How many 500 Mag shooters still out there

[ColColt]

Very good reply and I can understand where you're coming from. I once had a M29 with a 4" barrel and it didn't bother me at all, even with "full house" loads. I have to draw the line for myself there, however and give kudos to you guys who most assuredly have greater "testicular fortitude" than myself.

I'll stick with 45 ACP, 9mm and 45 Colt. Those suit me fine. I don't hunt with a pistol, matter of fact, no hunting in many years so, I wouldn't need it for that. Elmer Keith would be grinning like a mule eating briers if he knew about this caliber. He'd probably go squirrel hunting with it.

 

[MTKTM]

Many years ago when I was young and poor, the only gun I had for a very long time was a Model 27 given me by my father for a Christmas gift when I was in high-school. I shot six deer with it over the next several years. The .357 round was adequate, albeit barely, for close range shots on deer-sized game. All deer shot ran varying distances, 50 yards to 150 yards, before laying down and giving up the ghost.

Fast forward several decades, and I shot a nice buck with a 500. He was literally flattened, like he'd been hit by a train. When the gun came down from recoil all I could see were his four legs sticking straight up in the air on the very spot where he'd been standing when I'd popped the shot.

I realize that anecdotal accounts are not scientific at all, but I personally felt that the difference between the performance of the two rounds on game was vast and telling. I appreciated not having to grub through the brush looking for droplets of blood, wondering if I'd crippled an animal, sometimes thrashing about for an hour in waning light trying to locate the poor critter, then field-dressing it in the dark while wondering if a griz or wolf-pack (we have quite a few of both around here) might come to investigate.....and wondering whether the .357 would be sufficient protection in such an event. I mostly hunt alone in mountainous country in western Montana, and find that a 500 has given me a big boost of confidence when I do.

 

[DCWilson]

Well, I'm still a 500 owner, and I would probably be more of a shooter if I ever got a reloading station set up. But I am not about to move on from this revolver just because I don't use it as much as others do. It is an excellent revolver, has an enviably smooth action, and groups tightly (at least with the lower-power loads I shoot at my local range).

Mine's a four incher and looks like every other four incher. I haven't done anything to trick it out.

 

[JD 500]

Like the 8 3/8" so much, I got a 4" to keep her company !!
Still enjoying them both. And I do roll my own too.

 

[charlies]

Still shooting my two... the Encore version. I have a long barrel 24 inch 500 and a 10 inch I prefer the short barrel. KIlled several elk with mine. ONe of these days I'll trade of some 5 screws and get a
S&W

 

[Redhawk1]

Good thing about the 500 Mag, the holes don't get smaller.

 

[MTKTM]

Good thing about the 500 Mag, the holes don't get smaller.

Yup. And even if the bullet does not expand at all it is the equivalent of most other calibers once they have expanded nicely, but carries a lot more energy and bone-crushing capability. My favorite all-around load in the 500 is a CastPerformance 440grain hard-cast SWC bullet over a stout charge of H110/W296 (same powder, different can) which is the equivalent of the well-known 440 grain CorBon load. The bullet doesn't expand, but doesn't need to! That big flat nose and heavy weight coupled with pretty decent velocity just plain smacks stuff down!

 

[jimhoff]

Can't wait to start reloading this lil bastid so I can enjoy it more often. It goes on many a hike

 

[ohiococonut]

I still have all 5 of mine and almost added a 6th several times but other guns keep getting in the way. I'm still reloading and shooting mine all the time.

 

[RightWinger]

Do you think S&W will ever come out with a hammerless, Sc/Ti version that I can wear on my ankle as a back up gun?

 

[.460V & XVR Magnum Man]

I have the 4" and the 6.5" half-lug barrel and they are right up there on the top of my favorite handgun list. I take them out to the range every trip and save them for the last blast, they always seem to catch everyone's attention along with my .460's (5"V & 8-3/8XVR). They sure are fun to shoot and as long as I can shoot them, they will always have a spot in my safe.

 

[310Pilot]

I've had my 8 3/8" .500 for almost a year, and enjoy shooting it quite a bit. In fact, I like it enough that I picked up a 4" 500 a few months ago, as well. Both are fun to shoot, and loading my own is almost a necessity. Accuracy is excellent, and the recoil is nowhere near what most people think it is (you do know you fired it, though). Should be great for elk (if I could ever get drawn again) and bear (I tend to take one with me if I'm out in the boonies, as we have a lot of bear up here in the mountains). As has been said before, it is very well made, and I don't really mind the MIM parts, given the effectiveness of the gun and its obvious high quality. They are the only guns I own with a lock. That reminds me, I need to order a couple of the "Plugs," just in case those lock components mysteriously fall out while the guns are in the safe or on the cleaning/smithing bench .

In my experience, most of the naysayers have never fired a 500. Yes, the recoil can be substantial, but it is nowhere near the problem that seems to be reflected in current mythology. Loading your own is really a necessity with this round, for both the cost savings and the ability to tailor your ammo to your needs. I also cast my own slugs for it (along with most other handgun and a few rifle calibers), both a huge cost savings and a fun hobby, as well. Lee makes a good mould for a 440 grain solid flat-nose (mine generally run about 445 grains as cast), and I have both a 4-cavity Miha 440 grain solid/HP mould and a Miha 700 grain solid/HP mould on order (both are available through a group buy on the Castboolits forum, but those buys will probably be closing soon, as production of those moulds is nearing).

