.500jrh?

[eldon519]

By specs do you mean velocity or measurements or what?

Huntington says it can send a 420 gr at just over 1400fps. I think it's right about even with the .500 Linebaugh, maybe a tad lower on the totem than the .500 Wyoming Express. I think the Wyoming Express (~50,000psi) is loaded to higher pressure than either the Linebaugh (~35,000psi) or the .500 JRH (unsure). I think that is mainly because the Wyoming is only chambered in FA guns, and they use a very high grade steel and are probably stronger than the Linebaugh/Bowen/Huntington 5-shot converted Bisleys.

You'd have to split hairs to ever see a real-world difference, but I think even with the added PSI and consequent velocity, the Wyoming might not be at the top of the heap as expected, namely because the FA83 has a cylinder a little on the short side which limits how heavy you can go (for instance 525gr loads have recently gained some popularity for the Linebaugh). 440gr is the heaviest I see on Hodgdon's WE data, and if I had to guess, it's probably about as heavy as you can reasonably cram into the FA83 cylinder.

 

[duckjihad]

Whats the case length?

 

[eldon519]

I think it's 1.4".

 

[Prosser]

Sorry I didn't really answer your question. The BFR's are superb revolvers that take Ruger parts. I think the entire gun is now made of 17-4, ala FA. Prior I believe the frame was 17-6, cylinder 17-4.

You get a very high quality frame and cylinder with ruger parts working in the guns.
They are twice the price of a Ruger. They are easily twice the quality.

Good to great value.

Hammerdown: yes, single handed with the gun slightly angled, so the recoil takes it around in front of your face, towards your other ear. Or, just like he does it in the video on his website. He's the first person I've ever seen shoot big guns like that. Our range master was second.

Seems the Wyoming Express is pretty near identical, except for the belt, with the .500JRH. I believe the ammunition for the .500JRH is loaded to at least 45K, maybe the heavy loads a bit more.
I think Sundles used 297, a powder only available to professional loaders.

The problem at the upper end of loading this stuff is bullet creep locking the gun up.

Freedom Arms no longer loads ammunition so they don't have to worry about what your hand loads do: it's your responsibility to test and confirm they don't create problems for you. Depending upon how well you crimp, and how strong you are, bullet creep may vary from loader to loader.

Factory ammunition has to take that into account, and err on the side of safety.

Yes, 525's are possible to shoot out of the .500L, and, they are supposed to kill like Thor's Hammer at low velocity.

I have about 100 of them loaded in priceless .500 Maximum brass. It is unlikely I will ever shoot them. They are going at least 1350 fps and kill at BOTH ends.

Do you really NEED 525's? I mean if a 430 grain bullet at 1350 fps won't get it done you need a .416 Rigby or bigger to really kill any better.

 

[eldon519]

Prosser, WC297 was available until pretty recently on the surplus market. I have about 16lbs of it in my reloading room that I got about 3-4 months ago off of GI Brass. Keep an eye out and some more might come up. I have also heard that Alliant 300-MP is really similar.

 

[Prosser]

I'm not sure that's a good thing

Seems that bullet creep is more likely with 297 than H110 or 4227.
How did the 297 compare in price?

 

[stormborn]

You guys are making me think a BFR is going to be my next purchase, and probably in .500 JRH

 

[eldon519]

The price was good. If memory serves, it was just less than $100 per 8-lb jug. I can't recall if it was pulldown or virgin surplus; methinks it was virgin.

GI Brass does have WC820 for $100 per 8-lb right now. It is pulldown from .30 Carbine loads that is supposed to be loadable with H-110 data. It helps bring down the price on feeding those monsters. They've also got an 7.62x39 pulldown powder for the same price that mimics Accurate 1680 which I've seen data for in .500 S&W or .500 Maximum.

 

[Prosser]

"You guys are making me think a BFR is going to be my next purchase, and probably in .500 JRH"

Call MR and see what they price the gun at.

I know another guy that ordered a custom BFR like Jack's. It was about 1800 by the time he got it out the custom shop door. He might have been better off going the
FA 83 converted by JRH route.

This stuff changes on a daily basis price wise.

The .500JRH is supposed to now be a standard caliber offering from MR.

