I've shot the .460 Magnum, how's the .500 Magnum?

[INFAMOUS762X39]

My best friend's buddy just bought a S&W .460 XVR, and I was very lucky/excited in getting the chance to shoot a few rounds. What a beast! The Trigger Pull is God-Like, I thought it was just a myth

Is the .500 Magnum a wrist breaker? Even though I am a skinny guy, the Recoil on the .460 did not intimidate me at all. The BANG it makes is more scary, such a powerful sound I love it.


How much did you guys pay for your M500? What Barrel Length did you go for and why? S&W Website Price is 1249$+, I think I want one. Time to save up!

[CGT80]

I own a s&w 460 8 3/8". It is awesome with hand loads. It feels like a 22 with mild 45 colt loads and a beast with 1900 fps full power loads.

I know a guy that has a couple 500's. The recoil from them hurt the palm of my hand. One of the pistols is the same length as my 460. I don't know what size bullet he was using. My local gun shop wanted $63 for 20 rounds of 460. Needless to say, mine has never seen factory ammo. I can load a hornady bullet to match the $3 per round stuff for 70 cents per round. Light loads with my own cast bullets are very fun and cheap. I chose the 460 because it uses .452 bullets just as the 45 acp and some 45lc's. The 500 is not as common, but it isn't hard to find supplies for them. I shoot 200-280 grain bullets. Some people have used up to 400 grain bullets in a 460. The 500 will take up to a 700 grain bullet as far as I know. Do you want the biggest or the fastest production revolver?

[RK808]

Not that bad :P I'm a pretty small guy myself and that was the shorter version. The ports and the weight of the gun definitely help!

[451040]

Is the .500 Magnum a wrist breaker?

Depends on the wrist, the load and the barrel length.

How much did you guys pay for your M500?

~$1000

What Barrel Length did you go for and why?

6.5" - I thought it had the best balance. This was confirmed after shooting the 8 3/8" at the sports fair. The short barrels were not considered.

[skosh69]

My neighbor has the 8 3/8" version and it's a total blast to shoot! It's fun to watch whatever isn't bolted down on the firing line get blown off by the muzzle blast!

If I ever had a grand with absolutely nothing to do with, I'd buy one. Until that day comes, I'll just shoot his whenever we go to the range together.

[supersonic]

I am very "non-recoil-sensitive," however, after about 50-100 shots of full power rounds out of my .44 Mag, and I'm usually ready to call it a day (a lot of the time with less than that 50-100). But my feeling is that most 460 & 500 owners don't put 100 rounds down range on a normal range day (unless these guys are handloaders and load them down - or use the .45LC in the 460). I think both of these hand cannons are amazing weapons, and when the time comes that I have that extra bit of scratch to spend - I'm gettin' 'em BOTH!!! (The 460XVR with the ported 10.5" barrel and a matte silver Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x32mm sitting on top and a 500 with an 5" ported barrel are just what the doc ordered for me!!!)





Ooooooohhh, GET SOME!!!!!

[whipkiller]

The 500 I've shot was surprisingly managable, but definitely a beast! I certainly don't see myself getting an accurate follow up shot very quickly.

I have never shot more than maybe 25 rounds in a session, don't know what the wrist (or wallet) would feel after 100+ rounds.

If I was stupid rich I'd buy one, but in the real world there's waaay too many other guns I'd rather spend $1,000+ on.

It's definitely a hoot though!

[Cuda440]

I bought a 460V 5", and my dad bough a 500 4". We took them to IronSights range to test them out.

The 460 was loaded with Hornady FTX 200gr, 2200 Fps/ 2149 Ft-Lbs

The 500 was loaded with Magtech 500B 325gr, 1801 Fps/ 2341 Ft-Lbs

Despite the heavier, more powerful ammo, my dad, brother, and myself all agreed that the 460 had slightly more recoil and concussion. It just felt a bit hotter to shoot, like 357sig vs. 40 - just a bit sharper recoil and bigger flash.

I have not tried any heavy 500 ammo yet, the 700gr produces almost double the recoil energy than the 300-385gr loads, even though the muzzle energy is less than some of the lighter loads.

