500 S&W brass question

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mike445

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I'm fairly new to reloading. I have reloaded 9mm, 45 ACP, and 44 magnum with no issues. I'm moving up to the 500 S&W magnum next. I have a question about the brass however. I bought my brass "once fired", there are several different headstamps. Some say R (large rifle) and some don't. I'm assuming the ones that don't say R take large pistol primers? Attached is a picture of the headstamps I have received. I'll be reloading the 500's with Lil Gun (any other suggestions on powder would be great too). Am I correct in thinking that only the headstamps with R or LR take large rifle primers and the others take large pistol primers or large pistol magnum primers? Any help would be great! thank you!
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Mike C.
 
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1-Reload according to manual. My manual says large rifle magnum, so that's what I would use, no matter what's on the brass. Don't use non-magnum primers with magnum powders or vice-versa, it'll mostly suck.
2-Only difference between rifle and pistol primers is supposed to be cup rigidity, so the brass wouldn't determine which primers to use (unless it's the size large/small such as for 45acp).
3-I would try H100/W296 for powder.
 
I reload 460 magnum and 454 Casull with Hodgdon H110 but it's kind of tricky on the crimp and load. What I mean is I tried smaller loads with the Casulls but needed a heavy crimp otherwise the primer would fire but the powder would not ignite giving you a nice squib to get out of your barrel. What seems to work for both is a load as close to the seated bullet as you can and a normal crimp. (pic of a crimp for 357 magnum and a few Casull. Crimp is the same for 460)
Once you get used to that powder it's all good but you might have a few squibs at first problems will all be crimp or load

upload image on internet

I also reload 9mm .45 ACP and a few 38 special but the large 45's were another ball game
 
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Pencilneck said:
I reload 460 magnum and 454 Casull with Hodgdon H110 but it's kind of tricky on the crimp and load. What I mean is I tried smaller loads with the Casulls but needed a heavy crimp otherwise the primer would fire but the powder would not ignite giving you a nice squib to get out of your barrel. What seems to work for both is a load as close to the seated bullet as you can and a normal crimp. (pic of a crimp for 357 magnum and a few Casull. Crimp is the same for 460)
Once you get used to that powder it's all good but you might have a few squibs at first problems will all be all crimp or load

upload image on internet

I also reload 9mm .45 ACP and a few 38 special but the large 45's were another ball game
Click to expand...
Thank you. I was thinking about using H110 or Winchester 296 as well. Do you use a factory crimp die or the seating die to crimp the 454? I have the 3 die sets for my 44 magnum and the 500. I had a problem today at the range with the 44's. The crimp wasn't tight enough and the 6th round would extend past the cylinder. I had to take it out and reseat it before shooting it. They weren't loaded with H110 though. I'm taking baby steps with the 500.
Mike C.
 
mike445 said:
Thank you. I was thinking about using H110 or Winchester 296 as well. Do you use a factory crimp die or the seating die to crimp the 454? I have the 3 die sets for my 44 magnum and the 500. I had a problem today at the range with the 44's. The crimp wasn't tight enough and the 6th round would extend past the cylinder. I had to take it out and reseat it before shooting it. They weren't loaded with H110 though. I'm taking baby steps with the 500.
Mike C.
Click to expand...

I use the seating die to crimp the 500.
 
I wouldn't use max loads with pistol primers in the 500, that's why they have changed it to rifle primers. I bought a bag of winchester brass for my 500 and it used large pistol primers. after wrecking a firing pin using near max loads of h110 with large mag pistol primers i picked up a large rifle primer pocket uniform tool to change them to rifle primers. I only use them for light target loads now though.

As for powders i've tried alot for my 500 mag; H110/W296, lil'gun, AA1680 are good for full house loads. imr 4227, imr 4759, imr 4198, AA5744, longshot are good for midrange and trailboss for very light loads.

For jacketed bullets i seat and crimp in one step with my lee dies, for cast i seat in one step then crimp in another, both steps using my lee dies.

Lighter bullets like the ones your using don't seem to need as heavy of a crimp but with my 700gr loads i need a very heavy crimp. I've had the 5th round come out enough to lock up the cylinder.

VinnyQC said:
2-Only difference between rifle and pistol primers is supposed to be cup rigidity, so the brass wouldn't determine which primers to use (unless it's the size large/small such as for 45acp).
Click to expand...

large rifle primers are larger/taller (height wise) then large pistol primers.
 
