Author Topic: .500 Smith and Wesson Handi Rifle (Read 1836 times)

michaelt454 · « **on:** November 25, 2008, 08:53:33 AM »

Just wondering if any of ya'll had any suggestions for accurarte reloads with barnes bullets in the .500. I have a fairly accurate load with the 275 grn bullet and 43 grns of lil gun that will shoot to about three inches at 50 yards. The best I can do with the 375 grn bullets is about 5 inches. Please help!!!

cwlongshot · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2008, 10:29:40 AM »

WELCOME!!

I and many of us have been at it for some time too. I was at a loss until Quickdtoo AKA Tim told me about the Ranger Rick line of cast bullets. Using the 440gr WFNGC it was able to get some good groups. Mine is in-consistant with jacked bullets. I reciently picked up the REM 385gr HP's and the jury is still out to see if I can get a good load using them.

I'm sorry to say, your just going to have to try and try again, every barrel is different so what I have may never work for you.

Good luck,
CW

michaelt454 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2008, 03:33:41 PM »

Thanks for the tip I have a lot of experience with the jacketed bullets and none with cast bullets. I am currently working up some loads with H110 all of my other loads have been with lil gun. A big part of the problem I'm fighthing is the point of impact change from one bullet to another. The 275 grn bullets print dead on at 50 yds and the 375 grn print a full 10 -12" lower at 50 yards. The 500 grn hornady xtpfp's print somewhere in between. It makes no sense why the bullet's poi's vary so greatly at such short distances, the ballistic differences out to 100 yds are negligible. Plus the 375 grn barnes have almost a spire point and a b.c. that is much better than the flying ashtray 275 grn barnes. Part of the fun is doing the research and reloading and then sharing with other folks who are just as lost as you once were.

Slufoot · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2008, 03:50:37 PM »

Hello michaelt454, I can't help you with the Barnes bullets because I haven't tried any. I'm shooting the Remington 385 grain Ultra Bonded Core-Lokt bullets in mine with Lil'Gun powder and it'll keep in 2" @ 100 yards.
Have you tried shooting yours without the forearm?
My Handi is setup with a synthetic stock and I had to do alot of sanding to get my forearm to fit properly because the barrel diameter was too large for the forarm. If your forearm isn't fit right it can destroy accuracy.

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

michaelt454 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2008, 04:01:16 PM »

Haven't tried w/out the forearm kinda leary about shooting those full house loads with no sling to hold the front of the gun down. I had no idea that the forearm bedding would make that much difference in such a stout barrel. Thanks!

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2008, 04:07:28 PM »

POI will vary due to bullet weight, speed, brand of bullet, phase of the moon ect. DP

Idaho Ron · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2008, 04:10:39 AM »

I don't own a 500 S&W but I do have a Lee C-501-440-RF 500 S&W mould. I paper patch them and shoot them out of my 50 cal Muzzleloader. They are amazing for accuracy with a 1-28 twist barrel. That bullet is a GC style but I don't use GC's in my ML. I get sub 2" groups at 100 yards. Ron

michaelt454 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 26, 2008, 04:30:14 AM »

The cast bullets may be the way I have to go if I can't get a load with conventional bullets. Thanks Ron.

warrior05 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2008, 02:17:53 PM »

For those of you shooting the S&W 500 in rifle or revolver ( I have both) I saw on Midwayusa.com that Hornady is making the 300gr flextip SST bullet avaiable for reloaders @ $27/50, which is $5 cheaper than the 350gr. XTP

michaelt454 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2008, 06:39:44 PM »

Is that the lever revolution bullet as a component? For real? I need to check that out right now that would be great that's what a lot of us have been waiting for, in several calibers.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2008, 06:43:26 PM »

You'll have to wait until next year, it's a 2009 offering from Hornady.

Tim

http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=789

http://www.downrange.tv/artman2/publish/industry/374.shtml

Jones · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2008, 06:50:18 PM »

Thats a pistol round ant it?

GJ

quickdtoo · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2008, 08:04:38 PM »

It was until H&R offered it in a rifle!!

Tim

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_53/ai_n16866654

cwlongshot · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2008, 07:25:27 AM »

Quote from: Jones on November 28, 2008, 06:50:18 PM

That's a pistol round ant it?

GJ

It was designed as a pistol round... But that doesn't mean anything really. One could get into a discussion of pistol to rifle powders and fast or slower burning. But with a factory loaded 500 it works wonderfully in a rifle with the benefit of a up to a couple hundred extra FPS in velocity not to mention the corresponding energy figures.

