Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 480 ruger levergun for alaska

Not that I will probably get the chance to hunt there, but wondered what you fellas thoughts were on a 480 ruger carbine for medium range hunting and also protection? On one forum the alaskan fellas really pooh poohed it. On another they said it would be okay since out of a carbine it runs same energy as a 12ga slug( and with 400gn hardcast penetrates a lot better than a shotgun). I have owned 375 H&H previously so understand the dfference of a true dangerous game rifle. But does 480 get a pass?

With proper bullets it will pass through most animals

I have a 480 Ruger in a Bisley Blackhawk and one just finished in a Marlin 1894 that’s should be here this week or next. It’s been two years waiting.

A 480 in a carbine should drive a hard cast 400 grain bullet 1350-1400 fps. That’s a fair amount of thump.

An acquaintance of mine has taken moose and bison with his revolver. So yes, I’d say a carbine would be a good option. Unfortunately the only factory one that was ever made was by Rossi and darn few of them. Conversions on the 1894 Marlin are done by a few smiths.

Once mine gets here I’ll report back with range results.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a 480 Ruger lever carbine, but I don’t see it catching on with hunters (other than 480 enthusiasts).

This is coming from a guy with several levers, including a 45 Colt 1892.

The main reason is that levers aren’t all that common for hunting up here… “why hobble myself with a short to medium range straight wall cartridge when I can just carry a 300/338 WM and be ready for anything at almost any distance?”—- that’s not me saying that, but a common point of view from hunters I’ve talked to.

As far as camp protection, while the 480 is cool, but it doesn’t do anything that the 454 or even 45-70 doesn’t do in a lever gun… at least not enough better to justify the difficulty in finding a lever chambered in it.

This is not true, the 480 hits noticeable harder and generally penetrates a Thad more. A larger diameter with a larger meplat shows a more visual impact.

See bolded part… I’d type it again, but I figured you missed it the first time I wrote it.

As well as being a somewhat shorter, lighter gun, as the .480 would be on an 1894 action vs the .45/70 1895 action. I think shorter, lighter, more rounds in the magazine (shorter cartridge) is significant in a “camp protection” gun.

As the size of the animals get bigger in my experience it is worth the effort

I have a Puma lever in .480. It is stainless with a 20 inch bbl. With 20gr of H110 and a 410gr WFNGC Cast Performance bullet it gets right at 1300 fps. Fun rifle, components for reloading: powder, bullets, brass, at least around here, are hard to find or non existent.

Never shot a Thad; are they big-boned?

Should have read a "tad"

I’m assuming you mean it would hit harder than a 454 carbine, rather than a 45-70 carbine. The latter would seem to outclass it by a good bit.

Jwp,



I don’t know you from Adam, or anything about you, but If you think there is a lick of practical difference between the 480 Ruger and the 454 Casull, the 45 Colt Ruger only loads and the 45/70 in the real world vs a coastal grizzly in Alaska, then I understand all I need to know about you.

I look forward to your report.
Perhaps, now that Ruger owns Marlin, they will resurrect & perfect the previous 2004 announced, though ill fated non-event of the 475 Linebaugh / 480 Ruger lever gun.

That would be great. I don’t know if a 475/480 will sell enough or not but it would sure be a good close cover rifle. I can see a lot of still hunting in the thick stuff with one. I have an map mold for a 420 grain flat point or a 400 grain HP. Just have to change the pins. A 400 grain HP cast soft, about 10-11 BHN, ought to ruin a whitetail’s day. I’m sure anxious to get mine back.

You've never shot a 480 and 454 on very large game to compare, have you

A 410grain Cast Performance WFN penetrated 15” into the end of a sawed white Birch tree. The platform was a S Blackhawk Bisley with a 4 5/8 bbl. My chrony shows the load at 1,075 FPS. It also shot thru 12” of Spruce (on the horizontal) cleanly. A carbine on a decent Marlin platform in 480 Ruger would be a kick in the pants and be a hell of a good weapon for use over bait or on point.

I prefer the Model 92 to the Model 94 action when using high (relative) pressure cases. The 2 locking lugs going into the slots in the bolt help with back thrust. Never saw a 454 Casull in a model 94 but my 92 in 454 works great. Lighter than a 94 or Marlin 336 as well.

One real negative for a lever gun in wet Alaska for me is the inability to field strip a lever gun compared to say a bolt action. It is also difficult to clear jams in the field. I had a Big Bore in 356 Win jam up with a cartridge that was a touch too long. What a game stopper compared to just removing the bolt in a bolt action.

Mart,
My guess is that you might add a 100+ fps to that estimate. My Super Redhawk 480 w/7.5" bbl cronys out at 1225 with 375 LBT's...
Nothing in your neck of the woods will enjoy being hit with one out of that carbine!
Sitting envious here. You gotta post pictures when it arrives...

bhtr

Are you referring to Winchester 94s or Marlin 94s. My 480 is on a Marlin.

