What’s up with all the used 480 Rugers on the market?

[shooting on a shoestring]

I frequent 3 good gun shops and check online stock in a couple of others. It’s not unusual to see one, usually a Super Redhawk. However in the last month or so it seems like everyone has a couple of used 480 Rugers for sale.

I don’t plan on buying one. 454 Casull is my limit and I’ve already got a couple.

Just seems like something happened to flush out a bunch of 480 Rugers all the sudden.

[dverna]

I suspect most people find the recoil is excessive and ditch them.

[TurnipEaterDown]

Hopefully people around here abandon them, and I find one cheap!

A 320 LBT WFN at 1170 is no worse than good 44 loads w/ 310 LEE, I have shot the 320 LBT quite a bit loaded like that.

[376Steyr]

Poking around on the interwebs, it looks like there's little to no 480 Ruger brass or ammo available. Seeing how it's taken a couple of years just to get 9mm back on the shelves, I suspect some 480 owners may have given up on ever shooting them again.

[Lloyd Smale]

i always found the 480s to be easier to shoot then full power heavy bullet loads in the 44mag or 45colt and much milder then a 454. probably the most versatile big bore on the market. id bet that most 500 and 475 guys like me ran 90 percent of there loads at 480 levels. i shot a 1100lb bison quartering toward me in the front shoulder and it came out the opposite hind leg after breaking that leg. load in my 475? a lee 400 at 1100 fps. i would be shy using that load on any game animal in the world short of maybe elephant. bue we had an old timer at a linebaugh seminar years ago that culled elephants in africa. his choice was head shots with a 400 at 1200fps. he said it penetrated better then most dangerous game rifles. saw it with my own eyes in penetration testing at the seminars. also at home where my 475 consistently beat my 500 and my 458 #1 with ww factory round nose that are first choice for many guides. only time a 475 didnt win at the seminar was one year a went out with my 44 mag bisley accusport 5.5 inch gun with a WARM load that pushed a ballistic cast 340 lfngc to a smidge over 1200 fps but id never share that load. it beat every gun at the seminar that year including a 458 lott rifle. matter of fact we shot into a box of wet news print and you averaged two shots.

[pworley1]

Mine is a super redhawk with a 9.5 inch barrel and loaded to a round 1150-1200 it is more pleasant to shoot than my 44 mag. If you find one cheap get it.

[murf205]

I agree with Lloyd. If you can handle a 454 the 480 is more comfortable to shoot especially with the 9 1/2" version. The blast from the 60,000 lbs of pressure generated by the 454 is the most objectionable part. I have a friend who has hearing damaged from torching off one of these bazookas with the muzzle not sticking far enough out of a box blind! The 480's my friends have/had were all very accurate.

[daloper]

I love my 480. The big problem is the lack of loaded amo to shoot. Yes I load my own but my local indoor range will not allow reloads and they don't carry any for you to buy. I keep a couple of boxes of new on the shelf to take with me if I go there to shot, but hard to replace.

[Ed K]

We're all handloaders here so citing max pressure as an indication of how "bad" a round is to shoot is not that relevant. In fact, many cite 60Kpsi 454 rounds as nasty and then go on to speak of how nice it is to shoot their 480 at 1000 or 1100fps. Of course, those loads are nowhere near 48Kpsi. Even the 2002 American Rifleman article touting the new "soft shooting, less than a 44mag" Ruger round was with 325gr Hornady ammo loaded somewhere between 36K and 40Kpsi.

The 480 is a good round. The 454 might be more versatile but they are both good. Yes, both can be more recoil than most can handle.

[ohen cepel]

I just checked Ammoseek (not perfect, but good). No ammo at all listed for sale, nor brass. Also, I think the bullet is a less common diameter which makes them a bit harder to find also at times. I think those things all pile up to make it a tough one to keep or buy now.

I like big bores a lot but didn't get one of those and may not unless I fall into an amazing deal. For me, it is mostly the bullet diameter which kept me from getting one. May be a bad reason, but as I had things well covered already it didn't take much to talk me out of the 480.

[Kestrel4k]

I just checked Ammoseek (not perfect, but good). No ammo at all listed for sale, nor brass. Also, I think the bullet is a less common diameter which makes them a bit harder to find also at times. I think those things all pile up to make it a tough one to keep or buy now.

I like big bores a lot but didn't get one of those and may not unless I fall into an amazing deal. For me, it is mostly the bullet diameter which kept me from getting one. May be a bad reason, but as I had things well covered already it didn't take much to talk me out of the 480.

Certainly a one-two punch in the reloading marketplace along with the brass availability issue; not much difference for folks here to cast a 480 instead of a 454, but in the retail segment I bet it's 1000-to-1 on availability of the more common 452 jacketed bullet. Plus the availability of 45 Colt brass. Makes sense that a tight retail component segment could flush the 480 Rugers out, compared to the other calibers.

