SW 500, powerful as a rifle.....
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Over the years I have owned a couple. One was an 8-3/8" model, the other a 6-1/2".
I enjoyed shooting and handloading for them, but ended up selling them off. They're amazing guns, but apart from the coolness factor of having them, I opted to consolidate and whittle down my collection. Motivation primarily being less reloading components to have to keep up with. For a big bore revolver, 44 Magnum will cover any and all needs I could conceivably have. 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.
I enjoyed shooting and handloading for them, but ended up selling them off. They're amazing guns, but apart from the coolness factor of having them, I opted to consolidate and whittle down my collection. Motivation primarily being less reloading components to have to keep up with. For a big bore revolver, 44 Magnum will cover any and all needs I could conceivably have. 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.
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297 Posts
Fired one once and done ! BANG!!
A friend of mine (who is 81 yrs. old) let me shoot his 500. He cast his own 440 gr. bullets and loaded it pretty stout. After shooting his, I started looking for one. About a year later, I found one that looked like it had never been fired for well under a grand. I bought it and shoot it a lot. I've been reloading since I was 12, and found the 500 to be very versatile and relatively cheap to shoot. I saw a box of 20 rounds of factory ammo for $49.95, so I wouldn't consider a 500 unless you reload. If you use Trail Boss powder with a 330 gr. plated bullet, even a kid can shoot it. If you use a 500 gr. bullet with a stout charge of H110, you can get out all your aggressions out with a few shots. My 500 is one of the guns I will never sell. And yes, it may take a while to master the recoil, but once you do it is a very accurate work of art, just not for everyone.
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198 Posts
No thanks! If the .44 isn’t big enough, i’ll just take ( hand 12ga. W/slugs) if that won’t do it?
I’ll just stay home where its warm
I’ll just stay home where its warm
You’re absolutely right about versatility. It has a wide range of loads to shoot. I find 350 gr to be quite pleasant.
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998 Posts
A bunch of us guy's were standing around BS'ing after a range session when the inevitable discussion/argument about the merits of the various 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP broke out.
One guy said "well I got all your daddies' in the car. He brings out his 44 mag Super Redhawk. I tell him I have his daddy in the car.
I get my FA 454 Casull with 10 inch barrel.
Another guy tells me he has my daddy in the car.
He gets his S&W 8 inch 500 Magnum with compensator.
A few guys in the group had never fired a 44 so they line up to shoot a few rounds. After that there were only a couple of guys that wanted to shoot my Casull.
The guy with the 500 only had six rounds left and did not want to shoot them until he could buy more. He had never fired a 454 so we agreed to two of my custom loaded 370gr. 1400 fps soft lead rounds for one of his factory 500 gr. magnums.
After shooting his 500 the recoil was a big WHOOMP. A lot less than my 454.
We agreed that we would both rather shoot a full box of 500's than a cylinder of the 454.
Maybe I need a compensator!
One guy said "well I got all your daddies' in the car. He brings out his 44 mag Super Redhawk. I tell him I have his daddy in the car.
I get my FA 454 Casull with 10 inch barrel.
Another guy tells me he has my daddy in the car.
He gets his S&W 8 inch 500 Magnum with compensator.
A few guys in the group had never fired a 44 so they line up to shoot a few rounds. After that there were only a couple of guys that wanted to shoot my Casull.
The guy with the 500 only had six rounds left and did not want to shoot them until he could buy more. He had never fired a 454 so we agreed to two of my custom loaded 370gr. 1400 fps soft lead rounds for one of his factory 500 gr. magnums.
After shooting his 500 the recoil was a big WHOOMP. A lot less than my 454.
We agreed that we would both rather shoot a full box of 500's than a cylinder of the 454.
Maybe I need a compensator!
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998 Posts
One thing I have found about shooting the big calibers is after I have become proficient with them, it helps me shoot the smaller calibers (9mm, 10mm) better. You almost need to completely remove the anticipated recoil from your mind, consciously on every shot, and let the trigger break be a “surprise”. This is hard, because you do know what’s coming. When you can get that down with these guns, it becomes far easier with the others.
I have a custom shop S&W 500 Mag with the 10" barrel. I've owned it since 2004, ad put several hundred rounds through it, from 350gr Hornady XTPs, to 750 gr8 hard cast bullets. It's not too bad, as I've been shooting big bore handguns since my first .44 mag back in the mid 60's.
I have let others shoot it and got told that it's like getting hit in the palms with a baseball bat, to that thing is a knuckle buster. I have a Freedom Arms revolver in ,454 Casull that has more felt recoil than my .500 mag.
I have let others shoot it and got told that it's like getting hit in the palms with a baseball bat, to that thing is a knuckle buster. I have a Freedom Arms revolver in ,454 Casull that has more felt recoil than my .500 mag.
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11,764 Posts
I think it would be neat in a little auto loading or bolt action rifle.
You really need a .22LR or two or three. Don
I love my Ruger Alaskan 454 Casull!
I’ve shot a box of Buffalo Bore in it.
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Based on energy a 350gr 500 moving at 1,900fps is the same qas a normal 308 Winchester. The handgun has more momentum, but the rifle BC will have it maintaining that energy for a much further diswtance. At 40 yards away the 350gr. 500 would be more effective on a deer or almost anything else than a 150gr 308.
You would not get that same testosterone jump if they were just semiautomatics.I love my Ruger Alaskan 454 Casull!
I’ve shot a box of Buffalo Bore in it.![]()
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1,995 Posts
Yes I have shot one. I was shooting my 460 S&W and a buddy had his 500. It is a snappy round.
A 500 S&W 400 grain bullet at 1800fps = 2877 Ft-lbs
450-400 NE 400 grain bullet 2150 FPS = 4110 Ft-lbs. It is a murderous bastard at the range out of a Ruger #1.
Take the 500 and bump it up to 2150 FPS you should get 4105 Ft-lbs, so out of a rifle it would be a thumper for a short range round. I would think out of Lever gun it would be a murderous bastard.
A 500 S&W 400 grain bullet at 1800fps = 2877 Ft-lbs
450-400 NE 400 grain bullet 2150 FPS = 4110 Ft-lbs. It is a murderous bastard at the range out of a Ruger #1.
Take the 500 and bump it up to 2150 FPS you should get 4105 Ft-lbs, so out of a rifle it would be a thumper for a short range round. I would think out of Lever gun it would be a murderous bastard.
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I have a 500 and a 460 mag. Love them both. Use them mostly for hog hunting. They are one shot kills if I do my part. But the gun I Really like to use is my 50ae Desert Eagle. Follow up shots are much easer and faster. By the way 500 specials can be shot in a 500 mag to cut cost and 357 mag and 44 mag can be shot in a Desert Eagle.
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