S&W500

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Tinkertech

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I never see any threads on the S&W500.

Am I just looking in the wrong area or is the blast and recoil just too much for most?
 
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I purchased a 500 years ago right after they became available just because.It has the 8 3/8 bbl & is fairly heavy. I got a box of Hornady 350gr XTP. After shooting 9 of the 20 I ordered some Berry's 350 FP bullets and some brass. Loaded those with 17.5gr of titegroup. Much more enjoyable to shoot. Thru the years I have put 75-80 rnds thru it. Most fun was watching other folks who begged to shoot it touch it off.:) It's neat to have and take to the range to watch the heads turn when you let go. {most indoor ranges won't allow it)

Since there are no bears or Bigfoots in Kansas have never hunted with it.

Note: I was 6'4 & about 270 and much younger then.

-don
 
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deputydon said:
I purchased a 500 years ago right after they became available just because.It has the 8 3/8 bbl & is fairly heavy. I got a box of Hornady 350gr XTP. After shooting 9 of the 20 I ordered some Berry's 350 FP bullets and some brass. Loaded those with 17.5gr of titegroup. Much more enjoyable to shoot. Thru the years I have put 75-80 rnds thru it. Most fun was watching other folks who begged to shoot it touch it off.:) It's neat to have and take to the range to watch the heads turn when you let go. {most indoor ranges won't allow it)

Since there are no bears or Bigfoots in Kansas have never hunted with it.

Note: I was 6'4 & about 270 and much younger then.

-don
Click to expand...
75-80 rds over years!!!!! Why have it if you shoot it so little and what you shoot are wimp rounds??

I've been shooting 500s since they were introduced, have probably shot a good number of thousands. In a typical range day I shoot probably 30 rds with Trail Boss and 3 or 4 cylinder fulls of heavy, high energy rounds. Don
 
I have had one for about 15 years. I did a lot of load development in the first 5-6 years. probably had a few thousand rounds out of it. now I get it out 4-5 times per year and probably shoot 20 rounds per trip.
 
LOL! I have to agree...the X-frames are more of a novelty than being mainstream revolvers. I think the .500 would be cool to shoot, but I've resigned myself to being a wimp when it comes to these monsters. .44 Magnum is about the most that I can comfortably handle. And since we don't have any grizzly bears here in Florida, I'll leave the X-frames to those who enjoy them.
 
Tinkertech said:
I never see any threads on the S&W500. Am I just looking in the wrong area or is the blast and recoil just too much for most?
Click to expand...

Searching for threads with "S&W500" in the title, like the thread you started, brings up about 380 existing threads discussing the S&W500 Magnum cartridge and revolvers. You're welcome.
 
I have a medium size S&W 500. It’s the 6.5” barrel half under lug. I find the balance to be perfect. I’ve had it ten years or so and put around 150 rounds through it. All full power factory loads. I have 350 grn hollow points for plinking and 375 double bonded hollow points for pig hunting. I have a few T-Rex rounds (the 700grn) hard cast flat nose rounds. I don’t think they feel much different from the lighter ones.

I agree there isn’t a REAL need for this gun outside of Alaska bear protection but it’s a whole lot of fun
 
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I wanted an X frame. Just for fun. I shot both the 500 and 460 XVR. Ended up buying the 460 simply because it shot flatter much farther. It’s the most impractical pistol I own. But it’s fun to hear the Thunder and see the fireball the 460 and 500 both produce. But again, I wanted one just for fun and I’m getting my moneys worth of that. :D
 
Had one-made money on it

Bought a used 4" for $800 in Houston. Guy who sold it to me said "a couple of Houston Texans cheerleaders had shot it at a range day at his ranch". I guess that was to show me that recoil was not bad. Gun came with of 20 rd box of 300 gr JHP and 2 boxes of the spire point red tips 350 gr like in the cylinder of Bluedot 37 picture up above.

Like most everyone here, started reloading for it immediately. Found 300, 330, 460, 565 and 700 grain bullets from Matt's bullets under the T-Rex logo. Used Lil Gun powder exclusively on the reloads.

My good friend Bill loads his 454 cartridges at high end. He swears there's no such thing as too much recoil. Had a very slow dove hunt and I have brought the X Frame. Loaded a 300 44 mag equivalent load in first chamber, a 330 hotter load in 2nd, 460, 565 and 700 in last 3 chambers. Bill touched off first and said that's nothing, 2nd made him notice, 3 made his eyes go way wide, 4th he said the gun exploded and would not shoot the 700 grain. Guess there is too much recoil after all. I have put about 40 of the 700's downrange and they will get your notice.

A couple of years ago, I had stopped shooting it and sold it for $1,500. One of the few I made money on.
 
For those that shoot big bore hand cannons do you get the best accuracy and control with the supporting hands thumb facing forward or wrapped around your main hand, ie: over the back strap?
 
My son and I each have one just because. They are fun to shoot in limited quantities. We did some testing as to which has the most recoil with heavy factory loads---the 4 inch or the 8 3/8 inch and found that at that level of recoil we really could not tell the difference. We concluded that the 38 Special is our favorite followed by the 22LR.
 
My thumb is not long enough to reach the forcing cone.
In a 2 hand grip my thumb reaches just past the rear of the cylinder.
Just wondering if its better to have the supporting hands thumb forward or wrapped around the main supporting hand for accuracy and control.
It appears that many that have their thumb forward on the supporting hand and does not stay in contact with the grip as easily as the thumb over the main hand.
 
When the 500 S&W was new, used to go to the gunstore January/February and look at the lightly used revolvers that were someone's Christmas gift. The salesman would typically claim the guns had been shot less than a box of 50 rounds.

Sometimes your eyes are bigger than your stomach.
 
And when S&W brought the 500 out, they demonstrated it to the public. Unfortunately, the ammo they used was wimpy stuff, WAY short of max loads so many people thought the gun was light recoiling.

Got it home and tried full power and were shocked at the massive increase in recoil, thus guns a gun shops that had hardly been shot at all. Don
 
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