Hogustine]

Folks,

After hunting whitetail for years with just about everything else, I'm kicking around the idea of handgun hunting for whitetail this year. I've noticed there are some good prices out there for the SBH in .480 Ruger. As a rule, I tend to favor wide bullets at low to moderate velocities (less recoil, less damage to meat, and my shots would be within 75yds).

Would y'all recommend handgun-range whitetail hunting with 350-425 grain loads with a 850-950fps muzzle velocity? And is the .480 SBH a revolver you would recommend for this application?

[Whiterabbit]

First powder I would try is trailboss. Hands down.

[str8wal]

Titegroup comes to mind.

[dubber123]

I have a .475 Linebaugh, and have had no problems producing loads in that speed range with everything from Bullseye on down in burn rate. I've used BE, Red Dot,Win 231, Green Dot, Unique, Power Pistol, etc. The shorter .480 case should make it even easier.

[wdr2]

Taffin has some good HS6 loads here:

http://handloads.com/loaddata/taffin.asp?Caliber=480%20Ruger&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source

I would try HS6 and a 370gr LFN in the 480 Ruger.

[Thor's Daddy]

850-950fps? HP-38/W231 or Unique. I've used both in my 475L for around 950+/- with a 400gr WLN. Should work the trick in the 480 too. As Dubber123 notes above, there are a slew of fast and midrange powders that will work. I've used Trailboss and HS-6 too, but tend to use Trailboss for slower velocities (700-800fps) and HS-6 for faster (say 1000fps and above).

[44man]

Only one thing to look at. The .480 is great but you MUST have accuracy first. It will work no matter what you choose but you still need to hit or you should not be in the field.

[Whiterabbit]

I've been known to be too kind with assumptions, but I always assume that accuracy is an understood requirement with whoever is asking about anything load related.

[dubber123]

I would assume, perhaps incorrectly after my experience with my .475, that if the gun likes the boolit you are feeding it, it will shoot well. I have shot some heavies, (440 grains) in my .475 that did well at full power, but poorly at slower speeds. My .475 also has a comparably slow twist. Even with the slow twist, it was no problem shooting 400 grain boolits into 1.5" at 50 yds. off my knees, and I am no great pistol shot. The 400 gr. LEE would hold this level of accuracy all the way to 550 fps. (muzzle), so I don't forsee any major issues with your 950 fps. loads.

[shorty500M]

Go heavy on slug, wide on meplat and as soft as gun will shoot with accuracy and you wont be disappointed. been there ,done that and it will kill whitetails everytime you put slug where it needs to go

[Markbo]

Heavy on slug...hmmmmm. I cant think of too many animals in North America that a 370gr slug at 1000fps wont go plumb through.

[dubber123]

shorty500M is correct in that a heavier slug will outpenetrate a lighter one pretty much every time, and not in a linear fashion in relationship to velocity as you might think. Linebaugh did and continues to do many penetration tests, and a 10% increase in boolit weight is worth a whole lot more than a 10% increase in velocity.

[shorty500M]

shorty500m is correct in that a heavier slug will outpenetrate a lighter one pretty much every time, and not in a linear fashion in relationship to velocity as you might think. Linebaugh did and continues to do many penetration tests, and a 10% increase in boolit weight is worth a whole lot more than a 10% increase in velocity.
amen!!!

[St. Hogustine]

Thanks for the good advice! This is exactly the information I was hoping for, and I'm excited about trying this out. Much appreciated.

[44man]

shorty500M is correct in that a heavier slug will outpenetrate a lighter one pretty much every time, and not in a linear fashion in relationship to velocity as you might think. Linebaugh did and continues to do many penetration tests, and a 10% increase in boolit weight is worth a whole lot more than a 10% increase in velocity.
This is exactly true. Those strange sightings in orbit are my boolits! velocity should only be where accuracy is found, no more, no less. That depends on the gun.
Accuracy does not mean much at 20 yards for hunting but what about a longer shot?
You might think 3" at 50 is good enough and that is fine but if you need a 4'x4' backstop to find a hit, you might want to speed things up. Twist, fellas.

[Charlie U.]

