500 mag questions

[Crowkilla]

I'm really wanting to get one of these but I am a little turned off by some of the videos showing people having a double fire with it. I get the principle of what's going on, I'm just not sure if it's something people are doing by not holding it right or if some people just aren't strong enough to prevent it from happening. Is the recoil really that bad? Obviously I'm assuming that has a lot to do with the bullets grain but how is it comparable to a 44? I own a 44 and can handle that. Most of my friends are into 9mm or 45 cal and they say that's a lot of recoil sometimes. So I'm wondering if it just depends on the person. I'm a revolver guy and always will be. I like 44 and 357 but really want a Governor and a 500. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[CH4]

I have a 4" 500 and only shoot bullets weighing 300 to 400 grains over Lil Gun; for plinking loads I use Trail Boss. The extra weight of the 500 helps tame the recoil. If you can shoot a 44 mag, you should be able to handle the 500. Many others have lived to tell about it.

 

[COFFEEMUG]

it happens from limp wristing the gun.
recoils torques the gun up and you start
to grip it harder gun starts to come down
trigger is pulled a 2nd time, rinse repeat.
same thing happens with semiautomatics.

 

[moralem]

It's the user…..there is nothing inherently wrong with the 500 that contributes to what you see on the tube.

 

[steelslaver]

I have an 8 3/8" 500. No one who has fired it had double fired it. In fact most are surprised by the recoil being LESS than expected. I have stayed under 500 gr and mostly shoot 400 gr loads. I also give them some instruction and a firm grip is part of that

They are heavy guns. I have never fired one with a short barrel, but 3 or 4" less barrel won't make one light.

Setting up an person with no or little magnum type hand guns experience with a hard recoiling gun is a jerk move.

 

[AmStaff64]

Yep - what has been said already. Not the firearm, it is the user. The weight does a great job of taming the recoil.
I have the 8&3/8 in 500 and 460.
IMO my most "violent" recoiling firearm is my Ruger SRH Alaskan in 454 Casull. Full house loads in that make you take notice. I am sure the 4" 500 could behave similarly. They are definitely not 44 Mags. The Ruger is about 12oz lighter than the 4" 500

The best thing with these magnum revolver cartridges (357 to 500) IMO is that when you reload for them, with the right combination of components, you can make them what you want them to be. From light plinkers all the way to max loads - and everything in between.

 

[jag1954]

If you can shoot the 44 then you should have no issues with the 500. I run 300/325/350 grain through mine and have found the recoil quite manageable as have the very few friends that I've allowed to shoot it. And those friends were given exactly ONE round the first time they shot it. I have both the 460 and 500 with the 8/38" barrel. Both thoroughly enjoyable. So go for it, you'll have a blast.....

 

[Protocall_Design]

The 500 is shootable, but you may want to try before you buy. This gun is not for a beginner. You (or anyone) should only load one round to begin with and see how that goes. If you are aware that it has a lot of recoil and use a strong grip, you'll be fine.

The cases I've seen where someone had trouble or got killed was when a dirtbag guy gave it to a girl and said "Here, try this" just to watch them get beat up by it. The girls didn't know what to expect, and didn't have the physical strength to deal with it in the first place.

 

[Mark8]

It really depends on the gun and the ammo. 300 grains from a 7.5" or more with a brake or compensator: no big deal if you have some strength in your hands and arms. 700 grains from the 3.5" PC on the other hand is a whole different animal and really dangerous if you're not used to high powered handguns. Always start with just 1 cartridge if you don't know the gun and/or ammo.

 

[COFFEEMUG]

one handed no less

 

[M29since14]

When the .500s came out, I had the opportunity to fire one that belonged to a friend. It was an 8-3/8" barrelled gun, with some type of compensator. I don't recall the exact model. It was not something that interested me, simply because of the size and weight of the weapon, which was unusable, as far as I was concerned. These things are ENORMOUS!

I've had .44 Magnums all my life and used to enjoy shooting them. (In the last 10-15 years, not so much anymore.) In your situation, I'd buy the .500 and have some fun with it. As has been pointed out, you can load it down just as easily as up. If eventually you discover that it's not for you, you can sell it, or trade it on something else.

