500 Magnum recoil

[rpollard01]

Hi,

This is my first post to this forum and seems to be quite a few friendly people that are more than willing to help anyway they can.
I have an M&P full size and a Shield both 9mm. Also, bought a Kimber Ultra Carry II 9mm. S&W is way more reliable. They will shoot anything.
Now, I'm looking to jump to the top. I have always been told that I should consider getting a revolver based on the reliability factor alone. Makes sense so I am seriously considering buying a 500 4".
I heard good things and bad things about the recoil but mostly good. You never know if the guys telling you it's no big deal are 6'5 and 340 lbs.
Also, I heard the percussion wave coming out the muzzle is overwhelming. Some say it beats you down after a short amount of time.
I'm 5'6" at 160 lbs. I'm fairly strong as I was a competitive powerlifter but am not near strong as I used to be.
I've heard people having broke wrists from shooting the 500. I'd say that was due to bad form???
My question is, does anyone have advice about the best form to use, best grip to have, best stance (Weaver vs. Isosceles) and any advice about what to expect when the recoil hits the back of my hand, where to place the handle in my hand, etc.
Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[handejector]

My advice would be to start with a 357 and work up.

 

[fdw]

If you can find a range that rents them that is a good place to start. I've rented the 500 4" and didn't think it was bad at all. (Will also depend on the load you are shooting)...

I would not want to carry a 500. If you hold one you will see why.

 

[vipermd]

Welcome to the forum. Revolvers are reliable and the S & W 500 is the biggest, 350 hornady XTP are nice carry loads. The idea that short barrels have more recoil is not correct. I own and shoot 2 3/4", 4", 7.5", 8 3/8", 18" rifle. Without a doubt the shorter barrels do generate a bigger fireball, but that is secondary to burning powder outside the barrel instead of inside. The more power you create and harness the greater your recoil will be. The 2 3/4 & 4" are fine up to 500 grains, 600,700 start keyholing at around 45 yards, the longer barrel will take them farther. I had no difficulty getting used to the 500 or did my 5'2" wife, BUT we have been shooting snub 357's, 41 mag,44 mag for nearly 35 years, it is a big jump up, and should not be taken lightly. AS HE stated above going to a 357 revolver, an effective carry weapon/ law enforcement/hunting, very versatile and a good starting point. As for stance you find that as you move down the road, a SW500 can be shot in all the stances/holds you mentioned. If you like the 357 mag and want to move up you can carry the 4" ( I am only 6' ) in a Black Hills High Ride Holster. photos for your pleasure. Be Safe,

 

[diggler1833]

You can always shoot a reduced recoil load, especially if you handload.

There is a reason why there are a ton of used 500s on the market with only a few rounds through them. Somewhere between the 5th and 6th shot the novelty of being punched in the hands starts to wear off for some reason. You are also right about the concussion it throws, especially at an indoor range or semi-enclosed firing position.

I've got a Thompson Contender from many years ago that was given to me by my dad. We have a 10" .30-30 barrel for it. I've shot it just to say that I have, but it will never come out of the box again.

However if you are a die-hard recoil fan that enjoys shooting wrist snappers...just hold on tight, tense your arm muscles, and lean into it.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm not sure.....

How much 'target' type ammo with less kick is available for the .500

It is a magnum cartridge and full loads will be hot.

Learn to handle recoil. Old folks like me do better to the just let the kick take your arms up rather than trying to hold it down. That puts the energy straight into your wrists.

I have a 686 .357 and the hottest loads were painful and hurt my wrists but I seem to have 'learned' how to shoot it.

The big, heavy X frame helps toward keeping recoil down I've seen smallish girls shoot them. Some handle it well, to other's it's a hand full It's like a powerful motorcycle If you just jump on it w/o knowing how to handle it, you can get hurt.

I wonder if they will come out with an alloy framed version of the .500?

PS Shooting something you aren't ready to handle can take the fun out of it quick. I came by an Akkar Turkish pump shotguns, made from plastic and aluminum, and first tried 3" heavy loads. It like to have killed me. I shot some 2 3/4" game loads today and it's very tolerable.

PPS. I've got a video of me getting knocked out of the stall, but the cell phone camera was way to slow to capture the violence it gave me. I was in a bad car wreck and it was kinda like that. NOT a good way to start.

 

[rwsmith]

You can..

You can always shoot a reduced recoil load, especially if you handload.

There is a reason why there are a ton of used 500s on the market with only a few rounds through them. Somewhere between the 5th and 6th shot the novelty of being punched in the hands starts to wear off for some reason. You are also right about the concussion it throws, especially at an indoor range or semi-enclosed firing position.


I've got a Thompson Contender from many years ago that was given to me by my dad. We have a 10" .30-30 barrel for it. I've shot it just to say that I have, but it will never come out of the box again.

However if you are a die-hard recoil fan that enjoys shooting wrist snappers...just hold on tight, tense your arm muscles, and lean into it.

