Heavy and slow or light and fast?

[Meta]

Interested in hearing opinions here on bullet choice for some big Russian boars using S&W 500 mag. Of course the pistol has more than enough power to get the job done, but the choice still remains, choosing a lighter ~350 grain hard cast or jacketed bullet cooking along at high velocity or choosing a heavy, ~600-700 grain hard cast lead bullet at lower velocity. It's the old penetration vs expansion debate I suppose. I prefer headshots with rifle, but will likely opt for heart/lung placement with the pistol. It's probably splitting hairs I suppose, but I'd like to hear what others folks here have to say about it.

 

[CountryUgly]

Yep you are splitting hairs!!! That beast of a pistol will roll any pig you may come across regardless of the pill it pushes! I'm sure with either bullet there will equal devastation and it really boils down to which round you as a shooter shoot better.

 

[MCgunner]

Any bullet is overkill on pigs. Just go with what shoots straight. Recoil might be a consideration, too. Or, you could trade it for a .44 mag.

 

[gbran]

I agree either will do, but I'd go with big and heavy in this case.

 

[joneb]

I would go with the flatter trajectory.

 

[flipajig]

What ever you and the gun shoot well. I shoot a 44 mag and I have a load worked up useing a 260 grain cast and a 310 grain cast my tender shoots them equally well both will get the job done.
Flip

 

[Lloyd Smale]

ive allways leaned toward heavy and slow in a sixgun and light and fast in a rifle.

 

[Art Eatman]

From a discussion yesterday at my gunsmith's with a couple of experienced shooters about these "monster guns", the consensus seems to be that the bullets of around 250 to 300 grains or thereabouts are less of a problem for repeat shots if necessary; the recoil is more controllable.

 

[Geno]

Reflecting on how effectively the .444 Marlin with 260 grain projectiles, and .45-70 Gov't with 300 or 350 grain projectiles drop Russian boars, I can't imagine why with the S&W 500 mag you would need/want to go overly heavy. I would stay with the lighter projectiles. Even at that, I suspect that with one trigger-pull, you kill-it, skin-it and gut-it. All you'll have to do is cut-it and pack-it. Let us know what you use.

Geno

 

[Patocazador]

Both!

 

[Meta]

I like the "both" answer best. I'll randomly select the ammo from a pile of heavy and light, load them, spin the cylinder, close the cylinder, hunt for pigs. Gun go boom, boom, boom and pig dead. Argument settled.