475 vs 500 linebaugh

[bigbrowndog]

Along with what Lar, said…….The blast from H110/W296 at maximum are waaaay more than similar velocity loads with 4227. I’ve pretty much eliminated H110/W296 from my .5 guns. HS6 is a great mid range load powder, as seems to be Titegroup so far.
4227 is my favorite .5 powder, I tried AA1680 and it gave excellent accuracy but my lot must be slower than everyone else’s powder by a significant amount, so I save it for other guns.

Trapr

[wyomingnimrod]

Thank you guys. I’ll get some ordered depending on what I can fund available.

[reflex264]

I thouroughly enjoy seeing old threads like this resurected. I like the 500 and 475. Picking a favorite is totaly subjective. If I have to lean one way or the other the .475 gets the nod. I never load mine down. For that matter I run the .480 right at the top end as well and it doesn't give up anything to the .475. If I want something that that doesn't recoil as bad I pick up one of my .41s, .45s or .44s. That said I fell in love with bigbrowndog's 500L pocket pistol in Texas last year. What a fun gun and effective without being over bearing.

[wyomingnimrod]

Apr 16, 2024 8:49:31 GMT -5 reflex264 said:

I thouroughly enjoy seeing old threads like this resurected. I like the 500 and 475. Picking a favorite is totaly subjective. If I have to lean one way or the other the .475 gets the nod. I never load mine down. For that matter I run the .480 right at the top end as well and it doesn't give up anything to the .475. If I want something that that doesn't recoil as bad I pick up one of my .41s, .45s or .44s. That said I fell in love with bigbrowndog's 500L pocket pistol in Texas last year. What a fun gun and effective without being over bearing.

Glad to see so much interaction on the topic. It is a hard thing to try and sort through information to make one’s own opinion from other peoples’ experiences which are totally subjective, like you said. But really cool and fun to hear everyone’s subjective experiences and whatever objective info there may be as well. Objectively, your avatar revolver is gorgeous, what is it? And I’ve chatted with Trapr a bit about .500 Linebaughs and such but am not sure which one is the “pocket pistol.” Very intriguing concept. Could you share ballpark specs on that? Cheerz

[bigbrowndog]

I believe he refers to my avatar gun. 4” Bisley Vaquero. JRH built, Jack named it BearSpray. There is a topic in it with pics. Look up BearSpray.

Trapr

[wyomingnimrod]

Apr 16, 2024 10:03:07 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

I believe he refers to my avatar gun. 4” Bisley Vaquero. JRH built, Jack named it BearSpray. There is a topic in it with pics. Look up BearSpray.

Trapr

Will do. Bear Spray is by far the best name for a sidearm I’ve ever heard, Trapr. Hell yes.

[reflex264]

Apr 16, 2024 10:00:06 GMT -5 wyomingnimrod said:

Apr 16, 2024 8:49:31 GMT -5 reflex264 said:

I thouroughly enjoy seeing old threads like this resurected. I like the 500 and 475. Picking a favorite is totaly subjective. If I have to lean one way or the other the .475 gets the nod. I never load mine down. For that matter I run the .480 right at the top end as well and it doesn't give up anything to the .475. If I want something that that doesn't recoil as bad I pick up one of my .41s, .45s or .44s. That said I fell in love with bigbrowndog's 500L pocket pistol in Texas last year. What a fun gun and effective without being over bearing.

Glad to see so much interaction on the topic. It is a hard thing to try and sort through information to make one’s own opinion from other peoples’ experiences which are totally subjective, like you said. But really cool and fun to hear everyone’s subjective experiences and whatever objective info there may be as well. Objectively, your avatar revolver is gorgeous, what is it? And I’ve chatted with Trapr a bit about .500 Linebaughs and such but am not sure which one is the “pocket pistol.” Very intriguing concept. Could you share ballpark specs on that? Cheerz

Trapr has a 500L Redhawk built by Bowen. If I remember correctly the barrel is 4". The whole package was amazing. I was having a fit with my new glasses so hard for me to shoot it well past 25 yards but I know he hit steel with it at 100 yards. When he sees this he can post a pic of it. Its one of the guns that you have to smile when you shoot it.

My Avatar pic is a convertable 460 Rowland/ 45 Colt. Ronnie Wells Dealer grip frame with the Blackhawk trigger guard, SBH hammer, Clark conversion cylinder, Bowen Target rear sight, Fermin Garza (2 dogs) front mirror sight and more stuff that I can't remember off the top of my head. It's an incredible shooter. Forgive this pic because I had just shot it and not wipped it off yet but it gets the point accross.