Spawn-Inc said:
I wouldn't use max loads with pistol primers in the 500, that's why they have changed it to rifle primers. I bought a bag of winchester brass for my 500 and it used large pistol primers. after wrecking a firing pin using near max loads of h110 with large mag pistol primers i picked up a large rifle primer pocket uniform tool to change them to rifle primers. I only use them for light target loads now though.

As for powders i've tried alot for my 500 mag; H110/W296, lil'gun, AA1680 are good for full house loads. imr 4227, imr 4759, imr 4198, AA5744, longshot are good for midrange and trailboss for very light loads.

For jacketed bullets i seat and crimp in one step with my lee dies, for cast i seat in one step then crimp in another, both steps using my lee dies.

Lighter bullets like the ones your using don't seem to need as heavy of a crimp but with my 700gr loads i need a very heavy crimp. I've had the 5th round come out enough to lock up the cylinder.



large rifle primers are larger/taller (height wise) then large pistol primers.
Click to expand...
Awesome information! Thank you!! I've separated the brass. The ones that require large pistol primers will be saved for lighter loads. Should I use large pistol magnum primers or regular large pistol primers? I have thousands of regular large pistol primers. The majority of the brass has large rifle primer pockets. If you have any recipes to share for a good mid load I'd love to have it. The only powder I have right now is CFE Pistol so I'll need to buy powder for my 500 regardless. Thanks is again!
Mike C.
 
mike445 said:
Awesome information! Thank you!! I've separated the brass. The ones that require large pistol primers will be saved for lighter loads. Should I use large pistol magnum primers or regular large pistol primers? I have thousands of regular large pistol primers. The majority of the brass has large rifle primer pockets. If you have any recipes to share for a good mid load I'd love to have it. The only powder I have right now is CFE Pistol so I'll need to buy powder for my 500 regardless. Thanks is again!
Mike C.
Click to expand...

should be fine with large pistol primers but i just use magnum because they were always available. I'm planning on making a thread in the new recipe section for the 500 mag when i get some free time. Just keep an eye on the primers for pressure signs and you should be fine.
 
Spawn-Inc said:
should be fine with large pistol primers but i just use magnum because they were always available. I'm planning on making a thread in the new recipe section for the 500 mag when i get some free time. Just keep an eye on the primers for pressure signs and you should be fine.
Click to expand...
I'll keep an eye out for your post. Thank you. I will give it a try with the large pistol primers and large rifle primers. I'll make 20 at a time and see how it goes at the range. I look forward to seeing your recipe!
Mike C.
 
I would use long wooden fireplace matches to light off your 500 S&W and go easy on the charcoal lighter fluid. you could burn all the hair off your hand and arm. :evil:

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mike445 said:
Thank you. I was thinking about using H110 or Winchester 296 as well. Do you use a factory crimp die or the seating die to crimp the 454? I have the 3 die sets for my 44 magnum and the 500. I had a problem today at the range with the 44's. The crimp wasn't tight enough and the 6th round would extend past the cylinder. I had to take it out and reseat it before shooting it. They weren't loaded with H110 though. I'm taking baby steps with the 500.
Mike C.
Click to expand...

I'm using a factory roll crimp, the seating/crimp die didn't do so well (which is why I had squibs. seating die does work for the 357 though) if I went further I was squashing the brass on 454's. Lucky for me the 454 crimp die also works with the 460 magnum.
RCBS does have a roll crimp seater die for the 500
https://x-reload.com/rcbs-500-s-w-roll-crimp-seater-die.html

Crimping counts for a lot on these high power rounds
 
Pencilneck said:
I'm using a factory roll crimp, the seating/crimp die didn't do so well (which is why I had squibs. seating die does work for the 357 though) if I went further I was squashing the brass on 454's. Lucky for me the 454 crimp die also works with the 460 magnum.
RCBS does have a roll crimp seater die for the 500
https://x-reload.com/rcbs-500-s-w-roll-crimp-seater-die.html

Crimping counts for a lot on these high power rounds
Click to expand...

Thank you again for the information.
Mike C.
 
mike445 said:
Excellent!! Thank you!!! Any suggestions for mid power loads to throw down range? I'm using 350 grain Hornady and 350 grain Berry's. I appreciate all your input.
Mike C.
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i am using 440Gr cast with a GC H110 35Gr
700Gr cast with GC H110 28Gr.

will watch for the recipe page, didn't even know that was here... have some other bullet options to cast in a 4 cavity noe mold, 450,500,550,600 and another which is 490 and a NOE 375 Grain .502 Spire Point on the way. going to be doing some casting soon...
 
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