I've been adjusting to the recoil of my 629, and now that I can shoot it pretty well at 15 yards, I'm starting to dream of moving up. What are people's favorites among the bigger revolvers? The 460XVR looks versatile with the different cartridges, and using regular .452 bullets? Or keep brass and dies simple and just get the 500?

Also, although not S&W, people have mentioned the possibility of a Freedom Arms .454, or perhaps a TC Contender chambered in .223 or above.

This is strictly for range plinking and fun. Ideas?

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NRA Benefactor Member

I would go with the S&W in either cal based on the frame design. The TC, Freedom, Mag research are excellent firearms but have significantly different recoil patterns. After using all 4 configurations I have found the SW to be the most "comfortable" of the different platforms and there fore more pleasant to shoot. Both cals offer options, the 460 will allow the use of 460 SW (excellent ) long range, 454Casull, 45 colt. For "plinking" I would go with the 460. That being said I own and shoot multiple iterations of the 500 from 4" to 18" , used for hunting, target, plinking under 100 yds. Good Luck.

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I BACK OUR BLUE

I have no experience with the 460, but have two 500s, a 4" and an 8 3/8". I love both. They are of high quality construction, and are amazingly accurate, really more carbine than pistol in that regard. The 4" gun gives tight groups out to 100-150 yards, and the 8 3/8" gun even farther. It is also pretty flat shooting over those distances, as well. The power is amazing, too. Handloading is a necessity, not only for financial reasons, but even more so to take advantage of the tremendous flexibility offered by this caliber, from mild (sort of) to wild! As to recoil, yes, you the will know you fired it, but it really isn't too bad. That being said, my 500s are the only guns I have which wear rubber grips (the factory grips are specially designed for the guns, and do an excellent job of minimizing felt recoil). Start with relatively light loads and work up, and I'm pretty sure you will enjoy the gun. I say go whole hog and get the 500!

Well stated "310Pilot". I recently made the move up and bought a brand new 500 with 6 1/2" barrel. I went with this model just because I like how it matches the look of the "N" frames and not lugged the whole length of the barrel. I also believe it may be just a little easier to carry while hunting without the added weight. Although I have only fired it to date with a few "tame" rounds, its a hoot to shoot and the grips work well with the recoil. As Nike says, "Just Do It!"

I have one of each and like both. The 500 is probably the one to get if you reload and can produce a variety of rounds ranging from soft target loads to 700-gr bear pulverizers. But if time at the reloading bench seems like work, the 460 might be better. You can shoot a variety of commercially available loads that cover the power spectrum.

At the level of simple mechanical appreciation, I think I feel a little better disposed to the 460. But S&W sells a lot more 500s than 460s, and that is some kind of indication of their respective appeal.

Not that it matters much, but I have the 8+" 460 and the four-inch 500. Both are fine guns, but I suspect a barrel about 5-6" long would probably be ideal on either.

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David Wilson

i have the 460 and 500 magnum...both are a LOT of fun...as others mentioned,seriously consider reloading as ammo is pricey...so far with the 500 i have taken several wild boars up to about 300lbs,4-horn ram,merino ram,mouflon ram...my avatar here is the merino ram....have fun!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Every post here to date gets a +1 in my opinion. I only have one 500, a 6.5 like PA Reb's beauty and love it. It's a "working" 500 as it replaced my 57s and 29s for hunting big game.

Can't comment on a 460 as I haven't shot one enough to draw a conclusion.

I'd recommend you handle and shoot them all if you can. There are valid justifications for all the barrel lengths. I did and chose the 6.5 for its ease of carry in a shoulder holster and still retain a reasonable sight radius.

Good luck with your search! Let us see what you decide to buy!

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Terry

Since you have already stated you intend to reload, the answer is simple. . . . . 500.

I have 5 at the moment ranging from the really fun 2 3/4" snubby to my 12" long gun.


There is no more versitle handgun cartridge on the planet than the 500 S&W magnum. The cartrige is capable of launching projectiles as light as a 275 grain HP or as heavy as a 725 grain wadcutter. Yes I chose those two weights because the use the same three numerals, just in a different order. Below is a loaded 725 wadcutter next to a 250 grain Rem castcore 41 Magnum hunting load


Here are some cast projectiles. Left to right these are 450, 510, 550, 640, 650, 725


Loading your 500 S&W with 5 of the big wadcutters puts more than 1/2 pound of lead in your hand. That is wild. Then launch them right at the 1300FPS mark.

Another very good post. Lots of people just don't understand how much you can do with the .500s. I've said it before, the ONLY things the longer barreled guns CAN'T do very well is CCW. There are plenty of lesser calibers for that role. Don

I have shot a Freedom Arms in 454 and the kick is a bit brutal, for me. If you get the 460 (which I have one and reload for it too), then you can also shoot the 454, and through the 460 it is a pup.

