Favorite large game revolver

I found the post topic of "favorite deer hunting revolver" to be really interesting and figured the next step up would be what large game revolver you favored. Lets go with any animal larger then black bear/deer in size (moose-elk-grizz-bison)and what revolver you would use whether or not you have hunted this size animal or not. My choice is between the 454 and 475 and the more I use the 475/480 the more I like it so as of today I will go with the 475 Linebaugh as my favorite large game revolver. I am lucky enough to own two revolvers in this caliber being the FA`s with a 10" barrel that Magnaport worked into their Stalker conversion and a Gallagher custom five shot Bisley with a 5 1/2" barrel. Between those two the Gallagher will be on my hip if I ever get back to the salmon streams of Alaska...

.475 Linebaugh is just fine.

If I ever get drawn for KY.Elk I have a 7 1/2 in .480 Ruger I could use but. I probably would just strap on my 4 5/8 .45 Blackhawk and something scoped for longer ranges.

Doc, As one of the few handgun hunters to have taken the "Big 5" I think you made a damm "good point" for the 475..... I think you guys will understand when I say that one of the toughest shots of my life was at 70 yards on a facing blackbuck with Doc Rogers not 10 feet away watching it all. Talk about peer pressure.....

Doc, that rhino pic always gets me. Ya, the 475 is just fine

Use the biggest gun you can shoot accurately. I took a FA 475 to Africa & it worked great, my PH wanted it & we worked out a trade & now I use a 5 shot 480 that's close enough with heavy bullets so I'll stick with it. Worked on moose & Bison. Haven't seen a Rino in Idaho in weeks, sure would like to!

Dick

Don't sell the 500 Linebaugh and JRH short, they hit even hard than the 475

Doc, that rhino picture never fails to put a smile on my face!

Favorite for big-game for me boils down to the three .50 cals I have used. The .500 is a killing machine and I took a nice cow moose in Maine with my custom SRH, slinging 500 grain LFNs. I no longer have that revolver.



My two current favorits are my .500 Maximum built by Huntington, and my .500 JRH Bisley built by Huntington. Shot the water buffalo cow in the photo below with that one and it is impressive on big animals.

I'll stick with my .45 Colt.......

I'll be taking the 500JRH if I ever get to Africa. Here in North America, I'll stay with 45 Colt. Well, unless I ever did a grizzly hunt in Alaska, then I'll use 500JRH there as well.

Six shot hit it on the head when he said [Use the biggest gun you can shoot accurately] Not everyone has the hands to shoot the biggest calibers like the 500 Max or the .475 with heavy loads [wish I did] .My .45 colt and .480 are enough. I just have to work close and put a good bullet or two where they need to go.

I been doing some work and load development with my 444 Marlin in a BFR with a 10" BBL. I am rather impressed with the 300 grain GC RF from a Lee mould.nover 1600 FPS. Recoil is mangable and accuracy is excellent. gun is a little ungainly but is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Last year when Kraig P. was here for a visit from Georgia I shot a cylinder full of his factory Buffalo Bore (I think) 440 gr. slugs & it was a fantastic gun in every way...except recoil, it was not full at all. It took all the concentration I had to shoot it & it was very accurate.
You guys that can shoot them must have steel wool for pubic hair because that thing will really test you, I tip my hat to all of you that can shoot them enough to be good with them. I'm too old to call that fun, just me.

Dick

The only area where the 475 has it over the 480 is shooting heavy bullets at high velocity because of case capacity. However, there is nothing on this continent and most of Africa that the 480 can`t handle. The correct bullet for the game being hunted and shot placement are what counts....JB, I`ed hunt Africa with you and your 480 anytime....

I love the 480 and my new 475 linebaugh. My son took a decent Bison when he was 12 with the 480. Over the next few years my plans are to take a nice moose, Blackbeard and bison with my new JRH custom 475 linebaugh.

I am unlikely to ever hunt outside CONUS and therefore, any dream hunt with a handgun would be well taken care of by one of my .454 Casull revolvers and most preferably...........



