[DonD]

People who scoff at the 500 Mag simply don't have a clue. I've been shooting them regularly since S&W started selling them in 2003.

If you seat slugs out to full cylinder length as John Ross does, energy figures can go into the 3200ft lb range out of the 8 3/8th" barrel.

With hard cast slugs they will equal or highly likely exceed a .375 H&H Mag in penetration.

While it is not a scientific test by any means, I've shot a .308 Win and the 500 side by side on water filled gallon milk jugs. The .308 with JSPs sort of bounces them around. The 500 simply DETONATES them into a huge ball of spray, makes the .308 look puny and on large game is far superior. Don

 

[DonD]

More powerful maybe, but it means nothing if you can't hit your target with it.
500 S&W is impressive but a bear to shoot!

While I would be suspicious of someone who shoots a significant number of medium heavy to heavy loads and says that they've never pulled a shot, I'm not the world's gift to handgun accuracy but I think I usually do well with it. Muzzle heavyness on the long barrel and an excellent trigger certainly helps.

You have to concentrate so that you can enjoy what happens after a good sight picture and trigger pull. Don

 

[DonD]

All my handguns are in 44 Magnum and 45 Auto now. Just easier for me all around, and those two cover my needs and wants.

You really need a .22LR or two or three. Don

 

[DonD]

The 500 with 3" brl is a great carry pistol.I whip it out and people just look at me like I have three heads.You need to purchase a pair of suspenders.Would you believe Uncle Mikes makes a OWB nylon holster.Hit of the party!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not be critical but smiling. I don't think it's the best CCW gun but ENJOY!

I imagine if you ever had to show the gun, the size of the bore and the chambers would make any even remotely normal thief think twice. Don

 

[DonD]

You know I hear how expensive to shoot these big bore guns.

Yes, factory ammo is very expensive. If you want to shoot more than once in a blue moon, you must reload, not care about $ or be very wealthy.

You can reload quality high power rounds using commercial hard cast slugs for about 50 cents ea and no, I really don't want to hear from someone who says some friend gives him free wheelweights, that's not what most of us face.

Reloading the beast allows you to tailor the power level from bottom end which dwarfs a .45ACP +P round to beastly 3000ft lbs loads. Don

 

[DonD]

Actually you can cast your own bullets for MUCH less than 50 cents a bullet and lead is not that expensive and you don't even need super hardcast lead for the kinds of velocities the 500 S&W produces with heavy bullets.

Lyman cast bullet handbook 4th Ed. (Most recent edition) lists data for the 500 S&W using the Lyman 501680 (375gr) plain base bullet with a Max Load of 17.5gr Unique, produces 1361fps @ 37.800psi

I used to buy scrap lead from my local recyvling yard and while wheelweights are getting harder and harder to find that aren't made out of zinc or pure lead, most times you can find harder alloys and all you need is some tin or mix in a little linotype to make pure lead harder.

Scrap lead sells for about 80 cents a pound. Even if the bullets you used weighted 500 grains you would get 16 bullets for 80 cents rather than pay 50 cents a bullet or $8.00 for 16 bullets.

Additionally there are 7000 grains in a pound of powder with one pound of unique you could load 583 rounds of 500 S&W.

In theory, you've made some points but....I said "high quality, high power loads and to avoid leading you need to shoot gas checked slugs. Removing leading is a PITA.

I view scrap lead like used cars of unknown origin, not good. How many impurities, junk etc is in it? I have no desire to scrounge through a scrap yard and you forget to add into the equation the cost of equipment to melt, cast, size and lube slugs. Lots of time and $ and being around lead fumes is NOT good for the health.

A brief perusal of internet prices for bullet casting lead shows prices of $2-3/#. At $2/# plus shipping probably means $14 or so. At 400gr ea, that's a price of 40 cents per slug. I can buy excellent hard cast, gas checked slugs for about 31 cents plus shipping. Yes, like most everything, you can cut the cost by buying in bulk.

You speak of using light loads too, like Unique. I do also shoot Trail Boss but I was referring to much hotter stuff like 40gr of 4227 so the way I and I'd say the majority of reloaders (I'd say those that cast are a small minority) operate, I think my comment about 50 cents per round is quite valid. Don

 

[DonD]

Midway has .500 bullets for $.26/.

Bet those are Berry's plated bullets and if so they will not stand up to heavy 500 Mag loads. Don