[CGT80]

I don't think I have shot more than 6 or 7 full power loads through my 460 in one day. The concussion and noise is just too brutal. The recoil is the easy part to handle. As mentioned above, I have run 150-200 rounds of mild 460 loads and 45 lc in the same day. I bought the 460 with the intent of having something huge with a massive boom (just for fun) that I could also download and play with as much as I wanted. After shooting that beast that much, I have to be careful about picking up my plastic gun. 27-30 ounces vs. the 460 loaded with ammo at 5+ pounds.

The 8 3/8" is a bit nose heavy, but I still like it. I held a 629 classic 44 mag if I remember correctly. It was probably around 6.5". It felt great. It was well balanced and fit my hand nicely. I considered buying it instead of the 460, just for a second or two, then said no way-maybe next time. Now I pick up the 460 and it seems normal sized to me, unless I grab another revolver to compare it to.

[skosh69]

I found this stop action photo of the 4" model....too cool!

[Whiterabbit]

ISome people have used up to 400 grain bullets in a 460. The 500 will take up to a 700 grain bullet as far as I know. Do you want the biggest or the fastest production revolver?

My go to bullet is 425 grains, and 525's shoot very well too. That's in 45. Easy to size down a .457 bullet down to .452. Though for the X-frame the 300 grain weight by far makes the most sense. I do imagine you could go to 325's or 370's and still have a real shooter. I don't see the point when it shoots SO WELL with 300's to at least 100 yards.

Normal range day for me during load development was 125 rounds average. The heavies recoil FAR LESS than the light bullets (when both are loaded to 460 pressure or velocity). The best part of doing that for weeks on end is to go back to any other pistol after nothing but hundreds of 460 rounds. Everything feels like a 22.

IMO, get the longest barrel you can afford. 12" or 14". It's not packable compared to any comparable pistol (with respect to killing power vs NA animals) in any barrel length, so no point in going small. These guns shine with long barrels. Even the faster powders wont burn completely, there's just too much of it in there. So if you are gonna be carrying using a chest holster, you may as well go all the way and use a sling to hump it around. And take a boost in speed and reduction in perceived recoil while you are at it.

My personal opinion? My favorite barrel length is the 10 in the X-frame. It's among the ugliest pistols I've ever seen, or so I thought until I shot one. I can forgive alot when a gun shoots so well....

[Whiterabbit]

and why are light bullets with lots of powder a waste in the 460?



Because even if you have a very very long barrel, almost 50 grains of H110 will still burn long after that bullet is gone

[battleship]

Not that bad, don't be fooled. You load 400 or 500 grain ammo into a 4 inch barrel even with porting its going to feel like no other. 500 grain and up and its going to start to hurt, i doubt you will make it through a box of 20, without feeling it for some time after.

I seriously doubt addyyoon was shooting 400 grain and up in that video.

[Whiterabbit]

Battleship, you are welcome to join me at the range and shoot 100 rounds of 460 loaded with a 525 grain bullet faster than is safe in a 454 casull (why own a 460 to shoot 454 loads?). I guarantee if you can shoot a 44, you could run through all 100 and keep right on going. Who said anything about a 4" barrel? I think even the wishlisters above wanted 5" and up.

If you have the cash, we can max out some 200 grain bullets and see how many you like. THAT's where the 460 is not pleasant. No more accurate than a 500 grain bullet, more recoil, no greater range for ethical hunting. Heck, even the 525's have an MPBR above 100 yards, way more than needed for handgun hunting! What's the point of the 200's? the 460 shines as a baby 45/70, not as a hotrod 45acp.


........Just occurred to me you might be responding to Cuda and kosh....I guess I need more coffee....sorry....

[The1stWright]

I've shot a S&W 500 just so happen to be putting rounds down range with my CDP pro when a father and son next to me rented a S&W 500 5" after talking for awhile in between they told me their wrists couldn't shoot the beast anymore and asked if I'd like to finish the last 10 rounds. I couldn't resist. I'm a big guy 6'4" 220 and the recoil was strong but not out of this world. The blast and sound were amazing though, even with headphones on my ears were ringing.