Rolling over an IRA - Tax Hit Questions (For those who've done it)

• •Okay, so I'm debating rolling over a chunk of my old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA.
• •The portfolio's doing great, well over $5M now, sitting pretty here in Aspen, but I've been eyeing more direct physical metal ownership for a while.
• •With the way things are going, I truly believe we could see some major inflation in the next 5-10 years, and I want to be as insulated as possible.

Okay, so I'm debating rolling over a chunk of my old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA. The portfolio's doing great, well over $5M now, sitting pretty here in Aspen, but I've been eyeing more direct physical metal ownership for a while. I’ve got some serious real estate holdings and a good amount of direct physical metals already, but this 401k is just… sitting there, subject to all the usual market whims. With the way things are going, I truly believe we could see some major inflation in the next 5-10 years, and I want to be as insulated as possible. My concern (and where I'd love to hear from others who have done similar moves) is the immediate tax hit.

I'm looking at moving about $750k from a pre-tax 401k into a self-directed IRA where I can get some physical gold and silver allocated. I understand the direct rollover avoids current taxes, but if I want to actually take physical possession at some point down the line (which is the point for me, frankly, not just paper gold), there are going to be distribution taxes. Has anyone here done a significant rollover like this, specifically into physical assets, and then taken a distribution? What was your experience with the tax implications? I'm talking about the kind of numbers where it significantly impacts your annual tax bill for that year, not just a minor annoyance.

I'm primarily interested in gold, but I'm also considering silver for some smaller, more liquid holdings. I was playing around with that "Silver vs Stocks" tool on Gold IRA Blueprint (silvervsstocks.goldirablueprint.com/?period=10Y) and it’s pretty compelling to see how silver has performed against the S&P 500 over the last decade, even with its volatility. It reinforces my gut feeling about diversification. My accountant is on it, obviously, but I value real-world experiences from people who have navigated these waters. Is there anything you wish you had known before pulling the trigger on a substantial physical metals distribution from an IRA?