Buffalo Bore 480 Ruger 410gr LBT-WFN – Magnificent Big Bore Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 480 Ruger 410gr LBT-WFN is the heaviest load Buffalo Bore builds for the 480, and the one to reach for when penetration is the only thing that matters. A 410 grain gas checked hard cast wide flat nose at 1200 fps produces roughly 1311 ft-lbs. It does not expand, and that is the point. Twenty rounds per box, item 13C/20.

• Buffalo Bore 480 Ruger 410gr LBT-WFN Overview
• 480 Ruger Wide Flat Nose Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 410 Grain Hard Cast Bullet Goes Through
• Specifications
• Range Notes For This Big Bore Revolver Hunting Load

Buffalo Bore 480 Ruger 410gr LBT-WFN Overview

WFN stands for wide flat nose, and it is the more aggressive of the two LBT profiles. Where the lead flat nose has a moderate meplat, a wide flat nose carries a much broader flat face, which cuts a wider hole and transfers more shock for the same weight and speed.

The alloy is hard, so the bullet does not deform on impact, and a copper gas check on the base keeps propellant gas from cutting the lead at these velocities. Between the two, what leaves the muzzle is very close to what comes out the far side.

At 410 grains it is a long bullet, and length is part of why the Buffalo Bore 480 Ruger 410gr LBT-WFN penetrates so well. A long, heavy, blunt projectile that holds its shape is about the most efficient thing a handgun can launch if your goal is to reach the vitals through heavy bone.

480 Ruger Wide Flat Nose Ammo Ballistics

1311 ft-lbs from a 410 grain bullet at 1200 fps is slightly less energy than the 370 grain load in the same line, which makes 1388 at 1300 fps. Energy is the wrong measure here though, and the comparison misleads.

Momentum is what you want to compare, and the heavier bullet wins that, if narrowly. 410 grains at 1200 fps carries a little more than 370 at 1300, and momentum is what drives a non expanding bullet through a shoulder blade and out the far side. The wider nose then does more with it.

The wide meplat then makes the most of that penetration. A wider flat face means a wider permanent hole along the entire path, so this 480 Ruger wide flat nose ammo does not simply drill a neat channel, it cuts one.

Why The 410 Grain Hard Cast Bullet Goes Through

Big bore revolver hunting has settled on hard cast bullets for a simple reason. On heavy animals, a bullet that expands gives up the depth you actually need, and at handgun velocities there is not enough speed in reserve to have both.

A 410 grain hard cast bullet takes the other path completely. It keeps every grain of its weight and its full 0.475 inch frontal area, and it keeps going. Against a big hog, a black bear at an awkward angle, or a bull elk quartering away, that is the behaviour that ends things.

The wide flat nose is the part people underestimate. A round nose of the same weight will slip through tissue and leave a surprisingly narrow track. A wide meplat crushes and cuts, leaving a full calibre hole with sharp edges from entry to exit, which makes for a far more findable blood trail.

Compared with the 370 grain load in the same line, this big bore revolver hunting load trades a little velocity and a flatter trajectory for more bullet. If your shots are close and the animals are large, that is the right trade. If you want a bit more reach, the lighter load is the better pick.

Specifications

Range Notes For This Big Bore Revolver Hunting Load

Shoot it from sticks or a padded rest rather than off a hard bench. A 410 grain bullet leaving a revolver at 1200 fps produces serious recoil, and a bench concentrates all of it into your shoulder and cheek. That is how flinches are born.

Keep your sessions short and deliberate. Gas checked 480 Ruger ammunition is expensive and tiring to shoot, so sight in, confirm at your realistic distance, and put the rest away for hunting.

Confirm your point of impact against the 370 grain load if you shoot both. Forty grains and a hundred feet per second is enough to move the group at fifty yards, and a 410 grain hard cast bullet will not land where the lighter one did.

Expect cast bullet fouling. The cylinder face and forcing cone will look dirty after a session, which is normal. The gas check keeps actual bore leading minimal, but look the barrel over properly when you clean.

Gas Checked 480 Ruger Ammunition Availability

This gas checked 480 Ruger ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or another 480 Ruger wide flat nose ammo option from the Buffalo Bore catalog, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For a lighter, faster bullet in the same calibre see the 480 Ruger 370gr LBT-LFN. For an expanding copper alternative in a bigger case, compare the 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB, or browse our full ammunition selection.