Proud Owner Of A New SW500

T

tencrore

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2015
Messages
17
Reaction score
29
Location
Livermore, CA
Just picked up my SW500 this afternoon! What a beauty! Hoping to take it to the range this weekend. Looking it over, everything looks in order and I hope it shoots the same too. For you reloaders out there, can you suggest some TAME recipes, around 1000 fps, using Hodgdon's HP38 or H110 using Hornady's XTP Mag 350 grain bullets. I'm using Starline brass with CCI's Magnum Large Pistol Primers (No. 350).

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3716.jpg
    IMG_3716.jpg
    94 KB · Views: 139
  • IMG_3717.jpg
    IMG_3717.jpg
    79.4 KB · Views: 114
Register to hide this ad
tencrore said:
Just picked up my SW500 this afternoon! What a beauty! Hoping to take it to the range this weekend. Looking it over, everything looks in order and I hope it shoots the same too. For you reloaders out there, can you suggest some TAME recipes, around 1000 fps, using Hodgdon's HP38 or H110 using Hornady's XTP Mag 350 grain bullets. I'm using Starline brass with CCI's Magnum Large Pistol Primers (No. 350).

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Click to expand...

Congrats on your new 500 S&W, I'm sure you'll love yours as much as I love mine, they're a hoot to shoot!

Unless you have some VERY old Starline brass, the correct primer is LARGE RIFLE. I highly recommend using Winchester Magnum Large Rifle primers, they seem to work the best for 500 owners.

I can't really recommend any light loads, maybe others can, but I can steer you away from anything light using H-110. The powder H-110 does NOT like to be loaded down, take those words to heart if you value the digits on your hands and your 500 in one piece. Somewhere around 41 - 42 gr. of H110 with those 350 gr. XTPs should be fine but it's going to be somewhat faster than you're looking for, maybe around 1700 - 1800 fps.

Play it safe, look up the load data, pick up some Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primers with H110 and have fun. The 500 was meant to be shot with full power loads, IMHO, trying to load her down has caused more than one 500 owner grief.
 
Last edited:
tencrore said:
Just picked up my SW500 this afternoon! What a beauty! Hoping to take it to the range this weekend. Looking it over, everything looks in order and I hope it shoots the same too. For you reloaders out there, can you suggest some TAME recipes, around 1000 fps, using Hodgdon's HP38 or H110 using Hornady's XTP Mag 350 grain bullets. I'm using Starline brass with CCI's Magnum Large Pistol Primers (No. 350).

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Click to expand...

Ought to be a law against this. Man, that is a "500"!! Get the biggest loads you can find and go blow things up. A .38 special is "tame". Whew! Had to get that out of my system. Beautiful gun. Hope you get a lot of good times shooting it. Enjoy and be safe.
 
Why are reduced loads so finicky in this calibre? My go to powder for reduced loads in centerfire rifle cartridges is AA5744 and just as noted above there is ONE recommended load for each bullet weight for the 500.
 
I've used Win 296 with 350 grains Hornady JHPs. Somewhere around 39-40.5 grains is pretty tame.

I enjoy shooting mine. The 500 grain JHPs are pretty stout, bordering on unpleasant. I have shot 20 at a time. Not my idea of fun.[emoji23]




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
For "tame" loads, it seems that Trail Boss comes up frequently.

Try a search on that powder, and see if you like what you find.

Otherwise, Federal Fusion 325's are pretty mellow factory loads.
 
Thank you all for your advice on lighter loads. I was incorrect when I said I'll be using CCI 350's for the 500. They are for the 44 reloads. Thank you Truckn10mm for that correction!

Please keep the "500 lighter load" advice coming! This Hand Cannon kind of has me intimidated!
 
Did that fine looking 500 hand cannon come with training wheels? Just kidding but from what I have heard that is the poster gun for a hand cannon.
 
tencrore said:
Thank you all for your advice on lighter loads. I was incorrect when I said I'll be using CCI 350's for the 500. They are for the 44 reloads. Thank you Truckn10mm for that correction!

Please keep the "500 lighter load" advice coming! This Hand Cannon kind of has me intimidated!
Click to expand...



You can also shoot 500 specials instead of magnums. The cool thing is the widest range of bullet grain weights all the way up to 709+.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Go to Hodgdon.com and find some very nice Trail Boss loads. You do not want to load low density powder charges with any powder but particularly ball powder like H110 which a previous poster commented on.

With the Trail Boss you don't need gas checked slugs, plain base works fine but not with hot loads. Don
 
9mmsubgun-m11 said:
For tame loads I use Starline brass,Win L-Rifle primers,350gr Berrys plated bullets,11gr of TiteGroup for around 1000fps. Can shoot this all day.
Click to expand...

Don't mean to sound arrogant but I'd stay away from such a light load of TiteGroup. I've had occasional erratic ignition with slightly heavier powder charges. Suggest Trail Boss. Don
 
snuffy51 said:
Ought to be a law against this. Man, that is a "500"!! Get the biggest loads you can find and go blow things up. A .38 special is "tame". Whew! Had to get that out of my system. Beautiful gun. Hope you get a lot of good times shooting it. Enjoy and be safe.
Click to expand...

Exactly...........it's a 500 MAGNUM.............it's made to be loud, hurt your hand, and destroy things. Go out and shoot the biggest baddest rounds you can find, Underwood ammo 700 Grain.
 
Now that you have a 500 check out Trailmaster holsters. You can thank me later.
 
They are great firearms. I picked up my 500 a month or so ago - exactly the same as yours.
Had it at the range this past weekend with my chronny - all my loads were Sierra 350 or 400 gr bullets between 1400 and 1550 ftps. I tried H110, AA#9 and LilGun. All low to medium loads based on load info.

