460 S&W: Velocity / Barrel Length

[whitecoyote]

Picked one up a few weeks ago. Have not had a chance to shoot it yet.

 

[Kilibreaux]

I have seen the question poised on several occasions.
Most of us know that even the same barrel length revolvers will deliver a small difference because of a variety of factors.
I decided to chrono each barrel length under the same conditions earlier this month.

A few notes:
• The 8.375" gun has in excess of 10000 round down the tube buy myself and the previous owner, whom said he shot about 6000 Colt, 1000 Casull, and only a few boxes of Hornady 200 grain. I have shoot 3000 rounds of a variety of 460 rounds from 200 to 300 grain.
• The 10.5" gun Has about 6000 rounds of 460 S&W most of which are equivalent to Hornady factory 200 loads.
• The rest of the guns have less than 3000 rounds each.
• The 2.75" and 3" guns have low round count less than 1000 each.

Data collected with Kurzzeit chronograph

Factory Hornady 200 FTX ammo, all from the same lot, was used.

The 300grain XTP MAG under 38.2grains of H110 with a OAL of 2.195"

200 Grain Hornady FTX DATA
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" 1897fps
3.5" 2033fps
4" 2059fps
6.5" 2165fps
7.5" 2240fps
8.375" 2180fps
10.5" 2203fps
12" 2370fps
14" 2313fps
14" c 2318fps
Ruger #1- 22" 2924fps

300 Grain , 38.2 H110, OAL 2.195
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" not tested
3.5" not tested
4" 1409fps
6.5" 1495fps
7.5" 1549fps
8.375" 1502fps
10.5" 1536fps
12" 1542fps
14" 1528fps
14" c 1559fps
Ruger #1-22" 2161fps

Good Luck and be safe

This is the kind of data reloaders CRAVE! Published load data for the X frames seems locked onto 8.5-12" barrels without regard for the more portable, shorter options.
BC gap matters a LOT...I have a 4" .500 that shoots on average 100 fps faster than my 6.5" .500 due to the difference in BC tolerance! S&W has never been particularly careful to insure every gun leaves the house with the same BC.

 

[flundertaker]

Why does the 8.375" shot slower than the shorter barreled guns when all the longer barreled guns get incrementally faster? Is it because of the higher round count?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

[ruggyh]

Velocity is affected by a number of variables.

For revolvers the biggest influence are cylinder gap, throat, and barrel length. There are others such as barrel wear, forcing cone condition (which influences cylinder gap) and others.

I suspect in this case barrel wear and cylinder gap are biggest influences in this case.

I plan to do a detailed measurement of these revolvers this summer and will post the results along with a new set of velocity data taken at the same time. This time I will use 200XPB and 240 XTP MAG bullets.

 

[bcc629]

Picked one up a few weeks ago. Have not had a chance to shoot it yet.

These are really good pics. Thanks for posting them. Can't get enough of the "little" 460. I need one ASAP.

 

[whitecoyote]

These are really good pics. Thanks for posting them. Can't get enough of the "little" 460. I need one ASAP.

Shoots nice too!

 

[Pvt.Joker]

Shoots nice too!

Great photo. That begs for a Youtube video slowed way down and set to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"...

 

[nebmike]

Recently bought a 3.5" 460 and had to stop on the way home and at least fire a couple rounds (even though it was -4 degrees). Not nearly as cool as the fire ring pic, but this muzzle flash is from a factory Hornady 200gr FTX...

 

[460SandW]

I have seen the question poised on several occasions.
Most of us know that even the same barrel length revolvers will deliver a small difference because of a variety of factors.
I decided to chrono each barrel length under the same conditions earlier this month.

A few notes:
• The 8.375" gun has in excess of 10000 round down the tube buy myself and the previous owner, whom said he shot about 6000 Colt, 1000 Casull, and only a few boxes of Hornady 200 grain. I have shoot 3000 rounds of a variety of 460 rounds from 200 to 300 grain.
• The 10.5" gun Has about 6000 rounds of 460 S&W most of which are equivalent to Hornady factory 200 loads.
• The rest of the guns have less than 3000 rounds each.
• The 2.75" and 3" guns have low round count less than 1000 each.

Data collected with Kurzzeit chronograph

Factory Hornady 200 FTX ammo, all from the same lot, was used.

The 300grain XTP MAG under 38.2grains of H110 with a OAL of 2.195"

200 Grain Hornady FTX DATA
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" 1897fps
3.5" 2033fps
4" 2059fps
6.5" 2165fps
7.5" 2240fps
8.375" 2180fps
10.5" 2203fps
12" 2370fps
14" 2313fps
14" c 2318fps
Ruger #1- 22" 2924fps

300 Grain , 38.2 H110, OAL 2.195
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" not tested
3.5" not tested
4" 1409fps
6.5" 1495fps
7.5" 1549fps
8.375" 1502fps
10.5" 1536fps
12" 1542fps
14" 1528fps
14" c 1559fps
Ruger #1-22" 2161fps

Good Luck and be safe

Fantastic information. Thank you for sharing.

On a side note, I just completed load development with my 8 3/8" gun using 300 grain XTP MAG bullets and 4227 powder. Velocity is 1525 with an extreme spread of 14 fps.