You can get a new barrel for the TC in a smaller caliber. I got plenty of satisfaction shooting a hot .22 Hornet through one. I kind of specialize in reloading really light loads for rifles and pistols.

Just an anecdote for fun. The other day I let a friend try my pistol and I told him to be REALLY careful because it was one hot load. I had put a Speer plastic bullet in it that was propelled by a primer. He was all braced up and the thing went 'pop'. We laff and laff.

 

[Dieseltech56]

My brother bought into the novelty of the 500 rather than having it for any practical purpose. His is the long barrel version and while I don't mind shooting it a few times when I actually sat down and tried to work up a load for it I couldn't take more than 10 shots in a single session. It also messed up my shooting for the rest of the day

I wouldn't mind having one and experimenting with some mid range loads but I wouldn't want to have one as my only big bore revolver. I can't imagine any actual physical pain from shooting it but the muzzle blast definitely affected my shooting ability mentally.

 

[iPac]

I think buying a 500 as your first revolver is foolish.

If you do, make sure you find one of those "shot 3x" used examples, that way once you put 3rds through it and decide to sell, you won't experience that much depreciation.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

Personaly I don't own a 500 mag as an N frame 44 is plenty for anything I will hunt or might try to hunt me for that matter but I have shot a 500 just to say I did . I can see that you could with practice get good with one ,they are hard hitting and hard recoiling but with hand loading it could be a very very versatile round .When I first started shooting a 44 mag 30 years ago I heard the same stories about how crazy the kick was and I heard one about a fella that his 44 kicked him completely out of a tree stand and broke his neck ect ect so on in short do like I did go out to the range a find a guy who owns and shoots one most fellas like that are decent folks and ask can you try a shot or two maybe offer to pay for the ammo as it is pricey the guy that let me shoot his said the look on face was was all tne payment he wanted as I must admit it was one heck of a blast and I mean muzzle blast .I was wearing double hearing protection so I did t hear it as much as felt it it was something but you could get use to it . I must admit I was ringing steel at 100 yards and I " thought" my 44 was impressive but he was about 6 spaces down from me and when that cannon went brother well you could actually feel it but when that big ole bullet hit steel you could hear that too .So go try one out ,all Gods children need to shoot a 500 mag at least once . Oh and do t worry your wrist will heal 6 maybe 8 weeks at the most it's my hip that won't heal as it knocked me on my well hip . Lol lol just kidding ,go try one out before you buy but whatever caliber you decide get yourself a S&W ,I have a few and love em all but be warned first of all these are addictive second of all most of us have had our wives just take at least one revolver for their own.

 

[Mr.Harry]

Revolvers are awesome in their own way and I can totally understand your desire to jump in 'big'. But jumping in X Frame big is kinda like going to the Tippetty top Olympic High diving board for your first dive in. Would never tell you or anyone NOT to do it; but as the mod recommended, why not start a LITTLE smaller? I bought into first revolver with a .44 and I don't regret doing it all. Love it actually. And many would caution against starting there, so who am I to say "don't do it"? But...
As others have said, renting one would definitely be a must before buying one. In my opinion.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Buying a .357 and working up is the best advice in this thread. I know a guy that has a .500 and his Daughter in Law has shot it several times, but it's a kind of novelty. She is a tall slender Lady that probably weighs 135 pounds or so.

I'm with Lee, buy a nice S&W 686 with a 4 or 6" barrel and go from there. They are great revolvers and you can shoot mild .38 Specials to hot .357 loads in it all day long.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Rpg]

I've shot them, just to say I have.

I wouldn't pay my money to own or shoot one.

I can't imagine a real use for one: impressing (or annoying) other folks at the range isn't a goal for me.

These things are too big, clumsy and slow to carry and actually use for defense against large predators, although they are just the thing for fantacy bear attacks.

Since I can find no use for one of these, I have no interest in owning one, or shooting one more than I have.

The recoil is significant, the muzzle blast more than unpleasant.

It's great that we have the freedom to choose.

I choose not to get involved with the 500 or 460.

 

[Rivoak01]

Hi,



This is my first post to this forum and seems to be quite a few friendly people that are more than willing to help anyway they can.

I have an M&P full size and a Shield both 9mm. Also, bought a Kimber Ultra Carry II 9mm. S&W is way more reliable. They will shoot anything.

Now, I'm looking to jump to the top. I have always been told that I should consider getting a revolver based on the reliability factor alone. Makes sense so I am seriously considering buying a 500 4".

I heard good things and bad things about the recoil but mostly good. You never know if the guys telling you it's no big deal are 6'5 and 340 lbs.

Also, I heard the percussion wave coming out the muzzle is overwhelming. Some say it beats you down after a short amount of time.

I'm 5'6" at 160 lbs. I'm fairly strong as I was a competitive powerlifter but am not near strong as I used to be.

I've heard people having broke wrists from shooting the 500. I'd say that was due to bad form???