To sum up, the Model 500 is an interesting weapon of very high quality, has excellent accuracy, and certainly delivers a lot of power. A great addition to a collection, and a good shooter.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I have to ask this as it's gotten the best of me. Why would anyone want a handgun, of all things, that fires a 50 cal round? What are you using it for other than bringing down a T-Rex? I thought the 45-70 in a pistol was insane enough. These things must recoil ferociously enough to crack your head open. For me, the 44 Magnum is more than enough power to ever do anything I'd need or want in a handgun.

The reason is fairly obvious. You should note that over the years the animals have otten quite a bit tougher to dispatch cleanly and humanely. Used to be one could kill a deer quite nicely with a 30-30. What with the selective breeding and high tech herd management producing realy quality deer, the lowest calibre reccomended now is a .30-06 and that is really pushing it-you'd be better off with a 7mm Rem Mag or better yet a .300 Win Mag.. Same with elk-the minimum needed for a clean kill is a large belted magnum of no less than .338 calibre. Handguns are much the same-what you used to be able to cleanly kill with a .357 now requires a minimum bore of .4. Evoloution waits for no man and thank God the firearm companies are keeping up with it.

 

[RightWinger]

Cajun,


Glad I'm not alone here, I've been using a .338 Lapua on these monster sized jack rabbits around my neck of the woods.....anything less wouldn't get me a humane kill and would require me to have to track the fury little beast all over the place

 

[Bendutro]

I can't stand the one-hole accuracy or the brick-outhouse toughness of the X-frame. I think I'll sell mine and then post here asking how much I can overload my 629 with 320 grain bullets.

 

[ladder13]

Those 45-70's make great ant killers.

 

[kritter]

I have to ask this as it's gotten the best of me. Why would anyone want a handgun, of all things, that fires a 50 cal round? What are you using it for other than bringing down a T-Rex? I thought the 45-70 in a pistol was insane enough. These things must recoil ferociously enough to crack your head open. For me, the 44 Magnum is more than enough power to ever do anything I'd need or want in a handgun.

I had to jump back in on this, truthfully.. shoot a .500 .There's really a lot of hype, and recoil isn't really that bad, seeming ( to me at least ) about the same as a four inch 29..

It's funny , But I lucked out finding a girlfriend who's a "recoil junkie". We take the .500 out to the range and listen to all the comments about how it's all big & bad , ( and it is..) and how it just has to recoil like, getting hit by a bus, and how It's going to crack my head open, (yes I've actually been told that .)

I just sit there while the girlfriend ( all 4 foot, 11 inches and 98 pounds of her.) loads it up and starts blasting away..

We usually end up having others shoot it too and the normal response is " that not as bad as I though it was gonna be."

all you have to do is hang on,watch the front sight and squeeze the trigger..it's just like getting a shot at the Dr's.. if you don't think about whats about to happen, it's not really that bad..

Yes, I'll get complaints the next day about how her hand is sore and her shoulders hurt ( I'm starting to think it's just an excuse for a back rub,
but that another topic...lol)

anyway she shoots 325 grain magtech's as the heavest loads, anything bigger then recoil becomes an issue..

I've shot the 700 grain slugs once, and that was enough.. prefering the 440 grain to be as heavy as I need to go,, with most of my shooting done with "light loaded" 375 grain hard cast..

anyhow back to the origional question "Why would anyone want a handgun, of all things, that fires a 50 cal round? "

it's super accurate, has a lot of "knock-down" power at long range and mostly.. it just fun... And yes, I may never have to stop a T-Rex. But, if I'm ever attacked by a charging Buick... well I'm prepared.

 

[DonD]

I've been out of town w/o computer so I'll chime in. Have two 500s, have been using them since 2003 and love them, shoot them regularly, won't sell either of them. Don

 

[brian45auto]

i need to shoot mine more.
every time i do get it out, it makes me smile. this past weekend i whacked a bowling ball with it. a 14# ball evaporated in two shots. the power this thing can deliver is increditible, and does it pretty accurately as well. i'm looking to add a 6.5" version to the 8.375" in the stable now. most people are scared going in, but smiling coming out. handloading is only way to go with them, both from cost of shooting and the versatility of it.

 

[ohforester]

Have had the 500, a 7 1/2" PC with factory rail, for 3 years. Have put hundreds of all kinds of reloads through it. Never been a factory round near it. As with other PC revolvers I have owned it is amazingingly accurate. Off hand at 75 yards with a little hepl from me it can hit a 6" steel plate 4 out of 5. It does have a Aimpoint comp red dot with Warne rings. Amazing gun! Have had numerous Smith's but none will put a smile on your face like the 500. They will have pry it from my cold fingers!!! I sold my 44 mags. After you have used a 500 nothing else will please.