[contender1]

Lloyd has given good info when comparing the .480 to the .454 & others.

But to answer the OP's question;

Simple answer,, and it too has been kicked around some here already,,, the lack of available ammo.

As noted here,, most of us reload. But even brass & factory bullets aren't easily found. And when found,, expensive.

We casters,, make our own bullets,, but brass cases,, not easily found.

But the GENERAL market,, when factory ammo isn't available,, and you don't see the stuff listed in any catalogs,, a person who doesn't reload,, or cast,, well, the gun just became "useless" and they sell them. They figure if they can't get ammo, they can't use the gun.

But when comparing the big bores like the .480, .454, .475 Linebaugh, .500 etc, the .480 has the softest felt recoil to most. I got to laughing at a guy who wanted to take my Ruger Redhawk in .480,, and shoot it "Rapid fire, DA". I took a picture of it. He did it,, and was SMILING afterwards. He didn't hit anything after the first shot,, but he had fun. I like to think I allowed him a little happiness in his life,, since he passed away suddenly from a brain tumor not too long after that. His comment after a full cylinder,, "Wow,,,,,,,,,, that was FUN!!"

[shooting on a shoestring]

Yep.
No brass.
No factory ammo.
Sounds like where my 30 Super Carry is heading…

[FergusonTO35]

My side job shop has sold quite a few S&W .500's over the years, in fact I bet we have sold more of the guns than boxes of ammo. The .500 has definitely been more embraced by the market than the .480, but I would guess most of the guns sold are fired very little if ever at all.

[FergusonTO35]

i always found the 480s to be easier to shoot then full power heavy bullet loads in the 44mag or 45colt and much milder then a 454. probably the most versatile big bore on the market. id bet that most 500 and 475 guys like me ran 90 percent of there loads at 480 levels. i shot a 1100lb bison quartering toward me in the front shoulder and it came out the opposite hind leg after breaking that leg. load in my 475? a lee 400 at 1100 fps. i would be shy using that load on any game animal in the world short of maybe elephant. bue we had an old timer at a linebaugh seminar years ago that culled elephants in africa. his choice was head shots with a 400 at 1200fps. he said it penetrated better then most dangerous game rifles. saw it with my own eyes in penetration testing at the seminars. also at home where my 475 consistently beat my 500 and my 458 #1 with ww factory round nose that are first choice for many guides. only time a 475 didnt win at the seminar was one year a went out with my 44 mag bisley accusport 5.5 inch gun with a WARM load that pushed a ballistic cast 340 lfngc to a smidge over 1200 fps but id never share that load. it beat every gun at the seminar that year including a 458 lott rifle. matter of fact we shot into a box of wet news print and you averaged two shots.

So basically, you are saying that Trapdoor level .45-70 loaded with a good bullet will take down anything in the world? A 405 grain at 1200 fps has been the .45-70 standard forever and the loads you describe are on par with that. Serious question, not trying to be snarky or anything. If that's the case, then my little Henry single shot with Unique powered trapdoor loads is ready for anything!

[Lloyd Smale]

what is this ready to shoot ammo thing. Is that something new????? maybe thats why i fid perfectly good brass laying in the dirt

[wilecoyote]

regardless of the pros & cons of a specific gun or caliber, choosing a widespread caliber or one that is less widespread but derived and obtainable from another brass that is easier to find remains a strong bonus in the choice.
to deviate from this is to rely completely on fashions, commercial fads and advertising, in my book.

[Texas by God]

Isn’t the .480 Ruger a “short .475 Linebaugh”?
And if so, wasn’t it originally made from trimmed 45-70 brass?
If not, then never mind……


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[376Steyr]

Isn’t the .480 Ruger a “short .475 Linebaugh”?
And if so, wasn’t it originally made from trimmed 45-70 brass?
If not, then never mind……

The rim on a 45-70 case would need to be turned down in diameter, the case cut and trimmed to length, and possibly the interior reamed to match 480 Ruger capacity. All possible for the advanced hobbyist, but a bit daunting for the average reloader. Knowing that, we can all keep an eye out for discounted Rugers, and be prepared to take advantage of the misfortune of others.

[LeonardC]

Ruger joined with Hornady on some of the "Ruger" cartridges; Hornady dropped the ball on making brass available for the .480 Ruger and the .375 Ruger. Both are poorly served in the market.

I think .480 Brass has been "made" by only three firms: Hornady, FC, and Starline. Based on nothing, I think Starline with be the first to make a run "soon". Sold out within a very short period of time! I hope I have some $ in my pocket when the brass hits the market.

Edit: I cast and load RCBS 400 grain bollits for fun and have some commercial cast hard cast 410 grain for loading SD loads for big animals. Never shot a factory round nor a jacketed bullet.