Author Topic: .475 Linebaugh (Read 1716 times)

Roller · « **on:** September 28, 2003, 04:24:58 AM »

I posted about four weeks ago that I had just ordered a Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh. Freedom Arms said it would be 2-3 months before they had it finished. I recieved a call a few days ago from my gun dealer that she had a package for me. My .475 was done in 22 days. I haven't had time yet to get bullets, brass and dies together, because I wasn't expecting it for 2 more months. I got a set of RCBS dies ordered. What are some loads you have worked up? What bullets are you using? I want to try cast and jacketed bullets. Has anyone used 400 gr. Speer Gold Dots? Any loading data would be greatly appreciated. Do I need to seat the bullets and crimp in two steps, like I do with my .454? I bought a box of loaded .475 ammo a while back so I have shot my new gun a few times over the last few days. What do you think of the recoil? I don't think the recoil is unmanagable, but I do think it is a in a completely different level than a full house .454. All info would be greatly appreciated.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2003, 05:15:23 AM »

wish I could help you more but the FA guns need cast bullets made for them most of the molds available are for bullets that crimp out to far for the FA guns You will probably need to contact ballistic cast nei or mountain molds for there recomendations. Only jacketed bullets ive shot have been the hawk and the xtps they both shot real well though. Again for max loads because of the seating dept the loads in the books may be to hot for your gun. I would start at 25 grains of 110 with a 400 and work up real slowly from there.

TScottO · « **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2003, 09:29:44 AM »

Hello Roller,

I have the exact gun you just received.

You need to call RCBS and make sure you have the proper dies for your 475. They have two different setups from my understanding. I started off with RCBS dies and kept crushing cases and sticking brass in their resizing die. One set of dies they have is made for cut down 45/70 brass. The other set is for Hornady brass. Horady brass has thicker walls than the thin 45/70 brass. The RCBS dies resizes them too small for use with Hornady brass. I swapped to Hornady reloading dies and havent had a problem since. I didnt find out about RCBS having two sets of dies till later. Also if you use a Dillon 550B press their shell plate is designed for cut down 45/70 brass.

The powders I use are WW231, WW296, H4227, and BlueDot. The next time I buy powder Im going to pick up some HS6 too. I hear this is a really good clean burning powder for light loads.

Ive use Cast Performance 410gr WFNGC almost exclusively. I have used Hornady 400gr xtp and Hawk Precision 400gr flat nose and have gotten good accuracy with all of them. Lloyd is correct about there not being a variety of bullets because of the cylinder length of FA guns. Every bullet I have tried that are called long nose will not fit in my cylinder.

I use Hornady brass trimmed to 1.392. This is a little on the short side but its still in spec. The Hornady brass seems to run a little short so I trimmed them all to this length so I wouldnt have to cull very much brass.

I seat and crimp in two different steps. I feel I get more consistency in my reloads this way. I seat the bullet till the OAL measures 1.742 then I crimp the brass till the crimping die seats the bullet to 1.741. This gives me a good crimp. Ive never had problems with my loads doing it this way.

All of these loads are with 410gr WFNGC from Cast Performance, WLP primers, 1.392 case length, 1.741 OAL. All of these shoot 2 25yard groups, open sights off a bag or better out of my gun. These are estimated velocities because I dont have a chrony:

9.0gr WW231 @ ~850fps
25gr WW296 @ ~1200fps---This is what I shoot the most. Ive shot 5 100yd groups with open sights off a bag with this load. It also rings our steel 200yd gong pretty hard too.
27gr WW296 @ ~1300fps
21gr H4227 @ ~1000fps
23gr H4227 @ ~1150fps
17.5gr BlueDot @ ~1200fps

With the jacketed bullets, 400gr Hornady xtp and 400gr FN Hawk Precision bullets Ive shot them with 25 and 27gr of WW296 with good results. The Hawk bullets are too expensive for me to spend a lot of experimenting with them.

Lloydthey cylinder of FA 475 measures ~1.784. What does the cylinder measure on your Linebaugh conversion?

Good luck and be safe,
Scott

ps Roller, make sure you keep an eye on the frame mounting screws. They will shoot lose.

I dont know what you have in mind for leather but I bought an Elpaso Saddlery 1920 cross draw, bordered and lined holster with a matching swade lined gun belt with no loops. It fits really well and is excellent quality leather.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2003, 01:02:35 PM »

I come up with 1.779 but you have to remember that the linebaugh guns dont have countersunk chambers

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2003, 01:05:46 PM »

I have contacted dillon and sent them some sample brass to make a new shell plate for the .475 hornady brass. Ill post something when I hear back. Cutting back your brass to make the longer bullets work may be the answer for the FA guns. Youll lose a little case capasity but probably not enough to make a serious difference in power.

TScottO · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2003, 01:59:43 PM »

I did a remeasure on my cylinder. I removed it from my gun. It looks like 1.782 is a more accurate. A Hornady case head is roughly .065.

Loaded 400gr Mnt Baldy long nose bullets seated in a trimed case lenght of 1.392 has an OAL of 1.815. The bullet is seated to the very top edge of the cannalure (sp).

It sure hope Dillon makes a new shell plate. I called and talked to them a month or so ago and expressed my concern about the issue.

Good luck and be safe,
Scott

MS Hitman · « **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2003, 03:52:28 PM »

Roller,

I shoot 25.0 grains of WW296 behind the Speer 400 grain Gold Dot and it has worked well on deer, In fact, I do not think the bullet even slows down much and from the wound channels inspected during autopsy, I do not beleive it expands. Yes, you need to seat and crimp in two different steps. I have found the Hornady dies to work better with the Hornady brass. WC820 surplus powder operates just the same as 2400. Both are a very good powder in this caliber. Hornady now has loading information for this caliber as well.

I am going to Mark Hampton's next week and elk is on the agenda and I plan to use my .475 for the job. I will use the Speer bullet and a friend will use the 400 grain XTP. I believe a third will use a cast bullet. That we may compare notes on the bullets. I plan to go after Cape Buffalo in a couple of years if things work out and the firearm I intend to use for this is my .475 Linebaugh FA revolver.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #7 on:** September 29, 2003, 12:11:25 AM »

scott be careful hunting with ammo that leaves no room for a bullet to jump crimp. Thats no time to tie up a gun. As your brass gets older they are alot more susceptable to jumping.

Quote from: TScottO

I did a remeasure on my cylinder. I removed it from my gun. It looks like 1.782 is a more accurate. A Hornady case head is roughly .065.

Loaded 400gr Mnt Baldy long nose bullets seated in a trimed case lenght of 1.392 has an OAL of 1.815. The bullet is seated to the very top edge of the cannalure (sp).

It sure hope Dillon makes a new shell plate. I called and talked to them a month or so ago and expressed my concern about the issue.

Good luck and be safe,
Scott

475/480 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 29, 2003, 01:55:37 PM »

Hi Roller,if you want email me I will send you plenty of load data from bullets I have cast and data from cast bullets from CB companies,CP, BT and others from 325gr-460gr -I have the same FA-83 475 Linebaugh
7-1/2" shoots great,good trigger too.
seanharper@houston.rr.com .