IMO, the "defect" of the .500 is not so much the recoil, which is considerable, but rather the weapon itself. It's just too big and heavy. I know it's a different subject that you didn't mention, but if I were going to be in big bear country, and if I were to diverge from the more-or-less standard recommendation of many years to bring a .44 Magnum or .45 Colt revolver, I'd be more likely to head in the direction of the M&P 10mm than the other way, in the direction of the .500 Magnum. It would take me a LOT of training to become proficient with the .500. I do think that, if you're interested, it would be a fun revolver to tinker with. I wouldn't be concerned with the doubling issue. Load one cartridge until you have satisfied yourself that it is not an issue. Buy one and give it a try.

 

[Crowkilla]

Wow so many great response's and information. Really appreciate the friendly responses and I will take it all under advisement. I'll definitely get one. I like the shorter barrel but wouldn't go less than 3. I know they had the survival kit with 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 awhile ago. Those are like 4-5000 anyway so I won't be getting them regardless lol. Thanks again guys and will let u know when I get one!

 

[Imissedagain]

You might consider a 460.
Bullet selection might be better especially if you load.

Plus it creates more conversation at the range if you're a people person.
Most often asked question:
Q. "Is that a 500?"
A. " Yes

Q. "Is that a 500?"
A. "No, it's a 460".

I would love to go back in time, on the evening my Dad's Detective buddy let me hold his Smith snub, and pull out a 460 and say something funny provided I could hold it up.

TrailBoss is your friend, with either, especially when letting someone vetted try it for the first time.
One round at first.

Old grip art fun.

 

[jack the toad]

If going for all out performance, I'd look at 6" or longer. But for my idea of regular use (shoot/carry), I like the one below and prefer it with the blank comp as seen in pic. This scratches my big-bore itch except if an affordable John Ross (true 5" with no comp) came along.

 

[roscoepc]

Not too much to add to what has been posted other than the kick is gonna be as bad as what you put in it.. I've tried 500gr Hornady's, 400gr Winchester Platinum Tips, 350gr Winchester Reduced Recoils, and the 270gr Federal Vital Shok's..

The 500 and 400gr rounds used in my 8-3/8" 500 have a nice solid, Smooth kick that the average shooter really needs to use two hands with until yer used to the round.. A bit more than a M-29, 8-3/8" shooting 240gr rounds... The 350gr Winchester's though are what the gun really likes to shoot! Entirely controllable, smooth shooting and accurate!

That 270gr Vital Shok though.... It has a really sharp kick to it with more barrel rise than any of the other rounds I've tried. About 3 rounds of those will just about do ya!!

The other thing I'll mention is the 500 has been described as a "Reloaders" gun due to tuning what round you like to perform how you want it too! Also there's the cost per round of "Fun" you have with the gun!! At $3-4.00 per round that adds up Quick!!!

Have Fun with her and Post Pic's!!!

 

[Funflyer]

I don't find my 8-3/8" 500 near as unpleasant to shoot as my 4" 44 Mag. The 44 slaps and stings my hand every time, like I just caught a Nolan Ryan fast ball without a catchers mitt on.

 

[cmj8591]

Don't believe everything you see on YouTube.

 

[philbrook3]

I will agree with the above except ammo was left out of the equation. I own several large caliber hand guns. I bought my 500 used about 8 months after they came out used. Some one had bought it and 300 rounds of assorted ammo. I picked up the gun and 298 rounds for $700.00. First time at the range every thing was going fine until I tried some 500 grain cast loads. I was firing at 50 yards single action and felt severe recoil. I set the gun down on the bench, everybody came over and was asking what happened. After checking the gun I found that it had fired the intended round and also the next round up from the cylinder. After going home and checking I found out the the ammo had been recalled due to primer problems. I sent the gun back to S&W because I wanted to make sure the frame was not damaged. It got a clean bill of health and I still shoot it.