[bigbrowndog]

Technically I have two Bowen 500, one is a SRH and one is a RH. Reflex is aware of only the SRH, it will stay with me until I die. The SRH is a sweetheart, I’m not shooting the RH for fear of wanting to keep it, and I don’t need to do that. Wyo, you’ll be the chance to shoot all three if things work out. The JRH 500L, is my favorite SA and the Bowen is my favorite DA. Both of these are 5”and 5.5”, BearSpray is 4”. It amazed me at how comfortably a big handgun could be carried all day, while afield, with a good holster. It also sold me on Thad Rybka’s holster designs. 

Trapr

[reflex264]

Apr 16, 2024 13:34:04 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

Technically I have two Bowen 500, one is a SRH and one is a RH. Reflex is aware of only the SRH, it will stay with me until I die. The SRH is a sweetheart, I’m not shooting the RH for fear of wanting to keep it, and I don’t need to do that. Wyo, you’ll be the chance to shoot all three if things work out. The JRH 500L, is my favorite SA and the Bowen is my favorite DA. Both of these are 5”and 5.5”, BearSpray is 4”. It amazed me at how comfortably a big handgun could be carried all day, while afield, with a good holster. It also sold me on Thad Rybka’s holster designs. 

Trapr

I meant to say SRH. oops
The one we shot in TX was a SRH.

[wyomingnimrod]

Thanks, Reflex, your piece there is a real beaut. Made for real duty. And looking forward to shooting with you, Trapr. So much to learn about guns and holsters and sights and technique. What a fun and deep rabbit hole this is…

[500fksjr]

Apr 16, 2024 18:08:38 GMT -5 wyomingnimrod said:

Thanks, Reflex, your piece there is a real beaut. Made for real duty. And looking forward to shooting with you, Trapr. So much to learn about guns and holsters and sights and technique. What a fun and deep rabbit hole this is…

It is a slippery slope your on!! and This site is full of enablers. enjoy your journey!

[cas]

Way back when, my original thought was "I don't need either of them, so you might as well get the one you don't need the most."

Similarly, when I had my first 50 built, I didn't own any 45 Colts, 44 was my largest. But it only made sense to get what was least like what I already had.


I'd theoretically wanted one since reading those articles in high school, never thought I'd ever own one. When it became possible, I used logic instead of following my "heart". I had a .50AE built. Because it was all I'd ever need and didn't even need it. I was unimpressed with standard 50AE stuff. I tried to make it into what it wasn't, pushing heavy bullets fast. And it didn't work well. In the end, I sold it and commissioned a 500.

I'd still like to have a 475, to complete the set. But I really, really, really don't need one at this point, so unless I stumble into a bargain it likely won't happen. More recent day dreams have been about a short, lightened, alloy gripped 500, lobbing heavy bullets at underhand pitching speeds. Again certainly not "needed". Then I think.. "you know if you hadn't sold the 50AE it would have worked well for that." Different times, different financial realities.

[ss30378]

I'll preface this with I'm a "I'll take one of everything guy"... So I had to have both and prefer the 500L between the two as my heavy hitter revolver even though both will lay a smacking on just about anything. Between them (both bfr's), the 500 is a little lighter in hand, not by a lot but you can feel it.

Loading the two, I prefer heavy bullets and I was surprised how well the 500L handles the 500g+ bullets. My 500L heavy bullet is 540g and it doesn't seem to care what speeds you send it, it stays accurate. I've run it from 900fps to 1325fps and other than recoil getting a bit brisk up top the loads were accurate and brass life has been excellent. I have 20 loads on some of my brass and primer pockets are still tight.

In the 475L I've run 420s over from 900-1400fps with accuracy but would like to try a custom mold, something in the 470g range with the 475 just to match the sectional density of the 540g 500 to see how it does. Again in the 475L brass life has been great.

I love being able to get big power from the big bores but the key thing about the big guns (454s, 475s and 500s) is the fact I can load all of them down into the 900-1000fps range and still have accuracy and kill things just as dead without the blast and recoil. I live in northeast Alabama and the toughest critters I come across other than the occasional black bear is a boar and usually those are only in the 200lb range max in my neck of the woods. A 540g 500 or a 420g 475 or even a 325g 454 at 900fps will make quick work of them.

But if you need a reason for a 500, more bigger = more better :-)!!!

[bearskinner]

I’ll play the devil’s advocate here. I say don’t consider one or the other, get two ( or more) of each from 410 thru .510, a long and a short barrel. 41, 44, 45, 475, 500, 510. Load them for Rhino. Load them for Squirrels. Get them all and play with them and enjoy. No use leaving extra fund$$ for your kids, they will buy stupid stuff with it.

[Big Bore]

Apr 17, 2024 14:20:39 GMT -5 bearskinner said:

I’ll play the devil’s advocate here. I say don’t consider one or the other, get two ( or more) of each from 410 thru .510, a long and a short barrel. 41, 44, 45, 475, 500, 510. Load them for Rhino. Load them for Squirrels. Get them all and play with them and enjoy. No use leaving extra fund$$ for your kids, they will buy stupid stuff with it.

I'll drink to that.