I like mine.. continued accuracy problems have me thinking about the wildcat 50 Alaskan. http://www.leverguns.com/articles/anderson/50_alaskan.htm

Or maybe the 50-70 round... http://www.shootmagazine.com/articles/firearms/50-70_govt.htm http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/ObsoleteCartridges/50%2070%20Goverment%20page%20366%20to%20367.pdf

Biggest problem is the both of these is they utilize the .510 bore while the 500 S&W is .500 bore.....

CW

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** November 29, 2008, 07:32:56 AM »

The .500 Martin has a .500" bore...... and requires expensive custom dies!! $:-\$

Tim

http://www.singleactions.com/500Martin.pdf

Jones · « **Reply #15 on:** November 29, 2008, 05:44:55 PM »

I see said the blind man?

GJ

jy951 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 30, 2008, 08:53:31 AM »

i am using 325 gr Barnes XPB with 43gr Lil gun. Accuracy is very good, however, this is with an encore with custom barrel.

michaelt454 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2008, 11:31:08 AM »

I have tried that exact load with 275 and 375 barnes with no luck I just bought some of the 325's and intend to try that load also. Maybe it will be the one. I also am going to try all of the loads shown for the H110 with all 3 bullets to see. Just been hunting lately and haven't wanted to do a bunch of shooting where I hunt. But soon I will be back at loading and shooting. I have a load that I'm currently using with the 275's that is decent but I can't remember the charge of lil gun that it uses i need to look. Maybe I will post all of my loads and data soon if anyone would be interested?

cwlongshot · « **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2009, 07:25:10 AM »

Quote from: michaelt454 on November 30, 2008, 11:31:08 AM

I have tried that exact load with 275 and 375 barnes with no luck I just bought some of the 325's and intend to try that load also. Maybe it will be the one. I also am going to try all of the loads shown for the H110 with all 3 bullets to see. Just been hunting lately and haven't wanted to do a bunch of shooting where I hunt. But soon I will be back at loading and shooting. I have a load that I'm currently using with the 275's that is decent but I can't remember the charge of lil gun that it uses i need to look. Maybe I will post all of my loads and data soon if anyone would be interested?

Got any updates? How the shooting going?

CW

GrampaMike · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2009, 09:11:22 AM »

CW,
I have been working on jacketed loads for the 500 S&W 22" Handi and the 500 S&W 26" TC Encore for the last couple months when I can. I shoot 7-shot groups and some targets look like a shotgun blast (50 yard), but there are some good ones (less than 2" 7-shot groups at 50). Will post when I finish.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2009, 09:46:09 AM »

Thanks

Pretty much same story here. I have acceptable accuracy, but nothing to brag about. My best have come from 440WFNGC lead bullets and 5744 powder. Dropping back a notch in respect to velocitys.

Interested to see what others have found.

CW

tobster · « **Reply #21 on:** January 12, 2009, 02:22:31 AM »

Quote from: Jones on November 29, 2008, 05:44:55 PM

I see said the blind man?

GJ

I see said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw! (could'nt resist)

petemi · « **Reply #22 on:** January 12, 2009, 07:37:36 AM »

Simple soulution to a complex problem....................get a .45-70.

Pete

P.S. Not that I like them much

PAndy · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2009, 04:28:12 PM »

michaelt,

Hope it is going well. I don't have the .500 and probably never will, so I don't have any input on that round. But I am wondering about this comment,
"Haven't tried w/out the forearm kinda leary about shooting those full house loads with no sling to hold the front of the gun down."

Not sure exactly how you lay the thing over the bags, but I wonder if you are applying sling tension to the forend/barrel that is influencing your accuracy results. ??

Might be worth reconsidering the previous suggestion to shoot it without the forend for an experiment.

michaelt454 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 16, 2009, 07:19:31 AM »

Hey y'all been out of pocket but I'm back now. Tried some 350grn xtp's the other day without the forearm, the accuracy was even worse than the barnes bullets with the forearm. 50 yard groups with xtp's 5 shots in 14".And they print two feet lower than any other load i've tried. there has to be something wrong with the bore/rifling on the gun I just can't see accuracy being that bad at 50 yards no matter what! I'm more accurate than that with a slingshot at 50 yds! I am thinking of sending the barrel to H and R.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:28:28 AM »

Quote from: michaelt454 on January 16, 2009, 07:19:31 AM

I am thinking of sending the barrel to H and R.

They'll want the whole rifle, they need to check the fit and they might have to replace the barrel, give em a call and make arrangements to return it. But first, I'd read the Handi Basics 101 and make sure you have all the bases covered there first, oil on the latch shelf is THE number one cause of accuracy complaints listed by H&R gunsmiths.

Tim