I`m a big fan of pistol cal. leverguns, especially 45Colt...Cast lead, relatively mild loads, rocking the steel plates. Lately I`m craving something bigger, but still in the short pistol case. The 480 sounds like it would be good loaded in the vicinity of 800-900fps..basically a fattened up 45Colt. There appears to have been a run of Rossi/Puma awhile ago but they seem to have waned in popularity. What I would like is a short rifle 20" oct. barrel configuration. Was there ever any made like that by anyone? What I really would like is to go to full 1/2" bore, but the 500S&W looks too long for the 92 action. Marlin 94 or some carnation of the 1892 are my fav actions.
480 Ruger in a lever
- Thread starter smokinbarrel
- Start date
Bighorn Armories makes a 500 S&W lever, get your wallet out. I don't think they have a Canadian retailer, you might even have to order them to your specifications in the usa. It's an intermediate action size between the 1886 and 1892.
I do not own one, but I have a 500 S&W rifle. Very impressive round from a rifle.
Don't think anyone but rossi made 480 ruger levers, never seen one in Canada but that doesn't mean much. I have one in 454 casull, cool gun, fit and finish is meh but I like the rifle and it shoots well enough for the kind of hunting I use it for. You would be leaving 800-900 fps in the rearview mirror with this round though...
I do not own one, but I have a 500 S&W rifle. Very impressive round from a rifle.
Don't think anyone but rossi made 480 ruger levers, never seen one in Canada but that doesn't mean much. I have one in 454 casull, cool gun, fit and finish is meh but I like the rifle and it shoots well enough for the kind of hunting I use it for. You would be leaving 800-900 fps in the rearview mirror with this round though...
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Why don't you just bump up the 45 Colt? I'm making 1400fps with a 255gr hardcast in my full stocked Rossi Ranch Hand, 12" barrel, using Ramshot Silhouette (13.2 gr) and I'm not even at max yet (13.8). No leading that I can see using Lee Liquid Alox and you can always powder coat softer bullets pretty easily if you get some leading.
I`m not really looking for more power, just a bigger chunk of lead to lob down range. I did see the Big Horn, Hickok45 has a youtube on it..looks like a shortened `86 and major bucks.The 480 is basically the same length as a 45Colt, if there was enough interest in it I`m thinking Marlin 94 or `92 based clones could be built for it. Or the Henrys Big Boy, they claim the brass alloy is plenty strong and those big fat barrel blanks have plenty of meat on them. I guess it all comes down to there being enough market to warrant production. I see Henry has added the 41 Mag to the lineup...I wouldn`t have thought there was a great market demand for those?
Henry brought the 41 mag out because the number of revolver hunters in the us and some states require pistol or straight walled cases for deer hunting. Apparently there are a lot of ruger bh and sbh in use
Would a 44 mag tossing 300 gr bullets satisfy you or is that just to vanilla?
Would a 44 mag tossing 300 gr bullets satisfy you or is that just to vanilla?
I guess I`m mostly craving the unusual...Always been intrigued by those 1/2" bore levers from the early years of leverguns. With all the developments in big revolver calibers in recent years, I thought the lever guys would follow suit to some degree.
Of the big manufacturers, Henry seems to be the most likely to venture into new territory...I have one BigBoy in 357, stupid heavy and the internals are a bit chintz..stamped/cast. In most ways a knock off of a Marlin...I like the square bolt design of the Marlin better. The Big Horn Armoury in Cody WY at this point looks like more of a custom/boutique operation catering to the well healed. BTW, if you ever have the op to visit Cody, the Buffalo Bill/ Winchester centre is something to see and the town itself is quite interesting..I was there different times in the '80s
