New baby came home ..now need advise on load

[Ks5shooter]

Want a good .460 load for deer,bear and hogs, what do you all reload,trying to keep it to one bullet weight. Its a S&W 460v 5inch.

 

[CaptHank]

Good for you. See that you had to wait out the Pistol Permit thing. I'm down in Florida and I load the Hornady 200 GR. FTX's, over 46 GR. of H-110. The nice thing about the 460, is being able to shoot hot, 45 Colt loads. Try 250 GR. Deep Curls over 26 GR. of H-110.

Enjoy your new revolver, you will love it!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Nice choice. I love mine. View media item 49As far as a load goes, I'm really interested in this bullet.
https://www.lehighdefense.com/colle...de-flat-nose-300gr-bullet?variant=21563566660

They have 45 Colt and 454 load data but no 460 S&W yet. I check periodically and I am seeing new load data showing up. So patience may pay off. Of course you could experiment too if you're game. Note, Lehigh's website is a little messed up. Follow the links.

Mine shoots like a laser with the 200 gr Hornady load, but for your application it isn't ideal at all. I did put some 325 gr HSM through mine and as expected, they shot much higher than the 200 gr bullets.

Buffalo Bore makes a 360 grain load but I've not tried it.

 

[dickydalton]

As 460 shooter says the 200 grain Hornady factory load always hits fine. The main ones I reload are 240 and 200 Grain XTP MAG bullets over Hodgon Lil Gun, and I do also load the Cast Performance 360 grain WLFNGC bullets ove Lil Gun. Go to the Hodgon load data on line and you can see them. I load right next to Max or at Max. The 360 grain cast load chronographed about 1860 FPS if I remember right and the 300 grain XTPs at over 1900 FPS. I don't keep good records on that. I think the factory 200s went about 2260 FPS. View media item 1719

 

[Ks5shooter]

Great info guys thank you! I am considering the 300 gr XTP mag bullets from Hornady. Opinions?

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Great info guys thank you! I am considering the 300 gr XTP mag bullets from Hornady. Opinions?

A while ago I had a discussion about the XTP bullet with CraigC and a few others. He shared some pictures that reflected some less than desirable ballistics. Essentially the gist of our conversation amounted to the XTP breaking up on impact and basically causing a massive bloody crater of a entrance wound. This was just his experience though, so we should be careful about samples of one. The high velocity of a S&W 460 mag may give you some results you do not find ideal. Howevewr, I don't know what that speed threshold is and I'm also not a hunter. I'll ping CraigC as I'm sure he would be happy to share those thoughts again and has actual experience on the topic. If I could remember what thread it was in I'd just post a link, but it was months ago. That conversation is what has driven me down the path of really paying attention to bullet construction and why the Lehigh bullet interests me.

However, if you are hog hunting, then the price may be less than desirable for you, and deer don't take much to kill. Swift, Belt Mountain, and Barnes make some bullets that have good reputations for taking large game.

@CraigC

 

[buck460XVR]

The 300 gr XTP-MAG will work just fine for Deer, Hogs and Bear. I also like the 300 gr Deep Curls. Because of known issues with Lil' Gun and premature and excessive forcing cone erosion, I do not use it in any of my revolvers. It is known to be terribly destructive when used in the .460. My go to powder in my .460 is IMR4227. Not quite the velocities of H110/W296(second choice), but excellent accuracy and consistency. Many folks use the 240 gr XTP-MAGS with good results on deer also. Thing is with the Hornady bullets, they are readily available, very affordable(relatively) and quite accurate. If I was going after dangerous game or large exotics , I would probably consider monolithic, but for Deer, Bear and Hogs, they are plenty..

 

[CraigC]

I don't trust XTP's at all. Seen too many failures and there are too many better options available. Last year we saw a .475 XTP fail on a 100lb blackbuck. Since you mentioned bear and hogs, I'd suggest a good 300gr WFN. Unless you're talking brown bears, then I'd suggest a 335-360gr WFN.

 

[buck460XVR]

I don't trust XTP's at all. Seen too many failures and there are too many better options available. Last year we saw a .475 XTP fail on a 100lb blackbuck.