My question is, does anyone have advice about the best form to use, best grip to have, best stance (Weaver vs. Isosceles) and any advice about what to expect when the recoil hits the back of my hand, where to place the handle in my hand, etc.

Any advice is much appreciated!

I own two .500 & two.460 S&W revolvers. I am 65 years old and average size. What you have heard about "kick like a mule" or dangerous recoil is nonsense. The X frame S&W revolvers have no more recoil than a S&W .44mag. Why? Because the X frames are heavier and have a really well designed handgrip.

There are some important things I recommend an inexperienced shooter remember before shooting any X Frame gun in addition to the usual precautions. Get a proper grip on the revolver. Hold on to the revolver with a death grip like your life depends on it. Lock your elbows. Keep your fingers away from the cylinder gap if you want to keep your fingers. I also recommend plugs and muffs.

If you don't have an X frame yet, I might recommend you start out with a .460. The 460 and .500 have a negligible difference in stopping power, and with the 460, you can shoot cheaper ammo when you want to depower the gun. That's because the .460 can shoot 454 Casull and even 45LC. If you are in a plinking mood, you won't have to burn up ammo at $3 a round to shoot it.

I think the reasons a lot of the .500 revolvers don't get used much is just the cost of the ammo, the fact they aren't really very practical for SD because of their bulk and weight, the fact 500 rounds in an SD situation will over penetrate, and firing one without ear protection is way more likely to cause hearing damage than a 9mm or 45ACP.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[moralem]

Go ahead and do it, your money, your choice if that is what you want. Just because others don't like them for whatever reason doesn't mean you will have the same experience. So rather than listen to the naysayers go get one, try it, evaluate your experience and make a final decision to keep or not......money is never an object in these matters to me. Either I have the money to blow or I don't. And if I don't then whatever plan or dream I had is off the table.....I don't worry about deprecitation, cost of use.....it is the ante to stay in this game. I have my 500 coming from Buds in the next week.

 

[murphydog]

Agree with renting or borrowing one before investing the $1K+ in a model 500 (and ammo at $2-3 per round) and finding it doesn't get along with you. You may also try out a .357 and .44 Magnum at the same time and find out if they are more suitable for you.

You mention having 3 9 mm semiauto pistols, do you have a lot of handgun experience? Shooting a big-bore revolver with full loads well is an acquired skill, and not necessarily because of this combination - effectively using a tiny pocket auto or a .357 snubby poses the same challenge. Good luck in your decision.

 

[primersp]

Hello
I have shoot with a 500 4",no more pain that à 44 mag with heavy bullets
The stock or the 500 help great
Commercial ammo and Castorama un 400grs

 

[DonD]

I can't imagine a real use for one: impressing (or annoying) other folks at the range isn't a goal for me.

These things are too big, clumsy and slow to carry and actually use for defense against large predators, although they are just the thing for fantacy bear attacks.

Since I can find no use for one of these, I have no interest in owning one, or shooting one more than I have.

The recoil is significant, the muzzle blast more than unpleasant.

I'm sure many people like me, own and shoot one for the satisfaction of controlling all that power. These guns are far more accurate than 99% of owners can exploit.

You're way off in saying these guns aren't useful against dangerous predators. I can shoot fairly heavy loads fairly rapidly with decent accuracy and there certainly are better shooters out there than I am.

Concussion? Not an issue if you wear double ear protection.

I have two 500s, have been loading for them and shooting them since 2003. Don

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Welcome to the forum. Revolvers are reliable and the S & W 500 is the biggest, 350 hornady XTP are nice carry loads. The idea that short barrels have more recoil is not correct. I own and shoot 2 3/4", 4", 7.5", 8 3/8", 18" rifle. Without a doubt the shorter barrels do generate a bigger fireball, but that is secondary to burning powder outside the barrel instead of inside. The more power you create and harness the greater your recoil will be. The 2 3/4 & 4" are fine up to 500 grains, 600,700 start keyholing at around 45 yards, the longer barrel will take them farther. I had no difficulty getting used to the 500 or did my 5'2" wife, BUT we have been shooting snub 357's, 41 mag,44 mag for nearly 35 years, it is a big jump up, and should not be taken lightly. AS HE stated above going to a 357 revolver, an effective carry weapon/ law enforcement/hunting, very versatile and a good starting point. As for stance you find that as you move down the road, a SW500 can be shot in all the stances/holds you mentioned. If you like the 357 mag and want to move up you can carry the 4" ( I am only 6' ) in a Black Hills High Ride Holster. photos for your pleasure. Be Safe,

You need some carry grips like I had on mine.

 

[Protocall_Design]

If you shoot a 500 or 460, or let someone else shoot it, only put one round in to begin with. There are a few cases where people who couldn't hold the recoil ended up shooting themselves in the head. This happens when the gun recoils on the first shot and the recoil allows the trigger to reset. Then as the muzzle flips over the top, the trigger is activated again by the rotation of the gun with the finger on the trigger. It all happens in 1/2 a second.