Running 350gr RFN-GC at 1,650 fps should work for large game in North America.

as a lerker - before I lerk off my fav... big frame is a custom conversion 5.5 Redhawk
.410 GNR-- normally my 255 WLNGC usually at 1480-1500
there is more but that is plenty for West Tenn deer
BTW as you guys post the pic of your handguns-
I will normally save the pictures-you guys have some really nice stuff

To date the largest big game I have killed with a revolver is four bull elk: two with my .454 Casull and two with my .475 L. Either will suffice; however my favorite is the bigger caliber.

This bull I wanted to drop on the spot with no chance to run off so I put the .475 bullet through the center of his shoulder and it worked fine. I vote for my .475 Linebaugh. Although I am sure the .454 would have done just as well.

My two .475 Linebaughs...... Both handguns are accurate and the Freedom Arm`s is capable of 100 yard clover leaf groups with cast or jacketed bullets......

I love my SRH .480. Superbly accurate and chronied right beside the mighty .475 with a 5.5" barrel the .480 is neck and neck with it. Since this pic I changed the scope to a 2.5x8. I smacked a nice buck with it at 115 yards.

Yea. .45 Colt. Don't guess I'll ever see Africa (or care to).

I'd have to go with either my 6" FA or 7.5" BFR in .454 Casull.

45colt, 350gr pill over 22grns of h110 for 1200fps will handle anything in the lower 48 and then some. The bigger calibers hit harder, but critters aren'the any deader.

Well to be honest I'll likely never go to Africa or hunt Grizz so I would be perfectly happy with a short barreled plow handle in 45 colt.

And neither will I. So you bring up a good point. I need to work up a heavy 350gr RFN-GC load for my 5.5" Bisley .45 Colt. That should be good for hunting or back-up use.



I currently run 300gr cast through it. But, I think I'd prefer heavier.

That's a nice piece. 350 gr should cover you front to back.

Well, since I live and hunt in Alaska and had a Gallagher 500L built and just got my first handgun kill with it, this is my favorite!

And a great favorite it is, Perry!

I like my Freedom in 454, it woks good on stuff.

[quote=Snyd]Well, since I live and hunt in Alaska and had a Gallagher 500L built and just got my first handgun kill with it, this is my favorite!

Its amazing how much better they feel after you have cleanly taken game with them.Your confidance level goes up and they take on a whole different feel.Its like now, they are a part of you and belong in the woods.

This is so true!

Man isn't that the truth!!! I've sold a few of mine over the last couple years, and it was like selling part of my soul! The ones I haven't taken any game with were a lot easier to let go of!

Funny how that works.

I hear ya. Also over the last couple months I'd been doing a LOT of shooting, mostly offhand at 50+ yds with full house hunting loads. It really pays to cast and load your own. I had a lot of confidence in the myself/gun/load combo. It was an easy no brainer/reflex to draw, aim and shoot with unsupported offhand at 43 yds. Yup, this ones a keeper! Some of you guys have multiple keepers. I may just have to liquidate a few and invest in a Linebaugh 45 Colt.

Snyd, that is a good investment.....

There is not much you can`t do with a pair of handguns chambered in 45 Colt or 475 as the pair pictured above. However, no matter what caliber hunting handgun you own it all comes down to where you place that first shot as Snyd so nicely did with his moose. He prepared himself and finished his moose hunt in grand style... There`s a lot to be learned from his actions...

I've got to go with my SRH in .454 Casull. This one will likely hold my #1 spot until I get a .475 of some sorts. then it'll be a labor of love trying to figure out which one.

I too am a fan of the .45 Colt.....

Ill definitely take my fa454 7.5" for one gun. I liked my 475 but entirely too limited on bullet selection. A 500jrh has much better bullet selection as well if ya want bigger. I dont need bigger and theres not anything south of an elephant i wont use my pet load with the 325gr swift a frame and numerous monometal solids available.

Me and tradmark think alike.

There are a lot of nice looking rigs on this thread, and even more seasoned biggame handgunners!

a lot of great insight and experience here that is great to pay attention to!

