At The Shootists Holiday I was given a cartridge I had never seen.

[JimT]

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Compared to .45 ACP

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[Grizz]

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Compared to .45 ACP
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That looks good. I could maybe give up on the 45 Super if i could get a 475 ACP . :)

[Bearskinner]

Here’s a revolver that shoots them.

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[Paladin]

I have seen the ammo and revolvers in Alaska. Too much for me.

[Grizz]

Here’s a revolver that shoots them.IMG_3666.jpeg

what bullet weights do you shoot and what velocities. that is one cartridge i should have gotten into . . .

[Scott Tschirhart]

Indeed! I was given a similar cartridge with similar markings!

[Bill in Oregon]

Interesting. I hadn't even heard of it. Was it an intermediate step before the .480???

[JimT]

Interesting. I hadn't even heard of it. Was it an intermediate step before the .480???

It's the 480 cartridge. Same length as the .44 Magnum cartridge. I heard that this was the original designation of the cartridge before they settled on "480 Ruger."

[samsi]

I prefer the 475 Ruger moniker to "480", makes more sense to me. At the time they came out I thought I'd like one of the 4 5/8" Bisleys but have never even seen one in real life, and honestly, my 45 Blackhawk will do any heavy lifting I'm likely to need.

[LeverGunner]

Thanks for sharing. I've never heard of it.

[348win]

Cool

475 Ruger is a more proper name than 480 Ruger

But 480 is a better keyword to find it fast and not mix it in w 475 Linebaugh brass or ammo.

Maybe a spinoff of 38 spec/357 mag; the specials a higher number there also

[348win]

I find the 480 tamer to shoot than a 44 mag. Its not as snappy, just a big manageable thump. Real nice.

The SBH "post style rubber grip" is a blessing
A SA w a steel backstrap against your palm will yield a different result I'm sure.

[High Desert Hunter]

I prefer the 475 Ruger moniker to "480", makes more sense to me. At the time they came out I thought I'd like one of the 4 5/8" Bisleys but have never even seen one in real life, and honestly, my 45 Blackhawk will do any heavy lifting I'm likely to need.

To me the 480 Ruger is just like a bigger 45 Colt, I feel no need to push it, let the bullet weight and diameter do the work.

Dave

[4t5]

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/con ... cartridge/

[JRD]

It’s not an uncommon thing for preproduction ammo to have a working name or even the wrong head stamp if the proper bunting die isn’t ready during development.
Usually this prototype ammo is consumed between the gun and ammo manufactures in testing before the official launch of a new cartridge. When these types of cartridges do wind up in the field I’d guess it’s due to someone with an industry connection getting some preproduction sample ammo.

The engineers and technical people are doing all the development work on the actual ammunition while the marketing people are thinking of the best name for a company’s new cartridge.

In keeping with American tradition, numbers affixed to cartridge names are a mash up of actual bullet diameter, gross rounding off to catchy sounding numbers, or slight variations on diameter numbers to differentiate from existing cartridges.
The working name of 475 Ruger becoming 480 is an example of the latter.
I’d bet whoever had the supply of 475 Ruger cartridges has some connection to either Ruger or Hornady.