500 S&W Mag Powder Suggestions

[roscoepc]

Ok, I've pretty much settled on the size boolet, (350gr), and performance I'm looking for, (about 1200fps), to use in my 500. The only trouble is the only Bonafide, From the Manufacturer, load info I've found is using TiteGroup which, while it's a good powder that I have had no problems with, I have to be EXTREMELY tight with my loading procedures to avoid a double throw.

For the record, I'm STILL gonna be tight with my loading procedures, I'm just looking for a powder that'll fill the case more than TiteGroup!

And PLEASE... No post's about blowing up my gun using TiteGroup.. I've been there, Done that, and have been read the Riot Act about it!!

Ok, The Spec's are: 350gr boolet traveling at about 1200fps with verifiable manufacture's loading info.

Many Thanks for all responses!!!

 

[colt_saa]

Ok, The Spec's are: 350gr boolet traveling at about 1200fps with verifiable manufacture's loading info.

This will be your problem. The 500 Smith and Wesson Magnum is a realativly new cartridge

I began hand-loading and shooting the 500 Smith and Wesson Magnum about 6 months before S&W began publicly shipping revolvers.

Those of us that have been shooting the 500 Smith and Wesson Magnum the longest had to work up loads from nothing. Much of what we shoot will not have verifiable Manufacturers data.

 

[iouri]

You can guarantee to avoid double charge by using "slow" powders, H110, Enforcer, 2400 but those probably will put you over 1200. I've been using Enforcer lately and had to bump charge almost to powder manufacturers max otherwise it was real messy but bullet is almost sitting on the powder so there's no way case can be double charged. It produces about 1340 fps out of my 7.5" (in the manual they state about 1900 !). I've also tried 4227 - also good case fill and even less fps. So you can try 4227 or it's Hodgdon analog. Recipes available at hodgdonreloading.com. Good luck.

 

[roscoepc]

Thank's Guy's!!

iouri, a quick search for the Enforcer powder turned up some info on the ACCURATE 5744 powder that seems to fit my needs to a T!!: ACCURATE 5744: 350 HDY XTP 32.8 1,264fps.

The thing is they list a minimum charge of 32.8gr with no maximum?? Does the 32.8gr fill the case that full??

 

[iouri]

Yes, A5744 often mentioned to be same as Enforcer. You can check manufacturer's manual. I've checked and their recipes have both min and max charge. Their min is way higher than you've posted and very close to Enforcer. I'm pretty sure that even min charge you posted won't allow double charge.

 

[moralem]

For those of us that don't load what commercial brands and specs should I look to try in my new 500?

 

[ruggyh]

Thank's Guy's!!

iouri, a quick search for the Enforcer powder turned up some info on the ACCURATE 5744 powder that seems to fit my needs to a T!!: ACCURATE 5744: 350 HDY XTP 32.8 1,264fps.

The thing is they list a minimum charge of 32.8gr with no maximum?? Does the 32.8gr fill the case that full??

The 100% case fill for 5744 with 350 XTP MAG is about 44 grains. That said 100% case fill of 5744 on produces about 52-54kpsi in 500 S&W per my testing- velocity was around 1760 fps. No issue with a case full in 500.

Get powder chose for what you want along with Trailboss and Tin Star.

A 100% fill of Trailboss will send an 350 XTP MAG about 1000 fps.

A 100% fill of Vhit N32C or Tin Star will do about 1250 fps

1680 is also suitable for reduced loads in 500 but unfortunately I cant find my notes right now to provide any additional insight.

A5744 often mentioned to be same as Enforcer.

These are very different powder and data should not be exchanged - 44 grains of Enforcer is about 90% case fill and would produce about 65Kpsi and a full case of it, about 48 grains would produce a peak pressure of about 80Kpsi. (I have not personally pressure tested this powder in 500 S&W)


John Ross put out a paper on loads for 500S&W and powders suitable for downloading. Anyone wanting a copy can PM me with personal email address and will send you the PDF

A number of rifle powders- powders generally considered to slow for handgun cartridges that work fine for reduced loads in the 500. My personal favorite among them is 3031.

be safe
Ruggy

 

[CH4]

Trailboss! It'll get you 1200 FPS with a 350 grain bullet and it's IMPOSSIBLE to double charge.

