I think its perfect! I own a .460 and figure someone would just **** themselves if you came out of the bedroom with either gun! and for those that say its loud that's better because I keep electronic hearing protection with my gun!

So an F-14 Hornet drops a 500 pound smart bomb on an ISIS bad guy in Syria, or an A-10 Thunderbolt makes a gun run on Taliban motorcyclist in Afghanistan.. ls that overkill ?? Nope..

Neither is it overkill when l shoot a home invading perp with my 600 Nitro Express

But it is overkill when your bullet over penetrates (or misses) the perp and exits your house and kills your neighbor.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

If nothing else, the .500 makes for a significant intimidation factor...

Groo here
If that's all you have , then load the lights bullet with the biggest flatest
nose you can find on top of a good charge of trailboss.
Get about 800 to 900 fps .
Not much on 4 legs or two will stand up to such a load at in house distances.
Or get something like a Magsafe 210gr pre fragmented round.

Similar to my line of thinking.
The terminal ballistics of a 50 cal wad cutter at 800 fps are probably not much difference than a 44 SPL of the same weight and velocity, designed to expand to at least 50 cal.
Not everybody has an arsenal. A hunter might just have the 50 cal revolver. Or, maybe his other gun is a 600 Nitro Express. Or a 22LR.
What I wouldn't be thinking: I better use a baseball bat because I read on a gun forum that I shouldn't use my revolver, since the cal is too large.

Best,
Rick

If you would have to fire 15 rounds inside your house you are either a terrible shot, or in dire need of moving to a better neighborhood

Supposing I felt one of the offered ammo choices would work for me, the prospect of wielding that huge heavy gun would knock it out of the running.
My 29-10, 586, 520 of 2005, Colt Python and King Cobra suit me better for home defence revolvers. My preferred autos include various Sigs, a Beretta 92C, various 1911's, and my S&W M&P357.

I suppose that if you handle the gun well and choose the right ammo, the 500 could be part of your mix. I think some ego-suppression might be in store, however.

Exactly--If the guy "got 10 years" it was not because he used a .458 Win Mag instead of a 9mm. It's because shooting someone to keep them from breaking into your car is NOT a justified shooting. (I'm assuming the wielder of the .458 wasn't in the car at the time) If someone breaks down the door of your house, emptying your 500 S&W into him is no different than taking one shot with a .22. If any prosecutor says it is, and your lawyer doesn't object, you've got a lousy lawyer.
That said, regardless of how many times I read the original post, a 500 S&W is way too loud to shoot indoors without hearing protection. There are other calibers that will get the job done and not leave you with permanent hearing loss.

Hey roscoepc...I get your point! Well made.

And, the likelihood of some one using a .500 for home defense is pretty slim. But, if the situation arose, the cavernous hollow points would sure reduce the chances of the round taking out the next door Fido. (although in my case that's not a negative)

Another added benefit to the .500 in HD... the bone shaking concussion of the blast and the blinding flash...not to mention the ungodly surprise of it all, would make any intruder ask himself..."What the heck was that, am I still alive?" After the head spinning disorientation saying to himself, "This whole thing isn't worth going through that again, I'm outta here," While he tries to blindly feel his way back out, hearing muffled screams from the gun owner through his ringing ears, thinking...what the heck?? that guys crazy!!

And too...if you run out of ammo...you can always cripple the assailant by throwing it at him.

I shoot my .500 for the challenge of it and much of the time...the fun of it. It has a punishing recoil along with a ground pounding response. I'm 6'8" and 265. I can hold all 5 rounds on target, DA, rapid fire. But only want to for a couple cylinders worth. It's a big dog to control.

This is why they specifically made one in snubnose... really!
.

roscoepc: Didn't know Matts made all those different types of loaded ammo for the 500. Thanks for sharing.
.

The cylinder & yoke still weighs more than some of my complete guns.


.

__________________
Waiting for the break of day

Remington 870 12Ga with #4 shot.

__________________
Don Mundell

.500 for home defense????
Go big or go home.
Magnum Research .45/70 Revolver, 7.5-inch Barrel - Style # BFR45-707, MRI Shop / Firearms

Load it with these.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=155

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Forum consigliere

All of which adversely affects the shooter, too...

