The .475 Linebaugh Cartridge

The .475 Linebaugh cartridge came about as the result of a rumor.  John Linebaugh had been developing the .500 Linebaugh which is based on the .348 Winchester rifle   cartridge.  Word had gotten out that Winchester was considering ceasing production of the .348, so Linebaugh began looking around for another cartridge to base his wildcat on.  The .45-70 Government cartridge caught his eye.  He cut the case off, blew it out straight and the .475 Linebaugh was born.  While rumor of the .348's demise proved false and the .500 Linebaugh continued in production, the .475 soon caught on also.  This cartridge will push a 420 gr. bullet over 1400 fps and develops a tremendous amount of power, on par with the .375 H&H for killing power.   At .476" diameter we are not talking about a small bullet here.

Making the .475 cases is a bit of work, though not nearly as much work as the .500 cases.  With the .475 you begin with an unfired .45-70 case and cut it off close to your desired length.  The standard length for the .475 is 1.4" OAL.  I make the first cut with a sharp tubing cutter and try to get the case at 1.8" more or less.  Then I run the case into a neck expander die and open the case up enough to allow me to trim it close to 1.6".  After trimming and chamfering I load a bullet with a light charge of Unique and fire the case, then re-trim the case back to 1.4".  Do not cut the case too close to the 1.4" length as it shortens up a bit as the body expands. it can be a lot of work  but you end up with a good-looking cartridge.  I average about 10% case loss over the years due to messing it up somehow- cracks, wrinkles etc.

Bullet molds are available from Lead Bullets Technology - write them at LBT , HCR62  Box 145, Moyie Springs, ID 83845.  These are about the best molds available.  I would suggest using the "LFN" design as the best all-around bullet. It has a flat-nose large enough for good killing power on game and small enough to make it work well for long-range shooting.  I use a 400 gr. LBT - LFN as my all around bullet.  It is not the heaviest but is a good weight between the light and heavy ones.  You can run it over 1400 fps if you need the power.  My favorite hunting and long-range load is between 1225 and 1250 fps. It works well on everything I have shot with it.  I do not need the top-end loads here and this load has proven accurate for me, giving groups of 1" or so at 25 yards if I do my part.   I suggest using either H-110 or WW-296 for the upper-end  loads. I have tried my old favorite, 2400, and found it to be erratic with some loads.  The ball powders work nice so I just stick with them. For lighter loads about any of the faster powders work well.  Bullseye, 231, Unique, Titegroup, etc. Keep the loads around 750 to 950 fps and they really are pleasant to shoot.  Case life is long and your hand does not have the bones re-arranged in it from hard recoil.  And a .476" diameter 400 gr. flat-nose slug going 900 fps has tremendous power. 

Buffalo Bore Ammunition Co. has now come out with both the .475 Linebaugh and .500 Linebaugh in factory loads. They have the brass available also to us handloaders.   Ttwo things you should be aware of.  The rim diameter of the .475 Buffalo Bore ammo is different than the original Linebaugh.  Enough so that you will need a special shell-holder.  (You can get it from RCBS) The cartridges work just fine in the revolvers and there is no difference in shooting them.  However the Buffalo Bore brass is smaller inside also.  This means less case capacity, which means the data worked up for the .475 in converted .45-70 brass must be reconfigured.  You could possibly run into pressure problems with top loads if you do not cut your powder charges.

Hodgdon's Powder Co. has recently finished pressure-testing the .475 Linebaugh.   Their pressure data along with loading data will be included in their new handloading manual so you might want to check with them.  All the pressure tests and velocities were recorded from an 8" pressure barrel, using Starline brass (made for Buffalo Bore) and Winchester Large Pistol primers.

385 gr. cast LRNFP  .476" diameter c.o.a.l = 1.810"

385 gr. cast LRNFP  .476" diameter  c.o.a.l.= 1.810"

420 gr. cast LRNFP  .476" diameter  c.o.a.l.= 1.810"