Allan Clark
Member
wondering if we have any handgun hunters shooting and loading for the 500
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500S&W loding
- Thread starter Allan Clark
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comfisherman
Well-Known Member
Sadly not as much as I should.
Started with an 8 inch x frame after a friend brought one home and it was more fun than I'd expected. At the time rainier 335s were very reasonable and we found a load that shot well at the velocity limit rainier suggested. Wasn't full kilt but still thumped harder than just about everything else. Was the first pistol that showed me what could be done with a revolver at what to me was long range (100 yard berm, I'm not exactly a crack pistol shot but consistently hitting notebook paper at the berm was always fun)
Friend who got me into the x frames had a fascination with shooting soup bones suspended in whatever water vessel we could find at the recycle center. Two bullets really stood out in his tests, the 400 grain platinum dual jacket from winchester and handloaded 350 grain speers that I think were bonded. The factory loaded platinums were the meanest thing I've ever pulled the trigger on, and the speers are seemingly available once a decade. Don't know how good shooting ham bones in totes is for a test of a bullet.... but for a couple guys in early 20s it sure was a lot of fun.
We took them on a ground squirrel hunt with a combination of hard cast and the rainiers, once again absolutely pointless but might have been the most fun I've ever had shooting sage rats. Shot it so fast that the hogue grips got gummy and you moved quick handling reloads.
Probably 15 years ago one of my guys shot a island black tail with it off shooting sticks. Used one of the aforementioned speers, it worked. But a small bodied deer was likely to succumb to any and all available 500 bullets.
Regrettably traded it off for a 4 inch for ease of carry, but it gives up a lot of sight radius and velocity. It's been shot very little compared to the workout I gave the 8 inch.
Probably time to get another longer barrel pistol, and find a new substitute for the now gone rainiers. X frames are inexplicably fun to shoot, one of those guns that doesn't really make sense how big a smile it induces.
Would think for some of the pistol only hunts a 500 with a little practice could be deadly.
Started with an 8 inch x frame after a friend brought one home and it was more fun than I'd expected. At the time rainier 335s were very reasonable and we found a load that shot well at the velocity limit rainier suggested. Wasn't full kilt but still thumped harder than just about everything else. Was the first pistol that showed me what could be done with a revolver at what to me was long range (100 yard berm, I'm not exactly a crack pistol shot but consistently hitting notebook paper at the berm was always fun)
Friend who got me into the x frames had a fascination with shooting soup bones suspended in whatever water vessel we could find at the recycle center. Two bullets really stood out in his tests, the 400 grain platinum dual jacket from winchester and handloaded 350 grain speers that I think were bonded. The factory loaded platinums were the meanest thing I've ever pulled the trigger on, and the speers are seemingly available once a decade. Don't know how good shooting ham bones in totes is for a test of a bullet.... but for a couple guys in early 20s it sure was a lot of fun.
We took them on a ground squirrel hunt with a combination of hard cast and the rainiers, once again absolutely pointless but might have been the most fun I've ever had shooting sage rats. Shot it so fast that the hogue grips got gummy and you moved quick handling reloads.
Probably 15 years ago one of my guys shot a island black tail with it off shooting sticks. Used one of the aforementioned speers, it worked. But a small bodied deer was likely to succumb to any and all available 500 bullets.
Regrettably traded it off for a 4 inch for ease of carry, but it gives up a lot of sight radius and velocity. It's been shot very little compared to the workout I gave the 8 inch.
Probably time to get another longer barrel pistol, and find a new substitute for the now gone rainiers. X frames are inexplicably fun to shoot, one of those guns that doesn't really make sense how big a smile it induces.
Would think for some of the pistol only hunts a 500 with a little practice could be deadly.
amateur_pewist
New Member
Caught a few deer with 350 xtp mags. Started playing with 440 hard cast from Matt's bullets but the scope failed and I haven't pursued it.
dhbikerczar
Well-Known Member
I have not taken any game with mine yet but I load for it quite a bit. I'm running berrys bullets and h110. There's so much carbon and soot that after 2 or 3 cylinders the cases are really hard to get out and I have to clean the cylinders. I think i need to find a new load or something. I'm curious if others have this issue. Otherwise I really enjoy it and I do have hopes of getting a deer with it some day. I have the 350gr XTP loaded to hunt with.
DustThroughaFan
Well-Known Member
I use H110 in my 460s&w with 200-250gr bullets and I've had no issues with the soot like you describe. I wonder if the 460 is just more efficient with the given charge?
That said, what's your charge weight ?
DustThroughaFan
Well-Known Member
I love my X frame. By far my favorite handgun I own.
sable tireur
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2010
- Messages
- 3,959
I went back to my .454 Casull...
Here are a couple of lengthy lists to review:
https://shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/500-smith-wesson-magnum/
https://reloadammo.com/500-sw-reloading-data/
https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/500SW.pdf
Here are a couple of lengthy lists to review:
https://shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/500-smith-wesson-magnum/
https://reloadammo.com/500-sw-reloading-data/
https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/500SW.pdf
I have not harvested game with the SW500. Although I missed one deer sitting while I was in a tree stand at 50 yards. It was completely my error. I have loaded and shot many different bullets from my 4" hand cannon. I shoot the 350 XTP's over Lil Gun mostly as this is what I have significant quantities of. I can't imagine any bullet out of this revolver not being devastating on a deer. Call me a wimp if you will, but I'm only able to shoot a couple of cylinders before my wrist and elbow tell me to put it down nowadays.
dhbikerczar
Well-Known Member
41 gr with the 350gr berry's or 350 xtp.
