Opinions on the SW 500 Magnum - Page 2

Radny97 · June 30, 2016, 09:06 PM

I didn't realize they have Grizzlies in Massachusets.

BTW my dad lost his hearing in the Korean War shooting his standard issue 1911.

Rockrivr1 · June 30, 2016, 09:08 PM

They don't, but have been on more then one grizzly hunt. Do you even own the handgun in question? I'm thinking not, which means your talking out of your ass.

Radny97 · June 30, 2016, 09:18 PM

I don't currently own the firearm in question. But I have in the past. I just like the 460 XVR more. And yes I have shot one several times. Both when I owned one and several times since using my friends when we shoot together.

Decibel level of a .44 mag is 164. More than enough to cause permanent hearing loss. A .500 is louder (I have shot both side by side). It's a lot louder if it's ported.

buckhorn_cortez · June 30, 2016, 09:30 PM

I own a .460 because I like the flexibility to shoot the .45 Colt from the same gun.

As long as you understand the X-Frame is a really big, heavy gun, they're expensive to shoot (even if you reload), and you like heavy recoil - I say go for it.

I like shooting big pistols and have four, .44 magnums, a .45 Colt, and a .41 magnum.

If you want one and like big pistols, then you need no other reasons to buy it.

If you have the money available, get one and enjoy shooting it.

thibaultfelix40 · July 1, 2016, 02:52 AM

This is based on something that happened to a son of mine. A couple was shooting at the range with some simiauto. My son cut loose with a full bore 357. The woman turned to her escort and said , "What's HE shooting?" In a tone that obviously implied "His is bigger than yours!" Escort replied in a surly tone of voice, "A 357". Since then my son has bought a 458 Win. rifle and a 460S&W revolver. He loves to cut loose with a thunderous report and a huge ball of flame at the range. He bought the 460 over the 500 because he had a bunch of 45 Colt reloading stuff. The fact that he can put out a huge ball of fire even in bright sunshine just adds to it. If you go to the range and elicit a "His is bigger than yours!" remark, you can shoot 45 lc's until the next couple shows up at the range. Too tell the truth my son is a massively muscled feller who enjoys hard work.

Road_Clam · July 1, 2016, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunMaverick

I think the thing I would worry about most would be the recoil. Other than that it seems to be an excellent firearm

Make no mistake the 500 / 460 / 454's pack a wallop but you will learn to manage the recoil. When I first shot a buddies' 3" bbl 500 the recoil was ferocious, there is NO way I would ever own any big bore under 8" bbl length for my intended target shooting. Once you get up to 8" bbl length and beyond the handguns get heavier and the recoil becomes more managable. The felt recoil on my 12" XVR is managable, but that's because it's heavy. Forget about shooting a 12" 460 offhand and maintaining accuracy after say 5 shots. I've learned to not fight the recoil but decellerate it and allow my arms to absorb the recoil. I basically let the handgun recoil up and over my head. This is a critical skill especially with the scope as I have to get my proper eye relief which puts you face kinda close so you need to be cognizant of this so you don't get face smacked.

TimSr · July 1, 2016, 06:58 AM

They are good quality guns, and the round is in the class with several other mega-magnums.

Big bore magnums are an acquired taste, that you kind of need to work your way up the recoil ladder to achieve. Recoil is punishing. The one I shot was similar to my Freedom Arms 454 Casull. Recoils varies widely for 454 base don the gun they are shot in, though.

Whether you reload, or buy factory ammo, the .500 is the most expensive of the big magnums to shoot.

The guns chambered for this round are quite expensive.

This is not a gun I'd want to lug around on the trails, unless I was hunting with it. Much heavier than my 7.5" 454 Casull or my 7.5 Redhawk 44 mag, but then I don't normally lug them around on the trails unless I'm hunting either. I carry a 6" GP100 for that.

If you are not a handloader, I doubt you can find low recoil options if you have issues with the recoil. With .460 or 454 Casull, you can shoot factory 45LC for a mild load. Reloading components are generally less expensive and more plentiful for a 45 cal.

It's all a matter of your personal tastes, personal economics, and how much you want to carry around with you.

I won't talk about the bear issue, as I don't think I can handle another bear protection thread.

Radny97 · July 1, 2016, 08:32 AM

I agree. Sorry I didn't mean to drag this off track into bear protection. Those debates are tiresome. My bad.
My point was that these are fun guns for the range, for hunting, etc. they just shouldn't be shot without hearing protection. Ever.

