5 shot 480

[sixshot]

I've been shooting my Alan Harton 5 shot 480 for about 6 weeks now & for sure it shoots better than I can shoot it, it would be fun to scope it for a day & really see what its capable of but that won't happen.
Fermin put me onto the Bisley grip frame a couple of years ago & they are absolutely wonderful for handling big guns with heavy recoil, especially for extended shooting session.
I'm leaving in 10 days for our annual bear hunt & although I'm not running the gun to full maximum I'm shooting a load that will absolutley crunch a bear from any angle.
My load is 20 grs of 4227 with a 350 gr LFN softnose cast, this load is somewhere around 1100 fps or slightly less, I know I can run this gun & load over 1400 fps & do it safely but accuracy is more important to me than additional horsepower. I dug 3 of the hardcast slugs out of the old berm & the penetration is just amazing, big bullets at medium velocity are terrific, that big wide nose creates such a massive wound channel when pushed beyond 1000 fps, if the gun shoots better at higher velocity I'll go there, if not its just wasted power & added recoil. These big bullets hold their velocity very well out to 100 yds & beyond, for an iron sighted sixgun thats more than enough for any big game I'll ever hunt.
I'm shooting from the reclining position (no bench) at 96 yds, thats as far as the ground was level at the range.

This is 5 shots at 96 yds from the sitting position, iron sights.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/100_2327.jpg

I wish I didn't have to show the 5th hole because the first 4 were as good as I can hold, the other shot went high. Usually its the 1st or the last shot that goes out of the group, this happened to be #4, the shot felt exactly the same as the others but went high, what normally happens when the shot feels good & you slip it high is, you've relaxed your grip, this allows the gun to recoil higher, at long range it shows up very easily. Grip tension is very importan, it has to be the same for every shot.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/100_2328.jpg

This is a couple of the 350 gr slugs I dug out of the berm, I think these water quenched slugs would shoot through a bus!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/100_2330.jpg

This is my normal practice position, the gun shoots to the same impact from this position as it does in the field. The gun is zeroed 3" high at 50 yds & was dead on at 100 yds, I have one gold bar that still needs zeroed, it will be somewhere around 150-175 yds with this load I think.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/100_2331.jpg

These Alan Harton guns shoot as good as they look, he really is a master gun builder.

Dick

[RobS]

Sweet setup.............you'll have to let us know how the hunt goes.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Great pics. Drool.......

[odis]

Good shooting and thats one fine looking gun. Good luck on the hunt.

[BrettT/C]

That is one nice looking Ruger!
Now lets hear about the bullet you are shooting! Who made it or what mold did you case it with?

[44man]

The .480 is a fine caliber and that is a beautiful revolver. Great shooting with opens sights! :lovebooli
I had the same thing happen with a Bisley Hunter and had to sell it. I could not settle into an even hold and the trigger guard got me all the time. I have the same problem with a S&W, if I shoot a few and put the gun down, pick it up again, my POI changes.
With my hands, I like the old hog leg best.
I sold the Bisley to a friend and he shoots it good.
I also shoot better with Pachmeyer grips then I do with smooth ones.
Grips are very personal of course, I like ugly ones! :lol:
The ones you have are very pretty though and I would be tempted.
NICE GUN!

[Echo]

I wish I didn't have to show the 5th hole because the first 4 were as good as I can hold, the other shot went high. Usually its the 1st or the last shot that goes out of the group, this happened to be #4, the shot felt exactly the same as the others but went high, what normally happens when the shot feels good & you slip it high is, you've relaxed your grip, this allows the gun to recoil higher, at long range it shows up very easily. Grip tension is very importan, it has to be the same for every shot.

[

It's called Follow-Through, and it was my bane when I was in competition - I would occasionally throw a 9 (25 yards) or an 8 (or SEVEN!) at 50 yards, at one o'clock, followed by some naughty words aimed at the nut that held the grips.

But great shooting - the gun looks great, and I know you will definitely follow through on that important first shot. Good Luck!

