BFR in 500jrh what barrel length and molds?

[Dpmsman]

Well I have figured out what to sell to get the necessary funds to buy the JRH. The 500mag is staying in the heard. I plan to buy it through the custom shop so what barrel length should a guy go with? I was thinking around 5 1/2"-6 1/2". What will have the best handling characteristics with a scope on top. Any suggestions on what molds to get I already have the Lee 440gr any others I should look at?

Thanks

[Loudenboomer]

44 man has got the goods on the 500 JRH. I'll bet He'll be along shortly.

[44man]

I like longer barrels, mine is 7-1/2 but have shot a 6" and it was super.
I use a plain Jane Ultra Dot, 30mm, 4 min dot.
The lee 440 is fine. My boolit is a 440, made my own mold. You will want to work loads with the lee, depends on seating depth compared to mine. I don't know the difference.
I use 29.5 gr or 296 and a Fed 155 primer. You can find starting loads and go up from there until you get groups. Mine has done less then 1/2" at 50 yards.181494
This is what it looks like.
Just got in from deer hunting with it. Seen 2 nice ones just before dark but before I could cock the hammer they both were behind thick. Never heard them and they were just there. Need to hang cowbells on the critters! 181496 Here is a 100 yard shotgun shell.
You will love the gun.
My boolit might look funny but it did this at 50 with a 6" BFR. 181497

[lar45]

I'll second on the Lee 440, it's a great boolit. I used to have a copy of a group buy mold that was 400gns and it shot real well also.

I belive that buying direct from MR you will have to pay full retail. I bought mine as a 50AE, then sent it back for a new cylinder and barrel and saved a few hundred overall.

[44man]

I did install a 26# hammer spring but the custom shop gun is the only SA I never had to take apart. The trigger is superb, cylinder play is just right, alignment and measurements are exact.
I did try a 400 gr, I think they were Double Tap, used the same load and they shot very well.
Hold the gun tight, some called their guns Old Betsy but if you let the BFR "ROLL", you will name her Old Head Knocker! :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:
I shot at the big doe running last week at 50 yards and the UD kissed my eyebrow but I centered her spine forward of the shoulders. Exit hole was all bone chips.
Now the funny thing was she kept moving her head and ears so I got down and cut her. As she died she was still breathing and blowing bubbles and she kicked her back legs but the front was dead. How that can be with the spine destroyed is crazy.

[44man]

Is the custom shop gun worth it? I say YES. It is better then some high dollar customs brought here.
It shot right out of the box better then any thing but so have all my production BFR's.

[Dpmsman]

Will I guess its not exactly a custom shop gun. Brett said since the JRH is a production caliber as long as I go with a standard barrel length it wouldn't be the $1500 custom price. All of the LGS around me will only order from a distributor. If they don't stock it then I'm SOL. So other then direct I'm not sure how to get my hands on one. I guess I could go the blemish route. Buy a blem in 50ae and have a JRH cylinder fitted I might save $150. Not sure I want a blem gun. Lar45 was your AE a blem? If so can you tell?

[44man]

I have a friend with a license and he got my .475 BFR for $715 out the door. On sale from a distributor. I got my 45-70 BFR cheaper from my gun shop too. Store retired now so it is harder.
The gun shop has many distributors to check. He can order direct too. Don't let him pull smoke on you.
A Blem gun might be a mark on the finish.

[lar45]

Mine was not a Blem. I bought it several years ago.
For only $150 difference, I think I'd just go the custom shop route.

[Dpmsman]

The blem guns have a dark speck or specks no larger then a pin head somewhere on the frame. They also have blem written in small lettering on the frame. One thing about it I would have two cylinders then. Not sure I would use the AE cylinder though.

[Dpmsman]

44man that bullet must hit like the hammer of Thor. What kind of velocity do you get from that 7 1/2" barrel?

[lar45]

Here is some load data for the 500 JRH. The case capacity and pressure is the same as the 500 Wyoming Express from Freedom Arms.
http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500weda.pdf

http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500jrhloaddat.jpg

[44man]

44man that bullet must hit like the hammer of Thor. What kind of velocity do you get from that 7 1/2" barrel?
Never checked but it was 1350 fps from the 6" so I might be a little more. Not much in any case. I don't reach what the next post says. No way I am over 1400. Some day I will check it.
Never cared since accuracy is super crazy. When I first got it I put my old Loopy scope on, waiting for my Ultra Dot. I set 5 shotgun shells on their sides at 50 yards. I shot at the bases and centered all five but lost 2 in the weeds. 3/4" targets centered.181616 The gun is so much fun and so accurate I pick it first when we shoot.

[Dpmsman]

Lar45 thanks for the load data that will come in handy. My LGS is going to order direct for me but I'm going to wait till the first of the year. I guess the 6 1/2" barrel is not standard till 2017. That's fine that'll give me time to sell the two j frame 357 mags I have. 44 man have you considered sending some bullets to Mihec to have some molds made? Maybe you could patent that design. It looks like a good bullet.

