500 s&w

[444shooter]

Just picked up a Handi rifle and wondering if anyone else has one and would have some good starter loads?

 

[Cummins4x4]

I have one but am still shooting the factory stuff I got when I bought it. Just got some 350gr Hornady FTX from Henry N and will be trying Lilgun for the first go around with BR2's.

 

[Andy]

All loads are with the Lee 440 gr cast:

H110 - 38.0 grs - 1750 fps Magnum Primer
H4227 - 37.0 grs - 1640 fps
SR4759 - 40.0 grs (full) - 1850 fps (Hot load - very accurate, SD of only 10 fps on five shots)
IMR4198 - 47.0 grs (full) - 1780 fps
Reloder 7 - 50.0 grs (full) - 1650 fps
WC-735 (surplus powder like H322) - 60.0 grs (full) - 1860 fps Magnum Primer
BLC-(2) - 58.0 grs (full) - 1420 fps Magnum Primer - very accurate

All were accurate and worthy of more work. I expected much higher MV's for all loads, as with H110 and H4227 (Hodgdon loads), they only matched what they listed as for a 8 5/8" barrelled revolver and the NEF has a 22" barrel.

 

[Cummins4x4]

I chrono'd the factory 400gr Win Platinum at a consistant 1900fps. I have been thinking a slower powder than the manuals specify might get over 2k but haven't found any data. Anybody willing to play around with Quickload?

 

[prosper]

I haven't found any loads with 'acceptable' accuracy yet; all were 2-3" at 50 yards, and I want to see that sort of group at 100 yards.

I've worked up some fun 'plinking' loads with 300 grain cast bullets intended for the 50AE over small charges of SR4759 and Blue Dot; right about 1100 fps. Not real accurate, but I'm eager to see what they'll do to a gopher at 25 paces

 

[pageophile]

Loaded up some "slow" loads for the indoor range, 500gr JFP and H110 . . . they were a handful in my 15" T/C Encore. Got some 350gr JHP with H110 ready but they are too fast for the indoor range pistol side.

 

[Andy]

I chrono'd the factory 400gr Win Platinum at a consistant 1900fps. I have been thinking a slower powder than the manuals specify might get over 2k but haven't found any data. Anybody willing to play around with Quickload?

Look above your post - I already tried several slower powders and none of them are likely to get you over 2000 fps, but they might get close. The first three are all at max pressures, and the last four are full cases and won't give you the MV you seek. The only way to get there IMO is to exceed max pressure.

 

[Cummins4x4]

I noticed your post, great info. I don't have enough experience with uncharted territory to predict what would happen with even slower powders like RL10x, RL15 or something like Varget. Hence my request for someone to run these scenarios through quickload to see whats possible.

 

[444shooter]

I have QL and will run some loads. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Cummins4x4]

I have QL and will run some loads. Thanks for the replies.

Awesome, one of these days I will have to bite the bullet and buy QL (groan)

 

[444shooter]

Cartridge : .500 S&W Magnum
Bullet : .500, 350, Hornady XTP 50100
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.300 inch or 58.42 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch or 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon Lil'Gun

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 76 43.20 2016 3157 30410 3088 100.0 1.368
-18.0 78 44.28 2056 3285 32627 3125 100.0 1.329
-16.0 80 45.36 2096 3413 34988 3162 100.0 1.292
-14.0 82 46.44 2135 3542 37502 3197 100.0 1.257
-12.0 84 47.52 2174 3671 40181 3232 100.0 1.223
-10.0 86 48.60 2212 3801 43035 3266 100.0 1.191
-08.0 88 49.68 2249 3932 46077 3300 100.0 1.161
-06.0 90 50.76 2287 4063 49321 3332 100.0 1.131
-04.0 92 51.84 2323 4195 52782 3363 100.0 1.103 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 94 52.92 2360 4328 56477 3394 100.0 1.076 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 96 54.00 2396 4462 60426 3423 100.0 1.050 ! Near Maximum !
+02.0 97 55.08 2432 4597 64649 3452 100.0 1.026 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 99 56.16 2468 4733 69170 3479 100.0 1.002 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 101 57.24 2503 4871 74015 3505 100.0 0.979 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 103 58.32 2539 5009 79214 3530 100.0 0.957 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 105 59.40 2574 5149 84801 3554 100.0 0.935 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 96 54.00 2448 4657 73455 3294 100.0 0.995 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 96 54.00 2317 4172 47656 3617 100.0 1.131

 

[444shooter]

Cartridge : .500 S&W Magnum
Bullet : .500, 500, Hornady FP-XTP 50105
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.300 inch or 58.42 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch or 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon Lil'Gun

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 75 33.60 1586 2792 31745 2307 100.0 1.654
-18.0 77 34.44 1615 2897 33980 2338 100.0 1.611
-16.0 78 35.28 1644 3002 36352 2369 100.0 1.569
-14.0 80 36.12 1673 3107 38870 2400 100.0 1.530
-12.0 82 36.96 1701 3213 41543 2430 100.0 1.492
-10.0 84 37.80 1729 3320 44381 2460 100.0 1.456
-08.0 86 38.64 1757 3427 47395 2488 100.0 1.422
-06.0 88 39.48 1785 3536 50598 2517 100.0 1.389
-04.0 90 40.32 1812 3644 54004 2544 100.0 1.357 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 92 41.16 1839 3754 57627 2571 100.0 1.327 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 93 42.00 1866 3864 61483 2597 100.0 1.297 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0 95 42.84 1892 3976 65592 2622 100.0 1.270 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 97 43.68 1919 4088 69973 2647 100.0 1.243 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 99 44.52 1945 4201 74649 2670 100.0 1.217 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 101 45.36 1972 4316 79646 2693 100.0 1.192 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 103 46.20 1998 4431 84992 2715 100.0 1.167 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 93 42.00 1899 4002 74232 2506 100.0 1.239 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 93 42.00 1816 3661 48868 2732 100.0 1.383

 

[Cummins4x4]

444 I am having difficulty with the numbers here in relation to load data. Hopefully you can shed some light on this?

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 75 33.60 1586 2792 31745 2307 100.0 1.654

Looking at my Hornady book for this bullet and powder shows;

Min 17.6gr Lilgun for 1000fps

Max 28.7gr Lilgun for 1300fps

These numbers are for an 8" revolver

 

[Andy]

This is the Hodgdon data for the 500gr Hornady SP with Lil'Gun again, with an 8" barrel. To me, it's consistent with both the Hornady data, and the Quickload projections:

2.065" OAL

27.0 grs
1356 fps
41,700 PSI

30.0 grs
1463 fps
50,100 PSI

The above does not seem to differ greatly from the Quickload data, as you have to factor in the shorter OAL (2.065" vs. 2.300") which increases pressure (and MV) quite a bit, and the much shorter barrel (8" vs. 22") which decreases the MV by probably 200+ fps (15+ fps/in).

Quickload is a software simulator that is very good at estimating, but it's an estimate, and you have to compare apples to apples, as seemingly small factors can effect large changes. Even with published load data, each gun, powder lot, bullet and shooting temperature is unique, so tables are only good estimates for pressure and MV.

 

[444shooter]

Andy is correct. I will run a few more with shorter OAL and also with different barrel lengths. Another factor is internal case capacity differences.