Best SD load vs bear in 500 mag snub?

[BugBeard]

Being a self professed snub nosed revolver aficionado I could no longer hold off on getting a S&W 500es.

There is no practical reason to have this gun, but nevertheless, bear do frequent the country I often hike it, albeit rarely. So to get some practical use out of this purchase I'm planning to carry it in a fanny pack when hiking.

That said, does anyone have any recommendations on a load? I got some Cor-Bon DPX 275gr that should yield 1115fps and 760ft lb and some 350gr FMJ for plinking.

I'm assuming most loads should do the job, but just curious what one would carry if anticipating any big game.

I'm probably not going to CCW this, that's ridiculous, but I did find some SD loads watered down to around 800-ish fps and 500-600ftlbs that might be viable.

I wonder if smitty500mag carries this?

 

[BugBeard]

Being a self professed snub nosed revolver aficionado I could no longer hold off on getting a S&W 500es.

There is no practical reason to have this gun, but nevertheless, bear do frequent the country I often hike it, albeit rarely. So to get some practical use out of this purchase I'm planning to carry it in a fanny pack when hiking.

That said, does anyone have any recommendations on a load? I got some Cor-Bon DPX 275gr that should yield 1115fps and 760ft lb and some 350gr FMJ for plinking.

I'm assuming most loads should do the job, but just curious what one would carry if anticipating any big game.

I'm probably not going to CCW this, that's ridiculous, but I did find some SD loads watered down to around 800-ish fps and 500-600ftlbs that might be viable.

I wonder if smitty500mag carries this?

 

[RGAmos]

Corbon 275gr Barnes X at 1665 ft/sec for 1688 ft-lbs.

 

[MTKTM]

I don't have that particular model but do have the 'standard' 4" which, if you remove the comp, is exactly 3" in actual barrel-length. I've shot it fairly extensively and I live in western Montana where a lot of the country I hike/recreate/huckleberry-pick in is griz habitat. I keep mine loaded with the Corbon 440 grain SWCGC. I load a very similar bullet, a Cast Performance version in that same weight and configuration, but just a hair below full velocity, for casual shooting and practice. I have chronographed many loads out of both this gun and an early-production 8 3/8" 500, and in the factory 440 Corbon got an average of 1590 in the longer gun, and 1420 in the 3".....which was actually a bit less of a difference than I'd anticipated.

I just want to add that, despite being effectively a 'solid', the hard-cast 440 grain flat-nosed SWC bullet definitely packs a whollup, slaps stuff down with authority.

 

[460v LAC du FLAMBEAU]

I have the 4" model. I use the Hornady 300 grain SST's.

 

[Pinger4186]

http://www.lsstuff.com/ranger-rick/

Shot some of these out of a buddies 500es.
700gr...it's a handful for sure.

 

[ohiococonut]

Originally posted by Pinger4186:
http://www.lsstuff.com/ranger-rick/

Shot some of these out of a buddies 500es.
700gr...it's a handful for sure.

They certainly are!

At around 1200fps they give 2235 ft/lbs with a Taylor KO of 60. They're more than a handful.

 

[BugBeard]

Ouch!!!! I don't even want to know what it's like to shoot that. I'll stick to my 440gr Buffalo Bore @ 1625fps as a max load.

 

[flop-shank]

Those heavy bullets are slower. I'll guess that their recoil is more of a push type impulse than lighter and faster bullets in that caliber.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Do you really think there's a "bad" 500 Magnum load? I'm fairly sure most any 500 Magnum round will do a lot of damage on anything it hits.

 

[HHI 812]

Bugbead,

You still shooting the 500 Special? How did it shoot? Just got a 500ES. I'm considering reloading it? e-mail at [email protected]
Thanks,
Dennis

 

[BugBeard]

It shoots well, the recoil is suprisingly manageable, but the hot loads are rough.

I find it perfectly shootable but it is definitely more difficult to aim than my other guns which are snub nosed 357's. For example, the sheer inertia of the massive cylinder rotating can even affect the aim.

If a bear attacked me while I was fielding this weapon I would hold off on firing until the last possible moment. For me, effective use of this weapon would be to use it in this way to insure a solid hit.

So I wouldn't feel 'safe' with it by itself, but it is, after all, a lot of firepower in a small package and could be considered a 'melee cannon' of last resort. The short barrel allows the gun to be aimed at an object that is directly next to you and that gives an additional tactical advantage.

If in the wilds I'd carry a long gun but the 500ES would be on my hip. There's more than one account of a bear being repelled or killed by being shot at point blank range and the 500ES could certainly do the job. I'd choose a load that could be shot 1-handed at weird angles without losing a grip on the weapon.