Temps were just a bit brisk. Mr. Thermometer said +10F. Still, the new handloads performed rather well, or at least to my liking.
Stopped at Rim Rock Bullets in Montana on a recent road trip, picked up a hundred of their 500 gr. hard cast gas check bullets, and with 28.5 gr. Li'l Gun, and shooting over the hood of the truck without bags, the irons gave me 5-shot group of 1.5 inches at 50 yards. Recoil was as brisk as the temps, but when standin' up and shooting like a real person, offhand, it was bordering on enjoyable.
Same gun with Rainier 335's and a 'bit' more Li'l Gun, and point of impact was quite a bit lower than the 500's with the same hold, but got about the same group size. Substantially less recoil.
The rifle started out as one of the 32" barreled .45-70 "Buffalo Classic" rifles, and I sent 'er back in to be fitted with the .500 S&W Mag and a .204 Ruger barrel. I'm quite sure that a lot of the felt recoil had to do with that buttstock and the steel plate.
Still and all, a fun day!
BTW, I tried to recover some of the bullets, especially the 500 grainers, and I had to stop digging at a foot deep in the loose soil I was shooting into. This might turn into a dandy little 'Black Timber' rifle sometime in the future, if I can EVER draw another tag!!!