**44 AMP** · July 1, 2016, 10:29 AM

Quote:

BTW my dad lost his hearing in the Korean War shooting his standard issue 1911.

Not a doubt in my mind that is what he believes happened. I suspect the actual cause was something else though.

Quote:

Guys have gone to war and come back with their hearing in tact,

yep, lots of them. Likewise, lots of guys had their hearing damaged. Some of us had our hearing damaged in the military in PEACETIME!

Most of the guys who went to war in the wars before Vietnam came home with some degree of hearing loss, that they didn't know they had. Accurate "before and after" hearing tests didn't happen often in the WWII and Korean war eras.

Quote:

they just shouldn't be shot without hearing protection. Ever.

TOTALLY AGREE!!!

NO firearm should ever be shot without hearing protection, outside of an immediate life threatening situation. Not even .22s.

clang · July 1, 2016, 02:58 PM

OP - Do you have a 44 mag yet?

If not, I would recommend you get a .44 first.

thibaultfelix40 · July 1, 2016, 09:17 PM

I don't get this idea of hunting with ear protection. I found hearing to be a wonderful way to find my favorite, squirrels. I knew when I was younger that either 22 rifle or 12 gauge was detrimental to hearing. Now I am my 70's and have lost some hearing but I have no regrets.

bpthomsen · July 3, 2016, 09:12 PM

I just went through the same thing- should I buy a .500 S&W or something else? I had to ask myself what I intended to do with it. I came up with 1. Hunting, 2. Reloading and 3. Plinking/ shooting and blowing things up. I want my kids to be able to shoot it as well (15 and 12 yo). After 8 months of mulling it over, I decided on the .460 S&W- it met more of my needs than the 500.

I might buy a 500 some day as my second big bore handgun, but for now, this 460 is keeping me busy.

RJM52 · July 4, 2016, 08:15 PM

They always bring a "smile".....

They were some Japanese businessmen who I was asked to take shooting last fall. None had ever even seen a real gun before.

If you don't reload the 500 can be a real expensive proposition. If you reload it doesn't cost any more to shoot than someone who shoots .38 Special who doesn't reload...

I've had mine since S&W started making the 4". Used to have a New Years Eve bowling pin shoot every year on an indoor range. Lots of people lined up to try it...

Bob

Deja vu · July 5, 2016, 12:45 PM

Id like to heave a lever action 500 magnum. That would kick butt! Id use it for deer and elk.

jackmoser65 · July 7, 2016, 01:09 AM

Too much of everything. Too heavy. Too much pressure. Unusable velocity that only serves to impress the uninitiated with lofty energy figures. They could've done a 1.4" version capable of pushing a 440gr to 1300fps with 20,000psi less pressure and had all the power needed in a more practical package.

Road_Clam · July 8, 2016, 09:06 AM

Jackmoser65, you can pitch "Mr practical handgunner" all day long and that's cool but the other 95% of the time spent opposed to actual shooting is show-n-tell bragfest discussion at the range. For that purpose there is NO equal to whipping out a behomoth 460 or 500 mag !

Pond, James Pond · July 8, 2016, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Well, I think it looks sweet, and it would be an excellent bear defense gun for hiking/backpacking. I think it looks sweet, and it would be an excellent edition to my collection. I think it looks sweet, and it could be carried for self defense, but I think it looks sweet, and also i want to use it at the range.

I've been on this forum long enough to recognise some tell-tale signs. As such, I have fixed the above quote for you!

Go shoot it, then go buy it!!

jackmoser65 · July 8, 2016, 11:49 AM

Quote:

For that purpose there is NO equal to whipping out a behomoth 460 or 500 mag !

Sorry but I'm not in it for showing off. I require my .475's and .500's to fit standard belt holsters and not pull my pants off. You want to impress me? Show me that you can actually shoot your .500 and not just make noise at the range.

Pond, James Pond · July 8, 2016, 03:27 PM

I don't believe such mega-magnums are really built to do a better job than existing magnums. I feel my .44 Mag has the potential to do whatever is required of it. Perhaps a hot .45Colt in a Redhawk would perform better with the added diameter. At most .480 Ruger for the same reason.

However, these big magnums do take the doubt out of shooting big game. If for some reason someone was not certain the .44Mag was up to the job, well these boomers would erase all question.

In the end, though, it is one thing that they bring to the table which may or may not be worth the money: the sheer visceral experience of shooting such a gun. That in itself is a good enough reason to own if that experience is the end goal.