A self-defense firearm probably shouldn't be a challenge to control.

It's your call. My audiologist says "Go for it!"

Good Morning Hapworth...

You're right on...I'm just having fun with the thought of the comical side of using a .500 for home defense. It is not my serious choice whatsoever for HD...except for my neighbors Fido. That dog drives me crazy

But at the end of a range shoot, bringing out the .500 for show and tell along with a couple of cylinders full can can have a momentary and lasting impact...if you know what I mean.

When I first bought it at a Reno show, I had to stop on my way home and try it out. I bought it used with 3 boxes of ammo. Only 5 rounds were missing from one box. That gave me a fairly good insight why it was such a good deal.
I found a good safe place to give it a go after stopping at Cabelas to get some ear protection. I shot almost all the ammo with fun and excitement. I went back to the car and said to myself, "that was so much fun...just one more cylinder full." I loaded up, walked back to my spot, fired my first round and What a moron!!! I forgot to put on my ear protection. Talk about surprise, surprise! It took several days to stop that ringing and no doubt I suffered permanent damage to my ole ears too. Man, that was something! Well needless to say, I doubt I'll forget my ear protection again any time soon.

I load for this hand cannon. It allows me to have fun with this thing. I enjoy capable others to get in on some of this bone jarring fun. Sometimes, it's just too much to deal with and sometimes you feel like you're king of the hill. I'm not ready to give up on the experience quite yet, even after about 500 rounds or more.

Hope everyone enjoys the day ahead...
Stu

What's that you say? I can't hear you. Come back in a month and we'll try again. What's that" I still can't hear you.

It wasn't the weapon of choice that got him the ten years.

I've seen and read lots of posts about specialist types of ammo for unique or somewhat odd guns before, but usually they revolve around folks who have financial issues and buy a milsurp pistol chambered in some oddball caliber or another, because they don't want a brick with a handle (hipoint) or otherwise recognize the bargain that a milsurp pistol represents in cost as relating to quality.

The issue is, alot of those guns are 9x18 or 7.62x25, which makes finding defensive ammo for such somewhat challenging. So, they post up on forums looking for help.......

I'm assuming here that people who own guns like this hand cannon were talking about aren't of the sort that can afford only one bargain basement priced handgun.

So.

Whats wrong with using a shotgun for home defense, if you want to throw massive amounts of lead (400+ grains)?

I mean, if you REALLY want to use that gun for home defense, to each their own, its interesting, but wow......

I'm assuming the OP is quite a character lol!
(I bet he has a heck of a mustache and wears a leather duster too! ).

............ a shotgun would be alot more controllable, but again, to each their own.

__________________
Israel Has The Right To Exist.

They's not a thing wrong with a shotgun for home defense.. I just don't own one right now. I presently own the 500, a Ruger P95 9mm, and a Glenfield .22lr semi-automatic rifle. Of the three, the Ruger is the one I keep loaded and available if I need it.

And no.. I don't have ton's of money to throw at buying guns! I just liked that 500!!!!

The whole point of my original post was to point out that there was rounds available for the 500 that I consider viable for self defense without blowing through both mine and the neighbors houses!! My hearing might suffer but I'd be alive, (I hope!! )!!!

And as you can see from the post's in this thread I've had to buy some Nomex underwear to keep my backside from being roasted by some posting to this thread but, that's OK!! The main purpose of this forum is to exchange information!!

As far as me being "Quite a Character".. Well.. I'd like to think I'm at least Entertaining at times!! And I'm sorry to disappoint you but I have no mustache or leather duster...



BUT... I do have a suit, dark shade's and a shoulder holster for the 500!!!!!!!

Attached Images

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Well.... speaking of "500's"...... you can find a decent used Mossberg 500 for around $300......

I think a leather duster is gonna cost you around the same (for a good one).



Its interesting to note that there are some forms of ammo made for such an ....interesting..... caliber revolver geared toward self defense(which is nowhere near what that gun was designed for lol), and as well even a 9mm will generate enough noise to damage hearing -even pop eardrums- in close confines. solve that by keeping some hearing protection near your home D setup. I keep some Peltors near my own Mossy. I keep my snubnose .38 closer then that, figuring that a lower pressure round will result in less hearing damage and that if I need it that badly that quickly I might not have time to apply hearing protection......