My son will be using that load for a cow elk hunt in October.

 

[Misskimo]

Cool pictures
Heres 5 200s with the northern lights

 

[Marloe]

Thanks ruggyh, Not that was one of the best and most helpful and also very informative post. I don't come on here much at all, in fact not for over a year, but did a search on Balistics by the inch for my new 460 Bone Collector. Your post came up in my search. Not that kind of actual data out there anywhere. Thank you much. Great contribution. Must say, It is pretty eye opening. Expected to see wider variations between the shorter and the longest. Thanks again.

 

[AceCarnivorous]

I have seen the question poised on several occasions.
Most of us know that even the same barrel length revolvers will deliver a small difference because of a variety of factors.
I decided to chrono each barrel length under the same conditions earlier this month.

A few notes:
• The 8.375" gun has in excess of 10000 round down the tube buy myself and the previous owner, whom said he shot about 6000 Colt, 1000 Casull, and only a few boxes of Hornady 200 grain. I have shoot 3000 rounds of a variety of 460 rounds from 200 to 300 grain.
• The 10.5" gun Has about 6000 rounds of 460 S&W most of which are equivalent to Hornady factory 200 loads.
• The rest of the guns have less than 3000 rounds each.
• The 2.75" and 3" guns have low round count less than 1000 each.

Data collected with Kurzzeit chronograph

Factory Hornady 200 FTX ammo, all from the same lot, was used.

The 300grain XTP MAG under 38.2grains of H110 with a OAL of 2.195"

200 Grain Hornady FTX DATA
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" 1897fps
3.5" 2033fps
4" 2059fps
6.5" 2165fps
7.5" 2240fps
8.375" 2180fps
10.5" 2203fps
12" 2370fps
14" 2313fps
14" c 2318fps
Ruger #1- 22" 2924fps

300 Grain , 38.2 H110, OAL 2.195
Barrel Length AVG of 5 shoots
2.75" not tested
3.5" not tested
4" 1409fps
6.5" 1495fps
7.5" 1549fps
8.375" 1502fps
10.5" 1536fps
12" 1542fps
14" 1528fps
14" c 1559fps
Ruger #1-22" 2161fps

Good Luck and be safe

Can anyone say why the 7.5" barrel velocity surpasses the
8.375" barrel and is comparable to the 10.5" barrel?

 

[whitecoyote]

IMG_7327.jpg
1.jpg
5.jpg

 

[Imissedagain]

Can anyone say why the 7.5" barrel velocity surpasses the
8.375" barrel and is comparable to the 10.5" barrel?

Cylinder/Barrel gap size could be a factor.

 

[Tom S.]

Can anyone say why the 7.5" barrel velocity surpasses the
8.375" barrel and is comparable to the 10.5" barrel?

The most likely explanation is larger cylinder to forcing cone gap on the 8 3/8" gun.

EDIT: Imissedagain beat me to it.

 

[AceCarnivorous]

Cylinder/Barrel gap size could be a factor.

Thank you.

 

[AceCarnivorous]

Thanks all.

I ask because I'm deciding between the 460XVR HI VIZ 7.5" or the 460XVR 8.38".
The possibility of a little more velocity with a somewhat longer barrel is a factor to consider.
Would anyone like to say which they prefer and why?

 

[Imissedagain]

From forcing cone to the barrel's end, not counting
the muzzle brake, the 8.375" is really 7.5" long.
Wanted a true 8.375" barrel with no muzzle brake.
Just for a traditional front end look.

No 7.5" Performance Center model to measure.
Was told the muzzle brake on the 7.5" is removable.
Don't know what it looks like when removed.
Flush would be nice.
Can't go wrong with either one.

Trigger on our 3.5" and the 8.375" are fine DA/SA
Both break crisp at about 4.5 lbs.

The OEM Hogues did not fit my hand, too low of a hold
and other issues. Our wood shop to the rescue.
Slowly, but making progress.
Nice to have grips that work with warm gloves or
thin gloves/bare hands.
Whites are for warm gloves.
A bit of Nill/Hempfill inspiration on the right side of the whites.
The Bubingas are the same.
Trying for a traditional shape with a new school feel.
Old pic, fresh off the Marlin carver and being bedded,
so the serious work can begin.

 

[jcelect]

460

For those wondering about what the 460 round can do from a closed chamber, not a revolver! I put together a TC Encore w/20" barrel and before I had a scope mounted we fired it over a chronograph. 200gr Hornady FTX from a 10.5" barrel on a revolver was 2450fps and from the 20" Encore it was 2999fps! Just think, the old standby, the 30-06 with a 200gr bullet goes how fast?
jcelect

 

[AmStaff64]

For those wondering about what the 460 round can do from a closed chamber, not a revolver! I put together a TC Encore w/20" barrel and before I had a scope mounted we fired it over a chronograph. 200gr Hornady FTX from a 10.5" barrel on a revolver was 2450fps and from the 20" Encore it was 2999fps! Just think, the old standby, the 30-06 with a 200gr bullet goes how fast?
jcelect

Impressive. Makes we want to dust of the 460 and 500 and take them out - I have not shot them since covid :-(

Anyone have one(or more) of those awesome Big Horn Armory Model 89/90 lever guns?