 

[duckjihad]

Can 500 jrh cartridges be fired in a 500 S and W chambered firearm? Can FA 83s chambered in 50AE be converted to 500jrh by having their cylinders bored out?

 

[CraigC]

You can fire .500JRH in a .500S&W. Unfortunately, .50AE guns need a new cylinder because the AE is too heavily tapered and wider at the base. You really want a good, snug, properly cut chamber in these guns.

 

[stormborn]

Call MR and see what they price the gun at.

I know another guy that ordered a custom BFR like Jack's. It was about 1800 by the time he got it out the custom shop door. He might have been better off going the
FA 83 converted by JRH route.

This stuff changes on a daily basis price wise.

The .500JRH is supposed to now be a standard caliber offering from MR.

I certainly will give them a call. Part of the draw of the BFR over FA is the price tag

I'm open to other calibers as well, so I'm sure the actual purchase will depend on any used pieces I find, etc.

 

[Prosser]

About 5 years ago CDN blew out their supply of BFR's for 500 each.

I didn't have the cash at the time.

Since then the only one I've found around here was 1000 dollars for a used .475 with the normal cylinder length.

They hold their value well in California.

 

[CraigC]

That was a steal on BFR's! I swear, if they were compatible with the Ruger Bisley grip frame, I'd have a couple of them.

 

[Boxhead]

That was a steal and I just missed out until a gent on another forum offered one up he did manage to get from CDNN with a second JRH modified grip frame and grips and four or five boxes of factory ammo for less than he had in the package. So for $750 I had quite a nice deal. I sold the original grip frame and black micarta grips I had found at a gun show and sent the rest to Alan Harton for a bit of tweaking. They really are a fine piece.

 

[mavracer]

Bud's has one of the 5.5" 500jrh in stock for $840 now

 

[Prosser]

Boxhead that's a beautiful gun.

I found the grip size was more important then the Bisley or not.
The advantage of the Bisley was the grip length. I found the 'hump' pretty much pounds my palm. The FA grip distributes the recoil better over the entire hand on my hands.

I have no problems with either the BFR grip with custom grips made to my hand size, or the FA 83 grip with proper custom grips.

Not getting a BFR because you can't get it in a Bisley makes no sense to me.

While the Bisley grip is nice the FA 83 and BFR worked better for me with loads 45 ft-lbs and lower.

I've only tried the Bisley grip on loads more then that because the .475L and .500JRH are pretty much maxed out at 40-45 ft-lbs. The .500 Linebaugh and .500 Maximum and the S&W .500 allow heavier bullets and more recoil.

 

[CraigC]

Not getting a BFR because you can't get it in a Bisley makes no sense to me.

Because the Bisley grip is comfortable to me. The Super Blackhawk profile of the BFR is not. Simple.

 

[eldon519]

Craig,

Jack Huntington will do a BFR grip extension that makes the BFR more Bisley-like. I think it is around $350 maybe? I think that is what was performed on Boxhead's gun shown above. Just from the looks of it, it seems like it would be worth a try.

Here is another thread on a different board that has a picture of a gun with Huntington's treatment as well:
http://singleactions.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sas&action=print&thread=5570

 

[CraigC]

I appreciate the info but it's just not worth it to me just to spend $1500 to experiment with something I already know doesn't work for me. I've also probably spent my last dollar on high end stainless guns. I already have two stainless custom Rugers and one in hard chrome. If I could just buy a Bisley BFR .475 or .500 for $1000 it would be different. If I could've bought Bisley BFR's for $500-$600 from CDNN, I would've bought two. As it stands, it's just not something I'm interested in. I've got two more custom guns in the planning stages and both will be blued or blue/case colored Rugers. One of them will be an octagon barreled .500. It may even be engraved and I would probably never pay to have a stainless gun engraved. Nor would I spend $2000 to convert one to a big bore five-shot. In the end, the custom Ruger will cost a lot more than a BFR but it will be exactly what I want.

 

[Boxhead]

Exactly why I jumped on the BFR. I have $700 in it. It was a bargain.

 

[Prosser]

Craig:
You ever tried fat custom grips on that frame?
I have large hands and it works for me.