 

[Bill Raby]

I had that happen to me twice when I first got mine. Solved by only loading two rounds with space in between them, then checking to see if it jumped to the next after firing. After a few times with no problems I started loading all chambers.

 

[CouchPotato]

If you can handle a 44 mag and you're experienced with it, the 500 mag will be no problem. If you're a revolver novice, stay away from the 500 mag.

I'd recommend skipping the Governor unless you need a snake gun, or unless it's just for fun.

 

[Model19man]

A friend of mine bought a new 500 Magnum S&W revolver and we went to the range to try it out. My impression - the recoil is not terrible, but the muzzle rise is significant. On the third shot the barrel rise was so much that the front sight stuck in the roof of the outdoor range since I am 6' 5" tall. Bad day - Smith stood behind it and replaced the front sight under warranty.

 

[dondailey]

Just got a 8 3/8. I can't speak to the double fire, but seems like a shooter's issue. So far I've only loaded 400gr 2100+ foot pound loads. I'll be working Barnes bullets to the max later. With the top holed compensator installed it didn't have extreme muzzle flip but pushed back more into the palm. The recoil wasn't extreme but I don't think I will shoot more than 10 rounds in a session. The 454 Alaskan flips and hurts more. Unless you are going to hunt with it, it is more of a novelty gun just for fun, which it is !

Edit: I want to echo what someone else said, if you are not an experienced big bore revolver shooter, stay away from it.

 

[poprivit]

Here's what the 500 is good for.

 

[Mark8]

Here's what the 500 is good for.

Wild lions have gone from 200'000 to 15'000 in the last 30 years, they are already extinct in a majority of African countries, and most of us will live to see the day when they are all gone. Maybe it's time to start shooting the remaining few with a camera?

 

[jag1954]

I don't find my 8-3/8" 500 near as unpleasant to shoot as my 4" 44 Mag. The 44 slaps and stings my hand every time, like I just caught a Nolan Ryan fast ball without a catchers mitt on.

Agreed. I found the same thing with my 6" 629 as did my buddies, but it's a good sting...

 

[jag1954]

If you can handle a 44 mag and you're experienced with it, the 500 mag will be no problem. If you're a revolver novice, stay away from the 500 mag.

I'd recommend skipping the Governor unless you need a snake gun, or unless it's just for fun.

Or, like me, you could get both the Governor and the 500 and then just for good measure add the 460....

 

[DonD]

S&W did some high speed photography that clearly showed amateurs who didn't control the recoil of the gun and who pulled the trigger a second time. Never a failure of the gun, a failure of the shooter.

There is a HUGE difference between some of the light loads such as what S&W used to demo the first 500s. 275gr Barnes X bullets, very light loads that left some people thinking they don't recoil much.

Compare that to some of the loads in reputable handloading data bases like Hodgdon that can produce 2800 ft # of energy or more. Those DO have hard recoil. I've been shooting them since 2003. Don

 

[Lowa]

If you're concerned, get the 460. It's a *****cat. My brother has the 5" and I have a 4" 500 with a trigger job. Recoil is vastly different and the 460 matches the 500 with lighter loads. 400gr and higher 500 is another beast. I handload 300 grains, but buy 440s. I wouldn't take a 460 over my 500, but I bench 315, so my strength is far above most men. Consider that with revolver grip.

SAFETY; With a 5 shot, you can load the chamber aligned with the barrel, the very next chamber, then skip one and load another. That will equate to every other trigger pull and you still get 3 shots. Perfectly safe.

 

[vipermd]

If you are comfortable with a 44 mag, the 500 should not be a problem. Start with one round in the cylinder as stated above till you are comfortable with the recoil. Start with 270 gr, than 350, 400, 500, 700. You will find that the 700's are best in 6" or longer barrel. They corkscrew out of the 2 3/4" and 4", but are fine in 7.5", 83/8, and the rifle. My wife at 5' 1" shoots all of the 500's well, as well as the Magnum research 45-70. She carried the 4" the last time she was fishing in Alaska. They are fun to shoot and have had much more violent recoil from 454 Casull, snubby 44's. The 44 mag derringer can also be a little tough on the hand. Be Safe,