Everyone has opinions. One like yours from experience is more helpful than folks making general statements. My question would be, have you ever used 300 XTP-MAGS from a .460 on deer/hogs and/or Bear? I have shot several deer with my .460. Of those with the 300 gr XTP-MAGS, I got complete pass thrus and did not recover the bullet. Some of those shots were good sized deer taken thru both shoulders, at ranges of 30 to 75 yards. This gives me confidence that they would perform well on bear and hogs also. The 300gr XTP-MAG is deigned for velocities 350-400FPS more than the .475s. Don't know why, maybe because the guns they are used in are generally slower. I see as of now, that bullet has been suspended from production. .460s are an expensive mouth to feed. Still, like any handgun that is going to be used for hunting, the only way to get proficient is to practice. The cost of XTPs helps greatly in this regard. My experience with my .460s is that the slightest change in charge or components(especially bullets) can make for large changes in POI. Thus practicing regularly with the same components as I hunt with, IMHO, is a must. One thing for sure....on deer, Blackbear or hogs, one does not need to load the .460 to max velocities for it to be effective on them. One should load for best accuracy.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Craig, did you test the 300gr XTP #45230 or the 300gr XTP Mag #45235?

I agree using Lil-Gun is probably not a good idea in handgun applications, especially in the more powerful cartridges. Accurate 4100 and Alliant 300-MP are also good choices if you don't want to use W296/H110.

 

[CraigC]

There have been significant failures. That is not an opinion but fact. My opinion is that based on those facts, they're not worth rolling the dice with. Sorry but I'm not going to test every single bullet/load/platform combination possible. When I see that a particular bullet design is prone to failure, not because it's being pushed beyond its design limits but due to a fundamental flaw in its design, I move on. Sure, lots of folks use them with success. We had a big discussion with a guy that used them successfully on Cape buffalo. However, we've also seen them fail on light game. How many failures are acceptable? This ain't 1960 where options are severely limited. We have the best bullet selection in history and the XTP is an outdated, cup & core design that is prone to failure and jacket/core separation. They're cheap bullets and that's tough to get around. For a jacketed bullet, the bonded Speers are my starting point but would prefer Barnes or Swift.

I've never had any trouble finding practice bullets that shoot to the same point of impact.

 

[CraigC]

I tested the #45230 and below is the result but this is not the only thing I base my opinion on. I'll test the Mag version later this year.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Thanks for the picture and report Craig.

 

[Riomouse911]

Try the Swift A-Frame revolver bullets, they'll handle the full range of the .460's velocity/impact energy just fine. There are three .45 caliber bullet weights of 265, 300 and 325 grains if I remember correctly.

 

[CraigC]

The Swift is probably the best jacketed pistol bullet available today. Built like the Partition but also bonded. They are very consistent in their expansion, they hold together and penetrate extremely well.

 

[Danw791]

Consider casting your own bullets and powdercoating. Dramatically reduces the cost per shot so you can practice a lot with full power loads. I put off casting until I bought my 460. It has been very rewarding and not near as time consuming as I originally thought. I am shooting the lee 300 grain WFN with great accuracy. I do gas check them and powder coat them, they shoot cleaner than jacketed loads. They end up weighing about 315 grains when finished. I have not had a shot opportunity while hunting with it yet, but I'm sure the bullet would shoot clean through anything walking. Love the 460!

 

[TN Outlaw]

I'm sure I need to start another thread but I'll make this quick to not hinder you kind folks for long.....

I bought a 460v a month or so ago and finally shot a cylinder full a couple weeks ago. The cases were stuck in the cylinder and took some pressure to remove. A couple cases had some bulging near the case head. I cleaned the gun before shooting but I re-cleaned the cylinder again and a couple days ago decide to shoot it again. This time with different ammo. Same thing, I could remove a couple cases manually but the other 2-3 we're stuck hard and were 2 different brands and were slightly buldged. I do believe I have a couple bad cylinders but with 65k psi I just wanted to make sure this isn't common? Thanks

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I've had no problems with mine. What brand of ammo were you shooting? @TN Outlaw

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I do believe I have a couple bad cylinders but with 65k psi I just wanted to make sure this isn't common?

I highly doubt the factory ammo is above 50,000 PSI so it's very strange you are seeing high pressure signs. I would stop shooting your revolver and contact S&W.

