S&W 500

[Whiskey-Tango]

Every time I took the 460 to the range there was always a crowd behind me after shooting. But like I said more versatile. I've read range reports of shooters hitting targets out past 250 yards with no hold over. It's pretty badass

['ol shooter]

I've read range reports of shooters hitting targets out past 250 yards with no hold over.

Good fiction, not facts.

[Whiterabbit]

Holy crap 1.6 ounces of lead in a pistol

Got it beat. 740 grains, and better meplat. 460 S&W.

Yeah I thought about the .460 XVR I just dont know much about it. A rep at my LGS mention it to me.

I like it more. As you can see above, it's a little more versatile, and I only use 460 brass in mine. Finding light 500 grain bullets is not easy. You end up making light rounds with trailboss and 350 grain bullets, give or take. I can go to 160 grains easy for light rounds, though I tend to load 220's for newbies to shoot with trailboss. 220 grains to 740 grains for bullet selection, and barnes bullets are available from 200 grains to 290 grains which is PLENTY.

A guy came into our office the other day (he might even be a Calgunner) that owns a S&W 500. I think he said it's something like $0.47 a round for him to reload using the same brass. That's definitely a lot more affordable than retail, and would practically make reloading mandatory for that gun.


It's on my list of guns to eventually buy, maybe when I have more income. I'm just hoping S&W doesn't let it fall off the roster...

47 cents to reload is about right if you are using fancy lead and paying retail for powder and primers (5 cents a primer, 40 dollars a pound for powder)

Realistic is less than 30, and less than 20 cents if you are using "if it melts, it gets loaded" lead.

[Whiterabbit]

madstyle, do consider the BFR. there are some interesting advantages over the smith and Wesson, not the least of which is a longer throat and more cartridge choices. (if deciding between 460 and 500 wasn't enough).

https://www.google.com/search?q=magnum+research+BFR&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CabmUtv5CouqsQSlz4Ew&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1358&bih=632&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=G04GqAy-SDRYbM%3A%3BXiz986kCJWsutM%3BG04GqAy-SDRYbM%3A&imgrc=G04GqAy-SDRYbM%253A%3BbHMxPXPEdjJZuM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.guns.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F01%252Fbfr-injury.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.guns.com%252F2013%252F01%252F02%252Fthe-mri-bfr-hand-cannon-video%252F%3B500%3B375

[ambrown307]

I had always wanted one, but never did because of the cost of ammo. Then I got into reloading for other reason and found that I could reload 500S&W for about $.30 a round. I bought one the next week.

It's so much fun and draws a lot of attention at the range. I'll typically shoot a couple hundred 9mm or .45, then finish the day with 15 or so rounds of .500 and leave on a happy note.

[madstyle1]

Ill research the 460 more seems like alot of people like this caliber. Thanks for all the input.

[Whiterabbit]

if you go the BFR route, you can get a 45/70.

[CessnaDriver]

Who cares if it's practical, it's fun.

EXACTLY!!!


Doing something for FUN IS PRACTICAL anyways.

We are human beings and it's ok to live a little now and then, even healthy! Gasp!


BUY IT!!!!

[Whiterabbit]

I think the S&W is a totally impractical, fun, bad*** pistol and I will buy one as soon as I can afford one. Actually looking forward to reloading for it. For any of you who have, what are your rough per round costs? $1.00 per round area?

To hell with rough costs.

Cast bullet guys can get their lead for $1.00 a pound. For me, not so much. Plus the shipping on top. Regardless, I bought:

64 lb of range lead for $65 shipped.
16.5 lb of Linotype lead for $36 shipped.
9.5 lb of Monotype lead for $26 shipped.

Mix all together and you get roughly hardball (1.8% Tin, 5% Antimony, balance lead.) total 90 lb.

Cast 425 grain bullets out of it. that will cost you 8.6 cents a piece. Spend $127 on bullets, and you get 1482 if you had no wastage. Figure 1400 bullets. Round up to 9 cents.

You pay retail on lube, that's $4 a stick. That puts a penny on the bullet.

