480 ruger

[Ruger]

Ok, this may sound kind of dorky but two years ago I fell in love with the ruger 480 7 inch barrell wheel pistola. Everyone said buy the 454 instead, but I liked the 480. I shoot a cast 400gr. fn with 17 grains of h110. No kick but more of a push and with my scope , real accurate at 100 yards. Now I'm not sorry I bought it but I hear very little about it and most of it negative. Was there some sort of political issue going on when ruger put out the 480?:Fire: :castmine:

[Johnch]

Some of the guys bitch because it isn't a 475 .

Others say there isn't enough differance between the 480 and hot loaded 45 colt or 44 mag to justify another round especaly if it has the "Ruger" name on it .

I just feel it works , but the 454 is more versital IMO , but YOU are the one that owns it .

But if you like it , don't worry about what others say

Johnch

[Bullshop]

That 480 is a sleeper, a real good thing most are just gona pass by. Like so many other good cartridges that have gone byby I am afraid it too may go.
There is a lot more to a cartridge than just comparing paper balistics. Maybe on paper the 44 mag or 45 is as good but on flesh the bigger cal is always going to be better.
I started using the 45/70 for hunting over 30 years ago and felt for most of that time there was nothing better for woods hunting big game. Then I got a Sharps conversion carbine in 50/70. The great effectivness of the wider boolits was obvious. When you bring a 50 cal up to the velocity of a souped up 45/70 it can only improve the killing potential. If you shoot enough animals with it you will see the greater striking effect of the 50.
I am harping on the 50 beacuse I have a fair amount of experiance with 50/70 50/90 50/110 and 50/140 but have only in the past year been using the 480 Ruger. In the little experiance I have with the 480 I see the same comparison between it and smaller cals as 44 and 45 as I have seen between 45 and 50 cal rifles. Diameter at impact makes a big difference. If it didnt why would everybody designing a custom mold be wanting such a large meplate on thier smaller cal molds?
The 480 with safe prudent handloads can easily equal or exceed the 44 mag with equal boolit weight and go up to weights not suited to 44 cal. It is also not much of a chor to improve on factory balistics. I have a 5 shot 480 and its potential is not that far behind that of its older big brother the 475 Linbaugh. No it cant equal it but look at it this way the 50/90 will not even come close to the 50 BMG but I would not hesitate for a moment to take on anything on the planet with a properly loaded 50/90.
I will end by saying that when I mastered the 44 mag many years ago I felt I had the ultimate hand gun hunting cal then I discovered the 45 Colt. After a lengthy affair with the 45/454 and again feeling I had the best I bagan anew with the 480. I should mention that there was a brief fling with a 500 Linbaugh but I found it to be a bit over the top for me and a very inflexable round. It only seemed to want to do good work at full tilt and that shurley took it out of the casual plinking class.
BIC/BS

[Bucks Owin]

I think those who pooh pooh the .480 Ruger are just upset because it's not a .475 Linebaugh instead. The .480 should do anything that one could ask of a handgun IMO. Personally, if Ruger would chamber a SBH in .480 I'd sure like to have one!

There's a rumor going 'round that a 5 shot Blackhawk is on the horizon, guess we'll just have to wait and see what calibers become available. (I'm hoping for a .500 WE. I'm enchanted with that round but can't afford the price of a M-83 FA!!!)

Dennis

[Poohgyrr]

I'd like to hear about this round in the M92 Lever rifles too if anyone has one.

[BABore]

I love my 9.5" SRH 480. Nope it's not a 475 Linebaugh, but I knew that going in. It's easy on brass and definetly has more poop than a 44 mag or 45 colt. I have a really slow gun and can only get 1,250 fps out of 400 gr cast. Speer's 275 gr GD will do 1,625 fps. Plently good IMO. Dropped two buffalo with it at one shot apiece. The ballistics are pretty much that of the 45/70 level I loads and nobody seems to pooh pooh them on game.

[475/480]

I have shot plenty of 480 R and 475 L using cast bullets if you ever want some load data email me or PM me I will send it to you..

Sean