[44man]

It is free to anyone here to have a copy made. I can always send a few to anyone.

[DougGuy]

How do cylinder throats run on these? Can you usually push a boolit through them with finger pressure?

[44man]

How do cylinder throats run on these? Can you usually push a boolit through them with finger pressure?
Yes, I use .501 for the JRH I didn't write it down but my memories says groove was .500 and throats .5015.
The 45-70 is .458" groove and throats .4592". The 475 is .475" groove and .4765" throats. All are even.

[DougGuy]

A 5-shot cylinder on a medium frame Flattop, in a shortened .475 format would be sweet. A 48 Special!

275gr boolit at 1200fps would be easy in the recoil department and still take game.

[Dpmsman]

I wonder what it would cost to have say Lee make a custom mold with your bullet?

[44man]

I wonder what it would cost to have say Lee make a custom mold with your bullet?
No idea but any maker can duplicate it. Never change it or let the mold maker play with it.
PM me and I can send a few. We have better here then Lee.
I want nothing but you could call it the JM boolit.
My goal was to make all better shooters and even at IHMSA I tried to help but stubborn is born. When I drove in I heard "OH S***.

[44man]

A 5-shot cylinder on a medium frame Flattop, in a shortened .475 format would be sweet. A 48 Special!

275gr boolit at 1200fps would be easy in the recoil department and still take game.
Hey Doug, a .480!

[DougGuy]

Hey Doug, a .480!

Well yeah, there is that.. I was thinking shorter like 1.150" case.

[paul h]

I've been planning on building a 48 special for years, one of these days... My plan is to use a 44 or 45 bisley as the starting point and make is a six shooter operating at mild pressures and pushing a 275 gr 1000 fps.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/evefiles/photo_albums/3/4/4/344100033/544100033_07E6166CBE2AFE6976F473E757A34B81.JPG

275 gr .476" swc.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/evefiles/photo_albums/3/4/4/344100033/744100033_3339F6808143EE14AD3755B7E8638787.JPG

lined up with a 310 gr lfn, 400 lee rf, 400 XLFN and 460 gr WFN.

[Loudenboomer]

I like the 48 special idea. I just ordered one of the new 480 5 holers. My intention is bullets on the light side as slow as I can keep them accurate.

[Loudenboomer]

Doug
Wasn't there a write up a few years ago about a 50 special on a 1.1 inch case? It was a big chunk low pressure soft shooting affair. I remember reading the article but don't know who's product it was.

[lar45]

What about the 480 achilies? Just take a 45colt and bore the chambers straight through, screw on a .475 barrel and shoot heeled bullets...

[DougGuy]

Doug
Wasn't there a write up a few years ago about a 50 special on a 1.1 inch case? It was a big chunk low pressure soft shooting affair. I remember reading the article but don't know who's product it was.

It was a Hamilton Bowen 5 shot 50 Special.

[44man]

I've been planning on building a 48 special for years, one of these days... My plan is to use a 44 or 45 bisley as the starting point and make is a six shooter operating at mild pressures and pushing a 275 gr 1000 fps.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/evefiles/photo_albums/3/4/4/344100033/544100033_07E6166CBE2AFE6976F473E757A34B81.JPG

275 gr .476" swc.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/evefiles/photo_albums/3/4/4/344100033/744100033_3339F6808143EE14AD3755B7E8638787.JPG

lined up with a 310 gr lfn, 400 lee rf, 400 XLFN and 460 gr WFN.
Dump the SWC and the .460 gr.

[paul h]

I already got rid of the 460 gr, it was too much of a good thing. I might get a ~420-430 gr mold but really I can't think of anything I couldn't get done with 400 gr @ 1200 fps.

The swc was made with a goal of getting great accuracy at 700 fps. Haven't found the magic dust to get accuracy at that speed, but when pushed to 1000 fps with Blue dot it'll stack em into a one hole group at 25 yds. It is a mold that allows me to ration lead and gives milder recoil.

Sadly the 4 cavity balisiticast that dropped the 310 gr LFN got misplaced. I need to get a similar replacement as that bullet over 9.7 gr of unique would group near moa at 100 yds with 3 shot groups.

[paul h]

I like the 48 special idea. I just ordered one of the new 480 5 holers. My intention is bullets on the light side as slow as I can keep them accurate.

The most accurate load I found in my 480 SRH is a 310 gr LFN over 9.7 gr of Unique for ~1000 fps. Recoil is much milder than full patch 400 gr loads, but it's far from a pipsqueak load. I've loaded down to 700 fps, but never could get guilt edged accuracy. I think if you really want accuracy at those levels you'll need to get a wadcutter mold to take up case capacity as even with Bullseye and Reddot the loads were sooty which leads me to believe the powder just wasn't burning efficiently. I also had a lee round ball mold that made for very mild loads, but accuracy was ho hum.