I have not hunted or killed anything larger than whitetail/ Mule deer and black bear, but I recently moved to NW Washington State and hope to try out my 7 1/2" FA 454 Casull on the largest bodied sub-species of elk come November

Haven't posted on this site for years. Darn near forgot about it and my password. But I'll post a nod for my 480.
Such a great round. Sold my 454 SRH, kept the 44 and 480 SRHs. Not a 454 basher, just when shooting big bores I use WFNs, and the wider the better. Love my 480SRHs target grey color. Great in the woods. I know the finish erks some people, but it's tailored for hunting. Heck, some people even pay to have their guns creakoted(spelling?). Ruger added a finish like that for free!

I load a 355gr WFN Leadhead at around 1200fps in the 480.
It is easily manageable in my SRH. Feels like a factory
44mag 240gr in my 629.

That 355 load lays hard into the animals I encounter.
I settled on that particular bullet, as it has the same sectional density as a .429/320gr. That's a LOT of SD!
Load a 320gr 44mag up to 1200fps and compare recoil to my 480 load!

The TKO value of my 355 load is equal to my earlier load of 425gr/1000fps, but with less (perceived maybe)recoil, and a flatter traj. (plus a lot less lead to pay for).
I've never recovered a 355gr out to 80yds or so, so the penetration is there.

My .480 likes the 355 gr bullet too.Shoots really well at 100 yds.

Well, since it is what I have, I would go with my Ruger bisley 45 colt. I may move up in caliber someday, but for now it gives me what I need. I currently shoot Montana Bullet Works 300 gr. LFN, but would make the switch to some heavier WFN in this case.

Snyd, I just have to tell you that everything from the finish to the grips on your Gallagher 500 is perfection to me. That is as close to perfect a handgun I have seen. You have fine taste, which has gifted you an even finer revolver.

I have a 5 inch muzzle-brake 460 Smith and Wesson Magnum X-frame that will be back from their Performance Center sometime soon. With it, I can shoot hot 45 Colt 360 grain at 1200 fps, or 454 Casull with 360 grain at 1500 fps. And if all else fails, I can use a 395 grain cast bullet from Corbon. I am convinced that this one gun can handle any hunting or large game defensive situation a person could come up with. I like that if one arm gets hurt and unable to be used, I may still be able to shoot it double-action to defend myself.

Hi Jeffrey and welcome to the forum? Have you tried .45 Colt and .454 loads in your .460? I'm curious how it shoots because I have yet to see one that shoots those shorter rounds well.

LARGE game revolver? That's easy for me: The FA .475 Linebaugh, followed by the .500 Wyoming Express.

Today`s hunting handguns and bullets for large game have never been better....
454 Casull - 475 and 500 Linebaugh - 500WE and JRH - 460 and 500S&W...
Add to them a quality, heavy for caliber cast bullet along with the Punch, Barnes solid and hollow points, Swift and a few more, so the only reason for not taking what you want is lack of money to hunt what big game you like or not placing the bullet where it should go on the large animal...This can be an expensive sport..

[quote=jamesfromjersey]Today`s hunting handguns and bullets for large game have never been better....
You have that right James.Plus the .44's and .45's You can also add scopes, red dots,and bullets to that list. Bob Milec in an early article said that he had a bushel basket full of failed handgun scopes and this before the 454.and bigger guns.We owe a big debt of gratitude to those who came before and paved the way by asking and showing the gun, scope,and bullet companies how serious handgun hunters could be,and getting us better products..We have a new crop of writers and experimenters now just as dedicated and well spoken as the old ones were[thank goodness].Now its up to us to carry the torch high.Aim small, miss small.

Hey James, I also choose .475 L; my custom Dixie Firearms .475; it has accounted for two bull elk and several muley bucks.

I've also taken 2 bulls with my Freedom Arms .454 but I really do prefer the .475 just 'cuz it's bigger, I guess.

My current favorite, a BFR in .500 JRH with a 5 1/2-inch barrel and "Bisley" grip.

Ruger Super Redhawk in the Toklat configuration (.454 Casull.)
Plenty big enough for anything I will ever hunt.

Dang nice bull, Gregg!

My favorite is whichever one I have in my hand when I am within 50 yards of large game!

This.

That sure is a beauty of a handgunned elk Gregg...................