The main issue with such a heavy caliber handgun -in all seriousness- that I would have is the issue of follow up shots; don't delude yourself, even several center mass hits with a respectable caliber like .357 mag can be shrugged off by the deranged, the enraged, or the inebriated.

You need to be able to deliver fast, accurate, follow ups, and IMHO, when your launching a massive amount of lead (physics being what they are, equal and opposite reaction being more mass pushed away harder equaling more recoil), best way to do that is with a long gun. With three points of contact and heavier weight, a shoulder fired weapon vs. a hand cannon will enable you to deliver fast, rapid shots with the hitting power were talking about here.

In all reality, if your worried about home defense, and limited in your funds, and want something more then your 9mm, you should try to trade that range toy/hunting revolver for something more suitable for such before trying to stoke it with some specialty ammo.

But, if its your thing, its your thing..... to each their own.

Some people might even make the argument that with enough practice and the right load, you could in fact become accurate and fast enough with that thing to make it work....... who knows?

but me?

I'll stick to my shotgun for the role of "heavy artillery".

__________________
Israel Has The Right To Exist.

Roscoepc: Thank You for the load info.
Post# 25: Why would a 500 vs a 22 be any different, vs an assailant without a gun?? Belief of mortal danger, which would be the only reason to use lethal force, why would a legal firearm be better or worse? Shotguns have been mentioned frequently in this post- 9 - double 00 pellets in a 5-9 in pattern is not a pretty sight.
Post # 29: CCW a 4" and now a3" 500 is comfortable in the Blackhills holster I was demonstrating it's concealability. With 350 XTP's it would be a workable ccw weapon, especially around the woods in Libby, MT.
Post #43_- Underpenetration? 2 continents? The 500,600,700 hard casts were made for large animals, with penetration. If you are comparing the "stopping" power of 500 S&W to 500, 600, 700 nitro express, there is no comparison, but you still must stand there and make the shot, can not call it in from a mile away.
Post#44:You are suggesting an "escalating force level"? 45-454-460, awhile back someone suggested that using 38-38+p-357 and it seemed that it would be looked at as " increasing pain" in the assailant, and thereby showing premeditation. I have no Law degree's or knowledge, just figured I would pass it on, letting you make a decision. Black Talon was never in 45 Colt, 454,or 460, and was not a bonded bullet, just an effective HP.
And to which ever poster who mentioned a body armour clad assailant- Why?? would the 500 be chosen over a 40 SW, neither will penetrate level IIIA vests, the 500 would have more kinetic energy, and I personally would not like to receive either one with the vest on ( OUCH). Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

Like buying a Peterbilt 379 with 53' refer to haul a gallon of milk home from the corner market. Will it work? Yes! Are there far better choices? Yes!

So does a 12 gauge.

For you guys in support of the 500 for HD, you will come up with any whacky rationalization to justify the purchase of said gun; however, you aren't convincing the rest of us that you didn't ride the short, yellow bus to school. Now if your home is a tent in the middle of the Yukon, I will understand. For those of you that keep electronic earmuffs on your nightstand next to your 500 and ky, you must have lied somewhere on the 4473.

"Whacky Rationalization"?????? Just wanting to buy one of these pistols is a "Whacky Rationalization"???????? Because it's the first thing I can grab if needed is a "Whacky Rationalization"?????????????????????

I don't think anyone on this thread, ESPECIALLY THE 500 OWNERS, are trying to convince ANYONE of just how they got to school, And by the way I didn't ride any short or long yellow bus when I went to school... They didn't HAVE any short one's back then in my county!!!!

I have 2 homes, one here in Marion, Va., one in Pierson, Fla., and I don't really care just what you understand about where I live!!

The initial post was posted for people that have or are thinking of buying the 500 S&W Magnum. No one else unless they were interested in the 500... If you don't like that?? Oh Well.... That's Life in the Big City!!

Oh.... One last thing.. Don't call anyone a Liar on one of my threads again, OK?? You WILL be reported as a Troll if that happens again......

There went 15 minutes that I'll never get back.

LOL.

but an amusing 15 minutes, no?

at least, I'm amused .

