BFR 500 S&W Mag

Recently procured one of these with a 7 1/2" barrel, so it is listed.

Started with a box of factory loads, then moved to my own recipe. I have worked up to what seems about my limit with the Lee 440 grain cast bullet. It is a gas checked bullet and I am running it at around 1625 fps. It is accurate.

The revolver is quad ported by mag-na-port but honestly, it is a handful with this loading. I have put about 100 rounds through it in the last week. These are absolutely solid guns. I cannot overstate it. Smooth, accurate and the Lord only knows how much these could take barring shooting a full load with a 'squibbed' barrel or maybe a double charge of some fast powder. STRONG, strong guns. I have been having some concentricity issues because of bullet seating die trouble. I THINK I have it worked out but I can tell you having to press the cartridge in to get it to seat properly in the cylinder throat led to a few rounds that were pressured UP. The BFR ate 'em without a hitch.

Today is first day my hands got beat up a bit. Hammer bloodied my thumb. But I know why, oily hand. . .

I am a WFN with a heavy for caliber bullet kind of guy so I am thinking, next step will be a cast bullet in 700 grain chugging along at around 1125 fps. Hopefully in the next month or so I can get a loading worked up with that round and get out and try some hunting with it.

First time I fired it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNdnvIgZPP0&list=UU6-3g6Pu1aLVt5GtxsMSs9Q&index=1&feature=plcp

God bless and take care, adios!

Maybe. I'll have to see how it goes.

gbran:

VERY nice!

Here are a few pics of mine:







Right now I just shoot in my yard, it would be nice to make a long journey someday for a hunt. Or even a local trip for a boar hunt. Who knows. Right now, it's just load development. I actually get a certain enjoyment from working up my own loads. The occasional bloody thumb notwithstanding, I enjoy just shooting big bore revolvers. I'm a masochist that way, I suppose.

I really like it.

I'll probably put another 20-30 rounds downrange this evening. Just however many I feel like printing up. I am "practicing" with it.

Keep a tight grip on 'er and set 'em off. Crazy, I know, but I really enjoy the whole thing, even the recoil. Makes me feel alive. Difficult to conceptually express how that the "uncomfortable" can be fun, but it is, for me. And it's not that severe. (My thumb was in the wrong place, yesterday. I've cut it worse with a .45 ACP slide. FAT hands.)

I just posted to tell the folks here about the BFR. Knowing full well, that you already know about it. But anyway, I cannot recommend it more highly. For what it is, it is reasonably priced and IT IS A TANK. The frame and cylinder are both crafted from 17-4PH SS.

I'm keeping the God-forsaken ugly grips but am looking for a holster. It is remarkable similar in size to my Walker Colt. The long cylinder has already grown on me. It does have some weight to it but I spent decades lifting heavy objects, so it's actually kind of comfortable for me.

That was my little boy. He was standing back away and using his phone.

You are correct, recoil was nothing; that was the "store bought" ammo. My worked up loading is quite a different thing. These guns can take it though.

After the kids get home,, I'm going to go out blast a few more rounds into some paper. Still finalizing this loading and working on my own shooting skills a bit.

I think I may get some from Matt's Bullets. 50 @ 19 USD.

I like H-110 a lot. Right now I'm running through WC820, I like it too. I already have a beginning load in mind for the 700 grain bullet.

An older gentleman put me onto the 700, he shoots it from his 4" Smith. Good guy.

Giterboosted:

If I decide to get some, I'll probably have some made to fit it. This is a "JT".

Not counter intuitive at all. These FAT hands always held back my deadlift in contest after contest. It's about hand thickness relative to finger length. Thin bar = much easier for me. Ergo thinner grip diameter = easier to hold, thinner grips = easier to hold (in my case, at least)

Right now, I'm sticking with these. Actually already talked with a guy or two about some grips. But these will do for now. Shot again last evening. Fun, fun.

Thanks for the post!