22-rimfire · July 8, 2016, 07:18 PM

Years ago, every gun I acquired had a specific purpose when I purchased it. As the years go by, the purpose(s) stayed about the same, but the pile of guns grew. You want a 500 S&W; I'd fulfill that desire.

FrankenMauser · July 9, 2016, 01:37 AM

Visceral experiences can be remembered for years, even if the experience itself is not something desired to be repeated.

I'd take a .480 Ruger, .460 S&W, or .44 Mag long before I bought in to .500 S&W (unless it was a rifle...).
The .480 was designed to be a compromise between 'killing power' and acceptable recoil levels. It does very well in that regard.
The .460 can run from 'pip squeak' to "Holy HeyZooS!" Mild to wild...
And the .44 Mag is good enough already. It'll be as good in a defensive role as any of the others, but can also be downloaded to "mouse fart" levels.

I like all cartridges.
But .44 Mag is probably my favorite 'big bore' revolver cartridge. Good enough for anything. But not too much, either.

June 30, 2016, 09:06 PM	#26
Radny97 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2015 Posts: 1,021	I didn't realize they have Grizzlies in Massachusets. BTW my dad lost his hearing in the Korean War shooting his standard issue 1911. Last edited by Radny97; June 30, 2016 at 09:15 PM.

June 30, 2016, 09:18 PM	#28
Radny97 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2015 Posts: 1,021	I don't currently own the firearm in question. But I have in the past. I just like the 460 XVR more. And yes I have shot one several times. Both when I owned one and several times since using my friends when we shoot together. Decibel level of a .44 mag is 164. More than enough to cause permanent hearing loss. A .500 is louder (I have shot both side by side). It's a lot louder if it's ported. Last edited by Radny97; June 30, 2016 at 09:23 PM.

July 1, 2016, 02:52 AM	#30
thibaultfelix40 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2011 Posts: 154	This is based on something that happened to a son of mine. A couple was shooting at the range with some simiauto. My son cut loose with a full bore 357. The woman turned to her escort and said , "What's HE shooting?" In a tone that obviously implied "His is bigger than yours!" Escort replied in a surly tone of voice, "A 357". Since then my son has bought a 458 Win. rifle and a 460S&W revolver. He loves to cut loose with a thunderous report and a huge ball of flame at the range. He bought the 460 over the 500 because he had a bunch of 45 Colt reloading stuff. The fact that he can put out a huge ball of fire even in bright sunshine just adds to it. If you go to the range and elicit a "His is bigger than yours!" remark, you can shoot 45 lc's until the next couple shows up at the range. Too tell the truth my son is a massively muscled feller who enjoys hard work. __________________ olafhardt

July 1, 2016, 02:58 PM	#35
clang Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2009 Posts: 119	OP - Do you have a 44 mag yet? If not, I would recommend you get a .44 first. __________________ If the horse don't pull you've got to carry the load.

July 1, 2016, 09:17 PM	#36
thibaultfelix40 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2011 Posts: 154	I don't get this idea of hunting with ear protection. I found hearing to be a wonderful way to find my favorite, squirrels. I knew when I was younger that either 22 rifle or 12 gauge was detrimental to hearing. Now I am my 70's and have lost some hearing but I have no regrets. __________________ olafhardt

June 30, 2016, 09:08 PM	#27
Rockrivr1 Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 271	They don't, but have been on more then one grizzly hunt. Do you even own the handgun in question? I'm thinking not, which means your talking out of your ass.

June 30, 2016, 09:30 PM	#29
buckhorn_cortez Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2010 Posts: 857	I own a .460 because I like the flexibility to shoot the .45 Colt from the same gun. As long as you understand the X-Frame is a really big, heavy gun, they're expensive to shoot (even if you reload), and you like heavy recoil - I say go for it. I like shooting big pistols and have four, .44 magnums, a .45 Colt, and a .41 magnum. If you want one and like big pistols, then you need no other reasons to buy it. If you have the money available, get one and enjoy shooting it.

