Anyone have any experience with one of these? Or any thoughts? I’m thinking of ordering one for my 50th birthday.

I have no experience with one myself, but they sure are a cool little rifle! Here's a video, in case you hadn't seen it:

I've got a Thompson Center rifle in500S&W. Right now, I'm playing with a 700-gr bullet loading. So far, I've taken a big stickball giraffe and a medium sized lion with my S&W 500. I'd like to see what the rifle will do on a Cape buffalo.
Ammo: Underwood 700-gr. MV 1200fps; ME 2235 ft/lb

This is out of a S&W revolver. The T-C rifle will be hotter.

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$2499 MSRP ??? Yikes!!!

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

My biggest concern. Is I pony up the money and next year Henry comes out with one for $850.

Personally, I would sooner opt for a .45-70 Lever Action, the guns/ammo are cheaper, there are more options to choose from, and there's really nothing .500 S&W Magnum can do that .45-70 cannot.

That being said, I'm really not a fan of .500 S&W Magnum because it strikes me as a cartridge which was invented for the sole purpose of allowing Smith & Wesson to reclaim the title of "The most powerful handgun in the world" without really offering anything of tangible value. On the other hand, .460 S&W Magnum is a cartridge should have been S&W's obligatory "most powerful handgun in the world" title-reclaiming cartridge because it actually has the substantial benefit of sharing the same dimensions of .45 Long Colt and .454 Cassul, thus allowing the Model 460XVR to chamber 3 different cartridges of three different energy levels, but I digress...

If you already own a Model 500, reload the .500 S&W Cartridge, and are seeking a Lever Action Rifle chambered in .500 S&W Magnum as a companion piece, then obviously that's a good investment, but otherwise I don't see any reason to own a Lever Action Rifle chambered in .500 S&W Magnum over one chambered in .45-70 Govt.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Dirty Harry has some valid points but I still like my 4" M500. Much like the M29 did in the 70's with the .44 mag, the 500 does today.
What I'd prefer is a 16" SxS double in 500 caliber.

This is absolutely true.

But it doesn't take into account the "but I want one" factor!

My original plan was to get an M1a. Which starts at $1500 and goes up from there. Suddenly the Big Horn seems more reasonable, but maybe not as practical.

As I always say, simply wanting a firearm is the only reason any free man requires.

Also, unlike some folks, I'm not arrogant, so I won't go making brash statements about the choices of others either. Admittedly, the Model 500 is very cool gun which at one point I myself had my sights set on, but upon doing research into the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge I slowly lost interest. The Model 500 definitely lives up to its title as "The most powerful handgun in the world" and as such has obvious applications as a formidable cartridge for dealing with dangerous game, but for the size and weight required to accommodate such power while still generating some serious recoil which borders on unwieldy, it seems excessive. So for me personally, I would sooner opt for something less powerful yet easier to manage like a .44 Magnum or forgo a handgun entirely in favor of a long gun with equal or greater power which is easier to control.
Case in point, if I were going into Grizzly Country, then I would sooner pack my Mossberg 590 Shockwave loaded with Brenneke Black Magic Magnum Slugs. It's a bit bigger and heavier than a S&W Model 500 Revolver, but it's more powerful as well as easier to control.

If I were going to get an X-Frame Revolver, then it would be a Model 460XVR. Second only to the Model 500 in terms of power, but still more than enough for just about anything, but with the added utility and benefit of being able to chamber the less powerful .454 Cassul and .45 Long Colt, both of which still being powerful cartridges in their own right, with the .454 Cassul holding the title of "The most powerful handgun in the world" until the .500 S&W Magnum hit the scene and the .45 Long Colt holding the title from 1873 up until the invention of the original .357 Magnum.

Still, the .500 S&W Magnum is without a doubt a powerhouse that only a total fool or an overcompensating wuss would ever attempt to argue didn't have its uses.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

It may or may not be the most powerful revolver, there are some pretty awesome BFR's. But it definitely is out powered by many single shot handguns! J.D. Jones and his 600's for one example.

My foray into the 500 world was with a Desert Eagle and the 50 AE, Interesting for a magazine or two at best! Now standing next to guys shooting handguns in 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor, and listening to them clang 8" gongs at 1035 yards, is something to get excited about!

As to lever guns and this one in particular. It sounds very useful, but overly high priced for the horse power! I'll stick with my 4 47-70's. Or putting another way, If the 45-70 Guide Gun won't stop something from eating, the 500 lever gun isn't going to either!

Ivan

I’d Love to have one of these in my collection, but I’m not forking out $6500!

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"I also cook."

Don't need a reason. If you want it, buy it. BTW I have a Browning Lever in 7mm Rem mag that I have no use for. Cool gun and as expected it kicks the snot out of me. For practicality I stopped at 44 mag in my pre-Remington JM stamped Marlin 44 to match my small collection of Model 29s.

If your a sissy like me, a PAST shoulder pad will tame your 500 nicely.

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9tenz

I had a Big Horn Armory lever gun in .500 S&W for a few years. Tons of fun to shoot - and accurate! Only sold it cuz I needed the money for a down payment on a house.

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High Caliber History