BFR .475 Linebaugh

[44man]

Any of you fellas have one of these? I am looking for the perfect boolit and load for it so I can make some more molds. I have good luck with the Lee 400 gr and 26.5 grs. of 296, getting some sub 1" groups at 50 yd's and can hit pop cans at 100 yd's from a rest. I would like a larger meplat and a little more weight for hunting. A nice fella sent me a bunch of different LBT's to try and some shot good. Just can't make up my mind.
My friend also has the Freedom arms and it needs lighter boolits. The twist is slower then the BFR. We haven't found a good cast boolit for it yet and groups run 3" or more at 50 yd's. Darn thing kicks WAY worse then mine. :shock:

[Magnum Mike]

I am shootin that lee 400 too. I tried H110 and it work fine. I actually switched to blue dot, velocity runs about a hunnerd fps slower BUT really, who cares? A 400 grainer at 1400fps is more than enuff for anything 'round here! :lol:

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/evefiles/photo_albums/8/7/4/87410555/147109996_A71DC62A378C456C0FE56AF9B5431563.jpg

I think the Saami spec twist rate is 1-18" for the 475 Linebaugh. I thought bout a lighter weight bullet but the 475 is all about bullet weight so i am stickin with the 400. Might even consider a 425 so something similar in the future. Keep us posted on what you pick. :wink:

[44man]

Magnum, that sure is a short barrel! I made a mold today for a boolit that weighs 420 grs. with a larger meplat. Somehow I got the blocks off center a little but after running them through a .476 sizer, I shot four in 1" at 50 yd's. The first shot was a little high left from a clean barrel. I might recut a new mold with the cherry to get a straight boolit but it looks good so far. Hate to waste a set of blocks.
I will work loads for it and keep you posted. 26 grs of 296 shot best and 26.5 opened the group. I will try 25 and 25.5 next.

[Magnum Mike]

With no barrel cylinder gap it gets similar velocities to 10" revolvers.

My barrel has a very short throat, i must keep those lee 400's to absolute minimum OAL (in the crimp groove) or they are tooo long. If i were to try other bullets i would have to go to a LFN design or similar that has a smaller meplat.

[44man]

Thats why I like the BFR revolvers, I can stick any boolit in it. The cylinders are very long. My friends Freedom has a short cylinder and if the lee jumps the crimp a few thousandths, it will tie up the gun. Both my BFR's will shoot sub 1" groups at 50 yd's, so I see no harm in boolit jump. My 45-70 has so much space above the boolit that you need a flashlight to find it down in that hole. Yet, I can clang steel at 500 yd's with it. (I figure a drop of about 26 feet at 500.) I pick a spot up a tree and keep all shots on steel, some only 2 and 3" apart. Great fun and I use a ton of lead because I can't quit shooting the things. BIG guns are fun!

[44man]

I did cut a new mold today and it came out perfect. I spent an hour with magnifying lenses to make sure I was centered with the cherry. I will cast some tomorrow to see how they measure and shoot. I will mill the top off the bad mold to make a short boolit for my friends Freedom arms.
Guess I will have to buy a center finder.

[Magnum Mike]

44man, can ya give me some more details and experience with that 475 bfr?

[44man]

Magnum, I love the gun. I had trouble hitting deer last season because I am too relaxed when I shoot at them. I shot at eight and got one. I took piles of hair off the top of the other's backs without any blood. I found I was holding too loose and the recoil was raising the gun too fast. Had to take the BFR 45-70 out to get another one. I have shot hundreds of shots since and am getting the hang of it. We put targets out and shoot from a ladder stand and are hitting real good now.
I made a mold for a 429 gr. gas check boolit and it came out just a little undersize from what I wanted. I polished it out a little and made a bunch. Any load I have tried shoots great. All groups at 50 yd's were just over to under one inch. 26.5 grs. of 296 was hot with sticky cases but all five shots were overlapping in a verticle line. 25.5 gave me a round group a tiny bit over one inch.
I sent pictures to 45nut to post but he has not done so. Maybe if some of you ask he will do it.
The plain base boolit that I recut weighs 414 grs. and shoots good but not as good as the gas checked one. It seems to like less powder too. Gave me a flier on each group with 4 real close. Needs more work to see what is going on. Fliers might have been me because the dot in the scope covers the entire bullseye.
My .44 and .45 have been sitting since I got the .475. I am neglecting them.
We are not getting tight groups with the Freedom arms yet so I milled the top off one mold to make a 347 gr. boolit to try. The rifling on the Freedom is 1 in 18 which is too slow for heavy boolits. The BFR is 1 in 15. My BFR doesn't shoot good until I use 400 gr. boolits and up. The Freedom only gets 3" or so at 50 yd's with the heavy boolits. Much work to be done with it. I got a 3/4" group with the Freedom and the HNDY 325 gr. XTP. Now we need a cast boolit to shoot. 8)

[45nut]

Sorry bout the wait,but workin six days put a crimp on my play time.
Here ya go.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/271252.jpg

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot game with that lee bullet and believe me it does just fine.