Thanks for the tip on the wait, 56Hawk! I'll go with the CR guy at the link you posted

fastest45ever: I appreciate your effort but I wasn't asking for advice. I was just making a sort of exegetical post.

I have already worked up a loading with WC820 and it is as I vaguely outlined. (I have 16 lbs. of it, I like it, and I am working up loadings wit it, solely. Have already done so with .45 Colt, .357 Mag, and .44 Rem Mag.)

For a 440 grain bullet, both Cor-Bon and Buffalo Bore consider it a solid velocity. Do I consider 1625 fps a mid-high velocity with a 440 grain HC bullet from a revolver? Most certainly, I do.

Pull the trigger and get back to me J/K

Velocity is interesting as it is not about high and low numbers it is about the proper number, if we are talking penetration.

Is my loading at that magic velocity/bullet weight/bullet shape that it seems every or many cast bullets have, that somehow causes BC, DC, and all other other factors, known and unknown to line up and and evince maximum penetration for the round? No clue, very doubtful. But I'll keep sniffing.

I'm heading out now to resume testing. Going to manipulate alloy BHN a bit, I think, tomorrow. [Edit: I might need to as I just checked my latest casting and they are dropping at slightly >447 grains. Could be "normal" from the Lee mold.]

I will probably never get to hunting. And I honestly need to look at some penetration tests. I like the testing and shooting the big boomer as much as anything. Something fun about blasting jugs in the makeshift Fackler box. Sounds masochistic, I suppose. . . but I like it.

I did enjoy reading your well crafted post and I appreciate the effort. I enjoy the material, formal, and efficient causes more than the end

Grab a 500 and give your loading a go; it sounds like a reasonable, thought out start, indeed.

God bless

Do not have one. But my supposition would be:

All day long and then some.

I'd be surprised if it could not eat .45 Colt at 25,000 CUP. Actually I imagine you can load to what you can stand.

Then again, that is uninformed by empirical experience.

It seems to me that in SA revolvers the grip design itself tends to have a sort of inherent "roll" or "flip" upwards, when recoiling, or directly AFTER. Actually, rise is a direct consequence of the recoil force acting down the centerline of the barrel and "if that line of force is above the center of the contact points [your grip on the grip], this creates a couple, a rotational force." Thus my SA grip, relative to barrel, cause a fairly strong rotational force, I suspect. A Bisley grip would probably allow you to "control" this force somewhat better.

Restated, the greater difference between the contact points on my SAs (grips) and theit barrels would seem to create a greater experienced "'couple" (rotational force).

I shoot several SA guns and the strong muzzle flip seems common, with their grips. From what I can tell, the force vector is "felt" more straight back in this BFR, far better for me. My SBH in .44 mag rolls heavily upward. Evidently it is the grip design and barrel centerline height. The roll and concomitant movement of the firearm causes big problems with my fingers. Wrists are strong as I benched 700+ many times over the years and now that I am old, they are still solid. The "roll" thing bothers my hands, though. Difficult to explain, suffice it to say that I do not like the strong muzzle flip so much. . . The solid push does NOT bother me. Perhaps it should but it doesn't.

SA design seems to have intent.

This is not really a response as I understand what you are stating.

I neither directly paid for, nor had the 'porting' done, but it certainly doesn't seems to have caused me any issues. (I bought the gun from an older gentleman who bought it new 5 years ago, I'd be surprised if he put 20 rounds through it in those 5 years, he claimed to have shot it 20 times over 5 years, it appeared unfired. I paid 645 USD for it and the usual extras. Seemed reasonable. I did not even consider whether ported or not.))

Recoil is strong but no problem, it's a 500 S&W Mag, it supposed to let you know you're alive alive when you drop the hammer.) Follow up shots are not an issue. Overall, ported or not ported, is less than meaningful. . . 120 rounds over the last 13 days, no problem, I love it.

Moot issue, for me.