Range Fodder for the 500 S&W : ACME, HSM & RAINIER bullets

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I like to try different bullet/powder combinations & since I mainly shoot my 500 at an indoor range it makes no sense to use premium bullets for the mostly reduced loads used.

Here's a few low(er) cost alternatives I recently bought:

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HSM 300gr - Acme 330gr for 500 Mag


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Acme's 330gr. L-RNFP-HT (Hi-Tek coated) average 327.1grs. weight & .5021" diameter & has a BHN of 16. They are .708" long (BOL), have a seating depth (SD) of .390", at the crimp groove, & a loaded COAL of 1.940". Their flat base has a minimal bevel & overall uniformity is good.

Acme ships each caliber bullet in nice individual wooden boxes, laser etched (?) with their info on the outside & carefully packed in a cardboard shipping box. They even included some candies in an empty wooden box. Cost: $24/100 plus shipping. (Shipping cost me $12 for a 18# order & came USPS Priority 2nd Day.)

So far I've tried them with a couple of my established reduced loads, Unique @ 13.0 & 15.0grs and BlueDot @ 23.5 & 24.5grs with good results. Best of all, I didn't have any leading issues like I've had with other brands of HT coated bullets (see below), which is why I've shied away from them. I plan on trying them with my Power Pistol loads too, besides the usual slower powders, 2400, I4227 & W296 powders.

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Acme Bullets - typical box


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HSM's plated 300gr. hollow point (P-HP) bullets averaged 302grs. weight & .5001" diameter. They are .679" long (BOL), & have a seating depth of .340" (no cannelure) at a loaded COAL of 1.955". Their flat base has a minimal bevel & overall uniformity is good. Overall appearance is shiny but a very few had dark stains that didn't affect their functionality.

They don't say, but I expect like other plated bullet manufacturers, these are not really designed for hunting/self-defense like a normal hollow-point would be. They also didn't list the recommended max. speed but their email response to me stated 1250 fps. Seems kind of low but since these don't have a cannelure & are just 300grs. I figure they were originally intended for use in the 50AE. I flattened one bullet, with a 4lb. hand sledge, to about 1/3 it's original height & the plating held strong.

So far I've tried these with Unique @ 15.0 & 17.0grs. & BlueDot @ 22.5 & 23.5grs. with good results. The latter load is right at, or slightly over, their 1250 fps recommended max. but I did not notice any issues. (My 500ES's short 2-3/4" bbl. likely doesn't make the velocity the load data would approximate though.) These got a moderate taper crimp, which at my seating depth crimps on a diameter of .498", just forward of the ogive. I checked the last round before firing it & none jumped crimp.

HSM doesn't appear to sell their bullets direct, so you have to go thru a distributor. Cost: $45/250 plus shipping. (Shipping cost me $18 for two boxes, 22#, & it came USPS Priority 2nd Day.)

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Acme Bullets - commemorative box


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In the past I've tried Berry's 350gr plated bullets but their quality (diameter size & uniformity) in the box of 500 I got was poor. They actually shot okay, at this short distance, but because the cannelure is so close to the base (.249") there's not enough bullet-case tension to avoid jump crimp even in reduced loads. To reduce jump crimp I seat them a little deeper to a more normal for weight depth (.375") & ignore the shallow cannelure. Additionally the base is the widest point (.5003") but the diameter at this seating depth is undersized (.4986") even though it's on the bearing surface, before the ogive.

I also tried Missouri Bullet Co's .5007", flat base, 18BHN, 400gr L-RNFP-HT (Hi-Tek coated) bullets. These were pretty uniform bullets but I had the same problem with these as I did with their 41Mag & 44Mag HT coated bullets (the 45 Colt were fine), moderate speed powders caused leading but slower powders, at the same velocity, were fine. Not being able to use any powder I wanted, or had on-hand, is a problem for me. Their HT coats seemed thin & spotty in the ones I got even though they told me they had addressed their application procedure's quality.

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Update:

I loaded the Acme 330gr bullets with my reduced Power Pistol loads ranging from 18.2gr to 20.7gr, using a firm roll crimp (as above), & no issues (leading) with these loads either.

Ran the same loads using the HSM 300gr P-HP bullets & all were fine except the last load (20.7gr). I noticed some "debris" sprayed from the B-C gap on the first round, & then again on the second & concluded it was probably plating so I deduced their max. 1250fps MV must have been exceeded with it & pulled the remaining loads. That load should have been pretty much the same speed as the Unique & Bluedot loads above but irregardless I'll use a lower charge in the future.

