Looking into another Freedom Arms in either 475 Linebaugh or 500 Wyoming Express. Any comments on the pros & cons on their performance?

sixgunner,

performance wise, not too much difference. The brass for the 500 WE is proprietary ( available from FA only ) as are loaded rounds. The 475 Line is available as factory fodder and components are readily available. Bullet selection ( jacketed, cast, molds ) are pretty much the same. Of course the gun quality is the same if both FA 83s.

Doc

Agreed in the field the difference between the two impossible to quantify. If you dont reload then the 475 offers many times the options but dont expect to find ether on a shelf of a sporting god shop.

The 475 is more popular and has more loads options out there but if you handload they are pretty much the same after you get you brass taken care of...

I have the Mod. 83 in .500 WE and a customized Ruger Bisley in .475L.
As Doc says, not much difference in performance. I liked the idea of having a "half-inch gun," plus I have always wanted a customized 5 shot Ruger in .475 L so I saved and traded and finally was able to acquire both revolvers. They are both great calibers.

For big bad bears and big bad Africa stuff, I would choose my .500; for all other stuff, the .475 OR the .500. But that is because I am lucky enough to have a choice, and in reality, both calibers will do the job for just about anything that I will ever shoot.

One could argue the .475 might shoot a smidgen flatter, but for revolver distances that I will shoot at, not enough to matter.

I had to say this because it is not part of the question, but...

What about the 480 Ruger?

I was thinkin' the same thing. Maybe we just softies.

Having owned both, currently I have the 475, they both have advantages and disadvantages. The 475 isn't proprietary but there is a wider selection of bullets for the 50's. The 475 doesn't recoil nearly as bad as the 500 WE. The 475 components, at least in my experience over the past 6-8 weeks, are harder to find. If I was going to decide today on which I would buy, it would be the 475 but that 500 WE is one bad dude. From a hunting perspective, I think the best use for either is with a 5 or 6 inch barrel and open sights at ranges of 50-75 yards for big critters.

In my humble opinion, the .475 has no flies on it. It will do all that you ask of it.

It's getting harder to find 480 Ruger guns & brass since Ruger dropped it. I'd sure like to know why they did. It seemed like a decent cartridge but, it sure didn't last long.

The answer I got out of Ruger was that it was a marketing decision to drop the .480. Guess they weren't selling very many.

LIke TCMan said .480 Ruger is a good Choice, IMO The .500 WE and the .475 are both great rounds, but like Gary said the .475 components are easier to find than the .500 stuff.... and A game animal at any distant will not know the difference.

I had the same question and debated the same caliber choices earlier this year. In the end I listened to a man by the name of John who works at Freedom Arms. He told me most people who like shooting the 454 really love the 475. He said the 475 has more of a push then a violent recoil. He continued to say the 500WE has significantly more recoil then the 475 and for him at least the 500WE was not any fun to shoot. So I ordered my 475. Tolerance to recoil is a personal preference and I enjoy shooting the 475 but its all the gun I want to handle. After about 20 to 30 400gr factory Hornady loads Im done for the day and they are not a top end load.

Like mentioned above its nice to have factory loads available. Brass (when you can find it in stock) is much less expensive and there is a great selection of bullets to chose from.

I would love to have a 500WE some day, but Im glad I picked the 475 first.

I do know that Grizzly cartridge co. loads (or loaded anyway) the 500 WE.


I also was very suprised to see a new Redhawk in 480 when I went to the Cabela's at my home town, Owatonna, MN

Jeffx,
You read Gary backwards. He correctly stated that there are many more components (bullets, actually) available for the .500WE than the .475L. This is largely because of the success of the .500 S&W.

I use several FA's in each of the 2 calibers. Both are superb. Heavier recoil? Well, that depends upon how you load them. I actually load my .475's heavier than my .500 WE's, because those happen to be the loads I've settled on ... and therefore my .475's recoil more. Both can be comfortable, and both can be brutal, depending upon your loading. Loaded to the asolute max., the WE will use more powder and the gun weighs a bit less, so....

I have sentimental attachments to the WE, but if I absolutely had to have only one, I THINK I'd pick the .475L. Just don't ask me to justify it, because they're basically performance twins in the field.

They did a terrible job of marketing it, that was the problem. It still has a dedicated following and brass is not all that hard to get if you look.

Its just terric to have the choices we do today and both are excellent cartridges.

AMEN!!!!