[sixshot]

BRETT/C, the mould I use is a Ballasticast mould, this is the old H&G company & they are as good a mould as you can buy, Lloyd Smale as mentioned several times what great moulds they are. Mine is a 2 cavity mould that throws 2 different bullets, one is the 350 gr LFN & the other side is a 370 gr WFN. Right now I've done the most shooting with the 350 & thats what I'll take bear hunting next week, the weathers been too cold until the last few days to do much testing.
My 350 gr slugs will be softnose cast, so they will act much like a WFN.....or more! You can see behind the target where I tried to dig some of them out of the berm, they go in a looooong ways, I quit after I found 3 of them, needed a big shovel! There isn's a black bear out there that can stop one of these water quenched slugs at 1100 fps, & thats from any angle.
I did run some of these up to around 1300 fps yesterday using H110 & they shot a little better at 50 yds than the 4227 load, but I only had 10 of them loaded up, I'm too close to leaving on the hunt to start making changes, 20 grs of 4227 will work great.
I'm certain I can run the 370 gr slugs over 1400 fps if I ever need to but accuracy is #1, I'll only go there if I have to, no animal is going to stop one of them, so for me there's no need.

Dick

[44man]

BRETT/C, the mould I use is a Ballasticast mould, this is the old H&G company & they are as good a mould as you can buy, Lloyd Smale as mentioned several times what great moulds they are. Mine is a 2 cavity mould that throws 2 different bullets, one is the 350 gr LFN & the other side is a 370 gr WFN. Right now I've done the most shooting with the 350 & thats what I'll take bear hunting next week, the weathers been too cold until the last few days to do much testing.
My 350 gr slugs will be softnose cast, so they will act much like a WFN.....or more! You can see behind the target where I tried to dig some of them out of the berm, they go in a looooong ways, I quit after I found 3 of them, needed a big shovel! There isn's a black bear out there that can stop one of these water quenched slugs at 1100 fps, & thats from any angle.
I did run some of these up to around 1300 fps yesterday using H110 & they shot a little better at 50 yds than the 4227 load, but I only had 10 of them loaded up, I'm too close to leaving on the hunt to start making changes, 20 grs of 4227 will work great.
I'm certain I can run the 370 gr slugs over 1400 fps if I ever need to but accuracy is #1, I'll only go there if I have to, no animal is going to stop one of them, so for me there's no need.

Dick
I like your thinking! ACCURACY first.

[Whitworth]

Dick, that is one gorgeous piece!

[bigboredad]

Hey dick I love the way that .480 turned out she is beautiful. But what I really like are those custom shooting shoes you wear. I bet they can trim a 1/4 inch off your groups[smilie=l:

[44man]

Hey dick I love the way that .480 turned out she is beautiful. But what I really like are those custom shooting shoes you wear. I bet they can trim a 1/4 inch off your groups[smilie=l:
OH MY, ARE THOSE CROCS? :redneck:

[sixshot]

Guys, those are some of the fastest shoes in the west.....almost! I had them on last year when I was coming back from the county fair & that badger ran across the road in front of me, I mowed down 1/2 an acre of my neighbors grain but he finally stopped & faced me & I whacked him with my 38 snubbie.
All you guys need to dress up a bit, get you a pair of nice rubbers.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/100_2133-1.jpg

Dick

[Frank]

I can't wait to try sixshot's hold. Maybe that lawn chair will still be out there I could sit on.

[outdoorfan]

Very nice gun! Can't wait to hear about the hunt and those soft-nosed boolits!!

[Thumbcocker]

So are you wearing those lucky hunting shoes when you go after bear? One bootiful sixgun there.

[sixshot]

Thumbcocker, I won't wear them hunting but they will be in the 5th wheel & I'll use them several times a day, those things are as handy as a door knob, if you're going out to the mail box, just slip them on, need to run down to the store, just slip them on.
Its the same around camp, if you're out walking around the trailer or need to gas up the 4 wheeler, they just come in handy....& the boys slip them on all the time also.
I wear a pretty rugged boot when bear hunting, lots of rock & downfall, it can be pretty tough walking, plus there are wood ticks & rattlesnakes, you need very good boots in that kind of country. We don't use treestands or bait, its all spot & stalk & we've taken a lot of bears between us.

Dick