Only loaded up (5) of each powder weight, to see if they had any issues so I don't have anything more at this time.

Just a reminder, always DOUBLE CHECK the case fill before seating the bullet on reduced loads in large capacity cases like this. A double charge of these won't overfill the case (~75-90% fill) so you don't want to be careless!

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PS: I ran some I4227 with the Acme bullets, 35.0gr/37.0gr/39.0grs. No leading was encountered with those loads. I gave them a good roll crimp & had no ignition issues.

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Rainier 335gr P-HP

Noticed these on sale when I was ordering some items from MidwayUSA & thought I'd give them a try.

Rainier's plated 335gr. hollow point (P-HP) bullets averaged 336grs. weight & .5006" diameter. They are .757" long (BOL), & have a seating depth of .400" (no cannelure) at a loaded COAL of 1.965". Their concave base has a slight bevel & overall uniformity is very good. Appearance is shiny. I did not notice any nose deformation from seating.

They are rated to 1500fps by Rainier. Cost: $20.50/100 or $86/500 plus shipping.

I've tried these with all the moderate speed powders mentioned above & no problems were encountered. Plated bullets like these just haven't given me good results with slow powders (slower than 2400). Without a cannelure & a strong roll crimp to get good ignition, & the powder burning, these are better suited with these moderate speed powders, IMO.

Of the plated bullets I've tried so far I like these the best. The 1500fps max is below Berry's 2000fps max. but the Rainier's quality is far better the Berry's, in the ones I sampled. For reduced indoor range fun loads 1500fps max. works for me.

Just one more option for some inexpensive range fodder in the 500 S&W.

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Rainier 335gr P-HP for 500 Mag

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Thanks for the post.


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Anyone have some advice for currently available coated bullets such as the 400 Grain offerings from Missouri Bullet company and Acme?

If I could reliably get these bullets up to 1500 or so in a revolver with effectively a 7" barrel, I think I'd be happy with that performance.

I've gone ahead and ordered some BHN22 heat treated gas check bullets from Montana Bullet works and I'm sure those will be fine as fast as I want to zip them within loading specs! Still- who doesn't want to save some money?

330 Acme bullets

New to the group! I am trying to find loads for my .500 AK model 500. I have a bunch of the 330 grain acme bullets, I bought a while back. I have Little Gun, H110, Enforcer, and W296 powders. The only loads I can find are for Trail Boss and there is none of that in Juneau. Thanks

scottymac53 said:

...my .500 AK model 500

Click to expand...

Exactly which 500 MAG do you have?

Those powders you mention are mainly full power load powders.

You can use 350gr bullet load data (Hodgdon website) for your 330gr bullets.

That said I've shot my Acme 330gr L-RNFP-HT bullets with H110/W296 charges down to 32-34grs using CCI-200 primers with plenty of un-burnt powder residue left.

Faster powders are better for reduced loads if that's what you're looking for though?

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Thanks, I have the Alaska model with the bear on the side and port. I'm just trying to make some rounds to shoot at cans or whatever. I have lots of full power I've loaded. Those are the only powders I can get my hands of for a handgun, and I only have those because I have a .44 Mag and .458 Socom.

@BLUEDOT37 thank you for the info here. I realize this is an old thread, but since it has been resurrected I am going jump in.

I am trying to load .500 S&W for a friend. Although we do have some components for full power loads, I feel more comfortable starting with a reduced and less expensive load. To that end, I got some X-Treme 325gr RNFP .50 plated bullets. X-Treme recommends staying under 1500fps. They do not list data for .500 S&W.

Using Starline and WLR


Questions:

Has anyone here loaded the X-Treme bullets? Any proven loads you'd be willing to share?

Barring that, how about any suggestions of a starting load for for this bullet? I can't find anything published for a 325gr cast or plated. I've looked at Hodgdon, Lyman and Hornady.

Here are some low pressure, low velocity ideas:
15gr Unique
45gr CFE BLK
12gr Titegroup (Hodgdon, but I'm a bit wary)

Comments?

Are there any of the more slow/magnum powders that can be safely downloaded from published data? I'm aware this is typically not recommended.

Recommended COL? There is no crimp groove. I'm thinking 1.95" or so.

Any other helpful comments?

Thanks.

Gartenmeister said:

...I feel more comfortable starting with a reduced and less expensive load.
To that end, I got some X-Treme 325gr RNFP .50 plated bullets.
X-Treme recommends staying under 1500fps.
Using Starline and WLR

Questions:

I can't find anything published for a 325gr cast or plated.

