Ruger 480

Six Shooter Steve · December 28, 2009, 07:36 PM

I am new to reloading and am fixing to finally get started! I shoot alot of calibers, but am gonna start with loading for my 480 due to the high cost per shot on the ammo. I want to put a few hundred rounds through her before deer season next year, so I can have the gun down pat before hunting with it. I am waiting on my loading manuals to arrive so I can study up, being I have never done this before. I have a single stage LEE press and a set of Hornady Custom dies for my 480. Have any of you guys ever loaded for the 480? Theres not a whole lot of info I have found on this caliber, so any tips or info would be appreciated. I have about 300 brass to load up so I would like to have it done and ready to shoot up by springtime bein I dont get alot of rangetime due to the Indiana winters and a outside range.

mlk3454 · December 29, 2009, 08:33 PM

I am no help but did add a 480 SRH to the stable so I wouldn't mind seeing what others have experienced in reloading this cartridge.

**Unclenick** · December 29, 2009, 11:50 PM

Six Shooter Steve,

It sounds like you are hoping for a recipe you can load that will avoid the chore of load development so you can be ready by the time good weather comes. In general, that won't work. You'll mostly find you have to go to the range and start with a starting load and work it up in small increments (I recommend 0.3 grain increments) until you get the best accuracy short of suffering pressure signs in the gun.

The one exception will be loads of H110 and Winchester 296. These are actually the same powder differently branded. This powder is funny in that it has a narrow band of acceptable charge weight for each cartridge it is used in. Nonetheless is is often the most accurate powder with some bullets.

Attached is Hodgdon's .480 Ruger load list in .PDF format. Take the H110/296 load for each bullet and use the average. (e.g., If it says 25 to 27 grains, use 26 grains.) That is about as close to a foolproof load recipe as I expect you will find for your gun. The nature of that odd powder is such that it will not generate excess pressure at either the start or maximum loads listed. It will shoot well, either way. Be sure to use a magnum pistol primer and a very heavy crimp with it.

CraigC · December 30, 2009, 10:04 AM

Hodgdon's data is excellent! My own SRH .480 is extremely accurate, turning in some one ragged hole groups at 50yds with CPBC 420's. For deer hunting, I'd recommend a 355gr Oregon Trail LBT. It'll flatten them nicely but won't cost as much as jacketed bullets.

Six Shooter Steve · December 30, 2009, 07:07 PM

yeah i have some time to experiment with different powders and loads, and am looking forward to playin around with the different combos. I was more just askin around to see some of the peoples favorite loads, so that I could make sure to try them out to see if they shot well from my particular pistol. I do have a bottle of 4227 and several boxes of speer gold dot 400 grn bullets that were gifted me with the reloading equiptment, but i will buy more bullets to experiment with some different combos. Thanks for the info so far.

December 28, 2009, 07:36 PM	#1
Six Shooter Steve Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2008 Location: North Central Indiana Posts: 161	Ruger 480 I am new to reloading and am fixing to finally get started! I shoot alot of calibers, but am gonna start with loading for my 480 due to the high cost per shot on the ammo. I want to put a few hundred rounds through her before deer season next year, so I can have the gun down pat before hunting with it. I am waiting on my loading manuals to arrive so I can study up, being I have never done this before. I have a single stage LEE press and a set of Hornady Custom dies for my 480. Have any of you guys ever loaded for the 480? Theres not a whole lot of info I have found on this caliber, so any tips or info would be appreciated. I have about 300 brass to load up so I would like to have it done and ready to shoot up by springtime bein I dont get alot of rangetime due to the Indiana winters and a outside range. __________________ Six Sooter Steve {There is no problem that can't be solved by the use of high explosives}

December 30, 2009, 07:07 PM	#5
Six Shooter Steve Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2008 Location: North Central Indiana Posts: 161	yeah i have some time to experiment with different powders and loads, and am looking forward to playin around with the different combos. I was more just askin around to see some of the peoples favorite loads, so that I could make sure to try them out to see if they shot well from my particular pistol. I do have a bottle of 4227 and several boxes of speer gold dot 400 grn bullets that were gifted me with the reloading equiptment, but i will buy more bullets to experiment with some different combos. Thanks for the info so far. __________________ Six Sooter Steve {There is no problem that can't be solved by the use of high explosives}

December 29, 2009, 08:33 PM	#2
mlk3454 Member Join Date: May 21, 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 60	I am no help but did add a 480 SRH to the stable so I wouldn't mind seeing what others have experienced in reloading this cartridge.

December 30, 2009, 10:04 AM	#4
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	Hodgdon's data is excellent! My own SRH .480 is extremely accurate, turning in some one ragged hole groups at 50yds with CPBC 420's. For deer hunting, I'd recommend a 355gr Oregon Trail LBT. It'll flatten them nicely but won't cost as much as jacketed bullets.