I have some Trail Boss but have yet to use that (in any cartridge). I did buy it for the 500. Seems like another range trip is in order.
These guns are plenty heavy and that absorbs quite a bit of the recoil. I put a scope on my 460XVR and that helps too by adding more weight.

If you have any time behind a 454 Casull or other big bore you won't find this too bad even with medium loads. Now, if you approach max - ymmv.
 
AmStaff64 said:
They are great firearms. I picked up my 500 a month or so ago - exactly the same as yours.
Had it at the range this past weekend with my chronny - all my loads were Sierra 350 or 400 gr bullets between 1400 and 1550 ftps. I tried H110, AA#9 and LilGun. All low to medium loads based on load info.

I have some Trail Boss but have yet to use that (in any cartridge). I did buy it for the 500. Seems like another range trip is in order.
These guns are plenty heavy and that absorbs quite a bit of the recoil. I put a scope on my 460XVR and that helps too by adding more weight.

If you have any time behind a 454 Casull or other big bore you won't find this too bad even with medium loads. Now, if you approach max - ymmv.
Click to expand...



The Ruger Alaskan has some nice recoil.[emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
If I were to load some light plinkers for the 500, my first choice would be TrailBoss and cast lead or the plated lead like Berry's or Rainier. With the bulky TrailBoss powder, no worries about powder position causing a strange detonation issue.

On the recoil of the big 500, when I first fired one, I was shocked. It's not brutal at all, the Ruger Alaskan 454 Casull is somewhat worse in my estimation, with more snap, less push. I haven't tried any 700 gr loads in mine, but I've pushed some of the lighter stuff, 370's and 440's up pretty warm. I chrony'd those 370 gr. loads at 1920 FPS, more than 3000 ft/lbs. energy and the recoil wasn't bad at all.
 
I hope you don't stand next to me at the range...the concussion from those bad boys is tough ! Reminds me of an old song " You shake my nerves and rattle my brains , Too much gun drives a man insane"
Just kidding , looks like an awesome weapon, have fun!
Gary
 
a2c13a8cf6c941c1f6000b6bc7733ce2.jpg


aeaadb1135f8b8f4ec07ea7866a067b5.jpg


Here are my revolvers from 357 to 44 to 454 to 460 to 500.

I'd like an 8.5" 500 some day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
DonD said:
Don't mean to sound arrogant but I'd stay away from such a light load of TiteGroup. I've had occasional erratic ignition with slightly heavier powder charges. Suggest Trail Boss. Don
Click to expand...

I have shot 5-800 of this load and yet to have any issues. Wander if the problem you experienced could have to do with the crimp.
 
tencrore said:
Just picked up my SW500 this afternoon! What a beauty! Hoping to take it to the range this weekend. Looking it over, everything looks in order and I hope it shoots the same too. For you reloaders out there, can you suggest some TAME recipes, around 1000 fps, using Hodgdon's HP38 or H110 using Hornady's XTP Mag 350 grain bullets. I'm using Starline brass with CCI's Magnum Large Pistol Primers (No. 350).

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure all 500 brass now use rifle primers.

I recommend 5744 for tame loads, but like others have said, this gun should be shot with true 500 mag loads. It's not too tough to manage the recoil. The biggest difference in the recoil is the large shove, which as long as you're not on your heels, you'll be fine.
 
Congrations! That is a fine little cannon! Every S&W enthusiast should own or at the very least, shoot a SW 500 sometime in their lives. I bought and sold mine years ago but boy was it a blast while I had her. Mine had a 6.5" barrel with the 1/2 underlug. Its still the nicest looking SW500 IMO. I never bothered to load it light. My entire adult family spent some time shooting it. My wife shot it 1 time. Some of you may know that she shoots competition and I often brag that she can outshoot me most days. (The student is now better than the teacher) Well I stood behind her when she shot in case in knocked her on her backside. When the smoke cleared she was standing just fine and there was a single 1/2 inch hole dead center of the Shoot n see bulls eye. She put the gun down, smiled at me and said.."there...I'm done"
 
tencrore said:
Please keep the "500 lighter load" advice coming! This Hand Cannon kind of has me intimidated!
Click to expand...

Congrats! The 500 S&W is best when handloaded to the level that suits you.

Here's a thread I started a while back. One good thing is if you want to download these a bit more it's no problem with the powders mentioned (Unique, Power Pistol, Bluedot, I4227)

.

Range Fodder for the 500 S&W : ACME, HSM & RAINIER bullets

.
 
Last edited:
I use 36.0 grains of IMR4227 with a 320 grain lead bullet that was designed for the 50AE. I use magnum large rifle primers. This load limps along at just about 1000fps and is very accurate from my 8 3/8 inch barrel. It also does not lead up the barrel as the bullets I am using are a bit soft.

Congratulations on your new gun. I have found that messing around with the 500 is a lot of fun!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Cartridge pressure?
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
jerffey
J
P
AA#9 158 JHP 357 Chrono Results and BC Gap Question
Replies
21
Views
1K
Yendor357
Y
P
.357 Mag Pressure Signs: How Sticky is Too Sticky?
2
Replies
46
Views
3K
rosewood
rosewood
S
Help with a 44 Magnum Load, PLEASE!
Replies
17
Views
2K
Eddie Southgate
Eddie Southgate
BLUEDOT37
WLP - Rem 2½ primers, are they magnum primers? The 44 test
Replies
27
Views
7K
Mawaylixx
M

Latest posts

Back
Top