 

[iouri]

These are very different powder and data should not be exchanged - 44 grains of Enforcer is about 90% case fill and would produce about 65Kpsi and a full case of it, about 48 grains would produce a peak pressure of about 80Kpsi. (I have not personally pressure tested this powder in 500 S&W)





be safe

Ruggy

I'm looking at powder manufacturers data and according to them max charge for this bullet weight is 45-46.5 depending on the bullet, producing 54-55k psi



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[ruggyh]

I'm looking at powder manufacturers data and according to them max charge for this bullet weight is 45-46.5 depending on the bullet, producing 54-55k psi
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Check each powder technical data sheets

There are numerous powders that will have similar behavior in a specific cartridge and still are very different.

Here are few of the detailed specifics of the these two powders.

Enforcer
Density 1.580
Heat of Explosion/potential 4005 kj/kg
progressive burn limit .315
Specific heat 1.2310

5447
Density 1.570
Heat of Explosion/potential 4713 kj/kg
progressive burn limit .119
Specific heat 1.2110


be safe
Ruggy

 

[SuperMan]

I have a 4" 500 and have settled on 350 grain bullets also...

18.0 is about 1050 fps

20.0 is about 1250 fps...

If you double charge with 18 grains it fills the case almost to the top...hard not to notice that...

Bob

 

[ruggyh]

I don't want to move the thread in side ways direction but will make a few addition comments here on loading large cross sectional cases.

While true double charge are a problem these are and should be be readily visible and apparent to the hand loader. The problem is that with dense fast powder the pressure rise very fast with just small change even in these large volume case (some refer to this as being spikey).

In the 500 S&W case you cannot see a 1 grain difference in the charge of a powder like Tite group.

The point here is don't need a double charge of fast power to cause a problem a feww grains will get you there and even the sharpest eyes won't detect the problem.

apologizes to Roscoepc for getting a little of topic in his thread

be safe and choose your powder wisely
Ruggy

 

[iouri]

Check each powder technical data sheets

There are numerous powders that will have similar behavior in a specific cartridge and still are very different.

Here are few of the detailed specifics of the these two powders.

Enforcer
Density 1.580
Heat of Explosion/potential 4005 kj/kg
progressive burn limit .315
Specific heat 1.2310

5447
Density 1.570
Heat of Explosion/potential 4713 kj/kg
progressive burn limit .119
Specific heat 1.2110


be safe
Ruggy

Thanks, Ruggy, I wasn't arguing about differences between enforcer and 5447, just pointed out that for enforcer powder manufacturer shows lower pressures (around 55k for max load)


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[rwsmith]

Minimum load of Power Pistol...

In the Speer #14 book a minimum charge of Power Pistol gets about 1250 fps.

23.0 gr of PP with a 350 gr jacketed.

I don't have the data but I would think anything slower down to about Unique would be able to do the job. Acc 7??

 

[wwsmith111]

IMR 4227

You can guarantee to avoid double charge by using "slow" powders, H110, Enforcer, 2400 but those probably will put you over 1200. I've been using Enforcer lately and had to bump charge almost to powder manufacturers max otherwise it was real messy but bullet is almost sitting on the powder so there's no way case can be double charged. It produces about 1340 fps out of my 7.5" (in the manual they state about 1900 !). I've also tried 4227 - also good case fill and even less fps. So you can try 4227 or it's Hodgdon analog. Recipes available at hodgdonreloading.com. Good luck.

I have used IMR 4227 for over 50 years. It has always been the best magnum load I have tried in 357, 44, and 30 Herret. And I have tried many. I haven't reloaded 500 yet but that is where I'm going to start. 4227. How has a good reloading manual for 500? Hornady?

 

[Nemo288]

I was gonna suggest IMR4227.
That's the premier powder for the 44 Supermag I load using all bullet weights.
You may have to accept somewhat higher than 1200 fps velocity to get the best accuracy and burn of the 4227.
Use H4227 data as a start (with the usual start 10% low and work up advice).

 

[2500]

I use H110 for my .500 reloads. very accurate. Just be sure to use a magnum rifle primer. A lesser primer may not ignite the powder and the bullet will lodge in the barrel. Really a pain to pull everything apart and change primers after loading a couple hundred of them.