should i go with.44 or straight to 500 magnum

[chillymostly]

ok, so i just really got into revolvers and i love them. i bought a 686+ 2.5" and am having a blast with it. but now im like in love with the 500 4" version. my question is, since im new to revolvers should i get a .44 first to ready myself for the 500? should i get comfortable with a .44 first before i go all out. im not looking to shot the 500 all the time but just more of a fun gun to shoot maybe 10 rounds a range visit.

i know i can handle it, im a big guy 400+ pounds. but i just don't know if flinching would be a problem since .357 is the most powerful hand gun I've ever shot.

any insight would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

[colt_saa]

Welcome to the Forum

The 500 is nowhere near as bad as people expect.

I would jump over the 44 and go straight for the 500

If you handload, there is no handgun cartridge that is more versatile.
The 500 can carry projectiles from 275 grain up to a whopping 725 grains.
Cast and Jacketed loaded anywhere from mild to wild.

 

[mbliss57]

That's really up to you. If I understand your post this is a fun gun to shoot at the range.? If that is the case then it's like asking me should I buy a 1970 Chevelle SS or a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner..the answer is... what ever floats your boat. They are both great high powered revolvers. Since no hunting is in question then buy the one you really are drawn to.
I have owned both..for pure awesome factor the 500 is hard to beat.

 

[chillymostly]

yea thats how im feeling. i think the 500 is what im going to go with. thanks for the replies.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Ammo cost and availability goes to the 44.

Even reloading, costs are more reasonable for the 44.

A 44 can do 90% of all duties you need a handgun to do. Other than taking a dinosaur that is.

That said, I just got a 480 which in its own way is along the lines of the 500, but that said, I have many 44's, both magnums and specials and they are sweet.

Really up to you, depends on how deep your pockets are really.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I'd suggest you rent a 44 Mag to try it out first, if you have that option in your area. Everybody's different & some people can't handle big bore, short barrel, ball of flame around your head, magnums.

I agree with colt_saa that the 500's are not as bad as you'd think, but it's a big jump from a .357 to a .500 if you haven't gotten used to something in-between.

Snapping Twig already hit on the cost per round subject. 500 components just seem harder to find around here too.

.

 

[Seraphim]

I have a S&W 460 - I chose it over the 500 for versatility: it shoots 45 Colt, .454 Casull and and .460. Not much difference between .460 and .500

 

[Seraphim]

If it's just about ego, owning the biggest, try the .600 nitro express.

 

[roscoepc]

If you can handle a hot .357 round, you can handle the 500... Start off with the Winchester 350gr reduced recoil rounds and you'll be fine!!

 

[jack the toad]

IMO and I've said this before, the Sc/Ti models in both .357 & .44 are not for the recoil sensitive more so than the X frames.
Nothing wrong with owning a .44, in fact I can recommend it. But if you have the need or urge for a .500, there is a variety of loads from mild to wild that allow you to work up to the T-rex killers. Deep pockets required though unless you reload. If you have the green, why not get both? Sounds like you are on that slippery slope of revolver lore so you likely will end wanting a .44 anyway.

 

[Dave Lively]

I would also recommend going with the 460 if you are unsure about the recoil. If full power 460s are too much you always have the option of going with 454 Casull "downloads" or even all the way down to .45 colts loaded light for cowboy action shooting. With the lighter loads it will as mild as a .44 magnum shooting specials but on the high side the 460 can get much closer to the 500. Not all factory loads for the 500 are designed for Kodiak bears but you would have a much wider range of options with the 460.

Ammo is going to be expensive with any of these guns but that is less of an issue for a gun you are only going to shoot 10 rounds per trip to the range. While on a $/round basis these sort of guns are very expensive but on a fun/$ basis they can be a bargain. I recently bought a S&W 69 .44 magnum and currently get more enjoyment from shooting $50 worth of ammo through it than I do shooting $50 worth of ammo through my 9mm, even the the round count is a lot lower.

After being overweight since I was a boy I lost 110 pounds 15 years ago at age 40. I found losing weight did not make it harder to shoot guns with heavy recoil. Carrying around the extra weight did build up some extra muscle and the extra mass made it easier to control the guns. But it did nothing to reduce the sharp slap lightweight revolvers are known for. Would catching a fastball hurt you less than some skinny guy? Even with guns known for more of a push than a slap I did not really notice any difference. Follow up shots take longer since it is harder for me to control the gun now but the recoil does not seem more punishing.

 

[hogdoctor]

I have a 3" 629-1 .44Mag and an 8.375" 460 XVR. Factory loads in my 44 have violent recoil while my hottest handloads in my 460 are much more managable. I absolutely love them both. When I got the 460 I was torn between it and the 500. My gunsmith/armorer buddy reccommended I get the 460 because of it's versatility. (45Colt,454Casull, 460Mag, and even 45 Schofield can be fired in it.) I am so glad I went with the 460 . That said, I'll give this advice: Decide what you like best and really want based on your own research, and then don't let anyone change your mind about it. Get it and have fun! Happy shooting and God Bless.