[gtmtnbiker98]

Okay,

Considering a new revolver to hunt white tail deer. Which would be the more reasonable round for white tail deer? I am leaning towards the .460 since one can shoot .454, .45 LC, and of course, .460.

Seeking some expert advice, here. I haven't totally ruled out the .44 Mag, but am intrigued with these new X frame revolvers.

[john1911]

Either would do the job. The .460 might be a better choice for the ability to shoot those other cartridges. Neither will kill a deer any deader than a .44 mag (or .41 mag for that matter).

[Redhawk1]

Either will work just fine. I have taken deer with both, and they work great. I use hard cast bullets and very little damage to the meat was done.
I just like hard cast bullets.

[wyocarp]

Well, have you shot them? Do you reload? What size barrel are you thinking about? I have numerous pistols in both. I rarely shoot the .460. I like the .500 much more. It doesn't matter which one you use for deer, either will do a nice job on a deer. I think you will find the .460 more painful to shoot. Neither one is cheap if you don't reload.

[Redhawk1]

wyocarp, how is the S&W 460 Mag more painful to shoot?

I find the recoil of the 40 Mag to be a lot less then my 500 Mags.

There is more flash and concussion in the 460 Mag than the 500 Mag, but not more felt recoil.

[gtmtnbiker98]

Looking at the .500 in a 6" and/or the .460 in a 5". As for reloading, no plans for either caliber, just 20-40 rounds a year for sighting and hunting, no plans for too much range shooting due to $$$ of ammo, but I know this going in.

[Redhawk1]

Then I say get the S&W 460 Mag, you can play with less expensive 45 Colt ammo.

[22-rimfire]

I bought a 480 Ruger not long after they were introduced. I like the caliber, but I'm not particularly fond of the 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk (SRH) revolver. If I were buying today, I would probably buy the 500 myself with a 6" barrel. However, ammo for the 480 is still cheaper than the rest of the really large bore handgun cartridges at a little over $1.00 a pop and you have factory ammo choice of 325 and 400 gr. A 7.5" SRH might be a reasonable consideration for you. I may well have made the right caliber choice in the first place for my hunting.

You may have trouble developing the necessary skills shooting only 20-40 rounds per year. I would suggest that you buy either a 44 or 41 mag and do more shooting. They have enough power for whitetails. You really don't need the biggest and baddest for whitetails. But I understand your wanting one. I feel the same way.

[KINGMAX]

357 w/ 6 inch barrel is all you really need in NC.

[Redhawk1]

22-rimfire, is right, if you have a 500 Mag, you will need to shoot more than 20 to 40 rounds a year to become proficient with the 500 mag. I have shot over 5000 rounds of 500 mag, and I think I shoot it fairly well.

It take's a lot of practice to become proficient with a 500 mag.

[22-rimfire]

For me when I shoot the scoped 480 SRH, I can barely shoot more than about 20 rounds before it pretty much destroys any reasonable effort to shoot well. I keep trying. I'm okay to 75 yds with it.

My typical shooting session is shooting 22 rimfires at targets and then dig out the 480 near the tail end of the day.

One alternative and it is a good one is to get one of the BFR revolvers in 475 Linebaugh and shoot either 480 or the higher powered 475's in it. Believe me, the 480 is plenty for most hunting in North America.

[gtmtnbiker98]

Yeah, perhaps you folks are right on the limited round count should I opt for an X-Frame. As for other calibers, I shoot in excess of 20,000 rounds per year during the competition season, so I'm no stranger to the trigger, only the big bore calibers.

Perhaps a 629 would be more suitable. Still deciding and thanks for all the input.

[22-rimfire]

I don't shoot as much as you. Good for you! After years of shooting, I tend to shoot mostly 357 and 41 mag revolvers and throw in the 480 Ruger and my carry piece which is a Smith 442. My general approach is to use what seems to fit the need and if I had the 460 I'd probably only shoot it in 460 and shoot the other stuff when I want smaller or less power (which is most of the time). So, the big heavy bullets are useful things for hunting but aren't as much fun for me other than a thrill. I shoot the caliber that the handgun is designed to shoot for the most part and switch guns for larger calibers. That includes 38spls. The reason I shoot the caliber the handgun is designed for is the different impact points. I don't want to always be thinking... will it hit high or low with this bullet except when hunting. I just want it to hit.