 

[TN Outlaw]

I've shot 360gr Underwood hard cast, 325gr HSM hard cast bear load, 200gr Hornady FTX, and 454 Casull 300gr FTX.

In the 1st cylinder I shot even the Casull had a bulge so it sure seems like the gun to me. I hate it because it sounds like S&W is way behind now but it could be dangerous and I like my firearms to be correct for some strange reason

Sorry for interrupting a good thread. Thanks

 

[Jack B.]

I don't have a .460 but I shoot a 480 Ruger a lot. I've found Oregon Trail TrueShot gas checked bullets to be very good hunting bullets plus the people there are very good to deal with. Because the TrueShot bullet is gas checked you can push them to full power without leading problems. If you call them and ask they will send you their load data for your caliber. You can also download their Reloading Manual for free.
https://www.oregontrailbullet.com/shop/trueshot/45LC-Casull-360g-WNFP-GC-452-p104527521

 

[buck460XVR]

I'm sure I need to start another thread but I'll make this quick to not hinder you kind folks for long.....

I bought a 460v a month or so ago and finally shot a cylinder full a couple weeks ago. The cases were stuck in the cylinder and took some pressure to remove. A couple cases had some bulging near the case head. I cleaned the gun before shooting but I re-cleaned the cylinder again and a couple days ago decide to shoot it again. This time with different ammo. Same thing, I could remove a couple cases manually but the other 2-3 we're stuck hard and were 2 different brands and were slightly buldged. I do believe I have a couple bad cylinders but with 65k psi I just wanted to make sure this isn't common? Thanks

I highly doubt the factory ammo is above 50,000 PSI so it's very strange you are seeing high pressure signs. I would stop shooting your revolver and contact S&W.

From my experience, hard extraction in the .460 is not necessarily a sign of over pressure. Recent factory ammo for .460 has been downloaded from initial factory ammo because of hard extraction, even when pressure did not exceed 65k. Also, some models of the X-Frame had tight throats which also contributed to hard extraction. I've found in reloading for the .460, it takes only a slight amount of increase in powder charge to go from easy extraction to having to beat the cases out with a dowel. I load appropriately. As I said, for deer, Blackbear and hogs, one does not need 65k loads.

Big difference in construction between the standard 300gr .45 cal XTP(#45230) and the XTP-MAG. The standard is primarily a .45 Colt projectile and works well for standard .45 Colt velocities. Many folks make a mistake of trying to push it past it's intended usage because they are considerably cheaper than the MAG versions. Many folks don't even know there is a difference. Many folks regularly use projectiles intended for .45 Colt velocities in their .460s without knowing better. Not only are they sacrificing terminal performance, but they are exposing their gun to damage from excessive forcing cone erosion, and jacket/core separation due to the thin jackets of those projectiles. If there is one thing I try to instill on folks loading for their .460, is to use an appropriate projectile if and when they load to legitimate .460 velocities and pressures. While the old traditional cup and core bullet is old fashioned, it still works very well on medium size game like deer, Blackbear and hogs. While I also like the Speer Deep Curls in my .460, I have no qualms at all with the XTP-MAGS...in both 240 and 300gr. Folks should also be hesitant to taking advice from folks that don't load .460. I load for a whole passel of handgun calibers. The .460 is a whole different beast than most.

Like anything else in the shooting world, folks should use what they have the most confidence in, are comfortable with and most proficient with. Never has, and never will be exactly the same for everybody.

 

[eastbank]

I have a older ruger # 1 (22" barrel) nib in .460 S&W that I need to get working on. it should be a fine large animal stomper for sure.

 

[gotboostvr]

I've only played with a buddies 460, but reloading a 500 mag X frame. I'd find just backing off a small bit went from sticky extraction to cases fall out. I used that as a main indication of when to stop pushing it.

I found Unique to be a pretty good powder actually in 500mag. 15gr and a 460gr gas checked WFN was a stout, but easy shooting ACCURATE load I copped from Chuck Hawks (I think).

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have a older ruger # 1 (22" barrel) nib in .460 S&W that I need to get working on. it should be a fine large animal stomper for sure.

I've got one of those. It kicks surprisingly hard.