I have shot a 4" and 8 3/8" Model 500 and they were nice too.

I also have a T/C Contender in 223 with a 14" barrel. It is fun to shoot.

I chose to get a the 460 over a 500 because of it versatility to be able to shoot three different rounds out of the same pistol, only by loading different ammo, which you cannot do with any of the others mentioned.

Just my opinion.

I enjoy reloading and trying out new bullets and powders, so maybe the 500 would be the ultimate handgun challenge.

What is the expected case life using Starline brass? Are people getting 10 loads out of the cases, or would 5 be more realistic? I was running some numbers in the Handloading cost calculator, and wow, $450 per 1000 for brass is something! It looks like shooting 330gr lead bullets and getting 10 loads per case would bring it way under the cost of shooting a 45 with factory, maybe $350 or so per thousand. The jacketed rounds with ~45-50 grains of powder look like they get close to a dollar a shot, and that's assuming many reloads on the brass.

Also, what is the expected barrel life and general durability of the revolver? And for range/plinking only, which would be your favorite barrel length?

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NRA Benefactor Member

This is one of the bullets I cast for my 500. It is produced with a "Crammer" type mold by Miha in Europe. It has interchangeable pins that permit 3 different sized hollow point cavities or a solid point from the same double cavity mold. The selected HP bullet type is chosen based on the alloy being used and depending on the amount of penetration needed. The bullet weight ranges from 395gr to 420gr depending on the cavity size and the selected alloy making it more than adequate for any North American game.

If you want some wild theatrics at the range, shoot a watermelon or a filled water jug with the largest cavity hollow point bullet pushed by a full charge of H110/296...

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Terry

I started out with 500s, and picked up a 460. Get both.

If you want a really big gun try a Magnum Research 45-70. I'd suggest the long barrelled version. With the mildest loads possible it has more recoil than you can imagine. After three trips to the local doctor specializing in hand problems my right hand is working correctly again.

I am a devotee of the 500, bought one of the first 8 3/8" guns in '03, and a 4" in '05, and love them both. As others have stated far more eloquently than I can, it is a very versatile and effective round and the recoil factor, while significant, truly is not that bad and certainly something that a person accustomed to the recoil of full charge 44 Mags. could deal with. Great authoritative round, it just, well, smacks things. I shot a good sized buck with one several years back and it anchored him, he didn't take a single step following impact. I have no experience with the 460 or the 454, have shot a fair amount of 45 Colt but that's not even in the same league. It is the only handgun I feel confident carrying in griz country.

Theoretically, with the 460 you could shoot the 460, 454, 45colt, 45 schofield and 45 auto rim. I think there is another but can't remember the name off hand. 5 different rounds from 1 gun is awesome. The 460 is faster, the 500 is stronger. just depends on what you want.

I consider the contender 10" .223(iron sights) the flattest trajectory you can holster on a belt and then engage in normal activity. The scoped 14 inch contenders while accurate and effective do note lend themselves to carry.

The other guns mentioned in the OP are of course better suited for most big game applications and have been fully discussed.

Good luck on your choice.

BTW, it will also chamber and fire 45 Short Colt. I hear this "reason" often but do not understand it.

If you reload anyway, why would you want a revolver that can chamber 6 hard to find cartridges? Do you truly want to shoot 45 Schofield in your 72 ounce X-frame revolver.

Then you have to clean the chambers extra thoroughly to keep them free of residue that will make the full size cartridges harder to extract.

Why not just load the 500 to the power level that you want?

I only shoot the cartridges my revolvers are chambered for. If I want 38 performance in my 357 Magnums, I load 357 Magnum brass to that performance level. Some of my firearms have gone decades without ever firing a commercial round of ammunition, that includes my 500s.

I just do not see the appeal of the 460 based on what most people state.

Now if you want one just to have one or to be different, that I can understand and appreciate.

I chose the 8 3/8 smith 460. I already had 45lc brass and bullets. I like the fact that bullets are more readily available, in many flavors for the 460. I am now casting boolits for mine-just ordered an MP mold from Miha in Europe. I also like the fact that the 460 seems better suited for the lighter bullets, as they cost less to buy or cast.

I have shot a hand full of reloads through a 500 in the same length barrel. They hurt the palm of my hand to shoot. I don't know what size bullet they were. My 460 with a 19xx fps 240 grain load is quite manageable, and not painful to the hand. The concussion and smack in the face is another story. Some people prefer the 460's without a compensator.