__________________
Israel Has The Right To Exist.

They can try to ding you on anything you do when you shoot. I read in the paper a few years back , that a guy shot a intruder , (he did not die) , He was sued . It was brought up in court that he had hand loaded the ammo and it was intended to be more accurate and deadlier than commercial rounds. So no matter what you use or do you will get dragged through the mud. Best bet is to make darn sure it is a "good shoot" and justified.

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Not so Free in the Free State

Oops, not meant to be taken seriously. Sorry to those that took offense...

Several years ago I had the chance the shoot my 12 ga Mossberg 500 with a short barrel in a small room with very low light at a self defense class. Did the same with my 629 (44 mag),Sig 228 (9mm), Sig 226 (40 S&W) Shooting the same guns at a range is not the same even without the rush and bad guys being there. If you get the chance, try shooting your choice of home defense weapon in low light in a small room at a moving target. It might change the way you train and equip yourself. It did for me.

Not a problem Dr.! Sometimes the keyboard doesn't transmit the way something's are meant very well!

I can only imagine the blast, both visually and audibly. A 500 magnum would be pretty intimidating too.

Where was this class and who taught it?

A Governor loaded with 410's would do it and still be safe to your neighbors Leave some colts in just in case to finish off the job

We are very fortunate to live in a country that, for the most part we can choose whatever firearm we want(barring full autos) that being said, not everyone chooses wisely. Can you use a 500 Magnum for SD use? Of course you can! But why would you want to? If you only own one gun then that's the gun you use but even exempting the obvious like massive recoil(yes I've shot them) very difficult follow up shots (for MOST people), blinding flash and a kaboom like a stinger missle hit, crazy expensive ammo (prohibiting the average Joe from practicing sufficiently) etc. etc. I could on but I digress.....possible SD use yes, practical NO! Many people fall into the bigger is better and what's bigger than a 500 Magnum?! The reality is; you have to ask yourself when making a handgun purchase, is this what I NEED, or what I want? With soooo many choices in good quality firearms of various calibers and configurations at a fraction of the cost including ammo why put all your eggs in one basket? For the cost of a 500 Magnum you could have a good quality 9mm, 40, or 45 AND a back up revolver such as a 357, 38 or 44 special. If you were carrying any of those, you would never be undergunned. If you have the money for a 500 Magnum just to own it, take it to the range, impress your friends or hunt with it, then good for you! Enjoy it! I will be be getting one myself for the above reasons but I would NEVER carry it to defend my life against an assailant.... Be smart, choose prudently and practice practice practice! If you do that you'll be in much better shape and improve your survivability under unfortunate circumstances. Bigger is NOT always better... You may notice that I left out the polarizing issues such as; over/under penetration, one shot stops, stray bullet liability, lawyers,choice of ammo etc, that was intentional...

I have a 500...and using it for home defense....uhhh....no....lol

Jeff Cooper wrote about a case where the accused was charged with "excessive use of force" because he shot an attacker four times with a .32 ACP, but not fatally.
Cooper, as an "expert witness", asked for the gun to take it to a range and test fire it. He emptied the 7 rd mag in 1-1/2 seconds on his first attempt and after a few runs, got it down to 3/4 of a second.

He testified that he was shooting the gun as a mechanical exercise, not fighting for his life like the accused. He therefore felt that the accused had shown great restraint in not firing the gun dry.

The accused was acquitted.

I own a 454 Casull, and would never ever think of using it as a home defense gun, let alone a 500 s&w. There are way better guns for that purpose but you do what you gotta do, i just hope you dont live next door to me if an intruder breaks into your house, I'd have to duck & cover. lmao

Welcome to the Site and Thanks for the response to an Old Thread!! Your response is a good one and I Thank you!!

As I said in the initial post and ones that followed, this thread was aimed at the people who owned a 500.. It has been stated many times here in this thread that there are better choices to use in your home for self defense. The purpose in my initial post was to let people know that there WERE self defense rounds available for this particular caliber.....

As far as why I would use a 500 in a HD situation?? Because I couldn't get to anything else!!!