[44man]

Lloyd, those are my home made molds and the groups were shot at 50 yd's. My post above the picture has the loads. I do like the Lee and it shoots great, but I like to tinker.
Thanks 45nut! :D

[lar45]

Those are some nice looking molds, and the groups speak for themselves.
What scope base are you useing?

[Magnum Mike]

The newer BFR's are drilled and tapped for a weaver style base...

[44man]

When I ordered my BFR, I specified the drilled and tapped one but it came without. Magnum Research sent me a base free, great people. I drilled and tapped it myself. At the price I got the gun for, I could not complain.

[Greg5278]

44man, if all your molds shoot that well, I certainly would not buy any from Lyman or anybody else. Keep up the good work. I am thinking of trading in My Blackhawk for a BFR or Dan Wesson. Greg

[lar45]

don't trade it, just get another gun. It'll be happier if it has some company in the safe.

[44man]

I agree with Lar45, DON"T get rid of the Blackhawk. Mine shoot as good as the BFR's except the BFR's are larger calibers. I would not get the Dan Wesson as they are having trouble again. Save your money and get a BFR also.

[Magnum Mike]

I forgot to post back on this thread 'bout gettin a BFR.

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/groupee_files/photo_albums/8/7/4/87410555/9821038881_46C0069A60F7C70361D985B3ED7DAB87.JPG

I started out with the factory irons....

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/groupee_files/photo_albums/8/7/4/87410555/5951019422_129A3B21053FEA324EC80B0C6A2BC32B.JPG

Promptly broke it! (and Magnum Research gave me grief about replacing that screw so i PAID for three replacement)

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/groupee_files/photo_albums/8/7/4/87410555/3841019422_62BC62F76303CEEF4167B9E0BBD63D70.JPG

Then i upgraded the grips and sights to a Bowen rear sight and one of his front sight blades that i fitted to a factory base with a lil metal work.

After a lil (and i mean VERY lil) arm twisting from some of the guys on my bulletin board, it got scoped in preparation for hunting this year...

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/groupee_files/photo_albums/8/7/4/87410555/7851078222_FE1F36D9423935C4A2637363EF6662B9.JPG

I have yet to shoot it with the scope but it was VERY accurate before with the lee 400RNFP BUT it leaded like unbelievable! I did try a few rounds with an inverted gas check but could tell no difference. I am going to repeat this test for a day when i have a little more time to make certain that they either do or dont work. I am fairly confident at this point that i will be sending the lee mold down the road and replace it wiht a MM gas checked version.....

[Greg5278]

Where is the BFR made? Is it USA made or foreign? I hate my Blackhawk, I am not a great pistol shot. It won't hit an apple at 7 yards with anny cast bullet loads. I have tried cowboy loads, and almost everything. It has been back to Ruger, because it was shaving lead, and out of time when new. Ruger put in a new cylinder, and hand. It is better, but still lousy. I am going to measure the bore, and throat dimensions. I figure it is probably better to buy another gun, than have Hamilton Bowen put lots of work in it. I bought it hoping to shoot some 275-340 grain hardcast bullets in it. It shoots so bad, that I am afraid to buy dies, and molds for it. Greg

[44man]

Greg, what caliber is your blackhawk? From the boolits you want to shoot, I assume it's a .45. Most .45 Ruger's have throats too small and need reamed or lapped.
The BFR looks like the castings are made by Ruger and another outfit assembles them to tight specs. They are very well made. I see where a screw was sheared in one of the posts. This will happen when one gets loose. I once sheared three grip frame screws in my .44 BH when I neglected to check them. They MUST be kept tight.

[Magnum Mike]

I see where a screw was sheared in one of the posts....Yup, that was me. That damn screw has to be tightened after every 5 rounds, learned that on the last range session. I dont wanna blue loctite it in case it shears off again but i am tired of havin to tighten it after every cylinder full. I did use an industrial loctite between the barrel and ejector rod housing, hoping to cure this, to no avail....

The BFR is made in the USA, i dont remember the name of the company that builds them but they are completely assembled in the USA too. Pine Tree Castings would be the company that supplies the frames and other cast parts. Some of the small parts, like that annoying ejector rod housing screw, is a ruger SBH part. I would rate quality as BETTER than a ruger (and should be considering the price) but not as close to a Freedom Arms as the price would suggest. Accuracy is excellent, supplied irons are usable (rear is a factory SBH), barrel/cylinder gap is held to minimum dimensions, the trigger is tolerable and overall fit and finsh is "better" on a "good, better, best" scale. I do like mine (especially since the upgrades) and plan on it bein a permanent resident but i think my next single action will be coming from Freedom Arms...