Here are some low pressure, low velocity ideas:
15gr Unique
45gr CFE BLK
12gr Titegroup (Hodgdon, but I'm a bit wary)

Comments?

Are there any of the more slow/magnum powders that can be safely downloaded from published data?

Recommended COL? There is no crimp groove. I'm thinking 1.95" or so.

Click to expand...

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Hi, Gartenmeister

I have not tried any of X-Treme's .50 bullets. I used to be a big fan of theirs & then their quality went down (before the company changed hands) so I quit buying from them.

Assuming all is good now with them (?) I'd still start low & work up checking for accuracy & any leading caused by plating break-down.

I'd suggest you check the bullets' diameter, with a micrometer not a caliper, to verify size also. More than once I've gotten .500" bullets that were undersized. Just causes more headaches.

Rainier (out of business now) made some 335gr P-HP bullets, that they too rated at 1500fps max, & they worked fine with my reduced loads.

The Rainier bullets were ~.757" long (BOAL") & the Acme 330gr L-RNFP-HT were ~.708" long.

Your X-Treme bullets will probably be in this neighborhood so a COAL" of ~1.950" should be a good length to start with.

I'd suggest though you look closely at your bullet's profile & try to seat/crimp just forward of the ogive where the bullet's diameter is a few thousands smaller, if you can without seating too deep.

Since the plated bullets don't have a cannelure/crimping groove this will help to keep them from jumping crimp. A light roll-crimp over the ogive won't damage the plating & will help keep the bullet in place during recoil & assist in starting ignition even with medium speed powders.

With those two bullets I've loaded from 13.5 - 18.0grs of Unique & that approximate COAL" (1.940 - 1.965").

Power Pistol is another good reduced load powder to use. I've used 18.0 - 21.0gr with these two bullets. LongShot is very close to P-P but I haven't used it enough in the .500 to give as a comparison.

Additionally I've used Blue Dot (duh) for reduced loads in it too.

2400 & 4227 are fine also.

I'd stay away from using slow magnum ball powders (W296/H110/Lil'Gun) in reduced loads.

Above all, you need to double check, triple check, powder fill before seating a bullet!!

These cases are large & the smaller the intended powder charge is the easier it is to make a mistake & cause a big problem with a double charge!!

(I've never used Titegroup in any cartridge & because of its characteristics, small charge weights, fine texture, & low fill volume, it wouldn't be on my list of powders for the 500.)

Warning given.

PS: Any reduced load data for 350gr bullets, of similar construction, could also be used for starting loads in these lighter bullet weights too.

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The Ultimate Blaster Master
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@BLUEDOT37 thanks for the tips. Here's a follow-up/update.

I have never used X-Treme bullets before but ran across a sale during the holidays so decided to try some, .38, .45 and of course .500.

They mic at .4995, so yes, slightly undersized I suppose. Height is only about .679" so they are shorter than the Rainer bullets.

I set cartridge length to 1.95" but this does not come close to allowing the brass to wrap over the ogive. I'm not sure about seating a bullet that deep, if it's a good idea or not. Anyway I messed with crimping a bit as you can see from the pulled bullet. I ultimately figured that was probably too much crimp for a plated bullet and ended up going a bit more mild as in the pictured dummy cartridge. Comments welcome.




I decided on 3 loads to try. The intended purpose here is plinking, casual target shooting and introducing the gun to new shooters. All three loads worked fine, shot clean & consistent and were reasonably accurate under the conditions (50', off-hand, cold, rainy, windy). Velocities were somewhat less than I expected but possibly due to the shorter 4" barrel of my friend's gun.

15g Unique 929 fps avg
17g Unique 1130 fps avg
21g Longshot 1233 fps avg

The cartridges are growing a couple hundredths while waiting their turn so I guess I've got to figure out the crimp. A dedicated Lee die is on its way. Otherwise friend is happy, we've managed something affordable and powerful but not punishing. I'd like to work up for accuracy after the weather gets better. Will post results.

Thanks for the help

Those velocities are about what I'd have expected. The 4" M500, with its comp, is really only a 3" rifled barrel, just 1/4" more than mine.

Plated bullets are hard to keep from jumping crimp & some of those loads are still giving ~1000 ft/lbs or more so still plenty of thump.

About crimping over the ogive, with those bullets it'd require a drop in powder to sort out but there's plenty of air space still in those cases to fill.

The shorter COAL" might look funny but it won't matter in a revolver.

Since you're getting only a little bullet creep it's probably not worth messing with in those but less air space isn't a bad thing.

Have fun with it. Be careful.

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