S&w 500

Jericho

Jericho

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When I finish bmq in November, I want to buy a massive revolver... something my current collection is lacking. I've been looking at a few... but the S&W 500 has caught my attention the most.

Just wondering if any of you out there have one, and how you find it. I realize it won't be too cheap and ammo will be a little costly. If you have rough figures on ammo and the cost of the revolver, do tell.
 
I don't know what you have or have any experience with but the .500 S&W isn't a toy. I've found it to be extremely accurate, with just about anything you 'push' through it, but with the heavier loads, there is a price to pay and I've made mention of it before. Even with the factory Hogue grips, going with full house loads, especially with the heavier bullets, it has the ability to inflict pain at both ends.
Ammo and components were initally hard to come by and even now aren't all that readily available. Hand loading is pretty well a must, dollar wise and for variety of loads. I've never bought factory ammo as the prices are next to gold and again, variety & availability 'here' leaves a lot to be desired.
If you feel it's something you can't live without, send me a PM and I'll put you on to a couple of sources of supply for components, and reloading info.
 
with the factory 350 grn loads she's not to bad at all. Wouldn't want to shoot it all day long, but I'd happily put 20-30 rounds through it at a time (which would be all I can afford anyways) . I've never fired one with heavier bullets then that, so I don't have an opinion there....
 
The .500 S&W ripped the skin off my palm on the first shot and I was holding on ####in tight.

Highly suggest you TRY this firearm before you buy it.

It's god damn mean!!!
 
Grove said:
The .500 S&W ripped the skin off my palm on the first shot and I was holding on f**kin tight.
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Not sure what loads you were given the opportunity to try but as a few people here have pointed out (through their own experiance), it's as bad as you want to make it. Shooting the 350gr bullets with "reasonable" loads it's not much different than a .44 BlackHawk . I've had several people that have way more experiance than me with big magnum hand guns try mine and they are pleasently surprised at how "mild" it is compared to what they were imagining it would be like. You want a big magnum, this is your choice. As John pointed out, they are amazingly accurate which makes them that much more fun to shoot. I like to take mine to rifle range and bing the 100 Yard gong.
 
The first 'lighter' load I fired in the .500 S&W was one my buddy had for his. I had no intention of getting one until I tried his. The basics of the load was a cast 440gr LFN with GC, using 14grs of Unique for about 1000 f/sec. I squeezed five slow shots off of a rest at a target at 25 m's. When my partner brought back the target with one big ragged hole just over an inch, I 'NEEDED' one.
With most of the heavier loads, it's a handful, but not too bad. That is until you start 'booting' the 440gr's @ 1500 + f/sec or the 500 gr Hornady JFP's @ 1300 + f/sec.
To 'tame' the recoil I modified a set of Jordon Trooper stocks made by Herritt's. That was a definate mprovement over the Hogue grips it came with.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
The first 'lighter' load I fired in the .500 S&W was one my buddy had for his. I had no intention of getting one until I tried his. The basics of the load was a cast 440gr LFN with GC, using 14grs of Unique for about 1000 f/sec. I squeezed five slow shots off of a rest at a target at 25 m's. When my partner brought back the target with one big ragged hole just over an inch, I 'NEEDED' one.
With most of the heavier loads, it's a handful, but not too bad. That is until you start 'booting' the 440gr's @ 1500 + f/sec or the 500 gr Hornady JFP's @ 1300 + f/sec.
To 'tame' the recoil I modified a set of Jordon Trooper stocks made by Herritt's. That was a definate mprovement over the Hogue grips it came with.
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We have 3 members who own one at our gun club. I've fired factory loads, reloads (target loads in the opinion of the owner of the revolver). The gun I fired had rubber grips (can't remember brand).

Now, you don't have to believe me, but I've fired just about anything legal to own in Quebec. The .44 mag and .454 casull seem like .38+P compared to the .500 S&W..I can't understand, for the life of me, why anyone (unless you can hunt with a handgun in your neck of the woods) would want to buy one of those. There's no sustained pleasure in shooting it, it sounds like a mini-canon going off each shot and the muzzle flip is brutal...not to mention the $$$ cost per shot, even when reloaded. HOWEVER, that being said, it's only MY opinion. You're entitled to spend your money and shoot whatever damages your pocket book and pleases your ego. I WILL say that if you can keep it on target after 3 shots, IT IS very accurate at 25 Meters.;)
 
python357 said:
There's no sustained pleasure in shooting it, it sounds like a mini-canon going off each shot and the muzzle flip is brutal...not to mention the $$$ cost per shot, even when reloaded.
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I'll confirm everything there you just said, minus the sustained pleasure in shooting it part, it pleased me very well. (Actually should say I got stupidly happy from it lol.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9ZOsM4OrQR4

Guess you could call it pain for pleasure hehe.
 
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I want to buy a massive revolver
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you don't need a .500 to get one ;) try Raging Bull they're pretty big (but not stupid huge) and come in .41mag .44mag and .454.... .500S&W version is now availabe in the US and .460 is on the way :)

I have one in .44mag and with H110 powder is it's powerful enough for me, it's also very controlabe due to weight and porting. I'm not a big revolver fan but I love this gun.
 
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One of my favorites, can shoot it all day long. Most I've shot is 100 in an afternoon. Reload my boy, reload. get some 50 cal gas checks and 440 cast, I use 40gr of H110. Got it from WW in West Edmonton mall. Very stout but not that bad. Shoot the steel ram at 200 yrds, lots of fun. For a big flash try w296 . Really hard to capure the muzzle flash with a digital camera. My casull on the other hand weights less but has more perceived recoil IMHO

IMG_1860.jpg

IMG_2241.jpg
 
Dave L. said:
It'd be very interesting to see what'd happen if there was no compensator on that thing.

- Dave.
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That's one aspect of the 500 I don't like is the muzzle break. I've found shooting glasses are not optional but a must as there is a fair amount of debris that comes back at you. Burnt powder I believe.
 
python357 said:
We have 3 members who own one at our gun club. I've fired factory loads, reloads (target loads in the opinion of the owner of the revolver). The gun I fired had rubber grips (can't remember brand).

Now, you don't have to believe me, but I've fired just about anything legal to own in Quebec. The .44 mag and .454 casull seem like .38+P compared to the .500 S&W..I can't understand, for the life of me, why anyone (unless you can hunt with a handgun in your neck of the woods) would want to buy one of those. There's no sustained pleasure in shooting it, it sounds like a mini-canon going off each shot and the muzzle flip is brutal...not to mention the $$$ cost per shot, even when reloaded. HOWEVER, that being said, it's only MY opinion. You're entitled to spend your money and shoot whatever damages your pocket book and pleases your ego. I WILL say that if you can keep it on target after 3 shots, IT IS very accurate at 25 Meters.;)
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It's all in what you want. I'm trying to set up for a Moose hunt in Alaska, about 2009-10, with a handgun, and my choice is the 500 S&W.
You could make the same statements you've made, reguarding the cost factors and shooting pleasure, on just about any calibre, over a .22 LR. Again, it all depends on what you want. Reloading, there are probably a multitude of cartridges that actually cost more to reload. As for the recoil, it can be tamed.
 
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