July 1, 2016, 06:58 AM	#32
TimSr Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Rittman, Ohio Posts: 2,074	They are good quality guns, and the round is in the class with several other mega-magnums. Big bore magnums are an acquired taste, that you kind of need to work your way up the recoil ladder to achieve. Recoil is punishing. The one I shot was similar to my Freedom Arms 454 Casull. Recoils varies widely for 454 base don the gun they are shot in, though. Whether you reload, or buy factory ammo, the .500 is the most expensive of the big magnums to shoot. The guns chambered for this round are quite expensive. This is not a gun I'd want to lug around on the trails, unless I was hunting with it. Much heavier than my 7.5" 454 Casull or my 7.5 Redhawk 44 mag, but then I don't normally lug them around on the trails unless I'm hunting either. I carry a 6" GP100 for that. If you are not a handloader, I doubt you can find low recoil options if you have issues with the recoil. With .460 or 454 Casull, you can shoot factory 45LC for a mild load. Reloading components are generally less expensive and more plentiful for a 45 cal. It's all a matter of your personal tastes, personal economics, and how much you want to carry around with you. I won't talk about the bear issue, as I don't think I can handle another bear protection thread.

July 1, 2016, 08:32 AM	#33
Radny97 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2015 Posts: 1,021	I agree. Sorry I didn't mean to drag this off track into bear protection. Those debates are tiresome. My bad. My point was that these are fun guns for the range, for hunting, etc. they just shouldn't be shot without hearing protection. Ever.

July 3, 2016, 09:12 PM	#37
bpthomsen Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2016 Posts: 5	I just went through the same thing- should I buy a .500 S&W or something else? I had to ask myself what I intended to do with it. I came up with 1. Hunting, 2. Reloading and 3. Plinking/ shooting and blowing things up. I want my kids to be able to shoot it as well (15 and 12 yo). After 8 months of mulling it over, I decided on the .460 S&W- it met more of my needs than the 500. I might buy a 500 some day as my second big bore handgun, but for now, this 460 is keeping me busy.

July 4, 2016, 08:15 PM	#38
RJM52 Member Join Date: September 17, 2006 Posts: 31	They always bring a "smile"..... They were some Japanese businessmen who I was asked to take shooting last fall. None had ever even seen a real gun before. If you don't reload the 500 can be a real expensive proposition. If you reload it doesn't cost any more to shoot than someone who shoots .38 Special who doesn't reload... I've had mine since S&W started making the 4". Used to have a New Years Eve bowling pin shoot every year on an indoor range. Lots of people lined up to try it... Bob

July 5, 2016, 12:45 PM	#39
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	Id like to heave a lever action 500 magnum. That would kick butt! Id use it for deer and elk. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

July 7, 2016, 01:09 AM	#40
jackmoser65 Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2014 Posts: 754	Too much of everything. Too heavy. Too much pressure. Unusable velocity that only serves to impress the uninitiated with lofty energy figures. They could've done a 1.4" version capable of pushing a 440gr to 1300fps with 20,000psi less pressure and had all the power needed in a more practical package.

July 8, 2016, 09:06 AM	#41
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	Jackmoser65, you can pitch "Mr practical handgunner" all day long and that's cool but the other 95% of the time spent opposed to actual shooting is show-n-tell bragfest discussion at the range. For that purpose there is NO equal to whipping out a behomoth 460 or 500 mag ! __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

July 8, 2016, 03:27 PM	#44
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	I don't believe such mega-magnums are really built to do a better job than existing magnums. I feel my .44 Mag has the potential to do whatever is required of it. Perhaps a hot .45Colt in a Redhawk would perform better with the added diameter. At most .480 Ruger for the same reason. However, these big magnums do take the doubt out of shooting big game. If for some reason someone was not certain the .44Mag was up to the job, well these boomers would erase all question. In the end, though, it is one thing that they bring to the table which may or may not be worth the money: the sheer visceral experience of shooting such a gun. That in itself is a good enough reason to own if that experience is the end goal. __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly. Last edited by Pond, James Pond; July 9, 2016 at 02:17 AM.

July 8, 2016, 07:18 PM	#45
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	Years ago, every gun I acquired had a specific purpose when I purchased it. As the years go by, the purpose(s) stayed about the same, but the pile of guns grew. You want a 500 S&W; I'd fulfill that desire.

July 9, 2016, 01:37 AM	#46
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Visceral experiences can be remembered for years, even if the experience itself is not something desired to be repeated. I'd take a .480 Ruger, .460 S&W, or .44 Mag long before I bought in to .500 S&W (unless it was a rifle...). The .480 was designed to be a compromise between 'killing power' and acceptable recoil levels. It does very well in that regard. The .460 can run from 'pip squeak' to "Holy HeyZooS!" Mild to wild... And the .44 Mag is good enough already. It'll be as good in a defensive role as any of the others, but can also be downloaded to "mouse fart" levels. I like all cartridges. But .44 Mag is probably my favorite 'big bore' revolver cartridge. Good enough for anything. But not too much, either. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.