.500 S&W Mag 6.5 or 8 inch barrel? Holsters?

kip · Apr 26, 2011

I want a gun to carry in the woods for bear protection. I am going to carry heavy hard cast loads in it. The 6.5 feels much better balanced.

Any ideas where to get a shoulder rig? I like the Desantis Terminator but S&W is the only place to get it for the 6.5 and its 230.00...

Whats the difference in ballistics and accuracy between the 6.5 and 8 inch?

kennyb · Apr 26, 2011

i have the 7.5"hunter 500 mag.from the performance center...i put a scope on it to hunt with...it's a big,heavy rig....i found from the S&W website a blk.nylon style shoulder holster for about 60 bucks.....and it works just fine

bennettfam · Apr 26, 2011

Holster? Don't you mean a scabbard? For that monster items like slings, bipods, and golf carts come to mind.

TDC · Apr 27, 2011

I bought a shoulder holster for my 6.5 500 from the A.E. Nelson Leather Company. They make two types, one a standard snap "Top Draw" and the other Bianchi/Safariland style break open called their "Untouchables" model.

These are all leather, custom made holsters made for comfortable hunting and carry. They have to be among the best buys anywhere, IMHO.. They are each only $73.00 plus shipping or options. Here is a picture of my standard type Nelson No. 55 holster... They don't list the X frames on their order forms but they'll build you one for the same price...

Their web addresses showing pictures of the two different models are:

"Untouchables"

A. E. Nelson Leather Co.

"Top Draw"

A. E. Nelson Leather Co.

Here's my 500. The 6.5 is a great all-around hunting choice.

Hope this helps. Check them out.....

6pack · Apr 27, 2011

I've got a S&W 500 and dearly love it. It's a sweet shooting piece, however it would not be my first choice for protection from bears.

I'd want something that packed easier and I could control better.

An N frame .44RemMag with hard cast bullets would be my choice. Non-ported....2.5-5", whatever you felt best with.

Of course, that being said, the only bears I've ever encountered were the coastal black bears for Eastern NC.

Maybe the .500 is what I'd grab if I was in big, narly bear country.

I just know my limitations....I can easily make two hits with my .44RemMag to every one hit with my 500.

In deer hunting situations, I have fired a .44RemMag without wearing hearing protection. Shooting a ported 500 without hearing protection would result in immediate hearing damage. You may evade the bear, but permanent ringing in the ears may eventually drive you insane.....literally.

Uraldriver · Apr 27, 2011

http://http://bianchi-intl.com/product/Prod.php?TxtModelID=4100

This is what I carry my 7.5" PC 500 in, works great for hunting at least. If I were to carry a gun for Bear defense I would go with a 4", But the 6.5 is a good choice as well. They are pretty bulky guns! What kind of bears do you have?

kennyb · Apr 28, 2011

TDC said:
I bought a shoulder holster for my 6.5 500 from the A.E. Nelson Leather Company. They make two types, one a standard snap "Top Draw" and the other Bianchi/Safariland style break open called their "Untouchables" model.

These are all leather, custom made holsters made for comfortable hunting and carry. They have to be among the best buys anywhere, IMHO.. They are each only $73.00 plus shipping or options. Here is a picture of my standard type Nelson No. 55 holster... They don't list the X frames on their order forms but they'll build you one for the same price...

Their web addresses showing pictures of the two different models are:

"Untouchables"

A. E. Nelson Leather Co.

"Top Draw"

A. E. Nelson Leather Co.

Here's my 500. The 6.5 is a great all-around hunting choice.

Hope this helps. Check them out.....

thats a nice shoulder rig!

.500 S&W Mag 6.5 or 8 inch barrel? Holsters?

kip

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kennyb

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bennettfam

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TDC

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6pack

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Uraldriver

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kennyb

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