The 629 may in fact be more suitable. But I still understand the desire for one of the big ones. As they say, get both. :)

[ggarfield965]

Dude! It's .357 all the way. That is a revolver you can get good at shooting, and you can always shoot some 38 special on the range. Or, novel idea, you could kill a lot of deer with the special too. In camp, we'd call that a doe-buster. Switch to .357 for serious bucks.

[22-rimfire]

There will always be folks that hunt whitetails with a 357 just like there will be folks that use the 223. I feel both are undergunned somewhat for average whitetail hunting. The 357 is most useful to me as a backup gun or a gun to take shots of opportunity rather than using it as a primary gun on the hunt.

[Redhawk1]

Well said 22-rimfire

[jonsidneyb]

I would not want to discourage anyone from getting one of the new Smiths but if this is only for deer. Isn't both of the X-Frame guns a massive bit of over kill?

[Redhawk1]

jonsidneyb, what is overkill about either the 460 or 500 Mags?

The S&W 460 Mag was designed to shoot a 200 gr. bullet that is perfect for deer size game out to 200 yards. The 500 Mag is no more powerful than a 12 gauge slug, which is used in many States for Deer hunting.

There is no such thing as over kill, DEAD IS DEAD.

[buck460XVR]

I shoot 80 to 100 rounds outta my .460 everytime I go to the range. The gun is just a hoot to shoot. I found by reloading, cost of ammo isn't much more than loadin' for my .44. Before I reloaded, I did as Redhawk suggested, I shot .45 colt or .454 to save money and still get some practicin' in. It took me a good 500 rounds before I got confident with shooting the big X-frame, but it was never uncomfortable. If you gotta buy factory ammo, .460 Hornady's are about half the price of any .500 I've seen.

[rhoggman]

I'm not so sure 500 S&W is overkill. I kill small deer (relative to places where ther are actually big deer) in Virginia with .50 cal 295gr powerbelts & 150gr of powder. Coming out of a rifle this should have quite a bit more power than a revolver.

Just don't overdo it with the ammo you are using, and I would think this is a fine choice.

Shot placement will be key for you because there is the potential to ruin meat if you shoot with all that power into the wrong area. The deer will likely go down if you shoot it anywhere center mass with a round like that, but you are liable to cut something in half if you are not careful.

I shot a doe on the run with the above BP load. The shot was a little off, and I basically had to butcher her in two halfs. Snapped the spine and blew out the rib cage. She would not hang without falling in half. That deer was easily over 100lbs. So make sure you place your shot well.

[wyocarp]

Redhawk1, I think the .460 has a much sharper recoil. I have numerous pistols in the two calibers that are identical and I don't think that there has been even one person shooting with me that didn't agree. Most have the response of my son. He shoots my .500's, although not a lot. The first time he shot the .460, he fired it once and gave it back to me.

That being said, I've spend a lot of time reloading for my .500's. I haven't reloaded for my .460 at all.

gtmtnbiker98, I like the 7.5" .500 the best.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn286/wyocarp/20072008pictures242.jpg

[gtmtnbiker98]

Wyocarp,

Beautiful pistols!!

[Redhawk1]

wyocarp, I just don't see it like you do.
I own both also. To me the S&W 460 Mag just has more flash and concussion.
So I guess we just see it differently.

[bkastel]

I've shot both and picked the 460 because I could only afford to put a scope on one and thought bullet speed would play a big factor in handgun hunting. I like the versatility of shooting .45, .454, and .460. The kids enjoy shooting the big gun with purchase cheap .45s. I practice with reloaded .454 casulls, (with an occasional coyote at 100 yards). I get serious with purchased .460s. I got the 12" hunter version and with the weight of the Burris 3x12 handgun scope the barrel rise is reduced. Either one will be effective and fun. I just thought the 460 would work best for my situation.

[Seafarer12]

The deer would be dead as fried chicken with either one. I think they are both overkill for deer but that is just me.

[Redhawk1]

Enough with the overkill! Dead is dead. :banghead::cuss:

[MikePGS]

Enough with the overkill! Dead is dead.

So your saying the idea of overkill has been overkilled? :neener: