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Author Topic: .500 S&W  (Read 787 times)

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Offline kinslayer1965

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.500 S&W
« on: October 11, 2009, 11:05:21 AM »
I went to the gun show in Palm Beach this morning and brought myself a .500 S&W. ;D :D :o  I must say that hole in the end of that barrel looks like you could drive a truck into it. Believe it or not I got the gun for $224.00 plus tax. I don't know if that is a good price but it seemed very reasonable to me for a new in the box weapon.

My joy for low prices was short lived as my next stop was at the ammo table. $52.00 for twenty rounds of 350gr JHPs. :-\ :-\

I am guessing that I will be getting some reloading going for this round. Which I needed to get my but in gear and get my reloading bench set up.

If anybody has any opinions about the .500 I wwould be interested to hear them. My plan is for a low power scope and will be looking for a 150yd hunting rifle. I hope it works out. Any bullet preferences would be appreciated as well.

Thanks
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Offline andrewtheelder38

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2009, 11:15:07 AM »
from what little "testing" info on the 500 sw that seems to be available the cartridge seems to do best with the 325-350 grain Hornady bullets .....getting info on it in a handi rifle is proving a little more challenging.......I picked up a new in the box one at a gun show cheap too, I only paid 175!!......but the ammo is the killer......it is almost as cheap to buy it from midwayusa and shoot it and then reload that brass than it is to buy brass and bullets....I just paid 106 bucks for 100 remington 385 grain corelokts and a bag of brass from Cabelas!!!!!.......sportsmansguide has some fairly reasonable ammor prices for it too....
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2009, 12:17:14 PM »
Congrats on the new Handi!! I found the 385gr Rem Core-lokt bonded to shoot the best of any bullet I've shot in my 500S&W, a near max load of Lil'gun and a heavy crimp with the Hornady taper crimp die did the trick.  ;)

Be sure to read the two articles on the 500S&W Handi in the FAQs, I have a Nikon Prostaff 2-7x32 Shotgun scope on mine, has worked fine for about 150 rounds of stout loads so far, 350gr Hornady XTP to 700gr Ranger Ricks.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,176647.msg1098841196.html#msg1098841196
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Offline Spanky

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2009, 01:19:57 PM »
The .500 Handi has been known to shoot loose and have accuracy issues.
Most folks lean towards the 45-70 instead.
You can't beat the 45-70, most of us have them (or will) and love them. ;)
Good luck with it and congrats.



Spanky
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Offline searlock

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2009, 01:50:41 PM »
i put a bushnell sportsman 1.5x4.5x32 on mine, an inexpensive shotgun scope with good eye relief. it has performed well. mine so far it has done best with doubletap 500 grain hornady soft points. hope you have better luck with yours than i have mine. it is now on its second trip back to the factory. in fact it has spent more time at ilion than it has with me.
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Offline petemi

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2009, 01:58:36 PM »
.45-70......45-70...............45-70.................................45-70 ;)

Pete
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Offline Retsof

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2009, 02:22:03 PM »
I've had no issues with mine. I use it for the MS Deer Primitive Weapon Season. The only load I've tried is the Federal Premium w/275 gr XPB. It is scary accurate at 100 yards and does not kick that badly. I currently have  a Weaver Grand Slam 4.75 x 40 fixed power scope mounted on it. I have yet to have any issues with it "shooting loose", though I must admit that I have not shot it much. The only modifications I've made are to cut 1" off the stock and to put a rubber O-ring between the barrel and forearm (ie, I just tighten the forearm screw snug) to free float the barrel.  BTW, when I was sighting in the rifle some time ago, I could only see 1 bullet hole and thought I was really screwing up. When I checked the target, there were 3 bullet holes almost through the same hole. I shot another 3-shot group to confirm what was happening. In the past I have maybe once or twice shot clover leafs with other rifles but not that small as for this H&R 500 S&W. I bought 2 more boxes of the Federal ammo with the same Lot #. So, ammo-wise, I'm set for the next 10 years with the small amount of shooting I do with this rifle. That's a good thing, given the price of the Federal factory load.

Now that i think about it, I'd be surprised if mine shot loose anytime soon. A couple of years ago, I accidentially knocked this rifle out of a 15' ladder stand in the pre-dawn hours, when I was getting my stuff situated (no, the rifle was not yet loaded). At the time I had a Leupold 6 x 42 FX III mounted on it (which I have since moved to another rifle). Both the rifle and scope were unscathed (other than a few scratches on the scope) and I was able to resight this combo with little adjustment. I don't recommend my "break-in" procedure to anyone else.
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Offline jy951

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2009, 05:41:39 PM »
I started handloading because of the crazy price of the 500 ammo.  I would not buy one if I didn't plan on re-loading as the price is somewhat rediculous.     
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Offline Retsof

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2009, 04:16:56 AM »
I agree that the price of 500 S&W ammo is crazy. However, with the little that I shoot my rifle, handloading just doesn't make sense, especially considering I can't see improving the accuracy over the Federal factory load with the 275 gr XPB. To each his own.
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Offline kevinsmith5

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2009, 04:28:14 AM »
JUst oout of curiosity (since I don't think a .500 is required when I have my 45-70) has anyone tried shooting cast out of them?  That would bring the loading cost down.
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2009, 04:50:11 AM »
Lots here shoot cast in their .500s, the 440gr cast performance worked good for me as did the 700gr Ranger Rick, CW's favorite is Ranger Rick's 440gr.

Tim
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Offline kinslayer1965

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2009, 07:45:41 AM »
Andrew, Tim, Spanky, Searlock and Retsof thanks for the input.

Pete and Kevinsmith5 how am I ever gonna catch up to Tim and Cw if I only buy rifles I have a need or purpose for? ;D :D

Oh and trust me if I ever come across a .45-70 at a show it will ride home with me.
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Offline phatgemi

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2009, 08:54:23 AM »
Hey guys, NO arguement that a .45/70 is probably a better round to select. BUT what about us in states like indiana where the .45/70 is ILLEGAL. We must use straight wall pistol cartridges. .45/70 DOES NOT qualify. So the 500 is a necessary choice for a big bore. Mine shoots great. The plastic sights were crap. Probably will use the 44 mag though. I reload 350 hornandy xtp's over h110 and it does fine in the 500.
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Offline GrampaMike

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2009, 09:45:58 AM »
The 500 S&W is a great round.  There isn't any rule that it has to be shot at maximum pressures or even close to maximum pressures.  It can be shot at 45-70 pressures.  I wouldn't think the 500 would ever stretch much at 45-70 pressures.  The hard-cast bullets work great in the 500 at around 32K PSI.  I think of it as the 45-70's shorter and fatter brother, and anything related to the 45-70 has to be great.
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Offline kevinsmith5

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2009, 10:57:39 AM »
Magnum Research makes a BFR in 45-70.....does that make it a pistol cartridge?
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2009, 11:21:53 AM »
phatgemi,

This is getting somewhat off topic, but the Indiana law doesn't state it has to be a straight walled cartridge, the pistol cartridges listed are just examples of those that qualify, the 1.625" case length and min cal of .35 allow bottlenecked cartridges too as long as they meet the requirements, do a little reading in the Indiana Hunting forum for more info. The .358 Indy is a wildcat made specifically for the Indiana rifle deer season.

Tim

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Rifles with pistol cartridges
Rifles must fire a cartridge with a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.625 inches.
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Deer_Hunting_Equipment.pdf


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Offline thomasblack

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Re: .500 S&W
« Reply #16 on: October 12, 2009, 12:03:29 PM »
Mine does great with Cabela's bulk stuff. It isn't as cheap as reloading. But for those of us that can't or don't want to, it's a better price than name brand. And honestly, the bulk stuff shot tons better than Hornady or Federal, out of mine.
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