Which bullet(s) for absolute best accuracy in .475 and others?

[Markbo]

Now that I got the itch, I need to start thinking about exactly which bullet molds I want to get. I got some advice from a member here a while back that Keith style bullets are not the most accurate specifically in .475 Linebaugh. Just taking that idea to the next obvious thought - which bullet style(s) ARE the most accurate in the .475 and all the rest that I love to shoot; .45 Colt, .44, .41, .557 and .32 H&R magnums?

Now I have other calibers and I have multiple guns in each of those above. Some are plinkers and some are dedicated hunting guns with longer barrels - some with optics. It seems to me that any one bullet that is known for accuracy should be accurate across a wide array of individual guns - fully understanding that load work is needed for every gun.

But would any particular bullet only be accurate in high velocity loads and not so much in plinking loads? I have bought lots and lots and lots of store bought bullets trying all sorts of different stuff in different guns, but if I am going to make my own, I'd much prefer to make the fewest possible different bullets (usually just different weights depending on gun/load/intent) I can to narrow the different bullets used across a wide range of guns. Am I oversimplifying this or is it possible to narrow down a particular bullet/style as most accurate?

For instance in .45 Colt I will shoot plinking loads in the standard 200-270gr cowboy load range all the way up to 310gr heavy weights for hunting. In long range handgunning, what is the most popular bullet style(s) for the silhouette game? There are obviously lots of different calibers used and different weights too, but is there one style that is way more popular than the rest?

[jwp475]

you can never go wrong with a bullet mold from LBT, Veral Smith is probably the most knowledgeable person around when it comes to cast bullets

[Heavy lead]

I'm certainly no expert at the .475, but have a BFR that shoots great. I've settled on the RCBS 476-400, this is listed as a SWC, but really it is more a round flat with a full front driving band with a slight step, the picture do not do it justice, the meplat is bigger than the picture indicates, I've shot it from mild to wild and it is very accurate and has the proper sized nose for my revolver. I tried the Lee, but it cast too big and when it was sized to .476 there was virtually no grease groove or crimp groove left. I've though often about getting an LBT, or designing a boolit from mountain molds, but come back to the realization this boolit shoots, works and kills just fine, only downfall is it is a single cavity.

[mellonhead]

The RCBS 475-400-SWC shoots great out of my FA, but i have to trim the brass down to make it fit. I had Mountain Molds make me up an identicle mold with a shorter nose and it shoots even better.

Toby

[Ed K]

I purchased an LBT 400gr LFN @ 0.476" and am very pleased.

[Frank]

Heavy lead said
I'm certainly no expert at the .475, but have a BFR that shoots great. I've settled on the RCBS 476-400, this is listed as a SWC, but really it is more a round flat with a full front driving band with a slight step, the picture do not do it justice, the meplat is bigger than the picture indicates, I've shot it from mild to wild and it is very accurate and has the proper sized nose for my revolver. I tried the Lee, but it cast too big and when it was sized to .476 there was virtually no grease groove or crimp groove left. I've though often about getting an LBT, or designing a boolit from mountain molds, but come back to the realization this boolit shoots, works and kills just fine, only downfall is it is a single cavity.
Last time I casted with the Lee, I ended up with .475-.476 sized boolits, but usually it is .476 or even .477 with age. If yours is bigger than that, send it back to Lee and tell them it is too big. What alloy are you using and do you water drop?

[Lloyd Smale]

both the rcbs and even more so the lee 400rf have given me excellent accuracy in the 3 475s i have. I have a bunch of differnt high dollar molds and some are great and some are so so but those are two designs a guy could live happly with and you can buy both combined for under a 100 bucks.

[44man]

Now that I got the itch, I need to start thinking about exactly which bullet molds I want to get. I got some advice from a member here a while back that Keith style bullets are not the most accurate specifically in .475 Linebaugh. Just taking that idea to the next obvious thought - which bullet style(s) ARE the most accurate in the .475 and all the rest that I love to shoot; .45 Colt, .44, .41, .557 and .32 H&R magnums?

Now I have other calibers and I have multiple guns in each of those above. Some are plinkers and some are dedicated hunting guns with longer barrels - some with optics. It seems to me that any one bullet that is known for accuracy should be accurate across a wide array of individual guns - fully understanding that load work is needed for every gun.

But would any particular bullet only be accurate in high velocity loads and not so much in plinking loads? I have bought lots and lots and lots of store bought bullets trying all sorts of different stuff in different guns, but if I am going to make my own, I'd much prefer to make the fewest possible different bullets (usually just different weights depending on gun/load/intent) I can to narrow the different bullets used across a wide range of guns. Am I oversimplifying this or is it possible to narrow down a particular bullet/style as most accurate?

For instance in .45 Colt I will shoot plinking loads in the standard 200-270gr cowboy load range all the way up to 310gr heavy weights for hunting. In long range handgunning, what is the most popular bullet style(s) for the silhouette game? There are obviously lots of different calibers used and different weights too, but is there one style that is way more popular than the rest?
You did not say the gun you have in the .475. It will depend on the twist rate. The Freedom and converted .480's shoot better with lighter boolits yet are OK with the ones from 400 to 420 gr. The BFR's love from 400 up to 460 gr. 420 gr seems ideal.
JWP is correct about LBT boolits but the Lee RNFP is also great. You do not need a GC if you water drop WW metal.
I don't know about the RCBS boolit but I have not found a Keith boolit that shoots as good as I want. The Keith is not as good as I like in ANY caliber.

