I have been thinking too much lately... I know a dangerous past time... I have been wanting a 475 for some time and after spending 800 on my truck, in parts alone, I have been looking for other alternatives than customs I was drooling over. I have given great consideration to the SRH in 480 and the BFR in 480/475. Thoughts and comments?

Thanks in advance

Duane

You are hard pressd to find better bang-for-the-buck than BFR's .475. That is the route I would go personally.

well.....there IS a 475 BFR for sale over at specialty pistols forum.

$600....is that good?

Either choice would be great.I personally like the double actions better,faster to reload if the need arises,even though it should only take one shot,sometimes old age and buck fever get ahold on ya and just won't let go-L.O.L.

I love my ruger SRH in .480 and feel the 480R will do all the 475L will for my purposes. I would prefer a Ruger Bisley format but I don't have 2 grand for a custom right now. I have heard the handle on the BFR is less than comfortable when shooting HOT stuff, but have no real experience with it. Either way you go you will have a true hammer.

HEY!! I've been drooling over that one on specialty pistols forum!! Whitworth-how do the BFR's shoot??

Put Packmyers on and you have no trouble. Stock grip stink.

Well it's all personal opinion.... So I'll give you mine!

I personaly prefer the DA guns for hunting. I carry a 4.5" BH for backpacking & backup when bowhunting, but prefer the DAs for everyday shooters & hunting.
I have a 7.5" SRH in 480 & with the limited shooting I've done with it I REALLY like it. The load I'm playing with is 20.0 gr of Lil-Gun behing a 400gr cast bullet (Lee mold) & it seems to shoot well & runs about 1165fps. Hodgon recomends 19.0-21.0gr with Lil Gun as I recall, so I'm well within limits. Cases extract easily, primers look good.
From what I've been tols Mr Linebaugh & his son both say that 1200fps with a 400gr bullet will pretty much do it all & as I understand it that's about all they run in their guns (all hear-say mind you). If that's the case they are shooting 480 Ruger level loads...

I feel comfortable with the SRH 480 as an all around hunting handgun for Alaska (my home) even to include brown bear. That said, I personally would go 480 SRH, but if you like SAs the BFR is in your price range...

I don't know why but my BFR in .454 with the factory rubber grips was unpleasant to shoot. Rubber grips on my Freedom Arms .454 with the same loads are fine. I put a set of SBH grip panels on my BFR and its handles fine now.

Man the feedback is awesome. It actually makes it harder because I have Ruger's in SBH's and a SRH... To be honest, I wish I could get my hands on a 5in S" "H in 480 Ruger and never look back.

I suggest a FA 83....Wait....you said SRH or BFR. Never mine...LOL

I have shot a .475 BFR rather extensively and it is a lot more pleasant to shoot with identical loads than my custom .475 SRH. I don't find the BFR unpleasant at all -- it's as pleasant as a .475 is capable of being shooting full-tilt loads.

Ya... I wish I had the money...

I like single actions so I'll vote for the BFR, to me they are real close in quality to the FA's but less$. The action is identical to the Blackhawk so the same Wolff trigger springs will work in it and if your going with 475 cal you might as well have the option of going with full house Linebaugh loads if you want and plink with 480's if you desire. I've run one cylinder of 480's through my one 475 and then I sold the rest of the box to someone here on the site. I shoot full house stuff all the time out of mine. I figure I might as well plink and target practice with the same thing I hunt with so I know exactly how the gun and ammo is going to perform but that's just me.

Owned both the BFR in 475, and SRH in 480, was not to impressed with the BFR, lots of play in the cylinder and the best group i could get at 100 yards was around 8 inches. The SRH would get 2 1/4 to 3 inch groups at 100 yards. I now regret saling the SRH, it was a great gun and accounted for lots of whitetails.

I ended up just biting the bullet and getting a FA 475 w/ extra 480 cylinder. No regrets on that choice,if i do my part i'm getting 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. It has become my favorite gun.

You should have sent it back to Magnum Research. I've never heard of BFR shooting that poorly or having alot of cylinder play. My 45-70 would run 440 CP's to 1650fps and hold under 2" at 100yds with a 2x leupold and most other guys I know that own one are getting the same type of results.

I've thought of having my SRH 480 converted to a 5 hole 475 but max loads in the 480 have proven to be plenty as is, on both ends.

I think I am going to have to save my penny's... again... and see what I can come up with. From what I can tell, no matter what road I take I will be happy.

Has anyone seen a BFR converted to a Bisley grip frame? I'm told the older DM models used Ruger frames, but the current JT models are different. Still with all the talented 'Smiths out there, you would think someone would have converted one?

Hmmm, I was just wondering the same thing, beenn thinking of saving my pennies and getting one and then cutting down to 5" and was thinking bisley grip..

I hate to say it, what I REALLY want is a 475 on a RH frame... To me it is the best of both worlds. A BFR in 475 is sounding better and better. If I wanted the Bisley grip I might be able to do that latter.

When you see the newer BFR along side a Ruger Bisley you can see why no conversions. I asked them some time back why not a Bisley style grip option and they feel their's is just fine, I disagree. If they had a Bisley grip, based on the Ruger design, I would own more than one of their guns.