Mine is my Ruger SBH Bisley in .44 with 7.5" barrel. Open sights (fiber optic) with my hand loads - crazy accurate and deadly.

Randy

T his is my 5" Super Redhawk 44 mag. Mag-Na-Port did their 480 package to it. Loves Hornady 240 grain XTP's loaded with H110.

I have a Rough Country Bowen model adjustable Rear sight ordered to make the change to a stronger and more reliable rear sight, and after shooting rounds from all three I will let you know. The front sight will be changed to a taller one, but first I want to see what happens using the front factory red insert sight as supplied.

Looking at purchasing a 6.5 inch Smith and Wesson 500 X-frame with a half-lug barrel and integral comp of three ports each side of the front sight. I plan to shoot 500 JRH aka 500 S&W Magnum Short. No need for the full blown load when the 500 JRH loaded with the proper bullet has all the power one needs for anything that walks, crawls or approaches in a menacing manner.
Will join my 5 inch 460 Smith and Wesson magnum in which 454 Casull is a pleasure to shoot. Feels like having a 3 1/2 12 Gauge semi-auto that shoots 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells. There when I want or need it, but shooting 2 3/4 and 3 inch mostly.

That is a great looking revolver, and something for me to aspire to! How do you like the BFR "Bisley" grips on something as big as the .500 JRH?

It's really grown on me. I love the way it handles recoil!

My .44 special(top) and my .44 mag. Both with 5.5" barrel..44 mag is an OM SBH. The one on the right.

SPENCER: WHAT ABOUT SOME INFO ON THAT GREAT LOOKING 44 SPECIAL, WHO DID WHAT TO IT?

It is an Old Model Ruger .357. Bored out to .44 Special. #5 grip frame, Bisley hammer, Octogan barrel, black powder chamfer on the cylinder, custom base pin, crescent ejector rod, steel ejector rod housing, bowen rear sight, action job and an empty wallet.

The grip frame came from Powers, the barrel blank from I do not remember. Everything else and all of the fitting and custom work done by Alan Harton. Case hardening done by a Texan near Alan's shop.

This was about 4 years of accumulating parts while it was at Hartons so the price was spread out. Thankfully.

This is my heritage gun, never to be sold and to be passed down to my son someday.

I'll get some more pics later today.

Then I will post the heritage gun that I will pass down to my daughter if she wants it. If not, my son gets it

That 44 special is some kinda fine!

Whitworth I am going to buy some ammo and go out and shoot some targets. Will let you know when, but I have to get it back from the Smith and Wesson Performance Center first. Sent it in back on May 19th and it is now September 12th and still not back to me. I paid for a Master Revolver package deal. Hope to have good news soon....

oh yeaaaaaaa

My favorite this year is a 3006 AI encore 16" bull MGM ,pachmayr grip,JP tank brake,leupold rifle scope,having trouble posting a picture,need to get one of my grandkids to help me !

I guess I'm having a Senior moment,topic said favorite revolver,mine would be my ruger blackhawk hunter 45 colt

Still no 460 Smith and Wesson Magnum 5-inch muzzle-brake barrel X-frame from the Performance Center. May 19th it was sent and it is October 1st today. I sure hope they get it back to me soon. Sent my 6.5 inch 500 Smith and Wesson Magnum X-frame with half-lug barrel to JRH Advance Gunsmiths in Sparks, Nevada. Putting a Large Gold Bead front sight on the 500 Smith and Wesson and black powder chamfering of the front of the cylinder. Also tuning of the action. They said no need to change out the rear sight. And he said he would touch up the white outline of the rear sight for me. Hope I can post a good result to all this soon.

I'm loving my 7.5" bfr 460 now. Trigger tuned to perfection and ridiculously accurate. Easy to shoot off of sticks and off hand. The caliber is ridiculously effective on game with the correct bullets.

I got my 460 Smith and Wesson Magnum X-frame back from the Performance Center. I have the 5 inch muzzle-brake model. The Performance Center put a different rear sight with a higher blade on it. It shoots 45 Colt accurately and 454 Casull accurately also. I used a shooting bench to steady my gun and rung the metal all up and down the line. I am going to shoot paper soon. I will report back after that.

FA 83