[Whitworth]

you can never go wrong with a bullet mold from LBT, Veral Smith is probably the most knowledgeable person around when it comes to cast bullets

I have to agree with jwp.

[sagacious]

The LEE 400 is a surprisingly accurate and versatile design. Wd ww's or linotype works well for me in that mold. Whatever mold(s) you buy, you might wish to keep that one on hand. Good luck.

[DLCTEX]

I am very satisfied with the Lee 400rnfp in my 480 Ruger. Most accurate pistol in my safe.

[Heavy lead]

Last time I casted with the Lee, I ended up with .475-.476 sized boolits, but usually it is .476 or even .477 with age. If yours is bigger than that, send it back to Lee and tell them it is too big. What alloy are you using and do you water drop?

I'm shooting 50/50 wheel weights/pure with 2% tin. That Lee is long gone to the scrap aluminum bin, it was 3 years ago I bought it and gave up and just didn't have time to deal with returning a $15 mould, it just simply cast too big. The RCBS just worked from the beginning so I left well enough alone. With that said, I've also shot a bunch of Speer jacketed 400 with great success and also some LBT WFN 420 grainers with success also. The BFR just shoots great.

[44man]

I'm shooting 50/50 wheel weights/pure with 2% tin. That Lee is long gone to the scrap aluminum bin, it was 3 years ago I bought it and gave up and just didn't have time to deal with returning a $15 mould, it just simply cast too big. The RCBS just worked from the beginning so I left well enough alone. With that said, I've also shot a bunch of Speer jacketed 400 with great success and also some LBT WFN 420 grainers with success also. The BFR just shoots great.
I make my boolits .476" but they expand with age to .478". Some need pushed hard to chamber because they either have been loaded for a long time or I am too lazy to size them again. :bigsmyl2:
They still shoot great and I have had to take a dowel and a small hammer to chamber a few. (Stay away from the primer!)
But for hunting, the rounds have to drop in.
Well, now you guys know just how specific I am. Oh, why did I tell you that? [smilie=s:

[Markbo]

I was really hoping to get more experience about a single bullet design and not just the .475. Mine happens to be a BFR Custom Shop unit. I have been chastised before for saying it but I believe it does not take a back seat to an FA - which I have as well. The only thing I didn't like is that all the corners were so sharp it was like shooting a loaded knife.

A trip to Alan Harton's shop and he broke all those crazy sharp corners so well nobody could tell it has been touched. The man is a machining magician.

So what about all the others... is this same RCBS design "generally speaking" superior in all calibers? If that can't be addressed, I might start another thread with 'what is your most accurate bullet in all calibers' or something like that.

FWIW my first casting is going to be with one of the MiHa group purchase models that is enroute as we speak. :D

[44man]

I was really hoping to get more experience about a single bullet design and not just the .475. Mine happens to be a BFR Custom Shop unit. I have been chastised before for saying it but I believe it does not take a back seat to an FA - which I have as well. The only thing I didn't like is that all the corners were so sharp it was like shooting a loaded knife.

A trip to Alan Harton's shop and he broke all those crazy sharp corners so well nobody could tell it has been touched. The man is a machining magician.

So what about all the others... is this same RCBS design "generally speaking" superior in all calibers? If that can't be addressed, I might start another thread with 'what is your most accurate bullet in all calibers' or something like that.

FWIW my first casting is going to be with one of the MiHa group purchase models that is enroute as we speak. :D
If the shoulder is very small like on the RCBS boolit or if you use a truncated cone or a RNFP, the .475 is a very easy gun to make accurate. The thing can digest almost any boolit except a full Keith with a large shoulder and small nose. I find this true in any caliber unless the gun alignment is PERFECT. The Keith CAN shoot but you don't want .0005" out of line chambers. In 56 years I have only had one gun good enough, a S&W 27 with the 358156 HP.

[Lloyd Smale]

probably the single most accurate 475 bullet mold i own is the ballistic cast 420lfngc. Its a short nosed design that fits fa guns and is almost a hybrid between a lfn and a wfn. Its a tack driver in every gun ive tried it in.
I was really hoping to get more experience about a single bullet design and not just the .475. Mine happens to be a BFR Custom Shop unit. I have been chastised before for saying it but I believe it does not take a back seat to an FA - which I have as well. The only thing I didn't like is that all the corners were so sharp it was like shooting a loaded knife.

A trip to Alan Harton's shop and he broke all those crazy sharp corners so well nobody could tell it has been touched. The man is a machining magician.

So what about all the others... is this same RCBS design "generally speaking" superior in all calibers? If that can't be addressed, I might start another thread with 'what is your most accurate bullet in all calibers' or something like that.

FWIW my first casting is going to be with one of the MiHa group purchase models that is enroute as we speak. :D

[buck1]

Hard to belive but true! The lee 400 gr is a tac driver in my BFR.

[cottonstalk]

I have been lucky I guess,my Ruger Blackhawk with a 4 5/8 barrel,does well with alot of different styles and weights.255swc,275fn,300lfn and wfn,and 360wfns and 350 truncated.It will also shoot 250xtps.Now what is my idea of well,2" or less at 50 yards.