As far as Why I bought it?? Because I Wanted it!! She is being used for target practice and will be used for hunting in the future: Whitetail Deer and Hogs in Florida. NOT to impress anyone... Period......... I'm in the habit though of keeping ALL my guns loaded in my house, "Just in Case"........ I even keep my .22LR Glenfield loaded up in my ManShed in case a Coyote shows up in my back yard....

And I NEVER said anything about this being a weapon I would carry for SD.. But, if I got it and need it.........

One further thing is the guy that make those rounds in my initial post has made a shot shell for the 500!! He say's it's the equivalent of a 28ga shotgun!!

500 S&W #9 Shotshells 20 Cartridges [500shotshell9-20] - $55.00 : Matts Bullets Ammunition

I think that'll stop someone at close range......

Again.. Welcome to the Site!!!

You are comparing the noise level of 15 rounds of 9 to 1 round of 500? Are you insane?

Miss with the 500 and follow up shots are so much slower you will probably be dead if the intruder has a firearm

The 500 is a horrible home defense choice unless it is the only firearm you own

Imagine this in a dimly lit room with no hearing protection:

Quote: "You are comparing the noise level of 15 rounds of 9 to 1 round of 500? Are you insane?"

Insane?? No... I'm Don........ In a room what difference is it gonna make between the two different rounds before hearing loss occurs??

Quote: " Miss with the 500 and follow up shots are so much slower you will probably be dead if the intruder has a firearm"

If I have to use a weapon, The intention is NOT to "miss".. I aim center mass and are pretty good with doing that even with a weapon I'm not familiar with.. And exactly why would follow up shot's be slower with a 500??? Does the basic firing of a 500 differ that much from other revolvers?? It doesn't to me.....

Quote: "The 500 is a horrible home defense choice unless it is the only firearm you own"

I think this has been covered in the thread earlier.........

Quote: "Imagine this in a dimly lit room with no hearing protection"

Imagine firing ANY gun in a dimly lit room with no hearing protection AND JUST WOKE UP BY AN INTRUDER!!!!!!!!!!!

'nuff said......

__________________
A Country Boy Can Survive

If I have someone breaking in, I don't expect to be firing 15 rounds. 2-3 should get the job done.

Have you been in plenty of high stress situations that you know you will never miss?

And yes 17 rounds of 9 through my g17 do not make my ears ring outside even without hearing protection. One round of 500 makes my ears ring with hearing protection. Inside I doubt I could hear for the next 60 minutes after one shot of 500. Not being able to hear puts you at a severe disadvantage if you miss and the intruder steps out of your sight or if there is more than one intruder.

Screw having to shoot 2-3 rounds. Using The logic presented here a Barret 82a1 makes a great home defense weapon as it is severely intimidating and no one ever misses a shot. One shot and the intruder will be obliterated

Extremely poor analogy. You should put on your critical thinking cap and reevaluate your opinion.

High stress situations?? Nope.. Never been in one involving a gun... Have You???

Nothing was said about being outside... And if you don't need hearing protection while using a firearm outside more power to ya.. I've read though that any sound above a certain DB level will induce either temporary or permanent hearing loss. So do what you want as I don't really care one way or the other....

And BTW... Are you just looking for an argument with someone or just plain being a Troll??? Either way, your next post on this thread like the last ones WILL result in you being reported to the Moderators as being abusive and Trolling.....

As I stated before: "nuff said".....

Just get some "light" 500 jrh rounds

Good lord, can we stop with all this "you'll go deaf and miss your follow-up shots" nonsense?

Look, like every SD round in every caliber, it is designed and loaded in such a way to make it useful.

I'd be willing to bet that if you loaded up 350 XTPs or the Vaporizers at a moderate velocity (800-1000 fps), with a flash-suppressed powder (like BE-86 or AA #9), you would have a reasonable SD round. You won't go blind or deaf.

Is anyone advocating using your 700 grain bear-fvcker-upper load as an HD round? Of course not. Don't be stupid. Is anyone advocating pushing the aforementioned HPs to 500 Mag velocities inside the house? No. Don't be stupid.

The OP was just pointing out that there are bullets for SD/HD use for the 500. I believe the 500, like most guns/calibers, can be a viable defensive gun if it is loaded correctly.

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an actual conservative

Yep, but some people just can't be bothered to read the entire thread....