I can't decide to use the 475 Linebaugh or the 454 Casull for my black bear hunt this spring. The 454 has a little more range but I don't know if that will be an issue or not. There is also something to be said for having the belt gun in the same caliber as the scoped one.

My vote is for the .475......

Ditto. Bigger holes hurt more ;-)

what loads did you have in mind for each Gary?
where are you hunting, and by what method? (i.e. bait, hounds, etc.)

Good luck with which ever gun you choose! Where will you be hunting?

Also, what kind of hunt? Spot and stalk or stand hunting?

Spot and stalk for coastal bears on Alaska's POW Island. 300 gr. Nosler Partitions in the 454 or the 325 gr. Speer Deepcurl in the 475. Both shoot very well but I can get about another 50 yards out of the 454 and if I can get close enough I may shoot it with my 4 3/4" gun anyway.

Man, I have to say I have to agree with, cough-cough, Whit... Besides, we have seen what your 475 is cappable of in the field and at the range!!

Haha! Thanks, Tex -- I think!

well, either will kill it, we know this and i doubt you'll see a difference in any way. that said, if ya take the 454 you can borrow my ammo if ya need any or lose some.

haha

Thanks Mark - do you deliver? I hope we'll all be close enough to meet for a lunch break at least one day. Are you gonna scope one of those guns or go irons only?

454....

Either will work, obviously. My bear guns are .475's, and I see no reason to change. Quick partial review:

I guess I am partial to the 454 because I have one, lol but both would be nice and the added range may help a little with the spot and stalk. Hard to beat those Nosler Partitions.

You will have to let us know how you do Gary. I would like to hunt Alaska some time and a DIY black bear hunt on Prince of Whales looks like it would actually be affordable.

Are you going guided or unguided? just curious...

yeah i'd deliver. haha. i'm gonna use this hunt as a reason to buy a new gun so i think a nice SRH with a red dot sight and my 4 3/4" with irons would be appropriate with those hogue tamers, nice rubber grips in a rainy environment like that.

I'm partial to my 454.

Is this a rational reason to get a 4 3/4" FA 475L?

You know I've been trying to justify a new short gun and maybe this is a good reason.

Sounds like a good reason to me!

Hey Gary, use your .475 Linebaugh...

As I am a bit partial this season...lol

In all seriousness, which ever gun/caliber you choose, we all know that it will do the job, esp. with your experience and ability.

Most of all, be safe!

Best,

Gregg

maybe i should change my idea and get a longer 475 and use that with my shorter 454. you could use the short 454 and the long 475 and we could both get new guns and still share ammo. just saying. haha

do ya know what kyle and tj are gonna be using?

Kyle already has his guns lined up. He's taking his 7.5" and 4.75" FA 454's. Tj is taking a 7.5" 454 and the short gun is undecided since he doesn't have one yet. He's torn between a 475 and a 454 but I think he's looking at finding a used one.

How does the 454 have more range? I have shot my 454 with 300 grain factory load form a 6" which is about 1700 FPS to 500 yards and my 475 with 6" barrel with the 420 LFN at 1400 FPS

Both revolver were sighted in for the same distance and it took more front sight above the rear to hit the Antelope silhouette at 500 yards than it did for the 475

I see people post this all the time that 454 has more range, but it just doesn't play out that way

Whitworth killed his Moose this year at 100 plus yards shoot a 500 grain bullet from his 500L at 1100 FPS and had no trouble at all making the shot

The 475 is a bigger hammer and that is what I would use with 420 grain LBT LFN or WLFN bullet

I know fact a fact that the 420 grain hard cast bullet will FLATTEN a grizz or Moose. BT/DT

I'd be a bit skeptical of the 325 grain Deep Curl bullet in the 475 having enough penetration on a really big bear

Between the loads that you presented I'd opt for the 454 on bullet choice alone

I think if I used the 475L Id use a 400 gr bullet,I know that Id made mention of shooting a beaver in the head with a 325 xtp mag and the head and everything above water flat dissapeared I believe the bullet flat detonated on his head,the deer I shoot with the same load had about a 2 inch exit and worked well,both shots were in the 60 yrd range.

I use and recommend the Hornady 400 gr. XTP in the .475 L for bears, not the 325.

Clearly, here's a man with a good plan!

Maybe some of you missed it but I'm hunting black bear not brown bear. I agree if I were after brown bear or moose I would not use the 325.

If you are hunting in an area which has both black and brown bear, would it not be better to plan for the worst,Brownie at close range or thick cover unexpected.I have not hunted bear but over penetration would be a good thing in that scenario. Plan for the worst, then smile and thank the hunting gods when it dosen't happen!

Agreed junebug - no grizzly on POW island.

yup if there were i'd still be willing to use the barnes 250"s but i'd prolly stoke the short gun with some corbon penetrators or a punch bullet. could go with cast but a grizz is once in a lifetime type of hunt.

or a once in a lifetime stop in a charge.

That is my motto always take the load that you would want if faced with a close range charge