A starting load of 15.0 grains of W296 under the 400 grain Lee PB boolit will be right about that ballpark. Even at lower speeds it will knock whitetail down with ease, but I have found that pushing that boolit improved its accuracy in my SRH. Groups got better when I worked up loads over 20 grains and I ened up settling on 20.6 grains as my hunting load.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3/gekkocha/Hunting%20Guns%20Relaoding/480rugerSRHwith440grreloads008.jpg

"is the .480 SBH a revolver you would recommend for this application?", YES! whatever it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in function.

[44man]

Got to love the SRH!

[reed1911]

I have two and dearly love them. My only complaint is the frame on the SRH, I wish they made it in the standard frame.

Onto the OP; Longshot is my friend for sub-sonic loads. It acts like TG in that it does not care where it is in the case so small charges tend to light up even on the bottom of the case. I use 10.2g Longshot with my little 420g WFN and 8.5g with Tight Group. Both work fine but I get better accuracy with the LS in both of my SRH's

[DougGuy]

Wide on the meplat, check. Soft on the alloy, check. Soft on the lube too. The only thing about what you want to do, you *MUST* spin the boolit hard enough to stabilize it, or your groups will be all over the place. You may not be able to fling a 400gr boolit that slow and it still be accurate. The first rule of hunting, besides always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, is simply "Shot placement is KEY!" If you don't have accuracy, the gun is not ready to hunt.

I know with my .44 SBH and the Lee 310gr RF boolit, it takes around 1100fps at the slowest to get it to group well. I won't even TRY to run that boolit out the muzzle any slower because it will just be an exercise in frustration and a waste of ammo. You have to find out what the gun likes, and stay within the parameters of what will shoot good.

All this "350-425 grain loads with a 850-950fps muzzle velocity" is pure speculation. You may well find that those boolits run that slow, don't work so well as when you push them into the 1100 ~ 1200fps range.

[Thor's Daddy]

...All this "350-425 grain loads with a 850-950fps muzzle velocity" is pure speculation. You may well find that those boolits run that slow, don't work so well as when you push them into the 1100 ~ 1200fps range.

Doug is absolutely correct. Each boolit design is a case study unto itself. I was working with some 400gr LFN slugs that ran fantastic over 1000fps in my 475L, but in the mid-900's things seemed to fall apart past 50 yards or so. Got nice tight groups at 50, but at 100... Ugh! Forget it!

I'm now just starting to work with the Mihec 477-640 and from all accounts it should run fine down in the 900's (seems a very balanced design), but how it performs in my gun remains to be seen. If it wants to run faster, it'll get faster...

As 44man would say, the target is the answer.

[Markbo]

So is each revolver. I tried several different bullet weights in my BFR .475L and it wouldnt shoot anything well unless it was pushed. None of Taffin's suggested practice loads worked. If I shoot it, it is going to be rip snorting. Only way it likes it.

[44man]

My 420 gr runs along at 1329 fps. The 400 Lee is 1338+ and is deadly too from the .475.
Can't get there with the .480 of course so I would say the 400 and under boolit weight would be plenty for any animal.
To limp to a deer might be more of a miss then venison in the freezer.

[Lefty Red]

First powder I would try is trailboss. Hands down.
x2!
Jerry

[Lefty Red]

Heavy on slug...hmmmmm. I cant think of too many animals in North America that a 370gr slug at 1000fps wont go plumb through.

So can't either! I don't think you would have a problem down to 850-900 fps if you can get a bullet to stable at that velocity.

Jerry

[Markbo]

And no need in my mind to shoot a 425gr boolit when a 370gr at the same speed will accomish the same thing with less recoil. How s that a bad thing?

[Whiterabbit]

gun might shoot 425's more accurate. Nice thing about these guns is they tell you what boolit they like, and you are good to go no matter what you want to shoot.

[MtGun44]

Titegroup at 950 fps is mild and accurate with a 375gr cast. Can't imagine it stopping in
any deer.

[Lefty Red]

And no need in my mind to shoot a 425gr boolit when a 370gr at the same speed will accomish the same thing with less recoil. How s that a bad thing?

