Is a .50-caliber handgun really useful???
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
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Dieseltech56
Member
The truth is after you get proficient with a 500 all other calibers are much easier to shoot. Would you ever think a 44 mag didn’t recoil? Shoot one after shooting a 500.
DonD
Member
Herb Belin was the handgun guru at S&W when the 500 Mag project started and went to completion. He said they considered things as large as 70 cal but didn't go there and one of the reasons was that it would then fall into the category of a "destructive device".
I wanted one early on and couldn't find one. Called S&W and shockingly got ahold of Herb. He said if I still couldn't find one soon, call back and he'd get me one. I found one at a distributor soon afterward. Don
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DonD
Member
To those who say "What is it good for?" I say lots of things, it's good for anything humans use guns for other than long range and for most people, concealed carry.
I've been shooting them since they were released in 2003. It has a massive power range from the bottom of my reloads with Trail Boss, 321gr @ 1097/847 ft lbs, feels like an overgrown 38 Spl to beasts running near 3000 ft lbs.
Great triggers and more accurate than 99% of shooters can exploit.
On animals, it's performance is more like a .375 H&H Magnum. Early on, Dick Metcalf shot a large bull Cape Buffalo. Broke a front shoulder and ended up under the skin on the rump. Don
I've been shooting them since they were released in 2003. It has a massive power range from the bottom of my reloads with Trail Boss, 321gr @ 1097/847 ft lbs, feels like an overgrown 38 Spl to beasts running near 3000 ft lbs.
Great triggers and more accurate than 99% of shooters can exploit.
On animals, it's performance is more like a .375 H&H Magnum. Early on, Dick Metcalf shot a large bull Cape Buffalo. Broke a front shoulder and ended up under the skin on the rump. Don
Soon after I heard of the .500, I had the opportunity to shoot one after a competition. I didn't think at the time that I had any use/need for one until after shooting 5 rounds, I went back to my local dealer and ordered one. Still have it, don't shoot it much, but wouldn't part with it!!
Amen! To really make one recoil insensitive, load up some of those 700 grn. Underwood "dinosaur killers".
That said, it's not overly wild with for example 350 grn Swifts.
Heck, a 12 year old can shoot it.
Genna shoots the 500
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Fishinfool
Member
I always thought a more "normal" sized revolver chambered for a .50 cal cartridge firing a 375 - 400 grain WFN hard cast bullet at about 900 fps would be an excellent deer and pig setup without the unneeded blast and fuss of the big magnums.
Larry
Larry
I bought one soon after they came out. First time I fired it was at the range under cover on the far left side. There were a few people shooting on the far right side of the range. I fired one round and you would not believe how much accumulated dust in the rafters came pouring down on us all. They started to object and I said that I was putting it away. Some people have no sense of humor or adventure.
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This is the best response I have ever heard to any SW 500 magnum detractors, and pragmatists.
I have one and am looking for another. They are just plain fun to own and shoot, end of story. I have a 4" and I am in the market for a PC 3.5" or a 2.5"ES.
DonD
Member
I would however, say that to be able to deal with today's traffic asking does one need a car that can go over 80? Hell yes, some interstates have 85mph speed limits and even the lamest car sold in the US, the Prius, can go about 110 and merging onto an interstate with a Prius must be scary with 80,000# of semi looming large in your rear view mirror.
The slower of my two cars will go 165 and I'm happy it can though I've never done anything like that. Don
The slower of my two cars will go 165 and I'm happy it can though I've never done anything like that. Don
I believe I could find some use for one; if nothing else but to shoot propane tanks or some other type of can. A real fun can plinker! There was one at the gun shop (it's still there) and on the shelf above it was a .30-30 revolver. I thought it was some fake, but it was real! What the heck does one do with a .30-30 revolver? Dumb question, I know: you shoot it! Actually the ammo would be cheaper!
Where's your sense of adventure? Take the .50 cal and your faster of the two cars out into the desert and you'll find something to do!!
balin
Member
The .50 cal is probably about as useful for most people as most peoples guns. Most people don't practice and are pretty bad shots. And those like me that have several don't use them in a useful way other then for having or plinking.
robvious
Member
they melt snowflakes pretty quickly
Frank46
US Veteran
My neighbor has a 500 S&W. He complained that he'd love to shoot it more but the ammo is too expensive. Went and priced some components and some of those bullets in a box of only 50 are well over a buck a pop. Course powder and primers are the stumbling blocks for reloading. Unfortunately he does not reload so for him factory ammo is his only option. Frank
Kid44
Member
My thoughts exactly. Biggest handgun caliber I will ever "need" is my .454 Casull, and if I were honest with myself I really don't "need" that one. But owning guns is rarely about "need", we all know that.
Kid44
Member
kreuzlover
Member
I bought my 8 3/8' barreled .500 in 2005, and the first rounds I shot from it were the Corbon 440 grain lead, at 1650 fps. These were the most powerful available at the time and were 36 dollars for TWENTY of them! Recoil figures on those work out to be in the 60 foot lb range. In other words, you know real quick that you've touched off something really powerful! I now load 26.5 grains of SR-4759 behind an RCBS 400 grain semi-wadcutter that I cast from wheel weights. Velocity is 1258 fps and recoil is at aroung 28 ft lbs. And they cost me around 85 cents per shot. One hole clover leaf groups at 25 yards. What more could you ask for?
hkcavalier
US Veteran
I've shot one (a .500). A big push, but I'd rather shoot it than a .357 J frame.
While most are range toys, sure, as noted above there are folks that hunt with them and/or find them fascinating reloader platforms.
While most are range toys, sure, as noted above there are folks that hunt with them and/or find them fascinating reloader platforms.
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