loading the 500 S&W

[lead slinger]

today i just put a s&w 500 in layaway and i picking it up at the end of the month but i want to know if they is any tips you have for this round. i have dies brass and bullets on the way. my brass is brass starline and sierra 350g jhp. i have not went to get any powder or primers yet

 

[Steve Koski]

That is my favorite bullet ever for the 500, but they're a bit spendy. Put it over 43 grains of H110 and hold on.

A similar load is the Speer 325 grain Unicor. Same load - 43 gr H110.

Also buy some 350 grain Berrys (a lot cheaper) and run them over 16 grains Titegroup for a good plinking load.

Koski

 

[lead slinger]

Do you use magnum primers ?

 

[Oic0]

Lil'Gun generally makes the most oomph in it. H110 / W296 following very closely behind. I've been using magnum primers and loading H110. I don't think it needs magnum primers but thats what the doofus behind the counter put in my bag when I asked for large rifle primers, and I was too dumb to check. I started low and worked up with them but they don't appear to have made any difference (I'm shooting a handi, not a revolver).

 

[snuffy]

LS, the 500 S&W uses large rifle primers. You can use standard primers, at least I do. There are some early brass out there that use large PISTOL primers, the brass that's supposed to be used with large rifle primers have a R somewhere on the headstamp.

The best powder for that cannon is Hodgdon "lil" gun. It'll give you more velocity than H-110/296, with less pressure.

As far as tricks, I don't know of any, except that huge case is really hard to resize after firing full house loads. And yes, I do have carbide dies, I usually put some case lube on them,(small amount or less that if it were being sized in steel dies). Oh, make sure you get a firm crimp on the bullets. Bullet jump is worse in this revolver than any other.

This is the 700 grain "grand canyon" HP special order mold from over at cast boolits.com



The big smith, that belongs to my SIL.





When fired with those beasts, it's almost impossible to hang onto it! This started with a 2 hand hold-----.

 

[clancy12]

One tip: Unless you have shot a lot of heavy hitting revolvers, start with small loads and work up. I started with about 2/3 max velocity loads to get used to it and then worked my way up to full house loads. Or if you're ambitious, load it to the max your first time out.

 

[lead slinger]

thanks guys for the help.
snuffy that is one big bullet

 

[FROGO207]

I am liking 350 GR XTP with 44.0 GR Little Gun for my preferred load these days but beware, it has a lot of snap to it at ~1900 FPS.

 

[lead slinger]

I amthinking a crono maybe in my near future

 

[Lost Sheep]

I amthinking a crono maybe in my near future

One tip: Unless you have shot a lot of heavy hitting revolvers, start with small loads and work up. I started with about 2/3 max velocity loads to get used to it and then worked my way up to full house loads. Or if you're ambitious, load it to the max your first time out.

I started my friend into handloading when he got his 500. I searched for a really "soft powder that occupied a lot of volume. Found Trail Boss. 11 to 12 grains will deliver a 300 grain slug at about 800 fps. Out of his 4" S&W 500, it is like shooting a 22 rimfire. Loads of fun and great for familiarization.

Lost Sheep

 

[lead slinger]

I did buy 20 rounds of Hornady looking at the head stamp it has a L and R I will post a pic later today

 

[MEHavey]

 

[Steve Koski]

I use standard LR primers. Not magnums, even with H110.

Like Snuffy, I also lube the cases with my carbide dies, otherwise they're a bitch to size.

Koski

 

[Steve Koski]

Tip:

Be careful how much you shoot the cannon. I shot mine like mad for 6-8 months and did some damage to my right wrist. Take it easy, spread it out, don't go shoot 75 full house loads in a session 3x per week just because it's fun.

 

[bluetopper]

Just beware of a stiff published loads of Titegroup powder in the 500. It has blown up a number of them.

And here is a link to some great affordable bullets for the 500. Enjoy!

www.mattsbullets.com

 

[lead slinger]

thanks for your help guys. i loaded 50 rounds today i did 6 at the min 39.g 10 round or so at 43.g (max) and the rest at 40.g I went with the H110 for powder i should be picking the gun on saturday and i plan on shooting also. i will let you guys know how it go thanks

 

[Lost Sheep]

thanks for your help guys. i loaded 50 rounds today i did 6 at the min 39.g 10 round or so at 43.g (max) and the rest at 40.g I went with the H110 for powder i should be picking the gun on saturday and i plan on shooting also. i will let you guys know how it go thanks

Remember not to reduce loads with slow powders like H110. They give maximum velocities (with the lowest pressures for that velocity range), but get really wierded out if not in the upper reaches of that pressure range. Hogdon has a warning on their web site. Slow powders at light loadings can get pressure spikes or harmonic waves that can destroy guns. The phenomenon is still not well understood by ballisticians, and some don't even believe it exists.

Be safe, always, all ways.

Lost Sheep

 

[lead slinger]

Thanks for the info. 39.g is what they have listed as the starting load I didn't make any below that. By chance does anyone one have spec for factory ammo ??

 

[Lost Sheep]

Thanks for the info. 39.g is what they have listed as the starting load I didn't make any below that. By chance does anyone one have spec for factory ammo ??

Getting specifications for factory ammo is like pulling hens' teeth. They often don't use powders available to the handloader at retail. The best we will ever get is

1) Weight and construction of their bullet
2) Their advertised/claimed velocity or measured velocity out of our firearm
3) weight of an unknown and unknowable powder
4) whatever we can see of their primer

Sorry to bear bad news, but that's the way it is. Ammomakers don't share thier proprietary information

On the other hand, savvy handloaders can come to a pretty good guess of how to duplicate factory performance. We just don't know if we are doing it just the same way, but we do get pretty close.

Lost Sheep

 

[Holystone]

I have the 460 XVR and I reload with 45 grains of H110 using large rifle magnum primers and a Hornady 200 grain FTX bullet. Loudest firearm at the range and although it kicks like a mule, it doesn't hurt like the 500 does.

 

[lead slinger]

I can't wait till Saturday I want to shot this so bad. I been in search for a gun with a insane recoil so I hope I found it in this I order the one with the 4 in barrel

 

[Oic0]

You want insane recoil? why lol. It is possible to get in to the realm of pain and physical damage. Anyhow, if this doesnt give you your fix, they make a 45-70 derringer. That oughta do it.

 

[Steve Koski]

The 4" barrel has less recoil than the standard barrel. But the snub is much louder.

Koski

 

[bluetopper]

The 500 packs quite a whallop to the shoulder out of a $300 Handi-Rifle too.

But it's performance out of a 22" barrel is awesome. Hard cast lead gas checks are all I ever shoot.

 

[jibbs]

That is the first time I have ever heard someone say that a S&W 4" (56 oz) recoiled less than the S&W 8" (72.5 oz). My personal experience is the exact opposite. I usually run my loads near max using 350gr Hornady or Sierras with higher end Lil Gun charges. Felt recoil is really just an opinion, so it may well be true in your experiences. But I have loaded my loads back and forth between the two and my comfort level wants me to lessen the charge with the 4", especially when running heavier bullets (400-700gr).