I like lever guns, but no argument that a bolt rifle is usually Much easier and quicker to clear a malfunction.

I have seen at least one pistol cartridge lever gun jam that definitely required disassembly. This unit and it’s so far no issue stablemate is going to lever knowledgeable gunsmith to sort out. I suspect the carrier needs some tweaking. But that is out of my league to troubleshoot and/or remedy.

I just had a similar thought when I was looking at a 460 S&W. Can't imagine using the revolver, but the lever gun could be fun.

Mart: The 2 verticle lockling lugs on a Winchester 1892 and Rossi Puma rifle rise up into dovetails on the bolt. There is no such feature on the Winchester 1894 action. If your 480 is on a Marlin 1894 action I do not know what changes (if any) they made to Marlin 1894 action in 44 Mag. I looked at my Marlin in 44 Mag but due to the closed top receiver I cannot tell if anything changed. At one time in the past history of the Marlin 1894 there was a rear locking latch on the Marlin 1889. The finger lever lock of the Model 1889 was eliminated on the Model 1894 and replaced by a latch built into the lever itself. The purpose of this latch was to prevent the a gun from firing out of battery. Whether it serves as an additional locking lug is unknown to me. The SAAMI limit 44 mag is 38,000 psi., 480 Ruger is a 48,000 psi.and the 454 Casull is 65,000 psi. My Rossi in 454 is working fine so far. Is your Marlin 480 a factory rifle on an Model 94 or is it a conversion?

Mart - I will be among those anxiously awaiting the reports on your levergun project and hoping for a few more details regarding the work and who did it. Tx

It is a conversion on a Marlin 1894. Sorry if I wasn’t clear in that.

If anyone is interested, there is a .475 Linebaugh 4 3/4" Freedom Arms on Gunbroker.com that also chambers .480 Ruger.

thanks for all the replies folks. It seems it gets a pass then.

If I were to go thru all the trouble of converting one to 480 then I would just go all out and go with the 500 JRH or just be done with it and buy a Big Horn in 500 S&W.

a tad and more visual impact are both not worth the effort at least IMHO

If its what one wants no flies on it.

I've carried a 50 beowulf with hard cast or solids up there off and on. Will work too. Likely not the best choice obviously but it was what I wanted to do.

Since a smaller round will kill, then the 480 obviously will work

A 480 Ruger in a lever rifle would work all day long for the intended use, but there are a lot of other options it competes with.

Everyone has their own ideas of what works best for them and a lot of it comes down to preference versus ballistic metrics.

My solution for this intended use is the Savage 99 lever rifle re-barreled and modified to run the 450 Bushmaster Cartridge with 240 grain Bear Creek HV bullets doing 2550 FPS and having 3465 FT Lbs of Energy at the barrel. It shoots flat enough to make it a 250-yard gun and it is super accurate.

I had two of them made, one with a 20-inch barrel and one with a 16-inch barrel. The 16-incher does everything I need it to and it is fast to target and handy as hell in the brush and as a truck gun.

Of the big bore revolver cartridges I think the 480 makes the most sense. Every thing just seems balanced to me. I have a 4 5/8" Super Black Hawk in 480 that is a blast to shoot. Even with the heaviest loads ain't much worse than a hot 44 mag yet delivers a hell of a lot more payload. On the flip side I can load it down to a point of shooting a 38 special. I also have a Ruger #1 in 475 Linebaugh/ 480 Ruger. Hell of a handy little thumper.

I am holding out hope that now that Ruger owns Marlin we will see a factory 480 Ruger Lever. They know how to make a 475 diameter rifle barrel it's a start.

yes the 480 Ruger is a good cartridge , but i feel the 460 S.W. is a little better, reason the 460 S.W. is more versatile you can use 454 Casull and 45 long colt ammo in this chambering

If Ruger comes out with one they will sell out in a few days.
I would certainly attempt to be in that first line...

The only reason for a pistol cartridge in a rifle is convenience, it's all it has ever been. A reason for a rifle in an exotic pistol cartridge is practically nonexistent...

Phil

Right!
No good reason at all,
Other than light weight, accuracy, fast action, & impressive magazine capacity in a carbine that is a pleasure to carry & allows a pocketful of cartridges to be more than twice the number they otherwise would be...

If long range is not what you’re looking for they make fantastic tools.
Cartridges like the .357, .41 & .44 magnum take on an entirely different with an extra 500 FPS. The .480 with an extra 200 would certainly interest me.

Wrong on all counts...

Phil

🙄

Stay in Southern California Phil. It’s the right place for you.