It isn't! My response was garbled on phone and auto correct took over. Oops! My fault. I agreed with your first statement. Last time I mix Advil PM and Jack and Coke! :)

Jerry

[dougader]

Here is one man's approach. You could duplicate this in 480 Ruger and go to town on whitetail.

http://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/14138/latest-hog-475l-385-hp

[44man]

I have never recovered a cast boolit from deer no matter how big.
As stated about velocity, it is boolit stability and velocity has little meaning in the end as long as they are stable, that means SPIN.
The Freedom needs a lighter boolit shot fast enough with the 1 in 18" twist and the Ruger is worse with 1 in 18-3/4". The BFR is 1 in 15" and can handle a wide range of weights but still needs shot to stability. Your gun is scrap iron if you can't hit.
I hit this buck under the chin off hand at 76 yards, took the neck out, a row of short ribs, the boolit staying along short ribs, missing guts and exited at the ham. I would say 5' or more penetration. I lost no meat. 148429
I would love to see a target shot with a 425 gr at 900 fps at 50. I have a shotgun or slingshot you can borrow.
To equal the spin I get with my boolit you need near 1600 fps or a 1 in 10" twist.

[44man]

My .44 boolit at 1100 fps at 50 yards, then spun up right at 100 yards.148436148437 3/4" at 100 off hand. What would you hunt with?

[ole 5 hole group]

0.75 inches at 100 yards off-hand - Damn-it Jim, I'm hauling your butt to Camp Perry next year and I'll do my damnest to get you a lane next to mine, so you can shoot on my target and I'll shoot on yours!!!!!


As far as I'm concerned - if he can keep his 1st 2 shots within 6" of his intended aim point at 50 yards he's good to go afield in search of a deer, hog, bear, elk or moose.

[44man]

Agree that 6" at 50 is OK but you are limited to distance and might cripple one at 75.
My Old Army is one of those because I use a RB at over 1100 fps and it is not good at 50 at all, it is a 20 yard gun for deer. This is a gun that will not shoot fast but I want the energy for deer. The Old Army really, really needs a slower twist. It would be better with a long boolit but there is no powder room so I can't get them up to spin.

[Markbo]

Here is one man's approach. You could duplicate this in 480 Ruger and go to town on whitetail.

http://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/14138/latest-hog-475l-385-hp

As you know Doug that same fellah used that same bullet to take a Bison. One shot, clean pass through.

[St. Hogustine]

Zeus and I have sent a couple of PM's each other- he's a great source of information. As many of you know, there was a recent group buy for Mihec molds that cast the bullet he's using, and I was able to order one from Miha right at the tail end of the group buy. :)
Thanks again to everyone for the help. I'm new to reloading and still learning the basics re: velocity, barrel twist rates, and bullet stabilization.
I'm trying to read more and post less, but I do try to post a word of appreciation every once in a while.



As you know Doug that same fellah used that same bullet to take a Bison. One shot, clean pass through.

[44man]

Twist is so very, very important that I can't say it different. Matching twist to the boolit and velocity has allowed me to shoot WFN boolits with extreme accuracy to 500 meters.
My .475 boolit is a WFN of 80% meplat and I kept 4 out of 5 shots on a 6" swinger at 400 yards, first shot a sighter. I shot Creedmore with an Ultra Dot where I had to set the bottom of the dot on top of the 500 meter berm. My friend Pete hit 3 times after I told him where to hold. We drove the rifle shooters nuts with many coming to see what we were shooting. They could not believe it was a revolver.
The worst thing to do is look for a no recoil load, you must work to where your boolit shoots and no more or less. If recoil is an issue, you should look at a smaller caliber.
I can't imagine shooting less then my most accurate loads all year. Some things don't work.
It is entirely 100% false that a WFN goes unstable, you made it so.
I have a love affair with my .500 JRH and think nothing of dumping a whole MTM box of them, I got used to the big ones and I use only 29.5 gr of 296 with my 440 gr, WFN boolit at 1350 fps. Don't matter if a tin can or deer, same load is shot ONLY.
The .480 is not bad at all, open the gate and find the best for your gun. A lighter boolit will sure kill but you still must get away from the 900 fps stuff, it will not work.
I would say a 375 gr might need close to 1200 or more.
Only 50 to 100 fps can remove your accuracy.
I tried HS-6 in the .475 with the 400 gr Lee and at 15 gr it was very accurate, did not chrono it though. Good powder. I still use 296 though.

[dougader]

I was able to email Miha and get one of his "extra" moulds on the last run. Zeus is already running another run on that mould; just started it today.

I have a Lee 400, so the mould from Miha will be a treat; hollow points included.