.500 at the Range

[DCWilson]

A little over a year ago I picked up a little-used four-inch .500 just because it was available. A couple of weeks ago I finally fired a few rounds through it for the experience and found that the sights were horribly out of adjustment. I didn't have the ammo or time to work with it then, but yesterday went back to the range with a few more rounds and a screwdriver to try to get it hitting where the sights said it should. Here's an intermediate short-range target.

This was an intermediate target that really doesn't show very much except that the gun can hit consistently. I kept making tiny screw adjustments every couple of rounds, but the impact points didn't change. Finally I just racked the sight way up and to the right, hung a new target, and found the gun was finally centering on the circle -- but my control was so shaky by that time that the shots were high and low, left and right. At least they were equally spaced around the center, which indicates I had the gun properly sighted in.

I was shooting some of Ballistic Supply's softer loads that I still had around -- Reduced Target Loads and "Li'l Annies."

It was mostly fun shooting this gun, but clearly I need to get into reloading if I'm going to shoot it a lot. I sure wish Ballistic Supply would start up again and resume selling .500 ammo. Their stuff was (and for those of us with a few rounds left) is great.

 

[kennyb]

david...the 500 is what finally drew me into reloading...i have the hunter model 500 from the performance center and it's a hoot to shoot!several years ago i went to purchase 500 ammo...in the space of a couple weeks it had jumped like thirty dollars...i didn't buy the ammo and instead purchased a rcbs rockchucker reloading station...i haven't looked back...instead of paying say $3.00 a round for 500 i now pay about 70 cents...and thats using the good stuff!i now reload many calibers and really enjoy the hobby of reloading...you can reload what you want,how you want,and when you want...

 

[Tom C]

I have three 500s: a 4”, a 5” JRS and a 6 ½” PC Hunter. The one I play with the most is the JRS. I actually prefer the recoil pulse without the comp.

Reloading the 500 is very important, not only for cost, but also to load according to your individual preferences. I prefer to play with moderate loads most of the time. It is easy to load for that. I don’t need to constantly beat myself up with full or nearly full power loads.

 

[DonD]

Reloading the 500 is very important, not only for cost, but also to load according to your individual preferences. I prefer to play with moderate loads most of the time. It is easy to load for that. I don’t need to constantly beat myself up with full or nearly full power loads.

Exactly and you obviously always have the option of cranking the power level up for fun or stress relief. Don

 

[akguy1985]

try shooting some 650grn handloads through it, talk about kick lol

 

[SuperMan]

Great "little" guns. I bought a 4" about 3 years ago and it is a great shooter. Everyone at our New Years Eve Party loves shooting the bowling pins with it!!!

Last summer I also added a 6.5" to the stable but the campground owner where we hunt fell in love with it so I sold it to him for what I had in it...and then three weeks later what do I find...a TC Pro-Encore carbine in .500!!! With the 18 grains of Unique/350 Berry's plated bullet target load it is like shooting a .22... With this load it only costs a quarter a round to shoot as the bullets were only 16 cents a piece delivered.

DCW...get some snap caps or use empty rounds and put only two live rounds in the gun at a time. It will help you get over the "flinchettes".

Bob

 

[TDC]

I have a 6 1/2" 500 and shoot it a lot. The next step for some of you is to cast your own bullets... I load 500s for less than 30c each (excluding brass costs).

I currently awaiting a custom brass double cavity "Cramer" type hollow point mould that will cast a 385 grain bullet with the following four cavity sizes. The mould will create bullets that range from small expansion potential for hunting to vaporizing when used for self defense..

These are pictures of the pins that will create the hollowpoint in the flat nose 385 gr bullets. (weight will vary depending on the size of the cavity..

This five sided cavity will be an interesting experiment...

The true versatility of this caliber is just coming to its own with the 500. It can be loaded down with powders like Trail Boss to feel like a 38 Special, or loaded up to fall large trees.....

 

[Bendutro]

I prefer to play with moderate loads most of the time. It is easy to load for that. I don’t need to constantly beat myself up with full or nearly full power loads.

I too have a John Ross 5" and have shot the full range of Ballistic Supply loads and some 465gr hardcast I loaded over 31 grains of H110. I found them to be a little sharp and was wondering what you prefer for a moderate load. I was thinking about getting some BLC-2 or H322 after reading Mr. Ross' recommendations. Thoughts?

 

[DonD]

I too have a John Ross 5" and have shot the full range of Ballistic Supply loads and some 465gr hardcast I loaded over 31 grains of H110. I found them to be a little sharp and was wondering what you prefer for a moderate load. I was thinking about getting some BLC-2 or H322 after reading Mr. Ross' recommendations. Thoughts?

I'll chime in. I use the following loads, listed in order of increasing power levels. They come from Hodgdon's site and where they differ on the low side from the published levels, they've been vouched for by Hodgdon's ballistics guys via emai. For even heavier loads, just use LilGun or H110/W296 using Hodgdon's data.

12 gr of Trail Boss, 405 gr Tenn Valley slug, essentially a 100% density load
14 gr of TiteGroup, 405 gr slug
37-38 gr of H4227, 370 gr hard cast gas check.

All of the above are pleasant loads, the H4227 is starting to get into serious power levels though far below what the gun does at the top of the published load data. Hope this helps.

And for DCWilson, I have only had the longer barreled .500s but the 4incher you have has a really nice feel in the hand. Don

 

[Lop]

I might have missed it, DC, but did or do you use a laser siteing tool? I've got a Wally World $30 bore siter that works well. It gets you close so you can save ammo/time/agravation. I also like it to verify that a gun is still sited before you go hunting. They work well on drill presses also. If you are setting up an angled hole they are great. Some presses have them built in, but mine doesn't. BTW, quite the little pop gun you've got there.
Lop

 

[SuperMan]

..anyone try some of these... It would leave a "serious" hole in someone...

50 Caliber ManStopper

Bob

 

[DCWilson]

I might have missed it, DC, but did or do you use a laser siteing tool? I've got a Wally World $30 bore siter that works well. It gets you close so you can save ammo/time/agravation. I also like it to verify that a gun is still sited before you go hunting. They work well on drill presses also. If you are setting up an angled hole they are great. Some presses have them built in, but mine doesn't. BTW, quite the little pop gun you've got there.
Lop

I don't have a laser boresight, but it might not be a bad idea. I had not thought about the drill press application, but that's a great idea too. I didn't mind firing a few extra rounds to get this one more or less sighted in because I was learning how the gun felt to shoot as much as I was trying to get it trued up for target work.

Thank you all for comments about loads worth trying. I am pretty sure I will get myself a basic reloading set-up later this year and launch into manufacturing some rounds for this little cannon as well as for some other guns that are expensive when it comes to off-the-shelf ammo. I have a long-barrel 57 no-dash and some .41 brass that I lucked into. I need to get that one working, too.

Are there .500 wadcutter bullets readily available, or should I think about moulds and making my own? The "manstopper" bullet would certainly make clean holes in paper, but at a dollar a pop it seems kind of expensive for range entertainment.