S&W500 - had to give it a try

[arizona98tj]

So...after seeing my brother-in-law's last month, I tried my friend's S&W500 at my range this past weekend.

My thoughts about the S&W500 Mag can be seen by browsing my informal review. Quick summary....it was a handful.

[Hunter0924]

I have been wanting to try one for some time but I do not know anyone who owns one close by.

[Mr.RevolverGuy]

I love big bore revolvers and did a review of the S&W 500 and S&W 460 side by side titled Smith and Wesson Behemoth Magnums

I do not consider myself to be an expert but I have spent a lot of time since 2003 upon the 500's introduction reloading and spending time on the range with with it. I would highly caution utilizing those bullets if my identification is correct, as they resemble Speer Unicor Bullets for 50AE. If they are in fact those bullets I hope whomever reloaded them was using 500S&W Special load data and they were tamed down. I have spoken with Speer directly about this and they will tell you these bullets should not be used in the 500S&W Magnum loads. They are not constructed well enough to make the transition from the cylinder to the forcing cone. Often times the jacket will sheer off during this transition leaving the opportunity to hurt someone next to you on the range, I have witnessed this with my own eyes in 2005 when we were having a big bore revolver shoot at the club one day. The jacket sheered off and hit the guy next to him in the stomach, lucky it was a little cold and the guy had on thick clothing but it did penetrate his jacket and sweat shirt and stopping there with only a t-shirt next to his skin, leaving only a little bruise. This jacket sheering off will also ruin a forcing cone and shorten the life of your revolver. When speaking to Speer about this they were going to put up a warning on their page but after some testing they completed they decided they were safe at S&W 500 Special velocities.

Most don't see a use for the XFrame revolvers but the fun factor is outstanding especially when it is you and 10 or so other guys with different variations of these revolvers and they are loading safe saami spec loads or using factory loads. They are also great for hunting not much weight difference than your shotgun.

I agree they are not as brutal as most think or make them out to be and can be rather fun but I keep all my loads below 500gr. Anything above that say like 700gr is absolutely brutal and really should only be handle by seasoned experts with many years and hours of pistol training. I figure it this way if I need something more the a S&W 500 with a heavier bullet than 500gr then I chose the wrong firearm for the application.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread it looks like you had a load of fun and you wrote a good review this is what I like to see. Instead of some youtube video of someone handing such a beast of a revolver to an inexperienced unsuspecting shooter thinking it's funny.

[arizona98tj]

Mr.RevolverGuy, thanks for the information regarding the bullets. I will certainly pass it along to my buddy.

My brother-in-law, who I'll blame for getting me thinking about this, also has the S&W 460. Of the two, my interest is more twoards the 460 due to its ability to use the .460 S&W Magnum, .454 Casull and .45 Colt cartridges. That gives a reloader a wide range of loads, no doubt about it.

Thanks again for sharing your insight about the bullets.

[Catfish]

I am also a recoil junky. I have a Performance Center 500, but the weight of the thing keeps me from hunting with it much. I also have a 460 barrel for an Encore, now that`s a hand full with full house loads, but haven`t found a load that has the accuracy I want so I have never hunted with it. I have taken more deer with the 44 mag. than any other round, but I have 4 of them, and a 329 PD is my choice for CCW. Love the big bores.

[bluetopper]

I have the mighty 500 in a single-shot Handi-Rifle. The best $300 in firearms I ever spent. I shoot nothing but gas check bullets.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I've shot the 500's the last 2 years at the Shooter Round-up at Ahlmans's in Morristown... shot factory rep guns... on their range ( which is pretty tight ) the concussion would knock down 2-3 targets with every shot...

BTW... I also love the big bores long before the 500 I had a 50 A.E. Automag, then a custom Blackhawk in 50 A.E. ( also have a custom Marlin in 50 A.E. )

... I have a 500 on my to buy list, though I'm not real keen on the extra long cylinders, I feel they balance funny, & adversely effect trigger pulls... I'm thinking 480 Ruger perhaps instead of the 500 ???

[Colt46]

Too heavy for general use. With that kind of weight you could carry a carbine.

[buck460XVR]

Originally posted by Mr RevolverGuy:

I would highly caution utilizing those bullets if my identification is correct, as they resemble Speer Unicor Bullets for 50AE.

Same problem I see when folks reload for the .460. They buy jacketed bullets designed for .45 Colt pressures and velocities because they are cheaper than .460 appropriate bullets and then complain about premature forcing cone erosion when they run them @ .460 velocities.

Originally posted by Colt46:

Too heavy for general use. With that kind of weight you could carry a carbine.

The X-Frames were never intended for "general" use. They were designed to be purpose specific, and for those purposes they work very well. They are a far cry from a carbine, and still a legitimate handgun. I have several carbines too, and there are many instances where I prefer my X-Frame. Part of it is having the accuracy and the knock-down of a carbine, while using a revolver platform. I admit, they can be intimidating to some folks, but then, they were never intended to be for everyone. As accurate as it is from a revolver, I have never found .460 to be an accurate round from an Encore barrel. I tried for several years for my oldest son.

[Guv]

bluetopper, whats the recoil like on your H&R? Years ago I had a 44mag Topper and it was a realative creampuff. Your 500 is so much more gun though, I bet ferral hogs are allergic to it!

[Sevens]

Got a buddy with a T/C Encore Pro Hunter in .300 Win Mag and that rifle with it's peculiar "recoil reducing" stock does a fantastic job of handling felt recoil from a .300 Win Mag with either 150 or 180 grain bullets. I was impressed.

Then... stick that short(ish) .500 S&W barrel on it and all of THAT goes out the window. It's awful, just punishing to shoot.

.500 S&W Magnum from an X-frame is far, FAR more enjoyable to shoot, but then again... I've not shot any of the crazy 700gr stompers, either. I've shot factory stuff and the handloads I've built with 300 grain FTX slugs. Have built some with the 500gr Hornady FP-XTP and those aren't bad, either. (maybe I didn't run them hard enough...?) To me... those component bullets look like a box full of big toes.