You pay retail on the gas checks @ $40 per 1000. 4 cents per bullet.

You pay gunshow pricing on the primers. That's 3.3 cents per cartridge.

You buy brass at 50 cents a pop 1x and get 10 reloadings out of it. 5 cents per cartridge. 10 is an average as it might last 5 loadings for heavy shooting, and lasts indefinitely for trailboss shooting.

You buy powder at gun shows for 30 dollars a pound. Your load uses 35 grains of powder since you wanna shoot 400+ grain bullets, not 350's or even lighter. That's 200 rounds per pound of powder, or 15 cents of powder.

---------------

That brings your grand total to shoot, including the cost of brass, to 37.3 cents a pop to shoot.

NOW: lets say you wanna try a 500 grain bullet, and shoot it slow enough to not need a gas check (for the sake of argument, we will call that 1400 fps). This drops 4 cents off the price but uses more lead, so ups the bullet cost to 10 cents a pop. only 31 grains of powder needed so that's 13.3 cents of powder. So going gas check-less gets you shooting for 32.6 cents a pop.

NOW: say you realize (because this is true) that shooting 1400 fps doesn't need hardball, you can shoot softer (range) lead. Now you are in $1 a lb territory. Your 500's cost 5.1 cents now, for a cost of 27.7 cents a pop to shoot.

NOW, lets say you wanna make some trainers. That uses 200 grains of lead for 45 acp bullets, and you dump in 12 grains of trailboss. Your cost is 2 cents on the bullet and 6.1 cents for the powder, for a cost of 17.4 cents a pop.

These prices include brass.

[Whiterabbit]

Now if you wanna go stupid:

Barnes bullets cost (retail) $22 for TWENTY. They have no ceiling on velocity, so you fill the case with H110 (load data says you can go 52 grains if you have the balls to hold on). Given 3.3 cents a primer and 10 cents on brass (since case life is cut in half) you are shooting for $1.45 PER round. or $29.12 per box of 20 rounds.

Let's go REALLY crazy. You wanna shoot 290 grain muzzleloader bullets in your gun. Retail is $29 for FIFTEEN bullets. Only need 42 grains of powder, but you are now shooting for $2.29 a pop, or $45.78 for a box of twenty.

You can go as high or as low as you want.

[JMP]

I, too, have been thinking about a 500 or a 460...and I can't decide.

Ammo costs aren't bad when put in perspective. How many rounds will you actually fire when you take it out? Not a whole lot, and it's still cheaper than rifle ammo unless you guys are shooting BB guns for your rifles.

[whipkiller]

Yeah in just doing it for sh**s and giggles... so im not getting it to shoot all the time i guess my concern was i might bored of it too quickly

I don't own one but I have shot one quite a few times.

There may be some drawbacks to the .500 (ammo costs, etc.) but being boring is definitely not one of them.

[bug_eyedmonster]

A friend in CT has one. Ammo is cheap using his system. When somebody wants to shoot it they supply their own ammo. They buy a box shoot a couple rounds and leave him the rest.

I have the same system, it works out to my benefit every time people as me to bring it to the range.


Jerry

[Whiterabbit]

I, too, have been thinking about a 500 or a 460...and I can't decide.

Ammo costs aren't bad when put in perspective. How many rounds will you actually fire when you take it out? Not a whole lot, and it's still cheaper than rifle ammo unless you guys are shooting BB guns for your rifles.

when I was practicing and developing loads, I was good for usually around 125 rounds a day.

With a S&W, less. The brake is too concussive, it fatigues me quickly. ~50 then I need a break. It's much easier to shoot a lot if the pistol is brakeless.

I need breaks if the pistol is braked. Breaks from a braked pistol makes shooting great. Especially when it is a great braked pistol. OK, I'm done.

[Whiterabbit]

By the way madstyle, if you wanna give a 460 a whirl and ever find yourself in San Jose, you're welcome to shoot mine as much as you want. I have hundreds of 425 and 500 grain loads, and 40 pounds of lead left to cast more of each. Just pay my range fee and knock yourself out. I'm just 3 miles away from Reeds.

Dunno how often you make it down here.