The 8 3/8" barrel is a little front heavy, but probably helps control the recoil. I picked up a 629 44mag in the gun shop that i absolutely loved the balance of, but I have not fired that model before.

I have only had my hand cannon out once so far. I'm anxious to take it out again. I would love to try some lighter loads in a 500. I hadn't seen any as light as 275 grains. Maybe if I had shot some of these before I would go for the 500.

I bought starline brass for my gun. The case weight is extremely consistent from one case to the next. I sized the new brass before I loaded it. On the second loading, I had a couple start a small crack/nick when I dropped the powder and belled the case. I am interested to see how long the cases last. Only about 10 of them were loaded to full power, all the others I used were light loads.

I think you are correct down through the Schofield round, but am inclined to doubt that the 45 Auto Rim would work. The rim thickness is .089 versus .060 or slightly less for the other cartridges. It's nearly 1/3 thicker and I doubt you'd be able to close the cylinder. Perhaps someone on here with a 460 has tried it and can comment more intelligently than I.

Welcome aboard, CGT80! Always nice to see new people joining the forum and the discussions...

Addressing one of the OP's questions, I've used both Starline and Hornady brass in my 500. The 460 would seem to give a similar result to the following although the pressures may not be as great..

With Hornady, I use both their brass and nickle plated cases, mainly to keep my ammo clearly segregated based on warm to extra warm powder charges.

I've found Starline brass lasts longer than Hornady, for me, and is a bit cheaper when purchased directly from Starline. I've had Hornady Brass begin to split in as few as 2 rounds when fired with the hottest charges. Not often but it can be annoying as well as expensive. From my experience, the case life of both products has been between 10 and 14 re-loadings, if they are belled very lightly after resizing the case...

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Terry

500 becasue they do not make a 501.....

On a serious note I really like my 500 ( 8 3/8"). You can load it down or up so it hurts the sender and receiver equally bad. I tend to like larger bores + heavy bullets at moderate velocity. The 460 has its place but the 500 is king of the hill IMHO.

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

10 loadings would be great. I think I have my dies fairly well adjusted, since I have fired some Starline brass 8 times now in 44Mag with moderate to warmer loads, and they still seem happy.

I wonder if Redding will make a dual ring sizing die for the 500S&W?

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NRA Benefactor Member

its obviously a personal choice based on what your trying to accomplish, for my use I wanted a handgun that I could wear and access in a holster, that would allow me to hit targets the size of a skeet target out to maybe 80 yards consistently, off hand that I had placed or taped to the cardboard target backer,
after shooting a wide selection of 500 S&W and a few 460 S&W revolvers my friends own, I settled on purchasing the 7.5" 500 S&W as the best compromise, in fairly easy carry hunting handgun matched with a chest holster, and after comparing actual performance and accuracy, after several months of testing and handloading a whole bunch of ammo for the various handgun owners,
now granted this is mostly a personal opinion based on my testing, but its noticeably easier and less of a P.I.T.A. to carry the 7.5" or shorter barrel revolvers and you don't give up a huge amount of velocity according to my chronograph.
I've killed several larger hogs and a couple deer using the LEE (440 grain cast bullet mold) which is very accurate.

I really do not think you could go wrong with either. The X frames are fantastic and capable of some incredible accuracy. I would give the nod to .460 just for the bit of versatility in the rounds you can shoot out of it (if I was only going to buy one X frame). Handloading is going to be a must for either IMO.

First, I am too cheap to own either, but shoot with generous friends who have both, I think either the 460 or 500 are in pure personal preference country. Neither one is what you call practical. Like "NearingHat" above I would like the 460 for the ammo variety, but the 500 has its high-power cool factor. Shooting either one is fun but pricy. If you self-load you can customize your 500 rounds too. Your money. your targets. your choice. Enjoy either way and please post pictures of what you get.

.460 S&W, hands down.

In terms of performance it's extremely close to its big brother, but with the added benefit of multi-cartridge utility.

A .460 S&W Revolver can shooter .45 Colt, .454 Cassul, and .460 S&W. Three capable cartridges in the own right, allowing you to adjust the level of performance as necessary through ammo selection, saving money on ammunition at the range, offering lower recoil alternatives, as well as multiple ways to feed the firearm in the event of ammo shortages.
Heck, you could even make the argument that it is a wiser choice, because as you get older, harsh recoil becomes less fun and more punishing, ergo the ability to shoot .45 Colt makes it a more age-friendly alternative, because out of such a massive Revolver, even the respectable power of .45 Colt is ruduced to a soft shooter that anyone can't take to the range without getting beat up by it.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Guys. 12 1/2 year old thread - OP was last here about 15 months ago talking about a 9 mm revolver.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220